A Tough Year to be a Liverpool Fan

Correspondent Scott has stopped crying in his beer long enough to type the following dispatch:

Thankful once again that watching the game is not a requirement to post for farlieonfootie, commitments kept me from the second half of the FA Cup Final and the meaningless (for Liverpool) rematch at Anfield 3 days later.  What I did witness was a capitulating Merseyside team which apparently confused their games - the League is when they typically phone it in. And by the time they realized their error and began a surging Red tide with only 30 minutes to go on Saturday, it was too late.

Checking the score on my phone after the FA Cup Final, I found myself in the awkward situation of having to apologize for my profane, excited utterance to a table of ten.   But I was alone three days later when I saw we had prevailed when it didn't matter and allowed myself a sardonic laugh.

It's either laugh or cry at this point - Liverpool abandoned their strong Cup form and swapped it for their poor league form at the worst possible time. Sure, we can take comfort in the fact we denied the Blues any chance of a fourth place finish, but they are one Bavarian victory away from playing with Champions next year anyway. Roberto Di Matteo is looking like a maestro for making some obvious changes at Chelsea, and Liverpool's FA Flop furthered the idea that he was prematurely let go by West Brom last year.

On the other side of the coaching coin, would it be premature for Liverpool to part ways with Kenny Dalglish at this time?  Maybe I'm too much of a softy, but I say yes. I think he should be given the first ten games of next season to make a go of it. Much is made about the money spent last year and how the results have not materialized, but let's put the current league position in perspective. First, they did win the Carling Cup and were in the Final of the FA Cup. Yes, they played poorly in the latter, but neither of the Manchester clubs made it that far. And let's not forget the number of games where they dominated league games only to draw or lose. In my mind, that requires some tinkering, not regime change. Woeful play AND woeful results warrant that type of action.

That is not to say that his reprieve should be yearlong if results don't come in.  I just say let King Kenny reign a little longer to see if he can produce - I think he can.

This is farlieonfootie for May 11.