Top of the league
On top of the league on Christmas day. This has been unchartered territory for Liverpool at this time of the year for a good twelve years. Furthermore, this position has been unchartered for Liverpool come May for a good other eight years, in which four different managers including the current Rafael Benitez have tried but eventually came short to charter. Just before these years, such position and territory was not only not unchartered for Liverpool, but Liverpool seemed to have a permanent title to it.
Liverpool have been now occupying the first position consistently since the first day of December. Ironically enough though, from the first day that Liverpool did climb to such position there have been more questions to the credibility of Liverpool’s title challenge than in the beginning of the summer. It was a lame score-less draw against West Ham at Anfield that let Liverpool shadow themselves above Chelsea with one point. It may also be apt to remind that since the first day of the season back in August, Liverpool have never had an inferior tally of points to the same Chelsea, and subsequently to any other side. Thus, it is only natural to argue that Liverpool have kept a high degree of consistency in the league so far, coupled with an excellent European campaign in which out of six matches they gathered fourteen points, qualifying to the last sixteen with a game in hand and eventually winning their group, which ironically once again, pitted them against the might of Real Madrid come February. But then again, irony apart, the magic of the European Cup might have decided that it is now high time that these truly European pedigreed clubs meet and give the same cup a bit of glitter that has been sadly lacking in the group stages.
Bafflingly rather than ironically, it has been the home form that has left Liverpool quite vulnerable to criticism. They are still unbeaten, but out of nine matches Liverpool failed to win four times. The four sides go with the names of Stoke, Fulham, West Ham and Hull. Two of these sides have been swept aside in the past with unnerving ease in the past. They are usually sides that notwithstanding their limitations they come over to Anfield and usually play their game thus leaving space to the Liverpool forwards to duly exploit. Spaces were once again left this time but they were not used at all, or at least not to the maximum. On the other hand, what was Benitez’s Achilles heel in his first couple of seasons, has now been transformed into a spring step – the away form. From the same number of matches as at Anfield, Liverpool acquired twenty, one point more than from home. In the grander scheme of things, this has made up for the dropping of points at home. Ewood Park and The City of Manchester Stadium were both conquered, six points won, with six goals being scored at, when last year Liverpool failed to score in both and only got two points at.
What though owes a lot to Liverpool’s first position are the excellent displays and results against Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, the former two away from home. Winning such encounters, mean you get the three points when your opposition get none. It sounds rather puerile, but had Liverpool lost to say Chelsea away from home as most critics expected, and then beat both West Ham and Fulham which once again was as expected by both critics and fans, Liverpool would be one point better off today, but then would be trailing Chelsea by one point. The Premiership is indeed a marathon, but here the track differs all the time and you can’t simply put your head down and race against time. The hurdles here do move uncompromisingly and it is all in the spirit of a title race. Tthe psychology involved is much more than a simple war of words. And as a fan, there is few better feelings than beating the likes of Chelsea in their own pad and them bastard Mancs whether at home or away.
Some of the times Liverpool have been admittedly short of inspirational. Considering they have been deprived of the services of Fernardo Torres who can inspire the grumpiest and the most immobile due to a gigantic beer gut into a constant bounce while claiming him as Liverpool’s number nine. For that though Liverpool have more than made up with resilience, character and doggedness. They have knocked on the door a couple of times and unmanaged to get in. But when they found themselves locked inside, they made sure that they unhinge the front door rather than escape through a window. Liverpool have turned a defeat into a victory four times, and salvaged a draw after going down twice.
On a more personal level, Steven Gerrard has been in his consistent superlative form. Xabi Alonso has transformed himself, forgetting us his past couple of seasons and remind us of his earlier seasons in Liverpool’s red. He chose to forget the summer transfer speculation and relive Spain’s European’s victory. In summer he has put aside the Basque region where he hails from and ultimately remembered he is the holder of a Spanish passport. These past few months, he forgot that yes, Benitez wanted to offload him and remembered that the same Benitez was the same manager that parted ten million sterling and close to half his budget to get his services back in 2004. I will also choose Dirk Kuyt who is miles away from his difficult second season at Anfield and seems to have put his personal grievances aside. Kuyt strikes me as a true gentleman, who unlike many of the current generation would have not looked out of place had he arrived into the football scene twenty, thirty years ago. Personal tragedies hit him more than others. This season so far he has been in his consistent workaholic mode on the flank, while he has chipped in with five goals.
After his brilliant goal against Arsenal, I think Robbie Keane deserves his quest to pass judgement on him at the end of the season to be respected. My two disappointments have been Ryan Babel and Andrei Dossena. After a promising debut season, Babel looks like an elected minister unable to deliver the promises that elected him in the first place. He has hardly been in the starting line-up but when he was thrown into the fray he not only failed to divert the current of the game but even sometimes looked disinterested, giving away possession cheaply. Last season he had the biggest impact when coming from the bench. He even asked for a loan transfer. I can suspect that lately Benitez, being what he is has given him the cold shoulder but I think that a son of an immigrant family who has done well for himself is made of sterner stuff. And then, Dossena, who Benitez brought as a left-back. He has looked handful when attacking the flank, but when you bring a guard dog you don’t want a playful canine.
On the grey side reflecting the current away kit stands Javier Mascherano. He has been by no means poor, but he has not been the real Argentinean beast who can also play as he has showed since his loan move turned permanent from West Ham. The real exception has been against Manchester United at Anfield back in September. I believe he needs and will eventually step up his game and make Liverpool’s midfield more of a power plant.
This has been one of the tighter leagues for a number of years. In the relegation zone, there is a side that contains the likes of Robinho and Wright-Phillips. Aston Villa are threatening the hierarchy and exclusiveness of the top four. And like the Masch, Liverpool may need to step up their game further, but once again like the Masch, I believe Liverpool do have more in reserve that is yet to be unleashed.
For now and Christmas day, I will raise a glass to the league leaders.
On top of the league on Christmas day. This has been unchartered territory for Liverpool at this time of the year for a good twelve years. Furthermore, this position has been unchartered for Liverpool come May for a good other eight years, in which four different managers including the current Rafael Benitez have tried but eventually came short to charter. Just before these years, such position and territory was not only not unchartered for Liverpool, but Liverpool seemed to have a permanent title to it.
Liverpool have been now occupying the first position consistently since the first day of December. Ironically enough though, from the first day that Liverpool did climb to such position there have been more questions to the credibility of Liverpool’s title challenge than in the beginning of the summer. It was a lame score-less draw against West Ham at Anfield that let Liverpool shadow themselves above Chelsea with one point. It may also be apt to remind that since the first day of the season back in August, Liverpool have never had an inferior tally of points to the same Chelsea, and subsequently to any other side. Thus, it is only natural to argue that Liverpool have kept a high degree of consistency in the league so far, coupled with an excellent European campaign in which out of six matches they gathered fourteen points, qualifying to the last sixteen with a game in hand and eventually winning their group, which ironically once again, pitted them against the might of Real Madrid come February. But then again, irony apart, the magic of the European Cup might have decided that it is now high time that these truly European pedigreed clubs meet and give the same cup a bit of glitter that has been sadly lacking in the group stages.
Bafflingly rather than ironically, it has been the home form that has left Liverpool quite vulnerable to criticism. They are still unbeaten, but out of nine matches Liverpool failed to win four times. The four sides go with the names of Stoke, Fulham, West Ham and Hull. Two of these sides have been swept aside in the past with unnerving ease in the past. They are usually sides that notwithstanding their limitations they come over to Anfield and usually play their game thus leaving space to the Liverpool forwards to duly exploit. Spaces were once again left this time but they were not used at all, or at least not to the maximum. On the other hand, what was Benitez’s Achilles heel in his first couple of seasons, has now been transformed into a spring step – the away form. From the same number of matches as at Anfield, Liverpool acquired twenty, one point more than from home. In the grander scheme of things, this has made up for the dropping of points at home. Ewood Park and The City of Manchester Stadium were both conquered, six points won, with six goals being scored at, when last year Liverpool failed to score in both and only got two points at.
What though owes a lot to Liverpool’s first position are the excellent displays and results against Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, the former two away from home. Winning such encounters, mean you get the three points when your opposition get none. It sounds rather puerile, but had Liverpool lost to say Chelsea away from home as most critics expected, and then beat both West Ham and Fulham which once again was as expected by both critics and fans, Liverpool would be one point better off today, but then would be trailing Chelsea by one point. The Premiership is indeed a marathon, but here the track differs all the time and you can’t simply put your head down and race against time. The hurdles here do move uncompromisingly and it is all in the spirit of a title race. Tthe psychology involved is much more than a simple war of words. And as a fan, there is few better feelings than beating the likes of Chelsea in their own pad and them bastard Mancs whether at home or away.
Some of the times Liverpool have been admittedly short of inspirational. Considering they have been deprived of the services of Fernardo Torres who can inspire the grumpiest and the most immobile due to a gigantic beer gut into a constant bounce while claiming him as Liverpool’s number nine. For that though Liverpool have more than made up with resilience, character and doggedness. They have knocked on the door a couple of times and unmanaged to get in. But when they found themselves locked inside, they made sure that they unhinge the front door rather than escape through a window. Liverpool have turned a defeat into a victory four times, and salvaged a draw after going down twice.
On a more personal level, Steven Gerrard has been in his consistent superlative form. Xabi Alonso has transformed himself, forgetting us his past couple of seasons and remind us of his earlier seasons in Liverpool’s red. He chose to forget the summer transfer speculation and relive Spain’s European’s victory. In summer he has put aside the Basque region where he hails from and ultimately remembered he is the holder of a Spanish passport. These past few months, he forgot that yes, Benitez wanted to offload him and remembered that the same Benitez was the same manager that parted ten million sterling and close to half his budget to get his services back in 2004. I will also choose Dirk Kuyt who is miles away from his difficult second season at Anfield and seems to have put his personal grievances aside. Kuyt strikes me as a true gentleman, who unlike many of the current generation would have not looked out of place had he arrived into the football scene twenty, thirty years ago. Personal tragedies hit him more than others. This season so far he has been in his consistent workaholic mode on the flank, while he has chipped in with five goals.
After his brilliant goal against Arsenal, I think Robbie Keane deserves his quest to pass judgement on him at the end of the season to be respected. My two disappointments have been Ryan Babel and Andrei Dossena. After a promising debut season, Babel looks like an elected minister unable to deliver the promises that elected him in the first place. He has hardly been in the starting line-up but when he was thrown into the fray he not only failed to divert the current of the game but even sometimes looked disinterested, giving away possession cheaply. Last season he had the biggest impact when coming from the bench. He even asked for a loan transfer. I can suspect that lately Benitez, being what he is has given him the cold shoulder but I think that a son of an immigrant family who has done well for himself is made of sterner stuff. And then, Dossena, who Benitez brought as a left-back. He has looked handful when attacking the flank, but when you bring a guard dog you don’t want a playful canine.
On the grey side reflecting the current away kit stands Javier Mascherano. He has been by no means poor, but he has not been the real Argentinean beast who can also play as he has showed since his loan move turned permanent from West Ham. The real exception has been against Manchester United at Anfield back in September. I believe he needs and will eventually step up his game and make Liverpool’s midfield more of a power plant.
This has been one of the tighter leagues for a number of years. In the relegation zone, there is a side that contains the likes of Robinho and Wright-Phillips. Aston Villa are threatening the hierarchy and exclusiveness of the top four. And like the Masch, Liverpool may need to step up their game further, but once again like the Masch, I believe Liverpool do have more in reserve that is yet to be unleashed.
For now and Christmas day, I will raise a glass to the league leaders.
posted by jean paul at 3:23 pm
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