Give youth a chance, striker searches and Spurs stuff

It still remains let’s all laugh at Liverpool season. The majority of barbs thrown in my direction since Saturday’s game appeared to be from people who support clubs who are in a far worse position then we are. However, that doesn’t stop them, schdenfruade is irresistible, although it is negative it is also enjoyable, and therefore an understandable, pastime. It can barely be described as comfort but I guess all this preoccupation with our so called demise is a measure of the standards we’ve set ourselves and, on the whole, achieved in the past. However, this doesn’t make the present any easier to stomach!

Meanwhile it’s only ten days or so until the January transfer window is pulled shut. I guess the injury to Torres has magnified the need for another striker however, if reports are true, the search hasn’t been intensified. According to some papers Sunderland’s Kenwyne Jones appeared to be all but walking out on to the Anfield pitch with Rafa for the traditional, obligatory shot of a new signing with shirt and scarf aloft however, this was denied almost as quickly as the story broke. Personally I can’t see Sunderland agreeing to sell Jones at this stage of the season. Darren Bent has done well for them but if he got injured?

Elsewhere we appear to be on fallow ground. The trails for Rudd van Nistelrooy and Emile Heskey appear to have gone cold and there doesn’t appear to be anyone else who we can bring in what is traditionally a thin market anyway. Perhaps Rafa should think outside the box, take a gamble and give youth a bit more rope than he has done in the past? How about blooding Daniel Pacheco and giving him a run whilst Torres is sidelined? Many will say that the season’s bolt has already been shot so what have we got to lose and it can only do us good in the long term? Football is littered with examples of young kids who have been lucky enough to be given a chance at a very early age and have taken it. Who is to say we don’t have another Owen or a Rooney in the wings? Let’s also be honest wrapping players in cotton wool and keeping them back hasn’t really got Rafa very far so why not give it a go, if finances are what they say they are then he might have to get used to it?

Which brings us to Spurs tonight at our place. Amid Saturdays wailing and gnashing of teeth it was perhaps forgotten that the other teams in the race for fourth place also slipped up with Villa, Manchester City and tonights visitors unable to manage a win between them. A win tonight will see us one point off fourth place. A defeat? Well it won’t be the end of the world for many I guess it will be seen as so?

Team wise one wonders if Rafa will ring the changes. It was suggested by many that Saturday’s side was a “one off” picked specifically with the opposition in mind. We certainly battled well and mixed it effectively with Stoke however, inevitably football was sacrificed. No such worries tonight hopefully and one wonders if Aquilani and Maxi Rodriguez, who must have wondered what the hell he’d taken on whilst watching the Stoke game, will start. Rafa also has a small dilemma with his defence as Kyrgiakos did well. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Degen has played his last game for the club, time to get rid before the window closes Rafa? Twitter boy is also recalled to the squad!

Spurs come to Anfield in a good position with plenty of options however, Saturday’s draw with Hull is a reminder that they can still be inconsistent, as if we can talk! Prediction? My head disagrees with my heart but you should always follow the latter so I’ll say 2-1 to us. Enjoy the game and don’t get too worked up if it’s still in the balance going into the last few minutes – “it is what it is”.