February 01, 2008

Horse 851 - Seeing Red



West Ham 1 - Liverpool 0

I am seeing red. Not because that Liverpool lost but the manner in which they did. This was a club that was supposed to be fighting for the title at the beginning of the year, but thanks to meddling in management by new American owners Hicks and Gillet, whom it is increasingly apparant that they do not understand the vagrancies of running a football club as opposed to a franchise and especially one in Europe, nobody is sure whether their job is going to be there next week let alone dreams of shooting for titles or European positions. Heck at the end of this year, an Inter-Toto spot would look good.

The simple fact of the matter is that Liverpool's last win was all the way back on Boxing Day. There have been 7 draws since then, or if you wish 14 points dropped; that would have left them on 54 points and just 3 behind Man Utd and Arsenal.

Someone should have yelled "fire" after going behind twice against Non-League side Havant and Waterlooville in the FA Cup 4th Round. 5-2 looks like a worthwhile result except that Havant and Waterlooville are 113 places below Liverpool on the FA League hierachy.

1-0 down against West Ham was made even all the more heart-breaking when Jamie Carragher brought down Freddy Lungberg of ex-Arsenal fame in the 94th minute to award nobby-no-mates Mark Noble a penalty which he drilled past a limp Reina.
Ok it wasn't just that Carragher's stupidity cost a penalty which did lose the match but that between Torres, Kuyt, Crouch, Gerrard etc et al, they couldn't between them put one goal in the back of the net. To get to the point of losing in the 94th required nuff-nuffing about about like a pack of muppets for the previous 93.

I secretly hope that Liverpool bounces back from this and wins the FA Cup if only to keep Rafa in a job, but otherwise, I hope that they come 9th so that they won't be playing in Europe. Hear that, I'm actually hoping against success! Why? Because then and only then, will the players realise that they've sullied the famous red strip of Liverpool.

Every time the players pass the sign that reads "This is Anfield" they should be reminded that they step onto a field of 18 league titles, and for the past 17 years... nil*. This year they've not contributed one either. About the only consolation is that previous to 1992 it was 26 years between titles for Man Utd.

*And the rest?
Steve does have a fair point though. Those 17 years of waiting have yielded 3 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, 2 Community Shields, 1 Champions League, 1 UEFA Cup and 2 UEFA Super Cups.


Tony Blair's Imaginary Lunch

"Hungry Jack's Whopper"

It really does take two hands.

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