Europe. Where do you currently stand?

I think we could deffo win it but with injuries that we've got it will be difficult. I am optimistic though. We still have Henderson to come back, it will be interesting to see if Klopp brings Lazar back in January, who knows what will happen with Sturridge so I'm not banking on anything, it will also be interesting to see what Remi Garde does with Illori now he's there so if he doesn't use him I say we get him back as well.
Keeping Benteke fit-priority, getting Coutinho playing to his potential and consistently-priority, keeping Lucas fit and playing regularly-priority, getting Firmino fit and playing to his full potential. Some things that we could do with here and we could be right up there.

Maybe it was embarrassing for some that our record in the CL was played 6 won 1 lost 3 ?

Of the 3, 2 were against Real Madrid, who nobody else could take a point off either.

Or maybe it was the fact that we couldn't beat the mighty Basil

It is a fact alright. Not that it hasn't happened before though. Houllier couldn't beat them either. Even the mancs have fell at that hurdle in the past, so embarrassing is not the word I would use.

personally I just thought it was a little embarrassing that we gave up any hope of beating R.Madrid after being beaten 3-0 at home and decided to concentrate on our next league game when it came to playing them away.

In fairness, after the home leg, most fans had also given up that hope long before the team made it as far as the Bernabeu. And furthermore, many fans want us to concentrate on the next league game, when it comes to going away in Europe.

The fact that we went out in the next round of the UEFA cup to the mighty Besiktas might have proved a little embarrassing to some or the fact that this season we have so far failed to win one of our games in the UEFA cup could be seen by some as not quite living up to the standards of yesteryear.

In the other year we couldn't deal with the Swiss Rolls, we went out of the UEFA Cup at home to Celtic. That was more embarrassing than losing a penalty shootout.

What I do find embarrassing is that people want us to field weakened sides in the UEFA Cup just because it's on Thursday night, and also have the expectancy that we get out of the group, before we set out on it.

Last year's group saw us below "the mighty" Basle in the seedings, and we finished below them. This year Sion are almost through,  qualifying is decided on the pitch, and if we want to have it after Christmas, and I do, we still have work to do.

Without doubt up to 3 or 4 years ago we were one of the most feared clubs in Europe, sadly today that is not the case. Our performances in Europe in recent seasons has been a reflection on the football we have been playing in the league matches.
                                                   I am sure our new boss will treat Europe differently than his predecessor did and so he should. Also the calibre of the majority of the players we have signed in recent years does not make for a good fit in Europe.
                                                    I think it is important that we qualify for Europe every season, preferably the champions league.

Thank you Jürgen  Klopp

I think at this moment and with Klopp in charge ( not a dig at Rodgers, just that Klopp has European experience) we would qualify from a group stage and anything after that would be a bonus. Hopefully after Klopp has more time to work with the team that could improve

Well we aren't going to finish top 4 so winning this competition takes a firm 2nd place for me.

You think not ?

Ye of little faith.

From this first month I have seen enough of Klopp , Buvac and co to believe we will make the four and our participation in the CL next year will be no embarrassment.
Never again fielding a reserve team against the Real Madrid's of the world.

I believe that once we return to the top table of European football we will stay there .

There's no doubt we aren't where we used to be but Jürgen and his staff can change that. It really annoys me when I see the media writing off the Europa League and pretty much comparing it to the League Cup,at the end of the day it's still a European Trophy and winning it is a gateway into the Champions League regardless of final league position. Maybe every club,ourselves included should start treating it with more importance,you just need to look at how Sevilla have done in the last 4-5 years in it.

View it more as an opportunity than a midweek hindrance that you'd rather not have. I'd love us to win it and I think after Thursday's game against Kazan Klopp and the players will be taking it seriously which pleases me instead of fielding a reserves team. A lot of press and even managers will moan that they're having to travel to Russia etc fly back and play an away game on Sunday but a win could mean a step closer to silverwear and for me that's all that matters. I want to see Liverpool fight for every cup they enter. A Europa League win would be a massive step in the right direction in putting us back at the top table of world club football.

It's true we are still a team that is still recognised in europe, but unfortunately, no longer feared. We will have our moments in the europa this season, now we have a manager who respects the cup. We may also meet slightly better than average teams who drop out of the C.L. That will be the first measure, as, and if, we progress, we will get a feel of how these games are best played compared to prem games, and the stall will be set. With a manager who cares about performance in all games, and one who can attract the better players to the club, i'm sure progress will continue over the next few seasons, until we are back amongst the elite.
I'm not yet 100 % we will make 4th this season, but we will certainly be on the right road.
 Give it two more seasons and I think we'll once again be feared and not just remembered.

You think not ?

Ye of little faith.

From this first month I have seen enough of Klopp , Buvac and co to believe we will make the four and our participation in the CL next year will be no embarrassment.
Never again fielding a reserve team against the Real Madrid's of the world.

I believe that once we return to the top table of European football we will stay there .

That night in Madrid mate was the beginning of the end of BR mate , i think that's about the time when the players thought wtf is going on here , the nock on effect was zero confidence and it spread like wildfire throughout the team ,one of Brendan's biggest fck ups imo , I trust in this manager there will be no such negativity .

Europa League is very important now it means champions league football for the winner. We take it serious and win our group and rotate our players best we can. No more weakened line ups!

Had a good debate with a few lads from work not so long ago about us reds standing in Europe (as in where do you currently place us in the mixture of club football in Europe).

A lot of them automatically place us in the elite standing. Just because of the amount of European Cups we have. European royalty - you can't argue with that.

But in terms of football and how good we currently are at it, where do we stand?

I think we could probably get a one off result against a Champions League regular but really struggle to achieve a run of successful results in any European competition at this present moment in time.

I think Thursday's game was a good indicator of how far we have fallen. And I think that rot started in the latter stages of the Benitez era.

Where do you stand on Europe?

Great debate, one I've had a couple times over the last few years with some mates.

Our standing is certainly one that only demands respect based on our historical record in Europe, as certainly right now we're nothing in the pecking order. Unfortunately in this day and age (i.e. social media, instant highlights etc) we've had nothing much of an impact whatsoever. Legend in this modern age is built largely on how much of a social impact a moment has across media platforms, and Liverpool have had minimal success in this time. Kids haven't been inundated with vine/gif/video of Liverpool moment after Liverpool moment in Europe like they have the Messi moments, the Bayern moments, etc etc. Thought we were headed that way after 13/14 but then we lost Suarez and then BR lost his mojo (surely just a coincidence.......).

Imagine if Istanbul had happened now, with everyone going nuts about games that are half as epic as that night on Twitter and the like. And beyond that, just the sheer number of people the sport reaches now is so much more than even ten years ago. The Champions League is huge in international audiences now. Having gone to college in the US, a lot of the mates I had there that got into footy in that time started via Champions League (two Liverpool fans thanks to me as well ). As far as the US is concerned, footy is 100% more popular in the masses than it was ten years ago. If Liverpool had that run from 04/05-08/09 of consistent top Champions League team now, we would be etched into minds world wide like people see Barca, Bayern etc. But the mire we have been in the last five years has really hurt us, as the new generation of fans that just watch footy through social media and don't seek historical context know us only as a team that "was apparently good once so someone who is old tells me"

A long winded way of saying we don't have an significant standing in my mind as far as getting talked about currently. However, our records speak for themselves. They're not going anywhere. Once we get back to that level, people will know. That standing won't take long to jump up because we have the platform. Had an Arsenal fan try to raz me once with the whole "we make Champions League every year" sh*t and I just simply said "Well we only needed a couple years to win it" and shut him right up. Though obviously I'd like to be in it every year AND win it, we still have those records that simply can't be argued. We'll get back there.

You just need to look at the record  books to see our continual appearances in Europe.
Forget Arsenal.
If my memory serves me correctly I think it was under Souness we missed it and broke the line of qualification. Someone on here will have that info.
Then there were the bans.

People also forget that when we won Big Ears  the first ones were in the European Cup on a simple home and away knock out "no room for error" basis. Not the CL group stages now when you can get away with an occasional loss or a draw.

You just need to look at the record  books to see our continual appearances in Europe.
Forget Arsenal.
If my memory serves me correctly I think it was under Souness we missed it and broke the line of qualification. Someone on here will have that info.
Then there were the bans.

People also forget that when we won Big Ears  the first ones were in the European Cup on a simple home and away knock out "no room for error" basis. Not the CL group stages now when you can get away with an occasional loss or a draw.

That's the thing tho Skip, ppl don't look at history books, especially youngsters, they are only interested in modern day football, in other words the sky generation, football didn't exist pre 1992,

How many times have you heard " no team has won back to back CL's" ?

We did, in '77' & '78' it's the same competition with a different hat on, I know that, you know that and of course the thousand upon thousands of football fans of a generation prior to '92',

If I'm not mistaken I think Forest did it too in I think '79' '80' not entirely sure tho,

But try telling that to your modern era of supporters, they will argue it's not the same thing, and it's harder now to win because of the amount of games, but you and I know over two legs you HAD to win or you out, and only get back in if you were league champions, how ironic then that you don't need to be ' league champions' to qualify for ' CHAMPIONS LEAGUE',

YNWA

The modern fans, our own included, have no time at all for the UEFA Cup, under it's trading name. Given our proud record in it, (including playing possibly the greatest ever European final in 2001) it's depressing when you see the lack of respect it's given. So what if you have to go to Russia. Teams have to go to Russia in the other one too.

There are hundreds of clubs throughout Europe that would love to win this competition. We're fortunate enough to have the resources to do so. I just wish we would use them.

That's the thing tho Skip, ppl don't look at history books, especially youngsters, they are only interested in modern day football, in other words the sky generation, football didn't exist pre 1992,

How many times have you heard " no team has won back to back CL's" ?

We did, in '77' & '78' it's the same competition with a different hat on, I know that, you know that and of course the thousand upon thousands of football fans of a generation prior to '92',

If I'm not mistaken I think Forest did it too in I think '79' '80' not entirely sure tho,

But try telling that to your modern era of supporters, they will argue it's not the same thing, and it's harder now to win because of the amount of games, but you and I know over two legs you HAD to win or you out, and only get back in if you were league champions, how ironic then that you don't need to be ' league champions' to qualify for ' CHAMPIONS LEAGUE',

YNWA

what a season it would be if we could win the Europa League and qualify for the Cl at the same time