Last night and the next six

I haven't got too much to say about last night except everyone on that pitch did Liverpool Football Club and the memory of the 96 very proud indeed.

We could not have asked for more and it was only the cruel nature of Chelsea's first goal that swung the tie in their favour and gave them the confidence to finish off the tie even after a late scare.

We remain an excellent side and one capable of winning the Premier League title this season, we are certainly closer than at any point during the last 19 title-less years and that is an excellent achievement in itself given we have had to cope for a large portion of the season without our talisman, Fernando Torres.

We are reliant on others to help us out but more than a few people have said to me that if we win our final six games, and this is a big if then we will be champions. And to be champions this season would mean so much.

Six games to go, let's go!

Remembering the 96

I’ve supported Liverpool pretty much all my life and I have contemplated for a long while writing something about Hillsborough, never really being able to decide how or what to write about.....

Crashing down to earth but with hope in our hearts

The euphoria of the past few weeks had to end at some point. We hoped it would be in May with a league and European Cup to our name alas the latter looks unlikely after tonight but far from impossible.

After a month where we've seen the Reds stick four past Real and Man U (Andrea Dossena scoring in both games!), obliterate a strong Aston Villa and summon the latest of late goals at Fulham to cap yet another improbable stoppage time win you've got to believe that we can go to Stamford Bridge and score three without reply, afterall we scored four at Old Trafford...

The point is don't give up yet but this wasn't good tonight for sure. The awesome start that smashed Real Madrid looked on the cards when Torres put us in front but Chelsea's comeback was impressive. Didier Drogba should have levelled on two occasions. Ivanovic's equaliser was preventable but inevitable as was his second goal, the flaws of zonal marking rearing their ugly head again but what odds a full back scoring two goals in a Champions League quarter final?

Drogba's third was deserved and a fine finish to a fine move. We had no reply. Our heads dropped from the moment Chelsea equalised and we just couldn't break them down. Lucas and Dossena, two players who have played out of their skins in recent weeks suddenly returned to their average selves, losing the ball, messing up the easy things. It was Middlesbrough away all over again but at a higher level and far more costly.

Quite simply, Rafa Benitez was tactically outclassed in Europe and there's a line you've probably never read in the five years he's been at Liverpool. He won't like that and that's all we can hope for when it comes to Stamford Bridge next Tuesday night, that he is so riled by tonight that he sends his players out to achieve the unlikely and they've been doing it all season.

And let us not forget that next week we play for the 96 Reds who should be here today. There is no greater incentive than that. Do them proud redmen. Believe.

Momentum gives us a real shot at greatness

Momentum. A word we're used to hearing in football terms. Momentum helps a striker maintain a hot goal-scoring streak. Momentum wins football games. Momentum wins titles. At the moment Liverpool have momentum and they have it in abundance.

It has allowed the Reds to put 13 goals past three previous European Cup winners, one of them the current holders, in the last few weeks, to catapult themselves back into the title race and has underlined their extraordinary European credentials.

No one, and I mean no one, is capable of dealing with us on this form. Not Real Madrid who had been in stunning form under Juande Ramos prior to their tie with us, not a quintuple chasing Manchester United, not an Aston Villa who have been solid all season and never capitulated in the manner that they did this afternoon.

When we're good, we're very very good.

And yet it makes it all the more frustrating that we weren't this good when Stoke City, Fulham, West Ham and a few other teams turned up at Anfield and stifled us into playing the type of football that makes us look poor. And when we're poor, we're very very poor.

We can only hope those days are behind us now. We have eight games to make our mark on this title race. Eight winnable games that must all be won in the hope that United's capitulation last week and yesterday at Craven Cottage can be repeated in their remaining nine encounters.

There is no greater motivation then the desire of players like Steven Gerrard to attain the one medal that has so far eluded him in club football. No greater motivation for the fans and the club on whole than to deny Manchester United a chance to equal our proud and at one point, widely thought, unmatchable record of 18 league titles.

There will be no joy around these parts if United hold aloft another league title in May, Fergie taking yet another step towards knocking us off our "fucking perch" as he so eloquently put it a few years ago.

Our only repreive in that case may be European glory in Rome in late May. Manchester United could also stand in our way there following the outcome of Friday's quarter, semi and final draw.

No one is relishing playing Chelsea again given the fact we've met them in the last four Champions League campaigns. Our record against them in Europe is favourable but their win in last season's semi final will give them confidence as will the knowledge that they have the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

But we have momentum, we have confidence and above we have genuine quality.

Now more than ever is the chance to cast aside all those silly draws with Stoke, Fulham, West Ham, Hull, Manchester City etc and to show our true potential under Rafael Benitez. We have shown the excellence we are capable of in our last three games. Time to show it time and again over the next two months.

WHAT A WEEK!

Not satisfied with giving Real Madrid a hammering during the week in the Champions League, Liverpool travelled to Old Trafford on Saturday and gave Utd a lesson on how to play attacking football putting 4 goals past them.

In both games the combination of Gerrard and Torres has been the key, Torres in particular who quite clearly on Saturday was not 100% fit - just imagine what would have happened had he been?

After all the hype about Utd going 10 points clear after they beat us disappeared when Torres broke clear and scored the first of the 4 goal humiliation.

While most fans were still on cloud 9 after putting 4 past one of Europe's best team and in all honesty it could have been a lot more, the thought of facing Utd at Old Trafford was daunting to say the least.

While Utd went ahead first, apart from the 5 minutes or so they were not really in the game, it was therefore with interest I read the Fergie has stated that Utd were the better team, this was quite unbelievable and I just wonder what game he was watching?

Our win was outstanding not only for the score line and the 3 points but we did not field our strongest team, Alonzo was missing and at the very last moment we had to draft Sammie into a central defence position and move Jamie to fullback. What a game our defence had, I don't think Sammie even broke into a sweat, so good was the midfield in front of him. I know that Raffa really likes this 2 lines of 4 - midfield and defence and in the last two games it has really worked. Last week against Madrid, time and time again the midfield broke up any attack and when they did break through the defence soaked up anything that came their way.

With only 9 games to go and with Utd having a game in hand, we all know that they still remain favourites to win the title, the challenge for Liverpool is not to let this great result be wasted by dropping points against lower placed teams, we all acknowledge that this result and this season have again been an improvement however we have dropped far too many points at Anfield with stupid draws. I mean look at Stoke, almost certain to be relegated and over 2 games we never even scored a goal against them.

Now this Friday will see the draw for the Champions League quarter finals and no seeding which means the chance of a Liverpool vs. Utd game is now a chance, as is against Chelsea.

On last weeks showing - we can match it with anybody!

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.