"If we had to prioritise, they (the Premier League and the FA Cup) were the two we would want to do well in. We wanted to do well in the Europa League, but now we can focus on the Premier League and FA Cup." - Brendan Rodgers
**** the ****ing FA cup.
It's the right priority though, particularly with where we are.
The league is BY FAR the biggest priority we have, and then the others need to slot in around that.
If we get to the FA Cup Final, we have 3 more games max left in that competition - including the one we already have to play, since we're already in the Quarter Finals.
To get to the Europa League final adds another 7 games to our season still from now.
We definitely haven't got the squad to play an additional 10 games this season, or even the 8 if we gave up on the FA Cup in our next game.
The league is absolute number one priority. Progression in the other cups is a nice to have if we can. The FA Cup has less games so makes sense as a second priority. You also get less time to recover after Europa League games and more travelling involved, so it's more likely to impact league form.
Not to mention the more realistic chance of winning the FA Cup vs Europa League anyway... (before last night - FA Cup is definitely more likely now!)
It's a shame to go out, but Brendan made the right decision to protect players.