Source: Team_Talk
Cottagers and Reds keeping interest alive
TEAMtalk's Simon Wilkes admits he is grateful to Liverpool and Fulham for keeping English interest alive by flying the flag for us in Europe.[LNB] I never thought I'd utter these words - but thank goodness for the Europa League.[LNB]As much as I tried to muster some interest in this week's Champions League semi-finals, I simply couldn't - and the lure of shooting some pool with my brother was stronger than that of watching Beauty and the Beast, otherwise known as Barcelona versus Inter Milan at the San Siro.[LNB]I happily watched the highlights when I got home - okay I might have drunkenly nodded off at some points - and although it seemed like an entertaining game, it just didn't get my football juices flowing.[LNB]Then there was Bayern Munich v Lyon on Wednesday night. I had the misfortune of catching the last 10 minutes of that turgid affair, where Arjen Robben took centre stage - first with yet another cracking long-range goal, then by spitting his dummy out when hauled off by Louis van Gaal.[LNB]The football on display in both ties suggests the lack of English interest in the last four of Europe's elite competition is a mere blip, not the start of a slide for the Premier League's big-hitters.[LNB]The Europa League is widely seen as the poor man's version of the Champions League - and although neither of Thursday night's semi-final first legs delivered on the entertainment front, they were compelling due to the English presence.[LNB]An all-Premier League final between Liverpool and Fulham is very much on the cards after the first legs.[LNB]If that does come to pass in the Hamburg showpiece, the majority of fans will be willing Roy Hodgson's Cottagers to go all the way, as they've beaten Shakhtar Donetsk, Italian giants Juventus and German champions Wolfsburg on a long and tiresome European jaunt.[LNB]Having spent 17 hours on a bus getting to Germany, they parked it in front of Mark Schwarzer on Thursday night at the Nordbank Arena and came away with a 0-0 draw which puts them in pole position for next week's return leg.[LNB]Hopefully Liverpool will once again turn on the style at Anfield and overturn their 1-0 deficit against Atletico Madrid - as Rafa v Roy in the final would be worth turning in for.
