Premature speculation and is the UEFA Cup that bad?

So the reality of this season’s poor start has finally hit home. We are out of the Champions League partly though poor play, partly through bad luck and mainly through an appalling catalogue of injuries. Ultimately we only have ourselves to blame still at least we will avoid playing Chelsea again!

I find the articles and discussions concerning our plight premature. In terms of budget the difference between going out at the group stage and the knock out stage is not too great and it certainly isn’t going to throw us into financial ruin. The real problem might be next year, in terms in finances and attracting and keeping players, if we fail to qualify for the 2010-11 tournament. However, if we are assuming guaranteed Champions League income every year, as part of their financial projections, then those responsible want their heads examining?

In terms of everything else what has really changed? Even if we qualified the same problems would still be there? Our wonderful owners and their unconvincing attempts to steer us into a bright new shiny future remain. Will our exit dampen our appeal to prospective investors? I doubt it. Perhaps it might have the opposite effect or may be they will wait to see if we qualify for 2010-11? Perhaps no qualification might loosen Hicks and Gillett’s resolve?

Talk about Rafa’s future should be just that and it was gratifying that Christian Purslow was keen to emphasise this immediately after the game. No doubt the anti Rafa brigade will gain some new recruits after last night however, there is still a tremendous amount of goodwill for him tempered by a reluctance to sink the level of some clubs by not seeing the wider, longer term picture and wielding the axe at the first sign of misfortune. Hicks and Gillett are aware of this, and will not act for fear of making themselves more unpopular. There are also the potentially expensive issues of Rafa’s severance pay and recruiting his successor.

So we move on and it’s the UEFA Cup, I’m not going to call it the Europa League as why should I acknowledge UEFA for its attempts to tart up what is after all it is a competition with a rich history. Besides changing a name won’t make it any more appealing will it? However, there is no escaping the fact that, like our own domestic Carling Cup, the UEFA Cup’s reputation seems to have taken one hell of an almighty clout has the Champions League has spread it’s tentacles cross the continent.

The regard, or disregard, in which the competition is held was seen only last season when Martin O’Neill, like some latter day Napoleon, lead an under strength Aston Villa to brave the Russian winter and surrendered their campaign as result. In same season Harry Redknapp fielded a weakened Spurs side and, as a result, basically chucked it. Perhaps Redknapp had more reason to do this as Spurs, after being bottom of the table, needed to consolidate their league position? However, it was good opportunity to win some silver. Why do clubs limit their options in this way? Why in particular should they feel the need to regard the UEFA Cup like it is some unsightly dog turd fouling up the golden road to Champions League glory especially as for many it is a road they never get to travel on?

For many it is a question of comparison. They see the UEFA Cup as a come down from the Champions League yet why should they? For the last five years the Champions League has been an exclusive club for the English. Only the big four have featured whereas many clubs have taken part in the UEFA Cup. Surely therefore it is a more realistic target, an important stepping stone to breaking into the Champions League? For us it may be the reverse. many will see it as a sign that we are the wane and that someone such as Spurs or Manchester City might replace us? However, it is not the disaster it is made out to be. I recall the Mancs being eliminated a few seasons back at the group stages and I think, at the time of writing anyway, they are still in reasonable health even though they finished bottom of their group and didn’t even qualify for the UEFA Cup!

The competition also provides us with a decent choice of opportunities. Rafa can blood more youngsters there seem to be enough games to enable him to do so – we go into the last 32 knock out stages? However, if he has the mind he may also seek to try and actually win the dam thing, and secure the clubs fourth record breaking UEFA Cup title. Rafa isn’t exactly unfamiliar with the competition, he won it with Valencia in 2003-04 and we could actually do with winning some silverware. Nothing since the FA Cup 2006.

Of course it is arrogant and extremely presumptuous to assume that we will drop down from our lofty Champions League perch and sweep all before us. In this season’s competition are, amongst others, Ajax, Anderlecht, Valencia, Hamburg, Sporting Lisbon, Roma, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven and Werder Bremen. No cake walks there me thinks. However, if we get back to full strength, as we surely will at some stage sometime, then our chances will be pretty good?

The Champions League may carry more financial clout however but why should we regard the UEFA Cup is inferior? There is too much snobbery and misplaced expectation in the game at the moment. The Champions League is not the be all and end all of everything. It’s only 16 or so games. These days football clubs seem to prioritise their matches according to the amount of financial gain a competition brings but why should the fans? It is a good thing to have a reality check occasionally and yes, thank you very much, I’ll gladly take the UEFA Cup, as our eighth European trophy, and the honour of becoming the competitions record winners to boot!

English clubs have a long and proud tradition in the UEFA Cup, and the Fairs Cup as it was known before. For example the UEFA Cup was our first European trophy win. That final against Borussia Mönchengladbach was a proud moment for the club. It was appropriately secured under Bill Shankly after series of long fruitless campaigns in Europe (remember the Milan referee fix?). It was key milestone in the clubs development the experience gained by the squad in that competition stood us in great stead for the European Cup wins a few years later.

This season marks the 50th anniversary of Shankly’s arrival at Anfield so there will be no shame or embarrassment if we attempt to repeat the ground breaking feat he and his team achieved in 1973? In fact it will be a fitting tribute.

Reds win but ultimately lose out!

Debrecen 0

Liverpool
Ngog 4

So that’s it, out. No complaints we’ve had enough chances to sort it out and have failed. We’ve had all sorts of problems this season and this is the first time they have manifested themselves into something tangible – elimination for the Champions League.

Until last night I guess most might have expected us to turn it around as we have done in the past. However, not on this occasion time to take the medicine and have a reality check and I suspect, such is the way of media these days, read our premature obituaries. Sky, in their Champions League goals round up, laughably started this off before the players had even showered and changed!

In the first game against Debrecen at Anfield we took a long time to break them down however, no such problems this time. A short corner on the right worked between Aurelio and Gerrard found its way to Carragher at the back post who knocked it across the six yard area. Ngog bundled it over the line with outside of his foot via sort of mid air kung-fu kick that only just managed to connect with the ball and cross the line after hitting keeper and the post.

An excellent start but one which we didn’t really take advantage of. The Hungarians regrouped and settled and although we had most of the possession and some good opportunities, two from Ngog spring to mind, the momentum was lost. Meanwhile in Florence Fiorentina were hitting the post twice, before Sissoko updated Marchionni to concede a penalty which Vargas converted. Slowly the depressing story was beginning to reveal itself.

The second half continued in the same vain. Perhaps we were flattened as the half time news from Florence was imparted? However, commendably we pressed forward, had a penalty appeal turned down, put in some decent crosses only to find no one on the end of them. Then we woke up. Gerrard was put through via excellent pass from Lucas but his effort was blocked. Gerrard was again denied a few minutes later by the keeper as we swarmed forward. Lucas on the hour missed another easy header, his second in two games. Kuyt then blazed over when a cross was the probably the better option and Gerrard did the same after great run by Agger. Mascherano bought out a routine save with a low grass cutter from distance and then Gerrard produced a weak attempt the chip the keeper.

All this was very well however, there was always the risk that we would be hit by a sucker punch. Debrecan had a couple of dubious penalty claims turned down. Then Reina did well to palm over a Coulibaly shot cum cross. Before that Rudolf had a couple of good chances to make us pay for our wastefulness in front of goal and embarrassment was narrowly avoided right at the end when Coulibaly fluffed a great chance just before the whistle went.

We then had a five minute wait for proceedings to close in Florence. Lyon had pressed into the second half however they didn’t deliver and in all honesty why should we expect them to? Although we did our job on the night it was too late, sadly and frustratingly the damage had been done elsewhere?

Debrecen: Poleksic, Bodnar, Meszaros, Fodor (Dombi 78), Mijadinoski, Szelesi, Kiss, Szakaly (Coulibaly 62), Czvitkovics, Laczko, Rudolf
Subs: Pantic, Komlosi, Ramos, Dombi, Bernath, Varga, Coulibaly

Liverpool: Reina , Johnson , Agger, Insua, Carragher, Gerrard (Aquilani 90+2), Aurelio (Dossena 89), Kuyt, Mascherano, Lucas, Ngog (Benayoun 77)
Subs: Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Dossena, Aquilani, Benayoun, Spearing

Att 41,500

On the Champions League brink.

If there is one thing that really sticks in my craw it is Sky TV’s insistence in trying to reinvent the past!

The first league title was won in 1888 by Preston North End. Not so in Sky’s book however, that honour goes to Manchester United in 1993. Anything before this date seems to have been wiped from Sky’s memory in some kind of Stalinist denial of history! So it seems that Jermain Defoe’s five goals was only equalled by Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and our own God (against Arsenal) because they were in Premiership matches. No mention for example of Ian Rush’s five goals for us against Luton in the eighties. Moreover in the light of Wigan’s thrashing, we are told about The Mancs beating Ipswich by nine and Newcastle beating Sheffield Wednesday by eight. Both matches were Premiership matches but what about our 9-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace in 1989-90? Nope it wasn’t in the Premiership so for Sky it doesn’t seem to count!

This isn’t sour grapes about us not getting recognition it’s a gripe about Sky’s agenda. It is as if the Premiership is when football in this country really began? Anything that preceded it is merely a childish kick around before being called into the house for tea?

However, at the moment this should not be an issue to Liverpool fans. The major concern is Champions League survival. Many said Saturday’s game against Manchester City was “make or break” however, there are still plenty of games to go in the league anything can happen he suggested optimistically! However, tonight is different, a win tonight against Decrecen will be welcome however there is no guarantee that it will save our bacon. If Fiorentina triumph over Lyon, the UEFA Cup (I’ll refrain from using the phrase Europa League) will beckon along with a seemingly endless series of Thursday night games and Sunday Premiership games!

So the task is clear and simple. Nothing other than a win will do and then we hope. On paper this looks achievable, Debrecan have lost all their group games however, this ignores the pressure the team will find themselves under and the absence of Torres’ firepower. Although Debrecan have always ended up losing they have scored goals most noticeably three and two against Fiorentina on the last two match days. Although many see them as the group’s whipping boys they cannot, and must not, be taken lightly.

Team wise there isn’t a great deal to be happy about in short it’s same old story – injuries. After Saturday Ryan Babel is not available although Agger who got a “bump” (five stitches and his general demeanour as he was helped off the pitch suggests to me something considerably more serious than that) and Johnson travel. Ordinarily one would be confident. Steven Gerrard said

“The mood in the camp is really good, although we know our position in the table isn’t good enough. But we have faith in our ability. We know we can put things right.”

An early goal will settle nerves but may be Rafa, as he did in Lyon, will opt for a gradual build up. If we play like we did in France I don’t think anyone can have any complaints or worries however, annoyingly, our result will not be the only issue. 2-0

Reds go back to draw board, again!

Liverpool 2
Skrtel 50, Benayoun 77

Manchester City
Adebayor 69, Ireland 76

I guess there comes a time when expectations and looking on the positive side becomes too much and resignation to our fate takes over?

Watching the team these days has become more and more of a nerve racking experience. It is hard to remain positive and even harder to resist criticism. Not because one doesn’t believe or has lost faith but it is simply a case of resisting the overbearing suggestion that one should face up to reality.

The reality is not the back luck we’ve had with injuries recently but, as Christmas begins to loom, thinking that we can make something out of this season’s title challenge. The stats, one win in ten games and eleven points behind the leaders, are slowly beginning to hit home. If this season turns out to be a good one it will, in the light of what has gone on so far and what will presumably happen, pose more questions about our strengthen in depth and our consistency than any other since Rafa took over the reigns?

Bad luck has paid a part and what a great start on Saturday! Agger (head) and Babel (ankle) had to go off before they’d even broken sweat. What have we done to deserve this? When the hackneyed phrase about things equalling themselves out becomes a reality we’ll be having luck until next November! Kyrgiakos and Benayoun replaced them the latter presumably getting an earlier than anticipated opportunity to test the placenta treatment. Rafa manically scribbled away at his pad desperately trying to rejig the game plan or perhaps he was drafting a letter to Jim’ll Fix It?

I don’t know if it was the time of day or a hangover from the international week or the changes we had to make, but there were very few opportunities in a first half that spluttered and lurched from injury to nothing much – six minutes of added time was played which was no surprise. Gerrard and Kuyt had shots that went wide whilst Barry and Wright Phillips had chances at the other end that caused us no real concern. Before that Given saved well with his finger tips from Skrtel. So mundane was the game that it seemed to wash over you but for what it’s worth we had the better of a rather cautious tentative, and ultimately forgettable, first half. Going into the break both sides knew they had to improve, both also knew the game was there to be won.

The second half was desperately crying out for something or someone to jump start the game and end the inertia. After four minutes it happened. Gerarrd’s low, hard, bending free kick from the left entered the six yard box and found Skrtel’s boot. It was his first goal for the club and a nice little outcome as he had been denied by Given in the first half.

Perhaps this was the opportunity we had been waiting for? A chance to fashion a much needed victory from a disrupted side before the game and, with Agger and Babel leaving, during it? However, instead of us stepping up a notch and flying at City in an attempt to make the game safe the away side seemed more galvanised by the goal. City pressed and pressed and we creaked and strained under the pressure and finally let them in via the usual route of a set piece. This time it was Adebayor with a header from Bellamy’s corner.

A shoddy goal from our part. City’s main striking threat was allowed to break free and head unhindered and unchallenged into the goal. Skrtel, who was supposed to be marking him, ended up no where near him and although he argued with Reina afterwards, he was kidding no one? Time and time again this, conceding from set pieces, has happened and not just with Skrtel. It is tempting to ask when will we learn and resolve it but surely there comes a time when it goes deeper than that and more drastic action has to be taken by Rafa and in particular the coaching staff? It seems to happen every game now and has been an issue for more than season? What is the problem? Why has it gone on for so long and, more to the point, how can it be solved?

Insult to injury was added when Tevez fed Wright Phillips who made a fool out of Kyrgiakos with a good turn and fed Ireland who guided it past Reina. Almost immediately we equalised. Ngog’s cross via a deflection rolled across the six yard line Benayoun reacted first to bundle it over the line. A perfect and timely response but why did we have to wait for the opposition to make their mark before we made ours?

Perhaps last season we would have raised ourselves however, it was timid and tepid stuff and City looked the more likely to prevail indulging in shooting practice for a minute or so with Wright Phillips and then Tevez testing Reina. We also had our chances, Gerrard nearly provided the very tall Kyrgiakos with a grandstand finish however, he lost out in a heading duel with the extremely small Sean Wright Phillips! Lucas missed a free header from Gerrard’s corner but it was poorly taken and summed up the day for us.

After the game the following quote was offered up…

“It’s frustrating for us to keep getting into winning positions and throwing them away. But we gave glimpses of our quality and it will only be a matter of time before we start winning again…”

Who was it from Rafa, or Mark Hughes? It was the latter but in all honesty it could have been from either boss. Debrecen next and a day that might see the form of the last two months or so manifest itself into something that our critics can really hang their hats on? No one can say it that hasn’t been coming and it’s up to everyone, even at this late stage, to try and stop it?

Walk on a keep the faith.

Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Agger, Skrtel, Carragher, Babel, Leiva, Mascherano, Kuyt, Gerrard (c), Ngog. Subs – Aquilani, Aurelio, Benayoun, Cavalieri, El Zhar, Kyrgiakos, Riera

Manchester City: Given, Bridge, Lescott, Toure (c), Zabaleta, Ireland, Barry, De Jong, Wright-Phillips, Adebayor, Bellamy. Subs – Johnson, Kompany, Onuoha, Santa Cruz, Taylor, Tevez, Weiss

Att: 44,164

High noon or “Blue Moon”? – Manchester City a review

Today is first day of that footballing phenomenon that occasionally comes around – the crucial week. Manchester City this lunchtime, a midweek trip to Hungary to play Debrecen in the Champions league and then the small matter of Everton at Goodison the following weekend.

By this time next week our Champions League fete could be known and after today’s game against Manchester City our prospects for qualifying for qualifying for next season’s tournament will either be back on track or looking, notwithstanding the fact than there are still plenty of games to play, rather ragged.

Today’s game against City is a game of pressure. Both team’s managers are under it. Rafa, for obvious reasons that have been discussed far and wide, by all and sundry, playing judge and jury. For Mark Hughes it is a different kind of pressure coping with the weight of expectation heaped upon him and his players due to spending spree they undertook last summer. Despite this it seems ironic that although City have spend more than us this summer no one is really expecting them to break into the top four or even qualify for the Champions League. However, nothing less than that is expected of us despite our woes and worries. Moreover City have drawn their last five league games yet I’m not reading too much about crisis at Eastlands or Mark Hughes being on the brink. Perhaps a win today will change that?

City’s situation does highlight the increasing pressure that we as a club are under to keeping running with, and get nearer the front of, the top four pack. It’s been suggested that they or Spurs could displace one of the big four. It’s early days yet however, nothing is set in stone and in terms of spending power City have considerably more clout that the rest of the top four. The anti has been upped, just as is was when Chelsea and Abramovich got together. The effects of it may take a few seasons to filter through but there is a sense of inevitability about it?

Last season’s games against City were mixed bag for us. We staged a terrific comeback at Eastlands to triumph 3-2. However, in the return at Anfield we put in one of our worst performances of the season and only managed to draw when we desperately needed a win. However, the omens remain good we’ve not lost to City since 2005 and team wise there is also some good news. Gerrard, Johnson and Agger are back but Torres remains in the stands. It is generally accepted that Aquilini will be the squad but on the bench. As for Benayoun and Riera who knows, I guess this is all down to the power of placenta!

Prediction? According to BBC website a goal for us would equal a Premiership club record of scoring in 18 straight home games. We set the original record between December 2001 – November 2002. I really do not care so long as the goal(s) we score mean that we end this run, one win in nine games enough said. I’ll go for 2-1 and let’s hope for a good week as Rafa said….

“It is an important week, but at our club every week is always important. Hopefully in April we will be talking about another important week and it will mean we are playing for something.”

Related posts:

Last season’s games
Oct 2008 – Manchester City 2 Liverpool 3

Feb 2009 – Liverpool 1 Manchester City 1

“Eye of newt, and toe of frog…. placenta for Yossi and a nose job for Ngog” – Red’s injury boost?

So the international break is over and all the World Cup places have been decided. Clearly Ireland can consider themselves unlucky to be “fisted” by the “Hand of Henry”. Robbie Keane’s pained expression (no connection) at missing a few chances in Paris also bought back sad memories of his frustrating time at Anfield.

I’m glad that Slovenia qualified as it was one in the eye for FIFA who shamefully tried to rig the play off draw by seeding it so the stronger, “sexier” teams would have a better chance of getting through. However, one shouldn’t interpret this comment as a slight against Russia, the side Slovenia beat, particularly in view of Andrey Arshavin’s comments about the Russian fans

“Our fans need to learn from the English football supporters, and in particular from Liverpool fans.”

Thanks “comrade” I bet that’s caused a bit of puzzlement at the Emirates!

Back at Liverpool and, dare I say it, there may be a bit of sunshine after the rain thanks to one or two good bits of news emanating from the treatment table.

Perhaps the most curious development concerns Yossi Benayoun and Albert Reira. After the Birmingham game we were lead to believe that that both would be sidelined for a month or so however, after a quick visit to the ”Placenta Centre” (Belgrade Branch) they are now in with a outside chance of playing on Saturday. The placenta in question is from a horse (any horse or a specific one?) and is applied by a physiotherapist called Mariana Kovacevic. What on earth is this magic placenta stuff and why haven’t we heard of it before? Do you inject it or rub it on the injured area? Maybe you take it orally or even snort it? Either way Benayoun seemed upbeat about the treatment.

“I have been in Belgrade to see her and I am feeling better already. My hope now is that I will be fit in one week, two at the most. I have a good feeling about it.”

We shall see but I’m not holding my breath. Next week Torres recovers by applying “wasp perspiration” to his groin?

More convincing is the news surrounding our captain. I was wondering if Gerrard, when he played against Birmingham, had been bought back too soon however, it seems all is well.

“I felt very tired after the (Birmingham) game as I wasn’t really ready to return. I’d done very little training in the three weeks beforehand. It took me two or three days to recover from that game but I have spent the past week doing strengthening work. I’m feeling a lot better. I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

Another one who we might see for longer is Aquilani. However Rafa, after months of getting the Italian right, remains cautious.

“Alberto wants to play for us and he is so desperate to be involved as quickly as he can but he understands the reasons he cannot start yet,”

Yes Rafa because you won’t let him! Seriously it is testament to Rafa’s single mindedness and patience. How many other mangers after everything that’s gone on, how much we paid for Aquilani and how long he’s been out, would be tempted to rush him back?

“He is very positive and wants to help the team now but you must remember that we have a responsibility to him and we will not take any risks at this stage. We have got to keep analysing the situation and watching him in every training session but we know that the right time is nearly here. He has a very good mentality.”

Finally it appears David Ngog has broken his nose playing for France under 21s. I can almost hear the cheers emanating from Birmingham as I write! Not too serious but if it was he would have ample time to consider Cameroon’s offer to play for them? In the words of Harry Hill, “so which it is to be David, France or Cameroon there’s only one way to settle this……?”

In fairness Ngog is half Cameroon so could play for them and one wonders if France will “fast track” his senior international debut to prevent it? It’s a weird rule, perhaps Ireland could recruit Kaka as I understand he once had a pint of Guinness?

Finally for those of you who are into that sort of thing, this blog now feeds into Twitter (or whatever the correct phrase is) see the link on the right hand side of this page about half way down.

Rafa speaks, fights the flack and bites back?

Given the flack he has taken recently one could easily understand it if Rafa, when faced with the morning papers, simply decided to bin them and move on the more appetising prospect of his frosties and toast!

The amount of articles personally criticising Rafa and forecasting doom and gloom on the club as a whole seem to be in direct proportion to the clubs recent dip in form but totally out of proportion to the wider picture. Parts of the British press have a reputation for being unforgiving and intrusive but Rafa’s been over here long enough so in theory the flack should not be a surprise. However I suspect he was still unprepared for the onslaught that he’s been faced with since this season started?

Thankfully Rafa seems to have the backing of those who matter, the majority of the supporters and those at the club. This should be all that matters nonetheless it is still gratifying to see others readdressing the issue as seen in Tony Evans’ recent articles in The Times this week. The articles spanned two days and there is an awful lot to get your teeth into so it is probably best if I just say they are here, here, here and here!

Evans is a Red. He has written a book about Liverpool. As a result I’ve no doubt many detractors of Rafa will see this as an example of the club using (no disrespect to Evans intended) a “safe pair of hands” to conduct some sort of charm offensive? May be there is an element of that but even if there isn’t, why shouldn’t there be? Why should Rafa and the club have to put up with the abuse it’s taken recently and be expected to remain silent or not be expected to put their side? Indeed perhaps it’s a good thing as in the articles Rafa is more revealing than he usually is.

We gain an insight into his thoughts regarding Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane deals and how the two were linked, why some players, (Alonso), were sold and others were bought (Babel, Aquilani) and why he occasionally feels it necessary to take a gamble in the market. There is the issue with Fergie, his ambitions for the future and a few memorable quotes – he’ll quit if Torres is sold and he will consider his spell at Liverpool to be a failure if we don’t win the Premiership. I quite enjoy Rafa’s grumpy, belligerent attitude and, on occasions, his single mindedness however, when you read things like this one wonders what his reputation would be like if he had been as forthcoming on a more regular basis?

Elsewhere there are attempts to make out that Rafa’s reign has been for the good of the club. The fact that the value of the squad has increased, the reputation of the club is better, turnover has increased, partly as a result of good progress in the Champions League. Net transfer dealings have not been as bad as many have thought and the academy is on the way the producing more home grown talent.

Some won’t need convincing about this evidence but it is, and will always be, open to interpretation. For example many won’t give a flying **** and will simply regard silverware, or lack of it, as the true indicator of success and progress. Others will be patient and more realistic and view all this against the background of Liverpool’s limitations and disadvantages in comparison to the rest of the so called top four. Some will openly blame Rafa or the players or the owners, or all three.

For me it is too early to say and I suspect one could cherry pick from all of these but what I do know is that I’m not ready for Rafa, mistakes or no mistakes, to leave yet. Yes it is frustrating that we’ve failed to build on last seasons runners up spot and yes we do look like going out of the Champions League. However, is this really the result of everything Rafa has been working for over the time he joined us? It is simply a combination of a number of short term circumstances some of which are out of Rafa’s control or that he couldn’t reasonable have been expected to predict or make contingency for?

Perhaps there will come a time, or even a specific moment, when I change my mind and think Rafa should go? However, even in these difficult times, I reckon that’s long way off. In fact, rightly or wrongly, the more the criticism mounts I more I find myself digging in and defending him – I’ve never liked bullies!

I don’t know if Tony Evans wrote this article as a response to the flack we’ve taken recently. If he did it is sad indictment on the attitudes that prevail in today’s game that that he should have to do so. Liverpool fans are known for their patience and footballing knowledge however, those outside seek to judge us and our club by the other twisted, unrealistic standards that infect the rest of today’s game. A game where over the top “knee jerk” responses, to short term set backs, are the norm. A game were overly ambitious expectations that often bare no relation to a clubs circumstances, are forced onto the agenda, regardless of the fact that they are impossible to meet? Liverpool FC are be better than all this and hopefully, through this bad time, everyone connected with the club will prove this with continued support for Rafa and the team? Hopefully such faith and loyalty will get its reward?

Tony Evans’ book on Liverpool is called a Far Foreign Land. It’s a good read, for a review click here. If you decide to buy it via the Far Foreign Land website £1 will be donated to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign – an ideal Christmas stocking filler?

Reds in more transfer links, Babel about face and “Stoned immaculate”!

So another dull international weekend.

ITV’s coverage of the England Brazil game was as dreadful and as out of touch as ever. I can’t remember who asked this question but it went something along the lines “If England beat Brazil today can they really win the World Cup?” I just shook my head. A silly simplistic question completely misjudging the context of the game and more importantly one that insults the intelligence of the viewers.

Moreover I am glad that there were no Liverpool players over there not only because our players have a chance to rest but also it looked like both teams were being cynically used as part of Qatar’s campaign to host the World Cup finals – a shoddy game, shoddy coverage and a blatant piece of opportunism from the hosts which the FA, to their greedy discredit, were more than happy to put the England players through when in reality they could have been resting or playing in less arduous conditions?

On the subject of the World Cup one of the red tops highlighted the problems Rafa might run into as the World Cup finals loom. It was suggested that player commitment might be less than 100% as many will have half an eye on the finals and therefore don’t want to get injured. It’s an interesting theory and I’ve no doubt that this sort of thing does go on however, it probably goes on throughout the game and not just at Liverpool Football Club so why write it as if it’s a problem unique to Rafa?

On the transfer front it seems that we are interested in Arsenal’s Eduardo in the January transfer window. er… nice rumour News of the World but presumably, at the time of writing, you were unaware that Robin van Persie had injured himself playing for Holland. Even if van Persie recovered would you honestly expect Arsenal to weaken their squad with the Champions league looming and, unless they have a spectacular collapse between now and January, a title race to take part in? On that subject it seems West Ham have slapped a price tag of £20m on Carlton Cole, they wouldn’t they regardless of whether anyone considers this to be a realistic valuation?

Other players we’ve been linked with are Palermo defender Simon Kjaer, Spurs’ Roman Pavlyuchenko and Holland winger Eljero Elia. All this doesn’t really convince but it’s in no surprise that the majority of the players we’ve been linked with are attackers. The Pavlyuchenko issue doesn’t really say a lot for our ambition or indeed our ability to put our money where our mouth is and attract quality to the squad? Here we are linked with a player who is fourth in the Spurs pecking order behind Keane (ironically), Defoe and Crouch (ironically again)?

The Elia issue is interesting as we are linked with another Dutch winger. I wonder if Ryan Babel’s experience has put him off or may be he will see this as more the players fault in failing to make the most his opportunities? Babel appears to have undergone a rapid change of mind recently. From suggesting that he would like to go on loan back to Ajax to improve his World Cup chances he now says that he wants to stay at Liverpool and fight for his place on the plane to South Africa.

“He (van Marwijk the Dutch coach) wants players to be playing at their club to get a chance to go to the World Cup. That’s also what I have to try to reach and I am working very hard every day. Liverpool are a very good team, everybody knows that, and I am proud to be part of Liverpool.”

Finally remember the days when football wasn’t popular and that anyone who liked it was probably backward or a hooligan? All long time ago and now the game over the years has suddenly become the new rock and roll attracting the interest of a varied and large assortment of mayflies with little or no demonstrable interest in the game apart from that fact that it is the “in thing”. Take Joss Stone, in an interview in the Metro the other day we learn that she is a Liverpool fan although one wonders after this.

Metro: I’m told you’re a Liverpool fan. Did you see the beach ball incident at Sunderland?

Stone: Um, no, what happened?

What planet was she on? Still she redeemed herself (slightly) with her next comment.

Metro: Sunderland scored thanks to the football deflecting off a Liverpool beach ball on the pitch.

Stone: No way! How could they let the goal stand, man? The ref must have been a p***k to allow it.

Diving David and a lack of forward thinking

The dive by David Ngog that led to our penalty on Monday has provoked the usual knee jerk reaction, but is it anything new?

Ngog is not the only culprit. Old debates concerning player behaviour in his area, have been taken out of the cupboard, dusted off and aired to the nation. They will go on for a couple days and then be put away again, until the next player dives! Players have dived for as long as I can remember. I’m showing my age now but my first memory of this was Francis Lee who in his Manchester City days used this technique to regularly win penalties. The difference between Ngog and players such as Lee, Ronaldo and others is that Mondays attempt wasn’t nearly as convincing! No Oscar nominations for David I’m afraid.

It’s interesting that when we were winning the league regularly Anfield was seen as the “home of the home team penalty” seemingly all one of players had to do was venture into the box and the referee would be automatically pointing to the spot. As our league star has faded that tag has moved – 40 miles down the East Lancs Road?

These day when you see penalty incidents on the TV more often than not the player has taken a fall at the merest touch from the defender. Footballers aren’t as tough as rugby players but they are not delicate little flowers whose petals are irrevocably cast to the wind by the faintest contact! Going down is not usually a result of a tough or over zealous challenge it’s the application of gamesmanship, using the rules and the situation to gain an advantage however some players, unlike Ngog, are more “skilled” and convincing at this than others?

The referee’s manager Keith Hackett has called a summit to combat what they now see as a diving epidemic. Again what is new? The old lines about players having a responsibility not to dive and referees being more on their game will be trotted out but will anything be done other than a finger wagging warning of “don’t do it” or “watch out for it?” You’ve more chance of seeing our new stadium erected in time for this Christmas than getting players to comply and if referees, and the game as a whole, are really serious about dealing with this surely they need a more radical approach? However rather than address this and show some much needed tenacity, Hackett prefers to fall back on the same old familiar excuses

“I have said to managers in the past that this is an area of great difficulty for referees and it can come down to the viewing angle of the referee. It’s easy for the media and fans, who have the benefit of replays and different viewing angles to see whether or not it was a dive. Referees don’t have that and have to make a decision on the spot.”

Yes Keith but you can’t use that as a get out clause all the time. Time to step out of your cosy little world and get together with the FA, UEFA, FIFA or whoever, and make sure that referees have such facilities made available to them? A popular excuse for not embracing technology is that it will disrupt the flow of the game but is this such a bad thing if the correct decision is given? Other sports (cricket, rugby) have embraced this without too much disruption indeed it adds to the tension of the occasion as the crowd eagerly await the decision of the “video umpire”?

Perhaps the real reason behind the referee’s Luddite tendency is self interest, a fear that their authority will be undermined and that they will be marginalised? This does not hold sway in today’s modern game where arguably the financial stakes are now higher. Either way something should be done, otherwise we’ll be having the same, tired debates for time and memorial still at least it will give David Ngog time to perfect his diving technique!

Are the Reds on Carlton Cole patrol plus Albert’s “all together now” call?

December is looming so up and down the land kids will be compiling their Christmas lists. If you’ve kids like mine the list has been on the go since summer! Likewise with the January transfer window looming managers will be doing the same with players. As always part of these lists, be they real or the subject of newspaper imagination, have a habit of becoming public.

For us the first rumour to poke it’s head over the parapet concerns Carlton Cole. Of course one should take this with a pinch of salt however I guess there is a strong case for us needing a second top class striker to compliment Torres and/or shoulder the burden if he’s injured? On the West Ham side rumours about their financial situation suggest that they might have to sell? Cole is also English, we have too many foreign nationals in our side which will see us fall foul of UEFA’s barmy home grown quotas rule. Add all this together and you’ve a plausible story? Not really in my opinion, it could apply to a number of players and clubs, but I’ll press on anyway!

When I learnt that we might be interested in signing Cole my heart sank. As mentioned before I think there is a genuine case to be made for another striker at Anfield, however does Cole really fit the bill? More than anything I think we really to be really picky with this one. We need an experienced, recognised top flight, top class striker someone who has been there, done it and got the T shirt in fact a whole “wardrobe” full of them! Someone who can guarantee us at least 15-20 goals a season?

No disrespect to Cole but he simply doesn’t fit these categories, by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, he has broken into the England squad and yes his performances with West Ham have improved. However, there is no demonstrable record of consistent goal scoring going back over the years he has been in the game. He is 26, the goal scoring record should be better? Yes he was, understandably due to his youth and the experience of other players, well down the pecking order at Chelsea and, as a result, was shunted out on loan to Wolves Aston Villa and Charlton but even then the goals didn’t flow. Despite his age and recent form I suspect many would refer to Rafa’s oft used quote to describe Cole “He is still learning”. At 26 years I wouldn’t really expect Cole to be in that category, mind you Rafa still uses this phrase to describe Torres!

If we are in the market for a striker why go for someone with Coles experience and record? Why not save the ten million plus we would probably have to pay and concentrate on nurturing Ngog? There is little difference – both are“still learning”. On another day at another time perhaps Cole might have been suitable however, we have a specific striking need at the moment and he is wrong striker for us at the wrong time? If Rafa and the club are interested, they should think again.

Back to L4 and I was thinking yesterday when was the last time we had such a crop of injuries? I seem to remember it was during the days of Graeme Souness. Then, low and behold, up pops Ian Rush in The Echo with this

“There was a spell during my playing days when we suffered a spate of Achilles tendon problems but that was down to the training methods employed by Graeme Souness.”

Yes! I’m not going to seed! On paper at least we had, a one stage under Souness, what looked to be decent first team. Sadly we never really found out as most of the time they were on the treatment table!

I can’t believe the current list of casualties is caused by changes to our training methods, and treatment is more scientific and sophisticated now. However, the run of bad luck doesn’t stop. Glen Johnson, who I thought played very well on Monday, and Daniel Agger have withdrawn from their respective international squads. Reading between the lines the injuries do not look too serious and add this to the withdrawals of Torres and Gerrard then hopefully we will see a stronger squad emerge from the other side of the break once some rest and recuperation has been taken?

Less encouraging is the news surrounding Albert Riera and Yossi Benayoun who` both went off injured on Monday. Both look like being out for a month. However, this hadn’t stopped Riera issuing what he sees as a rallying call.

As rallying calls go it’s not exactly a hairs on the back of the neck humdinger however, Albert’s heart is in the right place. For example he calls us “untidy” I think that’s more to do with our organisation rather tucking our shirts in shorts and parting hair! He also suggested that the current run could be affecting us mentally. Given the flack that’s been flying our way perhaps there is something in it? No doubt experienced hardened pros such as Gerrard and Carragher will have views on this and I guess it is up to them, Rafa and the other senior players to ensure that confidence remains high. Also, in this respect, no one can complain about the crowd on Monday, they were right behind the players. No slight on Riera but perhaps Glen Johnson’s approach is best?

“If someone had told you at the start of the season that we’d win one in nine you’d have laughed your head off. But things like this happen in football. You stick together and keep fighting.”

And ultimately that is all you can do until things get better, and they will.