Is the real 'Liverpool' back?

A bit groggy from following this early morning’s crunch game against 4^th place challengers, Spurs. Thot it was a good game by the 2^nd stringers, where Greek, Skrtle, Degen, Riera, Kuyt, Aqui all filling in for the injured, or in Babel’s case, frozen out. Finally I saw a performance, and a corresponding result, so it was a great effort from everyone. Lyon away was a similar performance, except for that lousy last minute goal that was conceded, and though there were threats of a repeat, it was sufficiently repealed and nullified. Some would attribute it to Redknapp’s introduction of Keane which caused them to lose shape, but Modric was well marshaled and Defoe / Crouch strikeforce handled quite easily. With the return of confidence, a little bit more of last-year’s barnstorming performances wouldn’t go amiss.

What are my views on this years farce? Defensive nervousness. CL exit was due to the last minute goals conceded to Lyon in both legs, as well as in the dead Fiorentina game. Similarly in the FA Cup. In all those cases, midfield and strikers did their jobs, there was some cohesion and effort, but the defense let them down. Is Alonso being missed. Definitely. With Alonso, my most favourite cerebral player, we can always have hope to find ways to overcome the handicap of a goal against when he’s in charge of the tempo and the angle of attacks. But without him and with the whole team just hanging on to slender leads, the nervous amplifies, and thereafter sure enough we concede at the end.

In the League though, is where we suffered from the collective loss of confidence. Damaging defeats to Pompey, Sunderland, Chelsea, Arsenal, Fulham, following the early season losses to Spurs and Villa means there was never any momentum to regain that confidence. Athletes in a finely-tuned team game understand this condition. It is hoped this big win over a direct rivals can regain some of that confidence while the cavalry arrives in the shape of Torres, Gerrard, Johsnson, Agger and Benayoun.

Can we nick 4^th? This I’m not too sure. City will be our direct competitors, it seems, and will require the whole team to be surgical cutting-edge in attack and blatant mean reinforced defence for the rest of the season? No one can answer that it seems, but I can certainly hope so, if for nothing else but the catastrophic implications of missing 4^th place for Liverpool FC’s future.