Brendan Rodgers urges authorities to help English clubs in Champions League

“You have to win your home games if you want to qualify from the group stage, it’s as simple as that”. The pace and style of the European game was almost identical to that of the Premier League, making for an easy transition for the likes of United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Arsenal and Leicester played one of the most thrilling matches of the EPL this weekend.

England’s lead in the coefficient table – UEFA’s complex points system, collated over five previous seasons – is down to a little more than four points, 65.659 against 61.605.

“You see Porto last night”.

Crucially, it’s important English clubs start to take the Europa League seriously, as it’s a tournament in which Italian clubs have consistently out-performed their rivals.

They have won the last two Europa League’s improving their side exponentially during those two seasons, giving their players European experience against good sides, enabling them to strike now they are in the premier competition.

Mourinho’s English champions have struggled badly this term with only two wins from seven league games. We all know that a proper Englishman hates to see someone else be successful so that could easily be the reason behind Chelsea’s ranking. It happens with the other federations. They help. That doesn’t happen in this country.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore does not like it when people label the English top flight the “best league in the world”.

“I think the Premier League is all about power, pace and energy and overseas, it’s about owning football”.

There is not one objective person who will say he has been enthusiastic about the form of the United skipper Wayne Rooney. Joe Hart’s virtuoso performance in Germany in midweek did not deserve the slapstick defending in front of it. Having to chop and change your centre-back partnership every game does not allow for stability in the very part of the team that cries out for it. However, injuries may dictate that the manager plays the same stuttering pair as in midweek.

The prospect of the Premier League losing its fourth Champions League qualifying place has increased after its representatives’ dismal start to this season’s competition. They still give 110 per cent. The financial cost of such a slide would be devastating, with so much money now on offer to top English teams in European competition.

Chelsea, along with Manchester City, are the richest of a ridiculously wealthy league, but even they are finding it hard to buy as they please any more.

James Milner’s goal after 66 seconds is the quickest that has been scored in the Premier League this season.

The Premier League has become exceedingly wealthy in recent years, ludicrously so in fact.

Gary Neville is expecting this weekend’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United to be a big test of each club’s title credentials.

Following their home loss to Juventus, and coming off a 4-1 league defeat at Tottenham, City now have injury concerns.

Rodgers cited Porto’s preparations for their match against Chelsea as an example of how English football could help its representatives in Europe. They last lost three consecutive PL fixtures back in November 2008. “That’s more than a blip”.

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