Maribore

When they announced the Europa League groups, ours almost looked like a Champions League group. As well as Lazio, we had two sides who got knocked out in the qualifiers. In reality, now that we’ve had the chance to assess the relative strengths of each opponent, it’s a group that we really should have walked. Lazio escaped the Lane with a draw thanks to a couple of harshly disallowed goals, Panathinaikos are in domestic disarray and Maribor are eager but limited. Yet after another exhibition of lazy defending (you take him…no I’ll take him…sod it, I’ll just dangle a token leg out) a slow tempo and a total lack of creativity (Falque aside) here we are struggling to qualify. The only thing we managed to do successfully was give the ball away. With Ade left at home, we were left trying to feed crosses into little Jermain, lonely and isolated once again. And we’ve still got three games of this to go.

Our European stock is dropping rapidly. So far, our opponents have been happy to get men behind the ball and let the Premier League side do their worst. Sadly, we have done our worst – and not in the same sense. They’re waiting for an onslaught and we’re delivering a snooze-fest. Before we know it, someone might realise we’re really not up for this and come out and give us a kicking. Thank goodness for small mercies though, and the Athenians’ equaliser against Lazio leaves us only two points behind the group leaders when it looked like first place was almost gone.

We might not like the way we’re playing in Europe, but maybe we can understand it. After all, Sunday’s game is more important. If we feel like that, you can bet the players do too. Still, it doesn’t matter how much they lower the prices for the return. If the players can’t be bothered to turn up, I don’t imagine too many fans will either.