No-one can doubt that the club has made moves in the right direction in that time. FSG have invested heavily in new players, Pepe Guardiola has been quoted on record saying how amazing Liverpool’s current academy crop look, and everyone in and around Anfield seems to be singing off the same hymn sheet.
So why are Liverpool fans not basking in the success of their team winning game after game after game? We have good enough players, we have some of the best coaching staff in Europe and we are led by the most passionate Liverpool manager we could ever find, so what’s the problem? Personally, and I have been guilty of this too, I think Liverpool fans are too forgiving for results because of who the manager is. Would Roy Hodgson be planning on buying houses in Liverpool if he were to have identical results to Kenny, or would he still be extending his rental agreement for property in the area?
Now I’m not saying King Kenny should be fearful for his job, he has had a great impact upon players, staff and fans alike but he is not bulletproof and must be held accountable for team underperformance. He is great at diverting media attention and has constantly focussed on the amount of times we have hit woodwork and how many chances we are creating. But the time has now come to say, why are we hitting the woodwork so much and, more importantly, why aren’t we putting these chances away?
The penny only dropped with me the other day when I thought focussing only on results, as this is the nature of the business we are talking, whereas Roy was losing games, Kenny is drawing them. Now things may seem brighter to some Liverpool fans after the Newcastle result but nothing has changed until we start consistently seeing these performances, whereas in this encounter I did think until a certain Mr Gerrard set foot on the turf that we looked decidedly average anyway. This season, like the last to some extent, we have been easier to get points off than a speed camera. Just the thought that sides like Swansea, Norwich and Blackburn can come to Anfield with any sort of plans of taking points home at the end of the day should concern any ardent Reds’ fans.
Victories against Chelsea, Everton, Arsenal and Newcastle are all very good but the importance of these wins is being overshadowed by poor performances against opposition we should be beating comfortably. After all, who is going to be worried by a team who show the consistency of the weather during British Summertime? Now let us not forget that the win over Newcastle was a big win in terms of chasing Champions League places and the fantastic performance Craig Bellamy put in, but an even sterner test faces us on Tuesday in the shape of Man City. This is most definitely a game we need to be winning and if we ever needed a big performance from the team this is it. The ultimate six-pointer this will be, although there seem to be more and more of these games arising in the Premiership year on year, you cannot afford to lose games against the teams in direct competition for the elusive places in the pinnacle of European football.
There is one thing which surprised even myself in our recent league match however, maybe because of the length of time we have had to ‘do without’, but I am man enough to admit I forgot how different we look as a team when a certain Captain Fantastic can be counted upon in our playing 11. The change for me when he came off the bench inspired others who had been looking decidedly average for the hour or so that preceded it, to step up to the mark and the whole team seemed a much different proposition from this moment on. It was plain to see Gerrard has lost none of his gifts as a player as he soon got into his rhythm of knocking 40-yard passes to people’s feet. Maybe the accuracy of Stevie’s delivery could be the catalyst Andy Carroll needs to get his Liverpool career up and running? Either way every Liverpool fan will be hoping at the end of every game Kenny neatly packs away his inspirational captain under lock and key in the most protected facility to eliminate any chance of future injuries. It would actually be quite fitting if it were to have a glass front to it with the words etched ‘in case of emergency please break glass’ although I think there would be a glazier in Liverpool making a pretty penny off us! It would make a change to see a ‘Glazier’ making any sort of money in the North West for sure from what we see across the M62.
With the transfer window open again, with FSG’s willingness to invest and Liverpool left wanting in certain areas of the pitch due to poor form and long term injuries, we have to endure being linked with most talent out there for another 30 days but irrelevant to names mentioned we do need to invest in another striker. Even if Suarez wasn’t suspended and Carroll was notching with more regularity, two recognised strikers will not get you Champions League football. After all Man City loaned a striker to a direct competitor due to the fact he would’ve been their sixth best striker!
The dilemma left with John Henry and the staff is that we need a proven Premiership striker who will not take time to adjust or settle and can hit the ground running. But with such form no doubt will come a great price. Is another a huge outlay within the investment plan of our owners? While they are pondering this poser they also need to consider a replacement for the injured Lucas Leiva as our midfield has looked decidedly exposed without such a combative player and Jay Spearing just doesn’t fit the bill for me.
So January should be an exciting time for all Liverpool fans with the immediate concern being that six-pointer Tuesday night at the Etihad Stadium.