Ian : Liverpool may have to get used to life outside the CL
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EUR A GONER ... Champions League football could be a thing of the past for Steven Gerrard
THEY'VE won it five times, as their fantastic fans love to remind us. But the stark reality is Liverpool may have to get used to life outside the Champions League.
England's most successful team in Europe's elite competition will finish sixth at best in the Premier League this season and be reduced to playing in the Europa League. And if tomorrow's game at Eastlands goes the way I expect it to, I fear it could be five years or even longer before the Kop are able to muscle their way back into the top four.
If Tottenham win, they will secure fourth spot and finally be able to get that lasagne-eating monkey off their backs and hold their heads up high in the company of Arsenal fans, who have taunted their north London rivals about their European inadequacies for so long.
But if City win, they will be in the box seat for Sunday's final day of the season when they play at West Ham and Spurs go to Burnley. I do fancy City to win and finish fourth... and before you start screaming Spurs fans, it is not because of my Arsenal heritage. Nor is it because my boy Shaun plays for City. I just think Tottenham, despite having an incredible season under Harry Redknapp, are not always the best on the road.
Harry is a good friend of mine and I'd love to see him do well. But I'm not sure his team will be able to go to City under this pressure and get the result they need.
City know they will never have a better chance to finish fourth. And if they do, it is not only Tottenham who should be disappointed and apprehensive.
For it would alter the landscape of the Premier League and Champions League, if not for ever, then certainly for the forseeable future - particularly at Anfield.
If or, more likely, when City get into the Champions League, it is unlikely to be a flying visit. It would give their mega-rich owners fresh reason - as if any was needed - to buy expensive new properties.
Many of the players who have served them so well and helped achieve their dream this season would simply be deemed surplus to requirements.
Stars moving to Eastlands on bank-busting contracts would no longer have to use money as a reason. They would be able to say they were joining to play Champions League football.
It would make the blue machine even more unstoppable in their quest for domestic, European and, dare I say it, global domination.
And it would also leave Liverpool out in the cold.
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liverpool need a new and richer owner who is willing to spend.
with villa, spurs and now city in the mix it is only going to get tougher to finish 4th.
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its not only liverpool. arsenal also need to look over their shoulders. look at arsenal last season 4th place. I am sure spurs and man city will challenge for 3rd and 4th place for next season, not only merely 4th place.
thats exciting now, with villa and liverpool all fighting with spurs, man city and arsenal for 3rd and 4th place next season. it could well be man united or chelsea, one of the team, may not finish top 2, who knows.
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both man u and chelsea also need to overhaul their squad.
its obvious their current squad arent good enough.
city will be the favourites next season. they just need to fine tune.
i hope mancini is up to the task.
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I don't think Man Utd and Chelsea need to overhaul their squads. They just need to continually replace the aging ones with younger stars.
EPL is getting exciting with so many teams challenging.