Close encounters of the Parry kind

First of all another apology for the lack of blogging recently. I always write a recap blog after weeks of inactivity with the grand intentions of making sure I update this more regularly but I inevitably don't. Mostly because of laziness, but also I tend to forgot the thing even exists which is an awful shame.

I often wonder though if anyone is actually reading what I'm writing and if anyone is even interested. Perhaps if your reading this you might leave a comment just to acknowledge your presence on this blog, your avid readership and your disappointment that it's not updated more regularly....go on!

Anyway I felt compelled to update it now because the other night I happened to be walking back from football, up Myrtle Street, just past the Philharmonic Hall and across the street from Liverpool Community College when who do I see only Rick Parry, our esteemed chief executive, complete with suit and silly tie along with about half a dozen other suited middle aged men.

They were walking and talking and looking business like. I was in my football gear, Liverpool top included, I caught his eye, gave him a nod as I passed but all he could muster was a quick stare and then back to looking at his feet. Shame? Fear? (I'm 6ft 5 and rather scary looking or so I've been told) Who knows...

In any case it was all a bit surreal. When I told my Liverpool supporting friend later he wondered why I hadn't called him a twat to his face.

I wonder what our esteemed chief executive was up to? I didn't recognise anyone else in his posse so I can't report any secret meetings with Jurgen Klinsmann or whoever. Nor did they look foreign, of the Arab variety, so no new developments on our protracted Far Eastern takeover.

Since my last blog a fair bit has happened. Our FA Cup exit at Everton was no surprise given the way the night panned out. Our captain off early in the first half, our star striker clearly not fit and our much maligned Brazilian midfielder getting himself sent off.

The team at Portsmouth ten days ago was a bit of a shock as was the scoreline heading into the last five minutes but thank the lord for Dirk Kuyt and El Nino, keeping our hopes alive...

United can go five points clear tonight with a win against Fulham at Old Trafford which is pretty much a given. Worse still they are at home to Blackburn on Saturday evening before we host Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. By which time Fergie's lot could be eight points clear, a major psychological boost to the quintuple (a new word to the footballing lexicon this week) chasing side.

Still all we have to do is keep grinding out wins like we did at Portsmouth the other week and look to take three points at Old Trafford which may prompt sighs of disbelief among many but it looks increasingly as if this will be the only way we can seriously pull off this league winning lark.

Keane, Chelsea and another derby day

My issue is not with the selling of Robbie Keane.

Things just did not work out for the Irishman here. The situation was obviously so desperate, he obviously was not fitting in and the overriding feeling amongst all at the club was that Benitez (whether or not he bought him which is a whole different story) had to cut his losses. The stories I've been hearing about Keane's social exploits could hardly have done him any favours in the eyes of a man who expects a high standard of professionalism.

But to not find a replacement even something short term leaves the boss quite rightly open to criticism. Furthermore if we are not to land number 19 in May many, in fact everyone, in the media will most likely point to decision to sell Keane right at the end of the transfer window and not replace him as having led to our downfall.

David Ngog is no Fernando Torres, he's not even close although there is potential there. Dirk Kuyt's appearances up front have been few and far between since he switched to right wing last season whilst Ryan Babel has regressed so much that his Liverpool career may not last beyond the summer.

That said we saw the best of him towards the end of last season, the expectation being that he would progress further this term. That's not been the case and whilst we shouldn't write him off just yet we've got to be realistic, he really hasn't performed this season and it would take a remarkable turnaround form him to produce the form we expect and need from him.



The importance of Fernando Torres was underlined by his late double in Sunday's monumental win over Chelsea at Anfield. The Spaniard will now hopefully hit the goal trail which has been sorely missed even with our march towards the top of the table.

That is the one bonus perhaps, that we've survived for a large part of the season without his goals and now, with him back, things can only be better.

Better though is almost perfection from now until the end of the season. There can be no slip ups in the league and if there are we must hope Manchester United follow suit but they are wise old dogs in positions like this and they won't surrender many points between now and May, if any...

Keeping our confidence intact is important and that means getting a good result at Goodison in the cup tonight. I'm confident merely because our away form is better than that at home this season but it's a derby, it's the cup, it's a night game and they will be up for it. But if we're not then there's something seriously wrong.

Sunday was hopefully a turning point, let's kick on from here and show that even with a shortage up front we can do great things in the next three months.