Liverpool and Fulham have tough nights in Europe, but what do you expect?

There are teams that are still competing that shouldn’t be there and others that are just happy to be there. There are no more real examples than the two remaining representatives of England, Liverpool and Fulham.

Having a very disappointing season by their standards, Liverpool narrowly lost 1-0 to Lille, while Fulham were very lucky to escape with just a 3-1 loss to Juventus.

Liverpool entered the tie last night with a history as rich as that of any English club in European competition. Their famous red soccer uniforms have graced the European soccer stage since 1964, and they have won the European Cup or European Champions League no fewer than five times, as well as appearing in two lost finals, most recently three years ago. against Barcelona. , and the other, the infamous final against Juventus in Brussels in 1985. The Reds have also won the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup three times, a record that places them among the great Europeans.

So why do you feel almost uncomfortable watching Liverpool play in the Europa League, while you seem almost surprised to see humble Fulham still there and holding their own?

When comparing clubs, you can’t help but compare the track records of their respective managers. Liverpool’s Rafa Benítez arrived at Annfield as a relatively young man, but with a proven pedigree in Europe, having led Valencia to the La Liga championship in 2002 and 2004 and the UEFA Cup the same year.

His first season on Merseyside was one that made legends, leading Liverpool to victory in that remarkable final in 2005, coming from 3-0 down against Milan to win on penalties. It seemed that the glory days of Shankly and Paisley had returned from Liverpool and the championships would begin to come again. Since then, however, the Reds have failed to live up to their potential and Benítez’s ability to get them there has been increasingly questioned. There is speculation that Liverpool would like to try someone new in the managerial role, but the club’s hapless owners cannot pay Benítez the nearly £20m they would have to pay if they let him go. These days, Benítez looks more and more like a manager with a plan that only he understands.

On the other hand, Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, 62, knows exactly where he came from and possibly where he is headed as well. Hodgson is a true journeyman coach, having managed teams across Europe and the world, including Inter Milan and even the Swiss National Team. He was brought to Craven Cottage by millionaire Fulham chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed when the club was in trouble, probably as a stopgap. Since then, Hodgson has changed the club’s fortunes considerably. Today they are a solid mid-table team in the English Premier League and in matchday eight of the Europa League. For some teams it’s a great position to be in, and for others it’s a disaster. It’s all a matter of what you expect and the difference is that football expects a lot from Liverpool and a lot less from Fulham.