Our attendances right now compare favourably to Liverpool, who have millions more fans than us. And not just in recent times, when Anfield has a lower capacity, but also in all of their European games, throughout their rich istree. At this stage, v similar opposition, Liverpool were far from selling out Anfield, in their glory days, with terraces & cheap football. If you don't believe me, check out their own rich istree site.
http://www.lfchistory.net/SeasonArchive/ListGamesByType/4
Example: Tuesday 6 November 1973 at 19:30, European Cup 2nd R 2L, Liverpool 1-2 Red Star Belgrade Att: 41,774 which equates to 10,000 empty seats (or spaces on the Kop).
1976/77 42,275 v Trabsonspur at a similar stage. They had 50k for the Semi final v Zurich that season but had previously got 55,043, v St Etienne in the qf, so obviously the away fans from France had swelled up what would have been a below capacity attendance for a QF. Liverpool did not sell out Anfield, for the European Cup Semi final, v Zurich, in the year they first won it.
AVERAGE LEAGUE ATTENDANCE 47,221
As holders the following season, 39,835 v Dresden, 48,364 v Benfica in the QF, 51,500 in the Semi final. The previous season, they had 55,881 vs Boro in the FA Cup, 6th round.
80/81: 21,013 v Oulu Palloseura, 36,182 v Aberdeen, 37,255 v CSKA Sofia, 44,543 v Bayern Munich (SF)
AVG LEAGUE ATTENDANCE 37,547
83/84: 14,985 v Odense, 33,063 v Bilbao, 39,096 v Benfica (QF) 36,941, v Bucharest (SF)
AVG LEAGUE ATTENDANCE 31,974
84/85: 22,143 v Poznan, 27,733 v Benfica, 32,761 v Austria Vienna (QF), 39,488 v Panathinaikos (SF)
AVG LEAGUE ATTENDANCE 34,444
That's 4 of their 5 European Cups, right there. So they managed to get a few more fans due to milking the exposure Sky gave then & now MIGHT be able to get bigger attendances when Anfield is expanded. So fucking what ?
We should not be worried about our attendances in the Champions Lg. We are doing better than they were & with their 'istree' they are the yardstick we are supposedly being judged by.
Let's have a look in ten years & see how we are doing then.