Why is fourth place now acceptable to LFC ?

i wouldn't say 4th is ''acecptable'' but it is a minimum and its only a minimum as it gets you champions league (obviously) but i think this will change when new champions league rules come in in (2009-2010 i think!)
then 4th just wont be good enough to get the manager off the hook, when the rules change i think alot of the big clubs will start changing there manager can you imaginr chelsea or man u settling for the uefa cup and the same will be for us and arsenal more so with all thesew new owners! at the mo we are lucky 4 big clubs 4 spaces but not for long 

Spen the 3rd/4th amount of money that's where you should expecpt to finish.

Italy & Spain is no different.

If it is then it shouldnt be? But I dont think it is we should realistically push the other 3 all the way. The way we can do it is by gettin more points when we play Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal.

The club is going through a transition phase - the biggest changes off and on the field the club has probably EVER seen... and we want to win, win and win all the way through it (not a bad thing).

We must set our expectations at a realistic level.

We need to build the best club in the world AGAIN bottom up. Yes we (the supporters) have and always will be there - but some others - some running the club on and off the field now - will/may not be in the future.

Bottom up for me means, scouting (done), youth (in transition first year under Rafa's full control), Melwood (done), Financing stadium (currently shambles), Financing world-class squad (in transition, bit by bit, Rafa assembling the team to tackle the world - but not a the financial pace he or the fans want)... and the list goes on (badly needed) revamped commercial strategy, local community, etc, etc...

All I am trying to say, is let's keep the faith - but let's not forget that many things must change at our club before we can apples for apples compete with the biggest clubs in the world.

Our history does not buy us titles. Hard work and talent does... combined with lashings of cash in the current era.

Yes we must stay ambitious, aim for the very top, but we must also not lose (at this particular transition stage) all sense of reality and circumstance.

YNWA IRWT

Fourth is not acceptable and neither is third or second,we tolerate those league placings because they get us in to the European Champions Cup.We know what it is like to finish first ( 18 times  ) and that is what we all crave for and expect.

Remember this Quote;
"If you are first you are first, if you are second you are nothing!" Does finishing 2nd, 3rd or 4th even deserve to put you in the chance to make it into the Champions league. Liverpool has a heart and soul, and if that heart and soul fall behind they stop, why don't we back ourselves and be confident, if we are falling behind in a title race, even more reason to get aggresive and chase down the teams infront. I for one am sick of everyone stating our drought and we have to stick to them by winning it, which means we need heart and soul put into every single match, whether they be Derby County or Manchester Utd! If Liverpool haven't realised being 4th means that over the course of the league season we were behind 3 other teams in terms of Football skill.