No Liverpool fan with a shred of realism can now say that their club is still in the hunt for the league title. The Reds are locked in a battle for fourth-place, plain and simple. And it is an intense fight, contested between five teams, all of which at this moment could realistically claim the coveted Champions League qualifying spot come May.
Each match is now vital - and a nervous affair. Games such as Sunderland at home were previously seen as three-points banked on Merseyside, but now, considering the team’s present form, Liverpool fans everywhere are running more on hope than expectation as the final score comes through.
The spirit of brotherhood embedded in Liverpool’s mantra, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, will always be conjured up in magnificent fashion to support one another during pressing times like this – but when one considers that the arrival of Fernando Torres was to herald a new successful dawn for the Reds, when-in fact the club could be staring at their worst season in recent years, it leaves one wondering where it all went wrong?
Whilst the club as a whole seems to be reeling, punch-drunk from all the shenanigans off the pitch, the players' performance levels have dipped to steeper lows every week, ultimately a bad cocktail for any club with lofty ambitions.
And while the arguments rage on as to who is too really blame for the club’s misfortune’s - Spaniard or American - an urgent need to arrest the poor form, home and away, needs full attention. Otherwise political struggles and power-play off-the-pitch could rumble on until the Reds are staring at a wreckage of a season in which a Uefa Cup spot is their only reward from 07/08.
That, of course, is the bleakest of views, although one that is perfectly possible. But at the other end of the spectrum lies only slightly more-happier times when one considers the hunger for a title run amongst the red half of Merseyside.
If Rafael Benitez was to get his men motivated again so that they stride onto a pitch full of beans, then the Reds could still secure fourth-place at a canter, and may even bag one of the two prestigious cups on offer. However, such an end needs a beginning, and that beginning needs to be now against Sunderland.
The Reds have, by their high standards, an appalling home record this season, in which of late they have struggled to overcome a part-time side and just about scraped a belated draw against a Villa outfit that they dominated for most of the game.
Nothing less than a win will do against Roy Keane’s men, and not only because of the visiting manager’s deep and heroic association with Liverpool’s bitter Manchester rivals. It's also vital because it seems that not only are certain individuals now playing for their futures at Anfield, they are also playing for the immediate future of the club itself.
Some may scoff that a visit from Sunderland provides the ideal treatment to the illness at Anfield, but in-truth the reverse is more accurate. Roy Keane will no doubt be telling his troops that their scheduled trip to Liverpool has come at the best possible time, and that the Reds are more of a scalded dog rather than a wounded animal, ready to run and hide rather than attack back.
To that extent, the Black Cats may come with their claws especially sharpened and ready to pounce on Liverpool from the opening whistle. If so then this game could be more open and livelier than first thought when the fixture list was complied back in August, and a shrewd punter may just back an in-form Sunderland to cause an upset on Saturday.
FORM GUIDE
Liverpool
30 January v West Ham (A) LOST 1-0
26 January v Havant & Waterlooville (H) WON 5-2 (FA Cup)
21 January v Aston Villa (H) DREW 2-2
15 January v Luton (H) WON 5-0 (FA Cup)
12 January v Middlesbrough (A) DREW 1-1
Sunderland
29 January v Birmingham (H) WON 2-0
19 January v Tottenham (A) LOST 2-0
13 January v Portsmouth (H) WON 2-0
05 January v Wigan (A) LOST 0-3 (FA Cup)
02 January v Blackburn (A) LOST 1-0
TEAM NEWS
The Reds have a strong squad to call on, with relatively few first-team players out injured. Alvaro Arebola will miss out with a muscle strain, meaning Fabio Aurelio will most likely continue at left-back in the Spaniard’s absence. After the laboured win over Havant in the FA Cup last weekend, a disappointed Benitez made seven changes for the midweek West Ham loss.
How the Spaniard will react to that game with his line-up for tomorrow’s match is, as always with Benitez, hard to predict. He may use the extra speed, penetration and athleticism of Ryan Babel and Jermaine Pennant over the more measured and creative Harry Kewell and Yossi Benayoun, while Kuyt may be rotated for the more in-form but under-used Peter Crouch.
Whispers emanating from the club suggest new signing Martin Skrtel may get his league debut to counter the aerial threat of Kenweyne Jones, Daryl Murphy and Radu Prica. Meanwhile, long-term absentees Daniel Agger (foot) and Andriy Voronin (ankle) will continue with their recuperation away from Anfield.
Keane will be hoping winger Kieran Richardson will be fit enough to return to the fold after recovering from a hamstring strain. The manager will need the pacey wide-man available as without Dwight Yorke (calf) and new signing Andy Reid (knee) he is lacking in creative players. Otherwise, Michael Chopra returns from suspension to bolster the attack. The £5 signing joins £2.5 Radu Prica and Murphy in a fight for a starting place alongside £6m-man Jones.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liverpool – Fernando Torres
They say that if Torres or Steven Gerrard don’t score then Liverpool are in trouble. Well, there is much to support that view, as the duo are way out in front in the goal-scoring charts, but recently Gerrard has struggled to bring his awesome match-winning form to the boil, making Torres the man fans will look too to make the difference against the visitors.
Sunderland – Kenweyne Jones
The striker has surprised nearly everyone since signing for a hefty £6m last summer. Whilst he isn’t quite in the “Thierry Henry” category as a delighted Keane once exclaimed he was after watching one of the forward’s match-winning displays, he nonetheless he has been under-estimated this season. He definitely is the spearhead of Sunderland’s attack and poses problems for any opponent.
Each match is now vital - and a nervous affair. Games such as Sunderland at home were previously seen as three-points banked on Merseyside, but now, considering the team’s present form, Liverpool fans everywhere are running more on hope than expectation as the final score comes through.
The spirit of brotherhood embedded in Liverpool’s mantra, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, will always be conjured up in magnificent fashion to support one another during pressing times like this – but when one considers that the arrival of Fernando Torres was to herald a new successful dawn for the Reds, when-in fact the club could be staring at their worst season in recent years, it leaves one wondering where it all went wrong?
Whilst the club as a whole seems to be reeling, punch-drunk from all the shenanigans off the pitch, the players' performance levels have dipped to steeper lows every week, ultimately a bad cocktail for any club with lofty ambitions.
And while the arguments rage on as to who is too really blame for the club’s misfortune’s - Spaniard or American - an urgent need to arrest the poor form, home and away, needs full attention. Otherwise political struggles and power-play off-the-pitch could rumble on until the Reds are staring at a wreckage of a season in which a Uefa Cup spot is their only reward from 07/08.
That, of course, is the bleakest of views, although one that is perfectly possible. But at the other end of the spectrum lies only slightly more-happier times when one considers the hunger for a title run amongst the red half of Merseyside.
If Rafael Benitez was to get his men motivated again so that they stride onto a pitch full of beans, then the Reds could still secure fourth-place at a canter, and may even bag one of the two prestigious cups on offer. However, such an end needs a beginning, and that beginning needs to be now against Sunderland.
The Reds have, by their high standards, an appalling home record this season, in which of late they have struggled to overcome a part-time side and just about scraped a belated draw against a Villa outfit that they dominated for most of the game.
Nothing less than a win will do against Roy Keane’s men, and not only because of the visiting manager’s deep and heroic association with Liverpool’s bitter Manchester rivals. It's also vital because it seems that not only are certain individuals now playing for their futures at Anfield, they are also playing for the immediate future of the club itself.
Some may scoff that a visit from Sunderland provides the ideal treatment to the illness at Anfield, but in-truth the reverse is more accurate. Roy Keane will no doubt be telling his troops that their scheduled trip to Liverpool has come at the best possible time, and that the Reds are more of a scalded dog rather than a wounded animal, ready to run and hide rather than attack back.
To that extent, the Black Cats may come with their claws especially sharpened and ready to pounce on Liverpool from the opening whistle. If so then this game could be more open and livelier than first thought when the fixture list was complied back in August, and a shrewd punter may just back an in-form Sunderland to cause an upset on Saturday.
FORM GUIDE
Liverpool
30 January v West Ham (A) LOST 1-0
26 January v Havant & Waterlooville (H) WON 5-2 (FA Cup)
21 January v Aston Villa (H) DREW 2-2
15 January v Luton (H) WON 5-0 (FA Cup)
12 January v Middlesbrough (A) DREW 1-1
Sunderland
29 January v Birmingham (H) WON 2-0
19 January v Tottenham (A) LOST 2-0
13 January v Portsmouth (H) WON 2-0
05 January v Wigan (A) LOST 0-3 (FA Cup)
02 January v Blackburn (A) LOST 1-0
TEAM NEWS
The Reds have a strong squad to call on, with relatively few first-team players out injured. Alvaro Arebola will miss out with a muscle strain, meaning Fabio Aurelio will most likely continue at left-back in the Spaniard’s absence. After the laboured win over Havant in the FA Cup last weekend, a disappointed Benitez made seven changes for the midweek West Ham loss.
How the Spaniard will react to that game with his line-up for tomorrow’s match is, as always with Benitez, hard to predict. He may use the extra speed, penetration and athleticism of Ryan Babel and Jermaine Pennant over the more measured and creative Harry Kewell and Yossi Benayoun, while Kuyt may be rotated for the more in-form but under-used Peter Crouch.
Whispers emanating from the club suggest new signing Martin Skrtel may get his league debut to counter the aerial threat of Kenweyne Jones, Daryl Murphy and Radu Prica. Meanwhile, long-term absentees Daniel Agger (foot) and Andriy Voronin (ankle) will continue with their recuperation away from Anfield.
Keane will be hoping winger Kieran Richardson will be fit enough to return to the fold after recovering from a hamstring strain. The manager will need the pacey wide-man available as without Dwight Yorke (calf) and new signing Andy Reid (knee) he is lacking in creative players. Otherwise, Michael Chopra returns from suspension to bolster the attack. The £5 signing joins £2.5 Radu Prica and Murphy in a fight for a starting place alongside £6m-man Jones.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liverpool – Fernando Torres
They say that if Torres or Steven Gerrard don’t score then Liverpool are in trouble. Well, there is much to support that view, as the duo are way out in front in the goal-scoring charts, but recently Gerrard has struggled to bring his awesome match-winning form to the boil, making Torres the man fans will look too to make the difference against the visitors.
Sunderland – Kenweyne Jones
The striker has surprised nearly everyone since signing for a hefty £6m last summer. Whilst he isn’t quite in the “Thierry Henry” category as a delighted Keane once exclaimed he was after watching one of the forward’s match-winning displays, he nonetheless he has been under-estimated this season. He definitely is the spearhead of Sunderland’s attack and poses problems for any opponent.
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