I just got back from the Soccerlens match-viewing party in Lahore for the Liverpool-Arsenal game, and I can’t forget the look on the face of Steven Gerrard 3 minutes into extra time – total disgust at his team’s situation and how far behind they had fallen after the heady days of last season.
Steven Gerrard (talking to The Sunday People earlier in the week):
“To me it’s not puzzling at all that we are where we are. The league table never lies and we’re in the position we’re in for a reason.
That tells me we haven’t been good enough and consistent enough, so it’s down to myself and the rest of the boys to take responsibility and put that right.”
After the game there was talk amongst Liverpool fans that Gerrard was tired of playing in a team with such little quality – and this Liverpool fan who emailed us right after the game seems to feel the same way:
John S:
i have just cancelled sky sports,i cant watch another game torres and gerrard are the only great players at the club.they are being let down buy most of the rest.cant even see liverpool being in the top ten after that match.total crap,i have been a fan for 30 years and this is the worst ive seen in that time
Liverpool’s performance wasn’t that bad – in fact apart from Glen Johnson’s madness around both goals, Liverpool did fairly well and shaded the game. But they also lacked the quality to pry a misfiring Arsenal apart and were clumsy in their efforts to get back into the game once going behind (the clumsiness epitomised by N’Gog running in front of Gerrard and taking the ball out the left flank when Gerrard had space in front of him to run straight at goal).
I still rate Rafa Benitez as a manager and I don’t think he’ll leave or that the players are against him or even that Liverpool aren’t good enough to finish in the top four – Rafa can definitely turn things around at Anfield – but as a manager you can’t keep blaming your owners and a lack of money for your failures when your spending in the transfer window has been below-par over the last 5 years.
Liverpool need to reinforce their squad in the summer – failing to qualify for the Champions League – if the season ended today they wouldn’t even qualify for the Europa League – is simply not an option, even if a new face in the top four will be a welcome sight for non-Big Four fans.
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