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Even the older fans so often disgruntled by modern football's trappings and showbiz frippery will feel the hairs rise on the back of their necks when the Champions League theme blares out at Anfield again. It's been far too long. - Gerrard: I envied Man Utd in Europe
- Usher: Rodgers must juggle Champions League Traditionalists may still mutter to themselves and wait patiently for the real Anfield theme You'll Never Walk Alone to rise from the Kop and drown out UEFA's tune but deep down they'll be just as thrilled as everybody else. This is what all the hard work was about, the immediate raising of the club's stature as it once again competes among Europe's elite. There has been a rather swift fall from grace at Liverpool in recent times. Only five years ago the manager was revered largely for his team's performances on the continent. The Reds, led skilfully and cannily by Rafael Benitez, were at that stage the number one rated side for European performance. One triumph, with another final added to a semifinal and a quarterfinal in five thrilling years, made Liverpool a name to be feared. The Spaniard had reignited a club with precious reminders of what had seemed a long-lost dominion. To say the subsequent decline and even disappearance of Liverpool in European competition was a disappointment is just about the understatement of the century. Many football fans from abroad will also feel a wrong has been righted and order has been restored, others with long memories will curse the name and they'll have good reason to. Sometimes the hype can overpower the actual event. Gerard Houllier returned the club to the premier European tournament in 2001 after a 16-year absence, yet only 30,015 fans turned up for the opening group game against Boavista. The match should have been cancelled because of awful events that happened on the same day in New York, but chances are the crowd wouldn't have been much bigger anyway. When Liverpool began the group stage that eventually led them all the way to Istanbul and a fifth success, a mere 33,517 turned up for a 2-0 win against Monaco. Television could interfere with attendance in those days, now the clubs make sure you're there by selling the tickets in a package. Try getting into the Real Madrid match if you haven't already seen the one against Ludogorets. Success under Benitez turned an Anfield European night into the hottest ticket in town. Romantics can't wait for this match, however. Little is known of the Bulgarian outfit, evoking memories of Liverpool's illustrious past especially with clubs from behind the iron curtain. If their amazing entry into the group stage -- via a bizarre penalty shootout with the centre half in goal saving two spot kicks -- is anything to go by, then Anfield is in for an entertaining evening. It's also an extremely important and privileged night for Brendan Rodgers. He'll be reassured by Liverpool's past experiences with Bulgarian opposition, which have mostly been victorious except for one terrible night in Bob Paisley's tenure as CSKA Sofia put the reigning European champions out at the quarterfinal stage. That denied the great man a chance to win his fourth European Cup, something Liverpool will now be trying to do to Carlo Ancelotti in future group games with Real Madrid. Rodgers will also want to remove the club's "direct entry" curse. When Houllier and Benitez's teams avoided a qualifier by finishing second in the domestic competition they failed in the group stage and suffered the humiliation of a wooden spoon entry into the secondary tournament. Both matches with Ludogorets take on real significance. Failure to win either or both will make it incredibly difficult for Liverpool to progress further, though past exploits suggest the Reds often seem to prefer doing it the hard way. Realistically, the games with Basel will be key. Though Liverpool have an exceptional record against Real Madrid -- three games, three wins -- it's hard to imagine that continuing for much longer against the current holders. Sometimes it's easier to be in a so-called Group of Death where any team is capable of winning any match. It will not be the end of the world if Ludogorets aren't beaten however. After all, Liverpool could not beat Deportivo La Coruna at home in 2004, when the Spaniards turned out to be Group A cannon fodder. By May 25, 2005 that poor result had been largely forgotten as the ticker tape fell on a fifth European Cup. Expect the unexpected with Liverpool in Europe. There is so much put into qualifying for the Champions League in the first place, so much focus on what it means in terms of revenue and prestige, that it can be easy to take your eye off the ball once the competition actually begins. When Arsenal were trying to buy Luis Suarez in 2013 there was much talk about their continual qualification for the Champions League. Many Liverpool supporters pointed out Arsenal's regular departure at the very first knockout stage, emphasising there was a marked difference between playing in Europe and actually competing in it. It's to be hoped that such brash talk will not come back to haunt anyone as early as Tuesday evening.
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