What’s even more unbelievable is how important this match could be. I, perhaps like a lot of fans, wonder whether there’s much point in the Worthington Cup beyond selling the sponsors beer. We already have a domestic cup competition, why another? Only now as this game represents Liverpool’s best chance of European football next season, do I take this game seriously.
It would be pointless to go through the Liverpool side and player by player, deconstruct Houllier’s team selection, his purchases and his sales. The problem has gone beyond that. Buying Duff and bringing back Litmanen and Fowler would not make any difference. I recently told a West Ham supporter that it wouldn’t matter if they bought Zidane and Ronaldo, they would still get relegated. Their problems, like ours, go far beyond the individuals on the pitch. If Liverpool were good enough to get 80 points last season, they should be good enough to get them this year. It’s difficult to know what has changed and the fact pundits and fans can spend hours debating the problem, shows that nobody really has the answer. I suggest the trouble may lie off the field and when I say off the field, I mean in the Manager’s office.
It is fair to say that Houllier has tried to get the team playing differently this season. He wanted a more attacking side and bought players like Diouf and Cheyrou to carry this out. Evidently, this ploy hasn’t worked. This is not an outright sacking offence. Sometimes plans don’t work at conception or perhaps ever. This is the first time new signings have not settled in quickly and suddenly Houllier has perhaps found himself out of his depth when it comes to managing an English side. Of course, when things are going wrong, it makes everyone doubt the manager and perhaps even themselves. Players like Heskey, Dudek and Smicer lose all confidence, you have Hyypia questioning the team selection, Hamman begins to think once again of leaving and the new players have no idea what’s going on around them.
Managers’ should not be sacked for having a bad season. My bet is that we will just have to ride this season out as best we can and get back with the programme next term. Liverpool have hit an unbelievably bad patch and Houllier’s biggest crime has been to panic. Changing the side every week and dropping players unnecessarily has not made life simple. I’m still scratching my head over some of his substitutions and mid-game formation changes. Unfortunately, you cannot teach strikers not to miss from six yards, goalkeepers to not drop the ball and defenders to not deflect shots into their own net. It seems that the more one panics, the more bad luck you incur. Perhaps there will be a mini clearout in the summer and the financial implications incurred without champions league football will make it all the more easy for Houllier to tell players he has to sell them.
When looking towards Sunday’s final, we must consider the implications of both winning and losing the game. Another defeat will be heartbreak as Monday’s papers will slaughter the team and suggest Houllier leave, not to mention UEFA cup football being one more step further away. However, a win will give Houllier a chance to tell everyone how much faith he has in the players, plus the fans will have more reason to get behind the team for the league run in.
I think the best we can hope for this season is to finish 5th or 6th. Any cups will be greatly welcomed but don’t set your hopes to high. The worst case scenario is finding that Houllier’s health problems are worse than we think and he exits in the summer. I do not think this would favour Liverpool in the slightest.