Liverpool started well yesterday and went one up as early as the nineteenth minute. The ball then seemed to have Liverpool’s name on it, as the reds dominated possession and had their chances every now and then without ever really having too many clear cut ones. A sucker-punch at the thirty-third minute concluded by a good header from a certain Lisandro through an awesome cross by Kazmierczak punctured Liverpool’s stride. And in hindsight the strange early half-time whistle wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to Liverpool. At the time Porto were showing their insidious attacking mettle.

The second half started and a good ball by Fernando Torres to Yossi Benayoun was well spurned. And as the clock was ticking down Liverpool looked snookered. Attacking yes they were, but the sight of Porto’s goal was getting even more blurred by the minute. Then with thirteen minutes to go, Torres took a new cue courtesy of the fresh Harry Kewell, evaded Stepanov’s challenge with guile and then coolly side-footed the ball into the net. The Kop erupted, the Spanish flags were waved with fervour, the depressing and worrying read in the media was forgotten and a spring was put back into the red shirt’s heels. And with a swift spring back into their heels, Liverpool added two more to decorate the score-line and in snooker terms finish off the table.

In the meantime Liverpool concluded their November commitments and how far can this be from the sometimes black ones. It seems global warming and the change of seasons has even arrived at the corridors of Anfield. Scoring seventeen, with only one conceded, this has definitely been a productive month and the scoreless draw against Blackburn at Ewood Park at the beginning of the month feels so distant now.

Since then, corners have been turned to goals, substitutes turned games on their heads, the captain bossed the park, Torres confirmed his credentials and class, and a disastrous European campaign with fate in other team’s hands has now been firmly gripped by the scruff of its neck.

In the meantime, we reminded ourselves what manager we’ve got in our hands. At times this season taken for granted, questioning his successful methods through the years time and again, an acrimonious squabble between the manager and the new owners cold showered everyone and reminded us what he’s done for the club and how vital he is to this football club.

Hala Rafa!

The official statement released by Messrs Gillett and Hicks last Thursday showed a lack of knowledge of the Liverpool way by the co-chairmen. The Liverpool way suggests things to be discussed behind closed doors rather than airing the dirty linen in public. The Liverpool way of doing things though cannot be found in any book and for all their wealth such knowledge of ethics can never be bought, and with them residing in the States the chances of learning such ethics is as possible as a fish preferring the soil from the water. Yesterday Rafael Benitez and his squad answered in the best possible Liverpool way, and that is on the pitch as Liverpool produced their finest performance so far as they just swept past a lucky Newcastle side that ended the match with just a three-goal deficit. Liverpool were fluid yet blunt, concentrated and direct, confirming their impeccable away form, testing all the way the loyalty and patience of the self-called best fans in the world as one after another was seen leaving the ground early and booing every decision by their manager Sam Allardyce.

Steven Gerrard returned back to form in a free-role in the midfield and like Rafael Benitez could not have dreamt any better answer to the booing Geordie England fans. A quick tap-in by Lucas Leiva after Fernando Torres had been fouled by Emre let the captain compose himself in the best possible way as he let fly from thirty yards and tested the severity of the net. Most fishermen would be definitely getting in touch with the St James Park manager to check what make this net is, as no fish would have a chance of escaping such a net.

Torres then, at the stroke of half-time started his series of missed chances, firstly by having his shot blocked by the onrushing Shay Given and then in the same action he could only direct the pass by the perseverant Dirk Kuyt against the post. Chances came and went for the Spaniard but it just didn’t happen for him, in a match where Liverpool could afford to miss a hatful of chances. At times it looked like the main Liverpool scope was getting Torres on the score-sheet, that’s how comfortable Liverpool were. As soon as the second minute of the second half, a corner taken by Gerrard was heeled over by Sami Hyypia in the six yard box and Dirk Kuyt easily converted to a goal.

With a two goal lead Liverpool just continued foraging at the Newcastle goal, and with the wind blowing through the Liverpool sails, Benitez afforded taking off the returning Harry Kewell, and both scorers Kuyt and Gerrard off. In such an environment, it was Babel’s turn to get on the score-sheet as after passing a great ball to Gerrard the latter returned the favour and Babbel just finished off the move emphatically at Given’s left.

Thirteen games to the good, having played more away games than home ones, Liverpool are still unbeaten in the Premiership, however it was only yesterday that they added up two wins on the trot. The performances lately though have been more assured and a win over Porto at Anfield next Wednesday will bring Liverpool one match away from qualification to the last sixteen. The much talked good start is in a way materializing and Liverpool have not been in such a good position for ages.

The statement by the co-chairmen feels even more out of touch and out of synch with reality, it feels like using a torch in broad daylight.

With a record breaking eight-nil victory on their backs, Rafael Benitez decided to leave the same starting eleven to face Fulham for the first time in thirteen months, the last time being in the match following the 3-1 over the then unbeaten and high-flying Aston Villa. Having achieved such feat, the wind was certainly felt blowing through Liverpool’s sails, and the modest side of Fulham could only provide mild seas to navigate through, especially at the homely environment of Anfield.

With such wind blowing as much as it could, Liverpool could not steer themselves in line for the three points. The first forty-five minutes weren’t anything in particular to shout about and it was only in the added minute when the reds really threatened to score. A floated free-kick by Fabio Aurelio was met by a Peter Crouch header that only the crossbar prevented from nestling in the net.

The second forty-five minutes saw an improved Liverpool side that while not attacking Fulham incessantly it was doing so on a consistent basis. As the clock was winding down though the euphoria of last Tuesday was fastly ebbing away and the Liverpool got more into the conscious mode of being unable to win at home. A feeling of deja-vu was enveloping Anfield as the fifth draw and the third scoreless draw was on the cards.

But then with twenty minutes to go Fernando Torres entered the scene. The whole scenario was changed, as from a frustrating one, the match turned into a fulfilling one. Liverpool were creating a momentum but it was Torres, who like a seasoned skipper steered Liverpool’s ship on course for the three points. And he did it with class and aplomb. Pepe Reina long kicked the ball. Torres coolly chested to his right while surrounded by two defenders, then cut inside their penalty area and coolly poked the ball between his marker’s legs and between Atti Niemi and the post. A touch of genius that earned Liverpool the extra two points. Lawrie Sanchez called the goal ‘soft’, and true, after such a goal you could have knocked most reds with a soft feather.

Five minutes later, Crouch won a penalty kick after receiving a pass from Babel who was another substitute who left a positive mark on the game. Steven Gerrard duly converted to his right while sending Niemi the opposite way.

The much needed and talked about three points at Anfield finally arrived, after being longed for since September. Torres seems to have also put his injury woes behind him and reminded us that the difference between one and three points a lot of times depends on him, a responsibility I am positively sure he can carry on his shoulders and then shrug while opening his arms to celebrate another goal.

Liverpool were like an octopus yesterday night, knocking a blow after a blow over Beisktas by its every arm. But while an octopus is considered as having a soft body, Liverpool were silky rather than soft as they achieved the biggest score in Champions League history. They skimmed past every Turk with certain ease and panache. For a team that started the game rather snookered and behind the eight ball, this was a pretty emphatic win and display. While Besiktas might not be one of the aristocrats of European football, it was only a fortnight ago that they have inflicted a defeat on the reds and had cast talk of crisis and doom over Anfield. This morning, the lads must have woken up to a much brighter sky and feel in one step above seventh heaven. The drought of goals felt so far at Anfield since the Derby rout, as long ago as the very beginning of September has been finally flooded off.

The misfiring at Blackburn Dirk Kuyt was left on the bench and made way for the effective substitute Peter Crouch. Fernando Torres was put on the bench rather prematurely when after the Arsenal match there was talk of him being out for three weeks. Benitez seemed to leave one very last card up his sleeve should the drought at Anfield continue, in a game where victory was the only option. He needn’t have worried as Crouch confirmed that his effective late cameos were no fluke, as on the nineteenth minute he opened the score. Yossi Benayoun then took over, adding the second shortly after courtesy to a perfect pass by Andriy Voronin. Liverpool then made their way to the dressing-room with a seemingly comfortable two goal lead. But the Jew made sure that the comfortable lead turns into an unassailable one by two other goals in the first eleven minutes of the second half, thus registering his first hat-trick in Liverpool colours. Voronin then sliced open again the Besiktas defence by back-heeling his captain’s pass in the path of the former’s advanced run which the captain duly finished by a powerful shot. A scintillating finish by the substitute Babel made it six nil as the Dutch seemed to look sideways, let the ball manoeuver between his legs and through his back heel flicked it past the keeper. Minutes later, luck favoured the brave as Babbel ran towards their last man to pressure him. The clearance only went as far as Babel’s back and ricocheted into the net. After opening the night procession of goals, Crouch concluded the night by a header after a Benayoun’s cross.

Liverpool’s destiny in the Champions League is in their hands now. Porto and Marseille will surely offer a tougher opposition but yesterday the reds just massacred what they had before them, and even stronger teams would have found it harder to live with them. Last September, Liverpool had the wind knocked off their sails after the Derby rout by the international break. This time, Liverpool will be facing Fulham at Anfield in just four days. Liverpool have now the wind blowing in their sails, clearing on the way the foggy atmosphere that was dazing the route of any Liverpool goal.

Still unbeaten with the calendar on the November page, Christmas looming over the horizon, and eleven games to the good suggest a solid start, but that’s less than half the story of the season so far. Liverpool resemble a decent car which has not broken down so far on the local tracks but has been unable to accelerate so far. The ‘Lost’ column is still nil, but then the ‘Draw’ column is higher than the ‘Win’ column.

Drawing at Ewood Park against an on-form Blackburn side has been acceptable for most of the past seasons, but considering the too many points missed at home so far it feels uneconomical and disappointing. And at the moment Liverpool can be anything but uneconomical. With the most expensive signing in their history currently side-lined Liverpool will have to make the most that is thrown in their direction before the deficit with the top sides gets too disheartening. The first forty-five minutes provided very little for the strikers/advanced midfielders to snatch on, and the ref’s whistle signaling the end of it was secretly welcomed by the red men. Their keeper and ex-Liverpool custodian Friedel was seldom called into action, to the point that had he pockets in his shorts he would have taken off his gloves and put them there to warm them.

The second forty-five minutes were a different story altogether. Liverpool looked more determined and attacked Blackburn’s goal consistently. They were forty-five minutes that enabled Dirk Kuyt to sum up his season and Liverpool’s so far. Kuyt was the busiest lad on the pitch but when he had the sight of their goal he continuously missed he target and proved not to be clinical enough. Like some budget speeches he offered a lot of talk in the way of running but eventually was unable to reduce the deficit with the top positions. I really feel sorry for him, as he is dead intent to make it happen and is a far cry from some of today‘s prima donnas that are found in abundance. Sometimes he looks to be trying too hard and on Saturday it only back-fired. My sympathies for the Dutch though are to be shared with Peter Crouch, who is currently a permanent resident on the Liverpool bench. Whilst last season it was argued that he never scored when he didn’t start, at Ewood Park he made more in fourteen minutes than some did in the whole match. Only Bentley on the line deprived him from opening the score for Liverpool after heading a corner towards goal and his usual providing of knock-downs were all evident and troubled Blackburn’s defence.

Having Fulham next at home should be like having the usually reliable selling stock back for the corner shop to sell, improve their books and eventually reduce the overdraft.