Someone asked me if I thought that Liverpool will win the English Premier League this season and my answer was to see where they stand by the first week of February. And true enough, Manchester United has closed the gap to two points with plenty of football to be played. How Liverpool makes a stand in their home and away series with Everton (although one match is in FA Cup competition) and Wigan to round of January matches will determine if these guys are out of their funk.
When Fernando Torres returned from Euro 2008, he promised that he'd help Liverpool win the Premiership but there was this nagging feeling of a letdown in his second year of duty with the Reds. And true enough, he's become Anfield's version of Didier Drogba minus the antics.
The early days of the season when Dirk Kuyt made us Reds fan forget the departure of Peter Crouch are over. The goals have stopped and so have the wins. How many games have they drawn?
I've been critical of Rafa Benitez for the last couple of years and the memory of 2005 when they won the European Cup is fast fading. He essentially won with Gerrard Houillier's squad -- a last gasp for them because what have they won since?
In fact, they've been on the decline. If they win this season then I'll take it back and proclaim Benitez a genius because in his five years in the Merseyside, how many very good players has he brought to the club?
There's Pepe Reina who replaced goal keeper Jerzy Dudek who aside from his spaghetti legs reenactment will never be confused with Anfield great Bruce Grobbelaar. And there's Javier Mascherano who is a great addition to the midfield and of course, Torres. The jury's still out on Ryan Babel and Kuyt (who they tried to move in the pre-season).
Of the 2005 champion team, it's only Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso, and Sami Hyppia who are left.
Instead, Benitez has assembled a bunch of stiffs. Okay laugh because Harry Kewell performed well in spots and usually it was in European competition. And Anfield favorite John Arne Riise is now with Roma after that disastrous own goal that sent Chelsea to the finals versus Manchester United.
Jermaine Pennant will forever be an underachiever. Remember how as a member of Arsenal's team that won the Premiership, he scored a hat trick in one game that began the 49 game win streak but was loaned out to Leeds United the following season? He's bounced around a bit and has been disappointed mostly.
And Benitez cannot keep blaming management for the lack of funds because he's not really returned the investment of almost 200 million pounds on player signings.
So are these good problems for Benitez because Felipe Scolari is in the fight of his life over at Chelsea.
Should a manager be allowed to bring in players he wants to fit his system? Maybe, maybe not. But he definitely has to be given more than a season to prove his worth unlike Avram Grant who up until the last days of the previous season had a chance to steer his side to to cups.
The turth is Chelsea has been on the decline for awhile now. Even when they had Jose Mourinho they were going down. And now Frank Lampard is saying that Didier Drogba should stay at Stamford Bridge. Drogba may be one of my fave footballers but he's proven to be a distraction in the last couple of years the way Ronaldinho was to Barcelona two years ago. Heck Lampard doesn't even pair well with Michael Ballack!
But what do I care about Roman Abramovich's club except that I like their kit?
Back to Liverpool! This club needs to make a move by adding a player who can help them because Robbie Keane is just this year's Nick Bromby.
When Fernando Torres returned from Euro 2008, he promised that he'd help Liverpool win the Premiership but there was this nagging feeling of a letdown in his second year of duty with the Reds. And true enough, he's become Anfield's version of Didier Drogba minus the antics.
The early days of the season when Dirk Kuyt made us Reds fan forget the departure of Peter Crouch are over. The goals have stopped and so have the wins. How many games have they drawn?
I've been critical of Rafa Benitez for the last couple of years and the memory of 2005 when they won the European Cup is fast fading. He essentially won with Gerrard Houillier's squad -- a last gasp for them because what have they won since?
In fact, they've been on the decline. If they win this season then I'll take it back and proclaim Benitez a genius because in his five years in the Merseyside, how many very good players has he brought to the club?
There's Pepe Reina who replaced goal keeper Jerzy Dudek who aside from his spaghetti legs reenactment will never be confused with Anfield great Bruce Grobbelaar. And there's Javier Mascherano who is a great addition to the midfield and of course, Torres. The jury's still out on Ryan Babel and Kuyt (who they tried to move in the pre-season).
Of the 2005 champion team, it's only Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso, and Sami Hyppia who are left.
Instead, Benitez has assembled a bunch of stiffs. Okay laugh because Harry Kewell performed well in spots and usually it was in European competition. And Anfield favorite John Arne Riise is now with Roma after that disastrous own goal that sent Chelsea to the finals versus Manchester United.
Jermaine Pennant will forever be an underachiever. Remember how as a member of Arsenal's team that won the Premiership, he scored a hat trick in one game that began the 49 game win streak but was loaned out to Leeds United the following season? He's bounced around a bit and has been disappointed mostly.
And Benitez cannot keep blaming management for the lack of funds because he's not really returned the investment of almost 200 million pounds on player signings.
So are these good problems for Benitez because Felipe Scolari is in the fight of his life over at Chelsea.
Should a manager be allowed to bring in players he wants to fit his system? Maybe, maybe not. But he definitely has to be given more than a season to prove his worth unlike Avram Grant who up until the last days of the previous season had a chance to steer his side to to cups.
The turth is Chelsea has been on the decline for awhile now. Even when they had Jose Mourinho they were going down. And now Frank Lampard is saying that Didier Drogba should stay at Stamford Bridge. Drogba may be one of my fave footballers but he's proven to be a distraction in the last couple of years the way Ronaldinho was to Barcelona two years ago. Heck Lampard doesn't even pair well with Michael Ballack!
But what do I care about Roman Abramovich's club except that I like their kit?
Back to Liverpool! This club needs to make a move by adding a player who can help them because Robbie Keane is just this year's Nick Bromby.
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