This is the Blood Red Podcast from the Liverpool Echo, giving you the inside track on all the big talking points from Anfield.

Welcome everyone to the Liverpool.com podcast. I'm your host David Comerford and I'm joined by the

Liverpool. editor Matt Addison and in today's podcast we're going to do at Europa League

preview obviously Liverpool kicking off their campaign in that competition

against Lask on Thursday.

They'll also face Sondjawaz from Belgium

and Toulouse from France as well.

And it's the first time that Liverpool are in that tournament since 2015-16.

Since the 2017-18 season they've actually been a Champions League side but obviously

finishing fifth last year and dropped out.

And Matt, we've known that this was going to be the case since May when Liverpool obviously

were unsuccessful with that late top four charge, but how does it feel now that we're sitting here

it's September, the European competitions are about to stars

and the Champions League will begin tomorrow

as we record this without Liverpool being part of it.

Yeah I mean I'll be honest I've been trying not to think about it too much.

I think maybe when we start to watch the Champions League games and they all kick off, maybe there'll be a little bit of regret from a few Liverpool players.

I know they're obviously all disappointed not to have gone into the Champions League last season. They've just got a deal the hand that they've been

dealt or that they've dealt themselves really in terms of the poor performances last season. So,

I'm sure when it kicks off on Thursday I'll be able to be a little bit more excited but I think before that I'll be a little bit ruined the fact that they haven't managed to do what Yogan Club described basically as the minimum requirement.

The minimum for Liverpool really is that they have to get into the top four or potentially the top five

as it might be for this season to get back into the Champions League. So disappointing, I think, to not be in it.

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