re: Is Liverpool still a "big" club?

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Germany and Italy are great examples. Bayern and Juve don't have many major threats domestically at the moment, and they've been able to buy up the best talent from their league — even their biggest competitiors (BVB for Bayern, teams like Roma for Juve). Since they are so much better than most of their league, they can stay fresher for UCL matches and undercut their rivals with more money and prestige right now.

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I'm not sure that league race titles really explains much.

Even with losing players, it's not that Roma and Napoli or Dortmund haven't been as good as the second best teams in England most recent seasons.


This year, for example, both Roma and Napoli actually improved after selling Pjanic and Higuian (in the same way Atletico was usually improving instead of taking a step back after selling a top player or two).

That depth you mention is certainly an issue in the league races with Juve signing some players Roma or Napoli had (or could get). Juve hasn't won titles by actually beating Roma and Napoli head to head (this season, for example, the teams split the matches like most recent seasons) or doing better against the top of the table as much as by simply dominating the bottom of the table. Same holds true for most EPL champion seasons.


However, it's not really that Juve rests or rotates any more than clubs with very deep rosters like Chelsea or City.


It seems to me that it's simply down to better team construction. Rosters that match perfectly with what the team wants to do. Juve will set up to make Cuadrado very effective and got him knowing how he fits.


The top English teams with unlimited pocketbooks like ManU, City and Chelsea have not been nearly as impressive in identifying the right players to sign.


If there's anything about league differences that perhaps has hurt England's top teams, it may be better to consider whether the EPL style (and players you need to be successful) means rosters that aren't as equipped to deal with differing styles of play in Europe.

Managers like Conte, Mancini and Mazzari are constantly talking about how much they have to change their tactics in the EPL to match the opposition and fit the players they have on roster. Still, even with just a bit more tactical nuance, Conte waltzed Chelsea through the EPL.