Forget Gerrard Sentiment, Liverpool Priority Is Champions League over FA Cup

The sight of Steven Gerrard lifting the FA Cup aloft at Wembley on his 35th birthday in what would be his final appearance for Liverpool FC is one which any Liverpool supporter would wish to see.

It's a dream that Gerrard himself would, of course, like to fulfil, ending his incredible career on a high and bowing out in style.

"I’d love nothing better than to walk around Wembley or a big stadium at the end of the season with a trophy," said Gerrard in an interview with LFC TV upon announcing his departure from the club in January.

Speaking before the FA Cup third-round clash against AFC Wimbledon the following week, Brendan Rodgers said similarly, as per the Guardian: "There would be no better way, for him. It would be a wonderful send-off for him."

Since then, it's become the major talking point in this season's FA Cup—"Can Liverpool do it for Gerrard?" ask the media and supporters alike.

However, this evocative and purely sentimental scenario defies all logic in the bigger picture of Liverpool's 2014/15 season and the football club's future.

Far, far more important for Liverpool is achieving qualification for next season's Champions League, for reasons that will be explained in detail below.

With a top-four finish or indeed winning the Europa League both offering entry into next season's European elite, the FA Cup must be bottom of Liverpool's priorities.

Champions League requirement

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After five years without Champions League football, Liverpool were finally back among Europe's most prestigious competition in 2014 thanks to their unexpected success last season. A rather paltry one win from six games saw them exit at the group stage, and Rodgers must be eager to set the record straight at the quickest opportunity.

We all know the importance of being in the Champions League; the lure of higher calibre players, the associated prestige, the increased chance of keeping players happy.

Then there's the money. The money that, as explained by Martyn Ziegler for The Independent, increases by a staggering £15 million to £20 million a year for participants next season due to the new TV deal with BT Sport.

This will have a huge impact on clubs like Liverpool if they are not in the Champions League, the gap will become wider, and they are already playing catch up on their rivals financially.

Should Liverpool qualify via a top-four finish, it would possibly be at the expense of Manchester United, who, as BBC News revealed on Thursday, saw revenue fall by 12.2 percent in the last six months due to no Champions League competition—a second year without Champions League would dramatically affect Liverpool's rivals.

This is something that was stated by The Telegraph's chief football writer Henry Winter in an interview with This Is Anfield, saying: "Liverpool have to stay in the Champions League places. Simple as that."

And it really is.

FA Cup

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Supporters may seek a trophy, but such short-termism overlooks the requirement for long-term success, which can only be achieved by being in the Champions League.

A trophy is always nice to have and arguably, of course, what football is all about, but Liverpool must jeopardise their chances of winning trophies in the medium term just to lift the FA Cup this season.

In the week following the FA Cup fourth-round replay at Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool have suffered injuries to Raheem Sterling, Lucas Leiva, Philippe Coutinho and Steven Gerrard. That replay forced Gerrard into being played three times in a week, admittedly poor management from Rodgers but also due to Lucas' injury.

By playing senior players in the FA Cup and placing a high importance on the competition, Rodgers has indirectly affected Liverpool's chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

It can easily be argued that had Coutinho and Sterling been fully fit against Everton, Liverpool would have had a better chance of walking away with three points. Instead it was two dropped in the pursuit of a top-four finish.

Now Rodgers is faced without Lucas for important upcoming games against Southampton and Manchester City. He may lose another important first-team player against Crystal Palace on Saturday in the fourth round before then. The likes of Jordan Henderson, Coutinho and Sterling need protecting for more important Premier League games.

Fans may crave a trophy or a day out at Wembley, but given the choice between a day at Wembley, or hosting and travelling to teams such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Co. next season, there's only really one logical answer.

Not to mention that not being in the Champions League next season could lead to another extended exile from the competition, and that would be a massive setback for a club currently recovering and building nicely for the future. 

Europa League

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There is one ideal situation that would provide both a trophy and qualification for next season's Champions League: winning the Europa League.

Liverpool, entering the competition at the round of 32, are nine games away from winning it. The final takes place in Warsaw on 27 May—three days before the FA Cup final.

If Liverpool want to win a trophy for Gerrard, they should make it that one, so Gerrard ends his career ensuring Liverpool remain among Europe's elite for a second consecutive season and the club therefore having far better chance of success after his move abroad.

Priorities

Fans, players and manager may like to win a trophy this season, but what Liverpool need is to remain in the Champions League. They cannot afford to lose this opportunity.

The sentiment of the FA Cup pales into insignificance compared to the importance and logic of qualifying for the Champions League, either via a top-four finish or Europa League success.

It is for that reason that the FA Cup should be bottom of Liverpool's priorities over these next three months.