Liverpool the best in Europe: What makes them so hard to beat?
by offsidetrap on May 28th, 2008
| 290 words |
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez might still be working feverishly to figure out how to conquer the Premiership, but one thing is for certain when it comes to the ‘goateed-one’: He sure doesn’t have a problem winning on Europe’s biggest stage
The Liverpool ECHO is reporting that Rafa’s hard work won’t go unnoticed next year, as UEFA prepare to hand Liverpool the title of best team in Europe based on their current success abroad over the past five years.
Having won the competition in 2005, been runners up to AC Milan in 2007 and made it through to the semi-finals this year, Rafa Benitez’s team has accrued more ranking points than any other club in Europe. (Liverpool ECHO)
Liverpool top the rankings table with 104.284 points, giving them a one point lead over Italian giants AC Milan. (Liverpool ECHO)
From Gerrard’s heroics against Olympiakos during the 2004/05 season, to the memorable victories against Barcelona (2007) and Inter (2008), Liverpool have found every possible way over the years to silence the critics when everything else around them seemed to be going up in flames.
If you ask a Liverpudlian what makes them so special when it comes to European Nights, you’re bound to get a number of answers, from the Kop, to Benitez’s tactics. But regardless of what type of answer you get, there is no doubting that a special electricity exists in Anfield that makes even the best and brightest in Europe look like also-rans when they step on the pitch.
So what is it that makes Liverpool so prolific in Europe? Are Liverpool just a team that seems to always have lady luck on their side, or is there something more to their success that makes them so unbeatable when it comes to European competition?
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Tagged Under: benitez, Liverpool FC, UEFA
Manutd_4_eva - May 28th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
So what is it that makes Liverpool so prolific in Europe?………..
Answer: They haven’t played against Manutd in Europe.
Anonymous - May 28th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
luck and bad refereeing decisions
Skyrocks - May 28th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
for Manutd_4: Man Utd can’t even match Liverpool record in CL in the past 4 years. They haven’t played against Man Utd in Europe?? Lol, I think it is because Man Utd can’t qualify for the next round.
fabgooner - May 28th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
they have a lot lot lot lot of luck see 2005 and they had to score a goal in the last min of a game in the group stage and gerrad did see this year inter were playing them off the park and they got a red card wht luck and vs arsenal a pen in emirates was not given which was visible to everyone and in anfield they got a 50-50 one thts luck
Kingy - May 28th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
If we had played Man Ure in Europe then they would not be European champions now would they. Considering it was a European final, the atmosphere was absolutely rubbish. No one is scared of Man Ure or their stadium Castle Greyskull, everyone is frightened to death of the mighty Liverpool and fortress Anfield on a European night, that is for sure. ‘Anonymous’, are you saying Man Ure have no luck or refereeing decisions for them, get your head out of the sand you weapon!
dogmanstar - May 28th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Putting rivalries aside for one minute, make no mistake about it, Liverpool are a decent side. In reality, there’s nothing between the top 4 in England and the top 8 sides in that list. On any given day, anyone of them could win against another. You need to strike a fine balance between attack and defensive qualities and Liverpool for the last few years have a settled and strong defence. This has frequently been United’s weekness and their gung-ho approach has so often let them down in Europe - until more recently. I can’t see past the top 4 in the semi-finals again unless two of them meet before and - I hate to say it - if Liverpool play down their approach in the League, it might be the year they finally wake up.
Sunraged - May 28th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
If you truly believe that luck alone has brought this great club 5 European Cups and 2 finals in 4 years then I hope to god you never come up against a single cell organism in an IQ test.
Every team has luck including teams with a far inferior CL record to Liverpool (didn’t Lampard and Terry hit the woodwork in the 2nd half of this final?).
Rafa was regarded as one if not the best managers in Europe before he came to Anfield, put that alongside the greatest 12th man in Europe, the most intimidating European pedigree in British football and then you get an idea of why we are so difficult to beat.
Christ! All Liverpools victories are down to luck, every other team win without luck.
You really can’t educate pork can you?
Anonymous - May 28th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Naww mate….u really cant
John - May 28th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
It seems that every one is forgetting that the Heysel Stadium tragedy
resulted in the suspension of English club and Liverpool too were banned
for 5 seasons. Taken into account that Liverpool were at its peak
at that time, Liverpool would have win the European Cup at least
twice. As such Liverpool would have become Champions more
than 5 times.
It has nothing to do with not facing Man Utd. Anyone who says so
is ignorance or purposely trying to take away the credit where
it is due. They have not done their homework and have not
refer to the history of the competition.
History does not lie neither to brag :
5x European champions ; 3x UEFA Champions ; 3x European Super
Cup Champions
mark rooney - May 28th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
ManUre were a penalty away from being losers. Why Liverpool are so hard to beat is because when we play away we have tactically the most astute manager in Europe. And when we play at home the crowd actually make the team do whatever is needed. ManUre will eventually play a European game at Anfield and Ill put money on iverpool progressing.
Liverpool Rule - May 28th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Ha ha you all must be united fans lol
Scoot - May 28th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Liverpool never played against Man Utd in an European match? True true.. But you can’t really blame the Mighty Reds of Mersyside for Man Utd’s incompetence can you.. =)
RayParlourforPresident - May 29th, 2008 at 7:55 am
I’d rather see Liverpool lift the trophy than Man U or Chavski any day of the week
I think it is because they are an easier team to like and, like it or not they save their best and most interesting football for Europe..
rafa has also made no secret of the fact that the Champions League is more important to him than the premiership which could be a reason why you finish 3rd or 4th most of the time.
Arsenal v Liverpool for the final next year - that would be a game with atmosphere, flair and real passion
very much unlike the overpaid drama queens who competed for it this time around
also I know all the talk has been about Terry’s missed penalty but did anyone fail to notice how totally not bothered anelka was that he missed… honestly, I am so glad we got rid of him when we did.
SHAHIEM KHAN - May 29th, 2008 at 7:56 am
about the first comment that liverpool did not play united yet.
what is your point we have beaten the best statistics speaks for itself.
those teams are better teams than united.they have big mouths now lets see united or chelsea and united being 3-0 or even 2-0 down against the best team in the world.people talk about luck look at all the bias referies in english league supporting united that is a fact.
prolificiser - May 29th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Q. What makes them prolific in europe ?
A. Playing the most negative style of all the teams in the competition with the only exception being Chavski.
udontknowjack - May 29th, 2008 at 8:37 am
[quote] SHAHIEM KHANon May 29th, 2008 7:56 am about the first comment that liverpool did not play united yet.
what is your point we have beaten the best statistics speaks for itself.
those teams are better teams than united.they have big mouths now lets see united or chelsea and united being 3-0 or even 2-0 down against the best team in the world.people talk about luck look at all the bias referies in english league supporting united that is a fact.[/quote]
Any good team wouldnt end up 3-0 or 2-0 down like you did. As for biased refs two words “Mark Clattenburg”.
NOW THATS REAL FACTS.
munch - May 29th, 2008 at 8:41 am
You really can’t educate pork can you?
Yes you can, every time I eat it I give it a lesson in human anatomy.
But its a bit like Livershit FC, you give it loads of mouth action but it still ends up producing shit.
thecat - May 29th, 2008 at 9:15 am
It seems that every one is forgetting that the H-e-y-s-e-l Stadium tragedy
resulted in the suspension of English club and Liverpool too were banned
for 5 seasons.
——————
Ahhhhhh, we all feel sorry for you.
Eujen - May 29th, 2008 at 9:17 am
this is quite amusing (responses).
sure you got some good victories over the last few seasons, because that’s all you had to play for. So you could throw every thing into. United couldnt because they always had to look over their shoulder for something else.
Remember the ranking is over the last five years.
in 2005 you barely made it out of the group stage, only on goal difference. In the semi final you scored a dodgy goal to get through.
Then in the final you managed to get put 3-0 down. Credit for the fight back but you shouldnt have been there in the first place if you were ‘the best in Europe.’
in 2007 both teams made the semi finals. Though once again United and Chelsea were also playing for their league while Milan and you weren’t.
So in retrospect the only season where you blew away from United was the 04/05 season, where you won it and United got eliminated in the first knockout round.
In 05/06 you only made it one more game than United
same with 06/07.
in 07/08 we made it one more game than you.
Also why have you only beaten us once since Benitez took over.
dogmanstar - May 29th, 2008 at 10:16 am
What a joke. How can this be used as a barometer when Liverpool’s domestic form in that time has been crap - it makes a mockery of the competition. Since they won the competition, they’ve had finishes of 5th, 3rd, 3rd and 4th in the league. Add to that early exits in both domestic cups and you can see why their form is better than the actual champions who are having to juggle both crucial league fixtures and FA cup games. Lets just see how good a manager and team they do have when they’re having to play 2-3 games a week for the last 2 months of the season with the likes of Kewell and Voronin having to fill in when Gerrard and Torres are “rested”.
ossy - May 29th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
tactical genius at the helm,acute singings,rafa not afraid to admit mistakes in the transfer market,most passionate fans in the world (which happens to bring the best out of the players)-all this when we don’t have the riches of chelski and scum untd -’in rafa we trust’ lfc forever
.. - June 2nd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
what makes them so hard to beat? NOTHING. BECAUSE THEY’RE ALREADY BEATEN DOWN TO THE PITS OF HELL.
my prejudices aside, i think that liverpool is heckuva lot better than chelski. but idk how they beat you in the premier league. ha ha. if you claim to be the best club, ah, tell me about it.
you lpool fans are probably watching their matches through rose tinted glasses. you’re so much in love with your team that you don’t recognize its flaws. take gerrard or torres out, as dogmanstar said, and let’s see in what dumpsite we’re gonna pick you up.
a lot of liverpool fans have defected to united. and if you still think that we’re not the best club, then you must have lost IT. oh, your brains and common sense, i meaaaan
(pffft.)
ArsenalMan - June 9th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
What makes Liverpool such a dangerous team? ONE WORD STEVEN GERRARD …Actually thats two words..
EVERTON - June 22nd, 2008 at 1:33 pm
i have to admit liverpool is great in cl!!!
maybe because of gerard la and now because of torres too!!!
BUT because of risse they lost!!!
EVERTON - June 22nd, 2008 at 1:35 pm
OOO I FORGOT
HAHA RED SHYT!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
…HAHA
L.F.C - July 24th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
If United are so good then they should be able to juggle the two title compititons!!!