by RED BEERGOGGLES » Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:04 pm
Tonight's Liverpool Echo by James Pearce
STEVEN GERRARD smooching with the camera in front of the delirious travelling Kop and Old Trafford stunned into silence – it was like Liverpool had turned back the clock.
The last time their skipper started planting smackers on Sky Sports’ lens in that particular corner of enemy territory he had fired Liverpool in front and on course for an emphatic 4-1 victory over their arch rivals.
It was March 2009 and after the Reds’ biggest win at Old Trafford for 73 years, supporters were dreaming of the Premier League title.
Manchester United had been ripped to bits by a rampant attacking display and fans left chuckling at Alex Ferguson’s bizarre claim that United were “the better team”.
Nine-times European Cup winners Real Madrid had been hammered 4-0 at Anfield four days earlier and the quarter-final draw of the Champions League was eagerly anticipated.
Just 18 months have past since those unforgettable contests but how times have changed. Liverpool have taken a quantum leap – backwards.
The Reds no longer get to mix with Europe’s elite and the real fear is they are fast losing touch with those at the top end of the domestic game.
Dogged by the disastrous reign of their absentee American owners, there’s been a chronic lack of investment in a squad in desperate need of strengthening to compete at the highest level.
Key players have been let down by a trail of broken promises over investment and that compounded with the mistakes Rafa Benitez made last season ensured a malaise has set in.
Roy Hodgson’s mission is to stop the rot but the fact is his hopes of transforming the club’s fortunes are thin until the long-running ownership saga is resolved.
When he puckered up 18 months ago Gerrard was delivering a shot in the arm to the Reds’ title push.
This season may only be five games old but the idea that Liverpool are going to muster a challenge for top spot this time around is fanciful.
Yesterday the captain showed his passion having seemingly secured a point which would have been cherished like a victory.
Liverpool had been outplayed for an hour and were dead and buried before Gerrard’s quickfire double turned the contest on its head.
His free-kick through United’s poorly assembled wall sparked joyous scenes and looked like being the kiss of life Liverpool’s stuttering league campaign so desperately needed.
However, on the brink of a major boost to morale, Hodgson’s men shot themselves in the foot.
Hat-trick hero Dimitar Berbatov was outstanding but the space he was allowed inside Liverpool’s penalty area yesterday was alarming. Pepe Reina was left woefully exposed.
It was a tale of two number nines.
One who benefited from a succession of quality deliveries into the box and went home with the match ball.
The other who, for the second weekend in succession, was left to feed off scraps and remained firmly on the periphery. Fernando Torres has given Nemanja Vidic plenty of sleepless nights in the past but he needs the ball and for long periods yesterday he didn’t get it.
It was all too pedestrian and predictable.
It seemed strange for Liverpool to be so intent on containment when United’s Achilles’ heel is clearly at the heart of their rearguard.
When the visitors were left chasing the game and pressed the ball further up the pitch they suddenly found themselves the beneficiaries of United’s kamikaze defending.
There was plenty of pre-match back-slapping between Ferguson and his old pal Hodgson as they walked along the touchline together.
In his programme notes Ferguson delivered a ringing endorsement of Hodgson’s appointment.
“At least they have the right man for the job with Roy Hodgson in charge,” he said.
“I have known Roy for a long time and his efforts with Fulham last season warranted him taking over at a major club.”
However, Hodgson discovered there was no room for sentiment as Ferguson couldn’t resist the chance to twist the knife in afterwards as he labelled the defeat for Liverpool a “catastrophe”.
It’s not, but a poor return of five points from their opening five games is cause for concern.
Of course the schedule has done Hodgson no favours having had to face Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United early on with his preparations dogged by players returning late from the World Cup and then the autumn international breaks.
But Liverpool must raise the bar quickly or kiss goodbye to Hodgson’s dream of leading the club back into the Champions League.
Good piece that ......and it simply underlines the significance of finishing in the top four and how its essential that Liverpool and Roy Hodgson abandon this cautious and cowardly approach to games
! Not after 5 matches but for ages proper football chat went out the window for this very reason. Roy's getting at least a season from me before I pass judgement but it is odd to continue to beat the pro-turned-antis while denying the presence of the anti-turned-pros. Middle of the road is where it's at!
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