Yeesh!

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While “yeesh” is not a word recognized by Dictionary.com, it has been a common word around our house of late, along with those words that have letters substituted, in polite company, by a combination of ampersands, asterisks and exclamation points.  Capitulating to Queen’s Park Rangers at Loftus Road last week surely slapped the Champions League hopes out of even the most ardent Liverpool supporter.  But losing to lowly Wigan at Anfield this weekend, after inducing a torrent of the aforementioned password tricksters, produced a general malaise through which I have been unable to navigate and to which I have only been able to say “Yeesh!”

Speaking of appropriate words, “depose” and “abdicate” come to mind when thinking of King Kenny. In fact, I see three possible scenarios: 1) the Reds turn it around and Dalglish retains his crown; 2) they continue to underperform and Dalglish abdicates his throne preemptively, or upon coming to a “mutual agreement” with management, potentially over the summer ,or certainly if they start the next campaign poorly; or 3) not much has improved in Camelot by mid next season and the King is deposed.  Legendary status will buy him extra, but not unlimited, time.  I, for one, am rooting for him.

They have been called the “Gruesome Foursome” signings: Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson. In the case of Henderson, I agree with the moniker - he has been wildly inconsistent, even detrimental at times, with his rare flashes of brilliance a bit like catching a glimpse of the aurora borealis at a temperate latitude.  Still, he is young and may develop, vindicating Dalglish.  Although, I have to say that starting him as much as he has seems excessive, given his contributions to date.

As for the other three members of the quartet, they had all enjoyed recent success in the BPL prior to arriving at Anfield. But, criticism can be directed correctly at Dalglish for spending such amounts on three midfielders while putting Raul Meireles out to pasture and benching Maxi Rodriguez.  Meireles and Maxi were two big reasons for Liverpool’s late-season success last year, and now one wears blue and the other rides pine.  Not to mention Dirk Kuyt, who is none too pleased that, despite being one of the most consistent players in the squad, keeps finding himself coming off the bench (and thank goodness he did in the Carling Cup final).  And let’s not forget the spunky Craig Bellamy, whose ability to be impactful during his brief appearances on the pitch would make him a valuable acquisition even if he didn’t arrive on a free transfer.

Here Comes the Sun

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Columnist Scott returns to our pages by popular demand, reminding readers of who the real royalty are in the City of Liverpool:


Neither Andy Carroll’s absence from the starting XI nor the prominent shade darkening the far side of the pitch could overshadow the brilliant sunshine that drenched the majority of Anfield, as Liverpool welcomed Newcastle on a cartoonishly pleasant Sunday afternoon on Merseyside.  While the crowd was singing “Here Comes the Sun” (or they should have been, if they weren’t) as both a tribute to George Harrison’s most popular contribution to the city’s mop-headed quartet, and as a musical metaphor of the Reds’ recent run of form, Kenny Dalglish was caught, in an open-mic moment, calling Jamie Carragher  “Little Darling” before going on to note that “it’s been a long, cold lonely winter,” but now “the smiles [are] returning to the faces.”

Which comment proved to be an understatement when the overdose of all-natural vitamin D kicked in at the 10 minute mark, and Maxi Rodriguez extended his scoring streak with a volley that ricocheted in off a hapless Toon defender.  And just like that, when combined with the criminal refereeing that spurned Tottenham and awarded Chelsea an ill-deserved win a day earlier, Liverpool was knocking on Europa’s automatic qualification door.

An Orderly Cosmos

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Columnist Scott returns to our pages, this time with a neat description of Liverpool's never-say-die comeback at the Emirates on Sunday.

April 17 / The Emirates / London, England

Liverpool has never beaten Arsenal at the Emirates, and that did not change today.  What did change is everybody’s mind who thought that Arsenal had a chance in hell of topping Manchester United in the league this year.  A flurry of penalties after the 98th minute all but ensured that Arsene Wenger’s men will remain without silverware yet another year.  Sir Fergie, beaming from the stands (or was that just his ruddy nose?), surely suppressed a round of chest thumping as he saw the only team that could catch him in the standings tap Dirk Kuyt on the shoulder a bit too roughly, thereby sealing their doomed fate.  But there was a game before the final spot kicks…

After starting with 10 minutes of conservative yet probing back and forth play, Arsenal settled into their home and ratcheted up the intensity.  A swerving shot from Walcott, followed by a header off the crossbar by Koscielny, were separated by several free kicks won just outside the Liverpool penalty area.  Then it was Reina snatching a Nasri cross from the salivating Walcott’s path.

The situation didn't improve for the Reds when the injured Fabio Aurelio was forced off and replaced by the teenage Jack Robinson, the second Liverpudlian defender with just shy of 2 decades’ worth of lifetime experience - experience that seemed to be lacking when the other chronologically challenged defender, John Flanagan, picked up a yellow card for a rash tackle.  Perhaps feeling a bit paternal and not wanting the youngster to feel too bad, the impeccably inked Skrtel followed suit three minutes later and left half the Liverpool defense on caution.

More Questions Than Answers

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Some observations and further questions upon watching Liverpool - Stoke City:

• The bias in English football commentary is striking and very obvious at times. Witness the gem that came out of one of the announcer's mouth at the beginning of Wednesday's Liverpool match against Stoke City: 

"[There's] Just a totally different feeling about [Liverpool] since Kenny came back in. I saw them a few weeks ago, against Blackburn, and they were absolutely dreadful."  

Ummm, maybe I have this wrong, but I think Liverpool is 3-2-1 since King Kenny returned, with victories over Stoke, Wolves and Fulham.  They're not exactly setting the world on fire.... They've managed to lose their biggest star, and replaced him with some very expensive question marks. Is that a totally different feeling, or a totally different standard?   You decide. 

• While I'm at it, I might as well bring up the double standard among the scouse fans, as well. Can you imagine the howls of derision Uncle Woy would have endured if he not only let 'Nando fly the Kop (er, coop), but if he also changed the team formation as radically as Dalglish has?  Liverpool showed off a 3-5-2 tonight vs. Stoke.  I can't see Roy Hodgson getting anything but stick if he tried to change the system in such a manner.

The Ghost of Liverpool Past

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Chelsea without Drogba and Essien today, although not toothless by any means, starting the Donkey (Anelka) and two wise men, Malouda and Kalou, up top.  Howard Webb's in charge of today's festivities, so there'll be no nonsense brooked in what can reasonably be expected to be a feisty encounter between two squads that don't much like each other.

Liverpool start fairly brightly, knocking the ball around the pitch with unusual purpose and controlling the early part of the game. Eleven minutes in and it's Fernando Torres -- remember him? -- on the end of a perfectly hit cross from Dirk Kuyt, John Terry caught out in central defense, and the ball eased deliciously into the back of the net for a shock 1-nil Liverpool lead. 


It's 2008 all over again, and Chelsea are facing the ghost of Liverpool past, with Fernando Torres showing the kind of touch and form he's found hard to muster over the past two seasons. Perhaps the Scousers are attempting to make up for their embarassing outing against the Blues at Anfield last May; whatever the reason, it appears as if the Champions will have their work cut out for them today.
Liverpool dominate much of the game's opening half, denying Chelsea any significant time on the ball, and reducing the Londoners' attacks to sporadic long passes and opportunistic ball hawking. Liverpool play with a sense of passion and drive unseen for much of the season. By the 40 minute mark, though, Chelsea have begun to impose themselves on the game at last, now holding the ball for long stretches of time here, now attacking there, and Liverpool begin to looked tired from the lack of creativity that has plagued them all season.

Just before haltime, though, it's Torres with a second piece of individual brilliance, offering another outrageously curling finish on the receiving end of a Raul Meireles' pass into the box for a 2-nil lead at the break. This is vintage Torres, and Chelsea have to feel unfortunate to be witnessing the Spaniard's Lasarus-like revival first hand. Fernando Torres is once again looking more like Fernando Torres and less like Fernando Llamas, although he does indeed look mahvelous today.



The Blues respond in the second half by swapping out one Ivorian for another, with Drogba replacing fellow countryman Kalou. Chelsea's attack does turn up the heat on the Scousers near the 60 minute mark, pinning them back in their own end under a constant barrage of Blue-waved attacking. In their closest threat of the game to date, Reina somehow manages to deny a point-blank Malouda on a cross from Drogba that would have surely sunk my fantasy week had it managed to find a way in. Fortunately for me, as well as the Reds, the ball is struck directly at the Spaniard who has no choice but to block it.

Bosingwa replaces Ivanovic near the 70 minute mark as Chelsea scramble for a toehold back into the game before it's too late. But it's the Reds that almost capitalize next, with only a world class Petr Cech save denying a Dirk Kuyt effort that would surely have meant game, set and match had it gone in.

Although Chelsea continue to keep the ball in Liverpool's end for long stretches of the second half, the Blues' last chance ends with a Anelka ball being bounced off the cross bar by Pepe Reina, and the Champions are beaten on the day by a two goal margin. 


To be honest, it's a Chelsea effort you could have seen coming these last few weeks, with their narrow escape at Blackpool last week following an uncomfortably close win versus Wolves the week before. Is this a one-off flutter, or are the Champs exposed as being not quite so dominant as the London-based media have made them out to be?  


Time will tell, but the lead is down to a skinny two point margin heading into an already blistering derby week. Manchester United is within shouting distance at last, and I'm a shouting farlieonfootie for November 8.

Vintage Stuff from Fernando Torres
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