taken from The Times
We turn into the new year 3 points clear at the top of the table; isn't that what we all asked for last summer?
We wanted to be up there fighting for the title, to be in with a chance after Christmas and be amongst the title challengers, instead of falling away before December as we had done for the previous decade. Well here we are, and in a better position than many of us thought possible, and if we're being honest, without actually playing that well.
We've drawn 4 home games with Stoke, Fulham, West Ham and Hull that really we'd be expecting to win. We lost at White Hart Lane after giving one of our best performances of the season and completely dominating the game; we should have been 4-0 up after an hour. That's football. But we also left it late and scraped wins from the games with Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Wigan and Man City amongst others. At times it hasn't been pretty, but we're all where we wanted to be at the turn of the year, at the top of the pile and in there fighting for that title that's eluded us for the best part of two decades. Results always come before performances.
Another criticism of recent seasons has been our inability to beat the sides around us. Our record against the other "big 4" under Benitez was an embarrassment. Every season we'd finish bottom of that mini league, being turned over home and away by United, while hardly ever getting anything out of our trips to Chelsea and Arsenal. This season however, we've beaten United at home and Chelsea away, while drawing away at Arsenal in a game we really should have won. A lack of desire and ambition maybe cost us, or maybe an Arsenal side rallying around after the sending off made things even harder. Either way, our record in those games has improved massively, and is a huge factor in our current league position. Long may it continue.
The last two league games have also seen a step forward in performance with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bolton coming before a 5-1 win at Newcastle that could easily have been a cricket score. There is also the return of Fernando Torres to the side that can only strengthen the side and give us far more firepower for the remainder of the season. Things are looking bright, and with our trip to Stoke on Saturday coming 24 hours before United and Chelsea clash, we have a chance to open up clear daylight and put pressure on the chasing pack. This is the position we all wanted, lets make the most of it.
There is of course the Gerrard situation, and how that may impact the side on the run in. For me, unless he is found guilty and locked up for a few months, then it will have little or no effect at all. Steven Gerrard is a professional in every manner of the word. He is no Joey Barton is he? Maybe it was a case of wrong place at the wrong time, and these situations do happen to the best of us, but he's far too professional to let it affect his game.
None of us know what actually happened that night. Unless you were there and witnessed everything, then you don't know what happened. Rumour and second hand information can be damaging; mud sticks. So forget about mud throwing and let the courts decide who committed any crimes before passing judgement. Some of the headlines of a 5 year jail sentence are laughable, and obviously written by sensationalist hacks with no grasp on how the legal system functions. If he gets 5 years in jail then I'll buy a season ticket at Goodison or go into the Stretford End naked with a Liverbird tattooed on my right bum cheek. It's not going to happen.
The whole situation is out of character for a model professional, and fuelled by the media purely because of who he is, when non of whom know if he has done any wrong. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Roll on Stoke on Saturday, roll on the two derbies that follow in the space of 6 days, roll on the rest of the season, as with a fully fit Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres linking up once again, who knows where they might take us.
Liverpool, Liverpool, top of the league!
Paul Jones
