McClaren and, to a more qualified extent, Steven Gerrard thought so. Rafael Benitez, typically, was concentrating on “the preparation for the next game” against either Sydney United or Deportivo Saprissa at the Club World Championship in Japan. Should Liverpool get through the first 70 minutes of that match without their opponents scoring, they will have trumped their club record for minutes played without a goal conceded.
Yesterday they set a club record for consecutive clean sheets (10), their goals-against column sullied last by Crystal Palace 15 hours and 25 minutes of football ago. Chelsea standard indeed.
“We’re improving all the time,” Gerrard said. “There’s more improving to do but we want to win the league. It’s realistic. If we keep progressing as we’ve been the last six months we won’t be far away, either this season or next year.”
This season? Can Liverpool, now second but nine points adrift of Chelsea, really go for the title? “I do (think so) now,” McClaren said. “When they won the European Cup, it brought them a certain confidence and belief. Once they got over the initial period of the season, that’s starting to come through. They’ve got an air about them. They’re physically strong, confident and keeping clean sheets, and that’s a great platform.”
Breaking down spoilers such as Middlesbrough, week after week, is the defining knack title contenders require and, with Gareth Southgate at his clever and competitive best as the pivot of McClaren’s rearguard, Liverpool’s task was unusually difficult.
They seemed clueless initially, taking 22 minutes to create their first opportunity, using nothing more subtle than a John Arne Riise long throw. Morientes’s header was tipped over by Mark Schwarzer, but gradually Liverpool began to find a way through, their defensive excellence allowing their midfield and strikers to devote every bit of energy towards the problem of scoring.
They were helped by their manager, who sent on Luis Garcia, in sprightly mood, just as McClaren’s defence was tiring. Gerrard surged but was tackled. Garcia picked up the loose ball, spun in a perfect cross that sliced through Middlesbrough’s lines and was dummied by Gerrard for Morientes to control and place a careful shot beyond Schwarzer.
“Mor, Mor, Mor,” the Kop sang and they were answered when Morientes scored a second seven minutes later. Jamie Carragher lobbed the ball forward and Franck Queudrue inadvertently headed into the path of the striker, who had got beyond Southgate and Chris Riggott. Barely breaking stride, Morientes ladled the ball over Schwarzer for his sixth goal of the season.
McClaren complained that Morientes was offside by two yards and you could see his point because the laws are confusing but the interpretation of the assistant referee had been that since Carragher’s pass had been going down the line for Garcia and Morientes was in the middle he had been inactive, only becoming active when Queudrue diverted the ball. McClaren also questioned Steve Bennett’s decision to dismiss Riggott for two bookable offences but that seemed more of a moan: Riggott deserved both cautions, for a heavy tackle on Morientes and for clipping Gerrard from behind.
In any case, Matthew Bates was lucky to stay on the field when he shoved Mohamed Sissoko to the ground. McClaren’s caution can be perplexing — when down to 10 men he brought off a striker, Yakubu, to put on another centre-back, Uho Ehiogu, even though his team were 2-0 down with only five minutes left to retrieve the game.
Middlesbrough did make one great chance, when Boateng, with the pass of the day, drilled a cut-back to Fabio Rochemback, who played in Mark Viduka. The Australia forward had Jose Reina diving the wrong way but the goalkeeper was alert enough to save with his legs. James Morrison had a fine run and shot when it was still 1-0 but, even before Morientes’s second, Liverpool were creating more and more chances.
Sissoko headed straight at Schwarzer from Peter Crouch’s knock-down, the Boro goalkeeper stretched well to save after Southgate got a foot on Morientes’s goalbound shot and Harry Kewell almost beat his compatriot with a lob.
The Kop enjoyed the sight of Hyypia winning header after header despite completing the game wearing a bandage round his skull, but they were even more cheered by Morientes finally showing his class. Give a team who don’t concede goals and feature Xabi Alonso and Gerrard, a top striker and, of course, they can challenge to be champions.
