The Spurs game was a real collector’s item. To have any success, a team needs it’s best players to show form and Owen and Gerrard are doing just that right now. Dudek’s mistake was nothing short of pathetic. I cannot understand how a player of his obvious class let in the first goal. He should be full of confidence now that he is back in the team and has kept a few clean sheets. However, it was a great win and Gerrard’s finish for the first goal showed how confident Liverpool are becoming and just at the right time too.
Just when you thought Houllier had given up making baffling team selections for this season, he decides to drop Diouf for Thursday’s game against Celtic. Why? Does he think having him play will upset the opposition and their fans? If so, good. Isn’t that the point of playing them? If their players are preoccupied with fouling Diouf, that’s a good thing for us, we want Celtic to be off their game. Unless it’s a clever piece of gamesmanship, whereby Houllier will put him in the team at the last minute. I don’t think that is the case though. Houllier should be worried about beating Celtic and not in PR stunts. What next, drop Gerrard for the Everton game because their fans will give him a hard time? Upsetting the opposition is all part of the game, not spitting at them you understand, but having them more worried about booing your players than supporting their team.
Okay, since I wrote that above, Diouf has now been banned and can’t play anyway. Perhaps Houllier knew he’d be banned before the return leg could be played. Celtic are being particularly unsporting about the matter and seem to be after their pound of flesh from Liverpool. The sort of gestures being made by Liverpool would certainly not be occurring at any other club. I don’t get why we are supposed to be such great friends with Celtic anyway, I really couldn’t care less about them. I only support one team. For all Houllier and Parry’s good will, it’s a shame no-one form Celtic has tried to diffuse the situation and say that enough’s enough, let’s get on with the football. The Celtic chairman still maintains (as did Ray Houghton who should know better) that the fans were giving Diouf a friendly pat on the head. One of the reason’s I find it hard taking Scottish football seriously is that the two biggest teams spend more time hating each other than supporting their own team. Sport should be about leaving religion, race and political opinion at the door.
Now I’ve solved the world’s problems, here’s another thing. Why is our manager getting involved in spats with morons from the opposition like Taricco? Let him try and get Diouf sent off. Much like my earlier point, I’m happy for the opposition to not be concentrating on the game. It didn’t do him a lot of good. Many teams have idiot players like Repka, Savage (although Taricco makes him look like Zidane) and Dennis Wise when he had a job. I’ve played with players like that and all they do is inspire the opposition, ruin their own team mate’s concentration or get sent off. Let’s worry about our team and let others worry about themselves.