Europa League leaves bitter taste

It's hard to believe that a little under a year ago Liverpool were dismantling Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Back then, on that early March evening, Anfield was rocking as Gerrard and co did the business in style, humbling the Spanish giants 5-0 on aggregate.

But fast forward to this week's European clash, at the same ground, and you will have found morgues that have a better atmosphere.

The turgid 1-0 win over Romanian side Unirea Urzinceni on Thursday was a massive-come down, as the consequences of their early exit from the Champions League began to hit home.

The demotion to the Europa League was a humiliating one for the Reds fans. They had grown used to a spot in knockout stages of Europe's Premier competition over the past six years.

So it was perhaps no surprise that, after such a long time dining a Europe's top table, the feast on offer below was greeted with a rather bemused silence.
To be fair the Liverpool fans turned out in force, they know how form in Europe can lift a side's league campaign. And the entertainment on show wasn't helped by the dire defensive tactics of Unirea, who came with the sole purpose of boring us all to death. However, the football betting suggested Liverpool should have won more comfortably.

Indeed, the Reds should have enough quality to break sides like this down. Without the ruthless finishing of Fernando Torres the Reds once again look frail up front. With such a packed penalty area it needed something above the ordinary to make the difference.

If the performance was down to attitude and a feeling of not belonging in such a competition, then Benitez has a job on his hands. The side travel to Man City on Sunday for arguably their biggest game of the season. A City win would put them four points clear with a game in hand. It is a game Liverpool can't afford to lose.
If Liverpool truly believe they are better than the Europa League then they need to start playing like it, both in Europe and domestically. Now isn't the time to look down on Europe's second competition, they are there on merit, and if things don't improve they will be there next season as well.

The Europa League betting odds might make Liverpool favourites to win the tournament, but they will need to up their game if they want to lift the cup.