Back in Liverpool’s all-conquering days of the 1970s and 80s anyone I knew who suggested they would soon be going almost 20 years without winning the English League title would have been laughed out of the playground – and I lived in Hampshire.
From 1973 to 1991 Liverpool won the title no fewer than 11 times and were runners-up on a further seven occasions. The only time in 19 seasons they finished outside the top two was in 1981 — when they won the European Cup and League Cup.
Since then it has been a painful domestic struggle with just one runners-up position in 16 years and Sunday’s home defeat by Manchester United looks to have ensured the wait for a first title since 1990 will go on for at least one more season.
In that time, of course, Liverpool have won trophies, not least the Champions League, but their continual failure at home is a difficult pill to swallow for the fans.
What has made it all the more painful has been the fact that it is United who have replaced them.
Their Lancashire neighbours were almost an irrelevance to Liverpool fans as they were relegated in 1974 and had to endure 26 barren years before finally getting their hands back on the League Championship in 1993.
Since then the power has shifted eastwards and Sunday’s Anfield result drove home the message as Carlos Tevez’s goal made it a remarkable five wins and a draw for United in their last five league games there. It leaves Liverpool nine points behind United and 10 adrift of Arsenal.
When Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez spoke to the club’s American owners this weekend he would no doubt have stressed how well his team had done to resurrect their European campaign and perhaps the franchisers will have their eye only on the wider picture.
For the fans who had to endure, yet again, the taunts of the joyous United fans on Sunday, however, this situation must be painful to say the least.
Benitez has paid lip service to the importance of the Premier League but his selections have indicated otherwise. My colleague Padraic Halpin asked this time last week if Liverpool would be better off out of the Champions League, in order to concentrate fully on a bid for the league title. I suppose now we could say at least they can concentrate on Europe…
PHOTO: Fernando Torres holds his head in his hands during Liverpool’s defeat by Manchester United, December 16, 2007. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
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12 comments so far
It’s a bit early to write Liverpool off, no? It’s not like Man U played them off the park. The next league games are portsmouth, derby, man city, wigan, middlesbrough, villa, west ham and sunderland. win all of them (and there’s no reason why not) and it’s game on…
- Posted by LondonIt might have something to do with his early background as a coach at Real Madrid, but I get the impression Benitez still thinks that European competition is the priority and true measure of success. I’m pretty sure though that most Liverpool fans would prefer them to be battling it out for the league title going into Christmas and New Year rather than having to wait until February to see them renew their bid for another European Cup.
- Posted by SimonI wouldnt rule Liverpool out just yet. Benitez seems to have stopped rotating quite so much with (the excellent) Torres and Kuyt now his favoured front two.
- Posted by Mark MeadowsHistory suggests the side that rotates least actually wins the Premier League. Benitez needs to play almost the same XI as often as he can after Christmas and then see where it gets him.
Padraic has a point too though, an early exit from the Champions League last 16 would leave Liverpool free to concentrate on the league with United, Chelsea and Arsenal possibly distracted by Europe.
There’s an interesting piece by Paul Tomkins taking the opposite view:
- Posted by Kevin Fylanhttp://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown /NG158092071217-1135.htm
he would say that, though, wouldn’t he?
- Posted by LondonAs far as I’m concerned that’s it for another season and would happily offer generous odds to anyone who thinks the contrary.
It’s not so much a question of quality but style of play. Even when they start with a natural (if not fully fit) winger as they did with Kewell yesterday, Benitez’s Liverpool continue to play like a team terrified of getting up and down the flanks. What they’d give for a full back who could / was allowed to overlap like Evra. It’s just glaring common sense that if you play an increddibly narrow game, you’ll struggle to create chances.
And if I see one more diagonal cross floated in from 40 yards…
- Posted by Padraic HalpinIt has become a feature under Benitez to lose EPL points against teams he has underestimated in a Champions League week. Add his record of losing points to rivals, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd and you realise that he is a long way off guiding a side to the title Liverpool fans cherish.
- Posted by Wizard of OddsIt’s not over until it’s mathematically impossible.
This is football, anything can happen.
- Posted by Five TimesThat’s the spirit. As long as Liverpool don’t play like they’re hungover again on boxing day like last year (shocking defeat by Blackburn).
- Posted by Londoni know that they have a lot of games to play, but if arsenal and man. utd can keep their excellent form then it will be difficult for liverpool. liverpool need to realize that they can’t afford to lose against weaker side like what happened at madejski last week.
- Posted by European Football BlogIs it over know, folks… Face it, the scouser is just similar characteristics with AC Milan in Italy. They just good on do or die match. In a full competition, they just put a “regular” effort, and spirit is vanished, anyawy…..
- Posted by Andy Gultom[…] Inter Milan ten days away, Rafa Benitez faces another one of his crucial do or die periods yet tossing all his eggs in the Champions League basket is now too dangerous a tactic even to […]
- Posted by Liverpool must forget Europe and do their domestic duty - Reuters Soccer Blog