The Christmas period sees Liverpool entertain Bolton at Anfield on Boxing Day and that’s quickly followed by an away fixture to Newcastle United on Sunday 28th.
If this is really going to be Liverpool’s season they need to take 6 points from the 6 available. A succession of draws have seen Liverpool drop points but somehow they haven’t been punished by Chelsea who don’t seem to want the points either..
In fact the only team to benefit from the top two’s inability to win football matches has been Manchester United who have 2 games in hand after their trip to the far east.
If Utd win both games they will only be a point behind and still have Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal to play at home. They will hope that they do better in the home fixtures because from the 3 away games Utd only picked up 1 point from 9.
I may be biased but I think Liverpool have done brilliantly to be at top come Christmas. Let’s not forget that they are also comfortably into the last 16 of the Champions League where they have a dream tie against Real Madrid. This has all been done without the best forward in the world Fernando Torres who has only played a handful of games due to his hamstring injuries. After his 33 goals last season and match winner in Euro 2008 the lethal front man has twice seen his hamstring ping and has missed at least 75% of Liverpool’s games this season. He may have missed a few games but still has 5 goals to his name. That is the type of quality that Liverpool have been missing yet, as said before, are still top of the Premier League. When Torres announces he is fit again which should be anytime soon, it will be like a new sixty million pound signing arriving at the club. His presence will lift everyone and he has had half a seasons rest so he should be fresh and fit for the final push. His injury now will benefit Liverpool come March.
A lot of Liverpool fans will also tell you that we are still not playing to our best at the moment which is fantastic news considering we have beaten Utd, Chelsea and got a point against Arsenal. Liverpool have claimed 4 points from 2 of the 3 hard away fixtures at Stamford Bridge and The Emirates and Id take a draw at Old Trafford right now. Another great statistic is that Liverpool are always much stronger after Christmas. The last few years have seen Liverpool go on 10 and 12 game winning streaks after the new year so all bodes well for this season.
It not as easy as all that though. In previous seasons Liverpool have mainly been out of the title race come November and with only the Champions League to play for have had no pressure of a title run in. Will the Reds be able to cope with both competitions as Utd and Chelsea have had to in the past? There is no reason why Liverpool can’t do the League and Euro Cup double like Utd last year. They have the squad and the quality.
The transfer window also opens in just over a week and it will be interesting to see who is in and who is out.
Robbie Keane will be going nowhere and all talk of him leaving is nonsense. I think Liverpool would like to get rid of Jermaine Pennant but this will be hard with him being a free agent in the summer. I never wanted him at LFC and I know thousands of fans felt the same. He has had his chances but has never taken them and was never going to be Liverpool class.
I have heard murmurs of the possible sales of Lucas and Dossena, who has had a terrible time since his £6 million from Udinese in the summer but I think they will be here until the end of the season at the very least. Lucas is OK but he is nothing special and not worth £8 million. There also been some gossip about the sale of Agger and Babel to Juventus for £20 million. There’s no doubt that all clubs will be interested if we were selling them but we are not. I expect Agger to get a new contract soon. Babel needs to up his game.
I don’t know any players that may be turning up but as its January the “Michael Owen back to Liverpool” whisper is back out. Owen may have said he will give Newcastle his decision in the summer but if Liverpool bid anything from £5 million upwards then Newcastle will have to listen for a player who can walk for nothing in June. Whether Benitez wants him back after Owen walked out on him just weeks into his new job we don’t know. But if Liverpool had Owen in the team then half our draws this season would have been wins, I have no doubts about that. Benitez is stubborn but if there is someone as good as Owen going on the cheap he must be interested.
Other player names touted about are Heskey and Barry. I personally wouldn’t want either. Barry is too expensive and not as half as good as Alonso and if we were to sign Heskey we would all be moaning about his lack of goals come March. It’s no coincidence that Heskey is playing well now that his contract is up for renewal. He is after one final big pay day and good luck to him. I just hope its not Liverpool he arrives at.
In my opinion we need a right winger. Kuyt puts in a good shift but has no pace. Kuyt is a forward and when he has played up front this season he has scored goals. For me it’s a case of either play him up front or don’t play him and get a winger in. Babel could be that right winger but this season has been a major disappointment when picked. There is no doubt this guy could be world class but an ankle injury at the start of the season and the fact that the gaffer doesn’t rotate as much this season has seen him on the bench. Good player to bring on but should be starting more games. Benitez like Valencia of Wigan but if Utd were to join us in a bidding war for him we will lose out.
So 2009 should be a good year for Liverpool. Benitez should sign his contract any time soon and the signs are that Torres & Gerrard want to extend their stay even though they already have long deals. It would be perfect if all this happened as well as lifting the Premier League crown. Now if we could just get those damn Yankees out !!!
See you in 09.
Posted under Football, LFC