No stars, no win as Liverpool fans cry in desperation

OCT 24 — After all the hope that last season’s title run brought to the red half of  the city of Liverpool, one cannot help but feel sorry for the hapless Reds supporters who are waiting in vain for their first Premiership title.

They know it’s over. Heck, even some of the players know it’s over. So, it’s all about damage control from now on.

Yes, sadly Liverpool’s season stands on the brink of ruin just two months into the new season and nothing less than a victory against Manchester United (MU) will do tomorrow. And that’s only for some consolation after a disastrous run of four consecutive defeats – two each in the English Premier League (EPL) and the Champions League (CL).

Hope has given way to disenchantment and revolt beckons if MU are allowed to prevail. These are dangerous times for Rafa Benitez. Instead of taking the final step up, his side have fallen back . . . way back. Ironically, this is just when the closing pack of teams chasing the supposed Big 4 have moved forward.

The whiff of a looming crisis is in the air in Liverpool, with their worst run in 22 years. While being the first manager to lose five games in a row since way back when would be embarrassing enough and unfortunate, a more pressing concern for Benitez is that losing tomorrow will leave Liverpool 10 points and at least seven places behind the leaders.

Even with the more competitive nature of the Premier League this season, that would surely be an insurmountable gap.

The primary question is how the Spanish coach will set up his side should Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson all be missing. While he deserves a certain amount of sympathy if he is forced to go into a game without his captain and three most expensive members of his squad (toss Alberto Aquilani into that list as well), Benitez can only reasonably complain up to a point.

The sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid only glooms things further. Alonso’s absence has been made worse by the failing gamble on Aquilani (who has brought some sunshine to the city though with his totally hot WAG in tow). Benitez has previously talked of buying a player for five years not five games, but he may not get to field the Italian even five times this season.

Many felt the team could still adapt to the departure of Alonso but nine EPL games in – plus the three in Europe – and you know Benitez has lost the plot. With Benitez still keeping faith in Lucas Leiva, who has to date done nothing but deceive, and Javier Mascherano, who is a shadow of his past form, Liverpool’s midfield are in almost total meltdown.

The only player Liverpool can look towards tomorrow is Yossi Benayoun, who at least shows some invention, urgency and, occasionally, looks like providing something to break through an opposition defence.

Meanwhile, MU have shown some weaknesses this season but their back line is still a formidable one. It will be tricky enough to get through even with Gerrard and Torres, let alone without.

One player Liverpool would love to have at this moment of time is their former legend, little Michael Owen. Former legend by fact and also in spirit for he has been written off the record books by most Scousers and has also had his posters taken off the walls of many Reds supporters, as I’ve heard, for his great act of treachery in joining the “dark side”.

Owen now warms the bench at MU but he is hardly the player he used to be. Though he is set to receive a massive round of boos and abuse at his once beloved-Anfield, the Liverpool fans should take note that MU fans will feel assured when his name appears on the teamsheet, even if only as a substitute.

The diminutive former England striker has helped endear himself to the MU faithful with a dramatic late winner against local rivals Manchester City. He is at least a recognized striker and a proven goalscorer compared with that stump of white meat with girly blonde locks that is Liverpool’s sub Andriy Voronin, who has only netted six in 35 appearances.

While Liverpool will likely struggle without their two main players and the sale of an underrated midfield lynchpin, the same cannot be said of their opponents on Sunday.

MU have lost two key players in the transfer market and Wayne Rooney remains doubtful for tomorrow’s clash. However, manager Alex Ferguson must be credited for rallying his team and going back to the good old formation with which he once achieved much success.

One man who brings such a difference is Antonio Valencia. Contrary to what many believe, I think he could be the key to any MU success this season. Don’t get me wrong, he may not have the guile that Cristiano Ronaldo possessed but it is his style of play that is helping United.

He does all the tracking back he needs to when possession is lost and also has a physical presence that make Ronaldo look like a small kid screaming “Mommy! Mommy!” when he loses the ball... er, actually, I think he REALLY does that. But, anyway, Valencia’s play allows Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov to concentrate on their main central attacking duties.

Rooney is allegedly Ferguson’s biggest injury concern in preparation for this big match. However, my gut feeling is that this is a ploy used by the red-faced one, who has been known to pull off such acts of deceptions in the past, when a big match is lurking.

With his Everton background, Rooney would love to twist the knife into Liverpool’s wound. If he does not play, however, then MU can look to Owen, who also ironically supported Everton as a boy, to do the damage against his former club. Perhaps this will be Owen’s defining moment as an Evertonian by redeeming himself of all those years playing for Liverpool, scoring feely but winning zilch. Okay, maybe an odd FA Cup or two and the UEFA Cup...but not the big one his quality had deserved, the Premiership.

With all the injuries and bad form that Liverpool is in now, all signs point toward an MU win tomorrow (Live on ESPN at 10pm). The Reds don’t have the mental strength, let alone physical presence and quality to withstand a calm and confident MU team, who will also be out for revenge over last season’s embarrassing 4-1 loss at Old Trafford. It could almost be a reverse scoreline against the Reds tomorrow.

I foresee Liverpool going one or two down, then grappling to come back and leave the back door open, as they did against Lyon in midweek. And this is MU we are talking about. No mercy will be shown.

With all the attention on the Big One this weekend, let’s not forget some of the action taking place elsewhere.

Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers (midnight tonight, Live on ESPN, Astro 812). After last weekend’s shock loss at Aston Villa, the Blues have already had their “bounce back” game in mid-week, thrashing Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the CL. So, they will only reassert their quality as the favourites for the Premiership title with another strong win against a Rovers side that have lost their last eight away league matches, and failed to score against Chelsea in their last six meetings.

West Ham v Arsenal (midnight on Sunday. Live on ESPN). The Hammers are the surprise underperformers of the season so far (at the bottom half of the table that is, Liverpool are biggest underperformers overall), after showing so much promise under Gianfranco Zola last season.  They haven’t won since the opening day of this season and have collected only two points from their last seven matches.

Though Arsenal have some injury casualties with Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott, the return of  Frenchman Samir Nasri, who had a successful reserve outing in mid-week, and Eduardo should be the impetus to add to their ‘Goals For’ tally.

The Gunners are riding high with a 3-goal per match average scoring rate. This should resume when they travel across London knowing Zola’s love for attacking and open play, which will be to Arsenal’s advantage.

Manchester City v Fulham (11pm tomorrow, Live on StarSports , Astro 813). Manchester City have won their last six home matches in the league, and 12 out of their last 13. But they struggled in their last two league outings, albeit both were away, against Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic. Hmmm...how ironic that both these teams also beat the mighty Chelsea when that other Blues team paid a visit. But I digress.

Fulham looks an easy challenge for the boys in blue, but Fulham have got the talent and the ability to rise to the occasion and possibly get a point. The City defence are tight, but their forward line are not exactly pumping in the goals, are they, for all their touted talent up front. Still, so much talent must count for something, and with the help of Carlos Tevez, Craig Bellamy and Roque Santa Cruz, City should return to winning form this weekend.

Incidentally, Emmanuel Adebayor has lost his scoring touch since returning from a 3-match suspension for his despicable stamping on Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie. Now maybe City fans will see him in his true form, with the dip in his performance and his arrogance over other players in the team which he would deem not as good as him. That’s him in essence. Many players have left The Arsenal and displayed mediocrity. He will be the latest.

I know that’s not enough reason to hate the blue half of Manchester, but with the cheat Mark Hughes as manager, I declare hear and now that I hate Manchester City and wish them a bottom half position which will surely mean Hughes’ exit and Adebayor being hated by another set of fans in England. Still, I could never hate City as much as I do Arsenal’s next door neighbours, Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham Hotspur v Stoke City (10pm tonight, Live on ESPN). On paper, this would seem an easy weekend out for Spurs. They could actually get ahead of Chelsea by moving level on points with MU by winning this match ahead of their rivals’ playing later tonight and on Sunday. A 4-goal victory would even put them top of the league.

With Jermain Defoe suspended, following his foolish red-card last weekend against Portsmouth, Peter Crouch could get a chance to add to his England credentials (no chance of Becks coming on for 30 minutes and taking away his glory here). But the fact he is still second choice, maybe even third behind Robbie Keane, shows that Spurs could get into a spot of bother against a defiant Stoke side. I predict a score-draw or a one-goal margin of victory for Spurs.

Enjoy the weekend of football folks and here’s a gentle reminder that from tomorrow Europe moves the clock back by an hour for daylight saving, which means that all matches will start an hour later for us, until late-March 2010.