Liverpool Cannot Defend Title

Originally Posted by Stezagud

Its more difficult than that, Everton are in the Champions League by right and would lose out massively if they dont get in through loss of potential earnings and the level of players they can attract to the club.

I do agree that Liverpool should be allowed to defend their title though. I've seen the Welsh Champions have offered to stage a playoff between themselves and Liverpool and i think this is a good idea.

TNS are champions of Wales but they arent serious challengers for the trophy, they only want to face a big team to give them a financial boost and a present for their supporters. So they would be happy even if they lost to Liverpool, who would then take their place in the first knockout round and have to earn their way into the Champions League proper.

I don't think that should be allowed, you shouldn't be allowed to buy CL spots, the competition is money orientated enough as it is. The problem is, if Liverpool get in, someone else (likely a smaller team) suffers financially, say Liverpool draw Prague or Donestk or any number of the teams from european countries that don't have the money the big wetern ones too, they would likely beat them and take all the profits where they would have probably beaten TNS.

The only fair way is for the FA to pick over Everton and Liverpool. Yes Everton would be the team to suffer, however as Englands last CL qualifier that is the position they're in.

It's great that Liverpool won the Cl, good job...but if you can't finih top 4 in the EPL over Eveerton who got thrashed 7-0 by Arsenal...you don't deserve to be in it next year. Each season is a clean slate, and to play with the best in the CL, you have to finish with the best in your own league.

I'm sorry if i over reacted Nadir and of course your entitled to your opinion ..... everyone is. I just felt some of your views weren't totally justified.

Anyway.

I would be amazed if Uefa let Liverpool defend the trophy, i mean what if the same thing happens next year. Once you let one team break the rules, then everyone will want to do it. Everton were the 4th best team in the league, so they should be in the CL. Although i still think it should go back to being the winners of each league, or the winners and 2nd place teams.

I can't see what's wrong with Liverpool playing in the Uefa cup, yeah it's not what it was. But if Benitez wants to challenge for the league, he has to have less distractions. Let a youth/squad team play in the Uefa cup and concentrate on the league. That is a possibility.

I do like the way the English F.A. have just done a complete U-turn and now support Liverpool defending the trophy, yet before the match they were dead against it. Bunch of cowards, they have no idea what to do.

I have to be honest I think the only reason the FA won't kick Everton out is because they did so well to finish 4th, not a good enough reason. I think Moyes is fantastic and it would be heartbreaking to see them not get a chance at europe but that's football, if it had of been Newcastle or Another bigger team then I reckon Liverpool would have been faster than you can blink.

Everton out, Liverpool in, it's the only fair way. If CL spots can be auctioned away by small welsh teams, or UEFA let 5 teams from one country in it's just diabolical for football and discredits the competition (though only marginally more than Dudeks carry on). Sure it will feel like shooting a puppy but that's what needs to be done.

How is choosing 'Pool over Everton fair? Everton won their place fair and square. What would football be if we didnt give Everton credit for that and give them a chance in CL? They are after all amongst the "champions" in their league this season, which is what CL 05/06 is about. Kudos to 'Pool for winning the CL and its sad they wont be able to defend it but hey. Life goes on. No fourth place, no CL. 'Pool shouldnt be allowed in ESPECIALLY if its at Everton's expense. If they are then smaller teams in every league will never get the breakthrough to make it big.

I think no matter who the team is, they should defend their title, irrspective of their position in their domestic league.

I want Liverpool to play a part in next season's compitition, they were great to watch from a nuetral point of view. In the group stage against olmypicos, olmypicos were winning 1 nil at half time, liverpool needed 3 goals to advance through the group stage, they got 2 then with 4 minutes to go in comes Gerrard with a super strike that sent them in to the knock-outs. No-one thought they would beat juventus, they hit them with 2 quick goals at anfield. Juve got 1 back. Then when Liverpool went to juve, they defended for their lives and they did a great job in doing so. Chelsea, everyone wrote them off there to, they stoped chelsea having a shot on target for the whole 2 legs. Maybe it wasn't a goal from garcia, but in my opinion and the ref's cech brought down baros, and would of been sent off in garcia did not put the ball across the line.

The final.
before the match people said no chance not against milan. liverpool looked shaky in the first half and I think they showed to much respect. But all the kopite's in the ground at half-time were still singing loud and proud "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "4-3". Liverpool players heard this along with milan's celebrations and it inspired them. 6 minutes of madness made the best european cup final that has ever been seen. Dudek save against sheva made me think Liverpool's name has been written on the cup from the start. Any other team that day milan would of tore to pieces, liverpool desired the cup more because they had not won 1 for 21 years.

LET LIVERPOOL IN.

Also if Liverpool do get in, it will not be a one off, the rules will change competely which will let the winners defend the tropy no matter what.

Even Brazil has to qualify for next year's World Cup. Why should Liverpool get special privileges? All they had to do was finish above Everton.

I think the limit of four teams per country is fine. However, if the English FA want to allocate one of their four CL places to Liverpool, that's fine by me.

The english F.A had a rule on their website when Chelsea played Arsenal in last years champs league (the one porto won).

If the winners of the champions league comes from england and does not finish inside the top four, the 4th placed team will go into the uefa cup.

I dont know what changed.

Originally Posted by Jim_UK

I would be amazed if Uefa let Liverpool defend the trophy, i mean what if the same thing happens next year. Once you let one team break the rules, then everyone will want to do it. Everton were the 4th best team in the league, so they should be in the CL. Although i still think it should go back to being the winners of each league, or the winners and 2nd place teams.

yes i would love for the CL going back to being just for champions of their countries. That is why it was so hard for teams to with the champions cup before 1995 - so much more respect

Its strange isnt it back in the day when only champions of a country played in the comp it was called "European Cup". Then when more team that weren't champions were let in it was called "Champions League"

This Whole debate is a Shame, and it is all UEFA's fault, they should just let everton play and liverpool out of CL, rules are rules and they should abide by it.

i havent read previous posts, but I will give my 2 cents:
They shouldnt allow Liverpool to take part of the competition next season because rules are rules. They should stick to them.
I feel that rule stinks, because every champion should be able to defend its trophy, but dont come to change this now to help Liverpool.

Originally Posted by sehnsucht79

How is choosing 'Pool over Everton fair? Everton won their place fair and square. What would football be if we didnt give Everton credit for that and give them a chance in CL? They are after all amongst the "champions" in their league this season, which is what CL 05/06 is about. Kudos to 'Pool for winning the CL and its sad they wont be able to defend it but hey. Life goes on. No fourth place, no CL. 'Pool shouldnt be allowed in ESPECIALLY if its at Everton's expense. If they are then smaller teams in every league will never get the breakthrough to make it big.

because that's the way it's always done, I think winning the CL merits a spot far more than finishing 4th, 4th in some countries means you don't even make the UEFA. I love love everton, they have more scottish players than anyone else in their team in england and have a fantastic scottish manager who defied the odds (i'm scottish), I think it's a damn shame to put them out, but thinking objectively as I can it's only right that Liverpool go in and Everton go out.

as i see it these are the facts:

Liverpool should be defending the title.
England must not have more than 4 entries.
Entries must NOT be auctioned off by other leagues like TNS wants to do.

the only way to do this put Everton in the UEFA

Like I have said in this thread before, this is what I believe, however should the FA decided liverpool go into the UEFA I will not kick up a fuss, I'm obviously a tad bitter about the final and I would enjoy seeing them not get in. Just like when perfeclty good goals are disallowed for Inter or we get dodgey penalties, it's not right but I'm not going to protest.

Talking about rules, I am just curious about what happened in 2003. Milan finished 3rd in serie A, earning a spot in the 03/04 CL PRELIMINARY ROUND. But Milan won the 2003 CL, and they went straight into the group phase for the 03/04 CL campaign. So, were they in because they were defending champs, or because they were in because they were 3rd in serie A? If defending champs are not allowed to defend their titles, and Milan qualified as #3 in serie A, how come they didn't have to play the preliminary round as per the rules?

It would've been different Meazza if they hadnt set this bloody rule. But they have set it and I am only content if all clubs abide by it. Besides for all you know 'Pool wont be the same team they are next season as they are now (summer transfers etc). They're a club with a history to be proud of and comparing them to teams like Porto is a bit degrading, but it can happen.