Dec
30
We’re half way to the end of the 2009/10 season and Liverpool are living on a prayer.
It’s been a deflating, disgusting, horrible, miserable, uninspiring, painful season so far. So much worse than anyone could have envisaged. When I read articles over the summer about Aquilani not being fit until Liverpool were out of the title race I scoffed ‘out of the title race by October? We won’t even had time for our traditional dodgy November’.
I wrote my hopes and fears for the start of the new season the evening before the season opener against Spurs. It’s well worth re-reading (even if I say so myself) because so much of it holds true:
“Rafa needs to win it to prove to his doubters that he is the right man to take the club forward. He needs it to instil further confidence in his project for root and branch reform of the club.
“Glen Johnson looks like a good signing but around him the defence is quite uncertain.
“If we don’t [win it] (presuming we make a good fist of it) I probably won’t be disappointed. But I will be nervous. Nervous that it will threaten the rebuilding of Liverpool. Nervous of the threat of a Man City or another newly-wealthy club usurping our place. Nervous of what the debt piled on Liverpool will mean for its future.
Those nerves remained throughout the games this year. All the way through the comfortable 4-0 win over Burnley I was anxious. I didn’t enjoy the game. Hull was better, and Man United provided a glimmer of hope. I could afford to be rueful after the beachball at the Sunderland game and was frustrated by the performance against Chelsea, as they looked vulnerable.
I spent the first few games of our decaying season thinking that, sooner or later, someone was going to get thumped. And then after the first half against Arsenal, thought that we were back on track. After Portsmouth, I thought we really were in trouble. Then I believed that we were highly unlikely to come third, despite the vulnerabilities of all of the top teams.
However, after an unconvincing win against Wolves our first 1-0 victory of the season has changed the complexion a little. I’m sure we will finish fourth. All we need to do is win four games that we lost in the first half of the season. Portsmouth, Fulham and Sunderland at home can deliver most of that whilst a win away at Birmingham would effectively seal it.
I’m still nervous about what this season will do to the underlying stability of the club, although Christian Purslow has impressed. Perhaps last season was a flash in the pan. Maybe the last minute goals and the extensive minutes playing against 10 men flattered to deceive. But I do think that the prospects of the first team are only a fraction of what’s at stake for the club.
The hardest task next summer might be holding on to what we have whilst a long world cup run for Spain or England would present additional challenges. A trophy would provide some much needed gloss on the season but after what we’ve had to put up with thus far, I’d settle for confirming 4th place in early April.
Related posts:
- Hopes and Fears on the dawn of the new season
- Peter Gulacsi: challenges for 2009/10
- Liverpool FC Reserves: season preview
- Stepping into the unknown: Liverpool season preview 2010-11
- Labour cabinet half time team talk