He kicked, he missed; he kicked, he missed. How many more times?
We began with the perplexing selection of Henchoz as right-back and news that Kewell was only starting because Cheyrou injured himself during the warm up. I know I'm not the manager but common sense would suggest that Henchoz is no right-back therefore Carragher would be best suited to that position with Riise on the left?
And we were playing Southampton not Stafford Rangers, so Cheyrou and Diouf are not obvious starters in my book. Then again I'm not the one in the dugout. I just pay my money to count the advertising hoardings and watch the Marseille fans jump up and down. (Well it was more interesting than watching the game.)
My heart just isn't in it anymore, rather like Mr Owen's I suspect. We've been beaten 2-0 by Southampton. Suddenly revision looks interesting. Losing the faith? Nah mate, I've lost it.
The Southampton fans taunted our lot singing "Champions League, you're having a laugh" just like most other sets of fans do, and they're right. We're playing mid-table football and are therefore deserving of nothing more than a mid-table finish. Even Newcastle managed to score over the weekend, allbeit into their own net.
OK so Gerrard, as always, refused to give up, but me? Sod it I've had enough. That's ninety minutes I could have spent doing something constructive, like sleeping. With exams looming I can think of far better ways to spend my coming Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon but I'll go anyway. Funny, always had myself down as more M&S than S&M.
It's not like we have a poor quality squad either. OK there are some players I am convinced are washing Houllier's cars and watering his garden in return for a place but other than that we've some incredibly talented players. Stevie forever seems to insist on being everywhere at once, I feel safest when Kirkland is between the sticks and Carragher is our unsung hero.
Owen, when on form, well there's no one like him and Danny Murphy has a brain like Gary Mac on his day. Then again the day Finnan finds a Liverpool player there will be a parade and if Smicer ever plays well for more than a few games he should be given a medal. Yes I'm fed up, yes I'm annoyed and yes I think things have to change, I'm just not sure how.
Thinking about it, the team that played against Southampton was not vastly different to the one that won all of those trophies a few seasons ago. So what the hell is going on?
The Board has faith in Houllier. Great. Fantastic. Houllier has faith in his players. Wonderful. Brilliant. The players have faith in the fans. Oh, just peachy then? Well no not really. It doesn't matter which way you try to play it, what comes through the turnstiles pays a portion of the wages. Lacklustre perfomances, debatable commitment, mediocrity. Are we getting our monies worth?
I'm fed up of pointing fingers and trying to come to conclusions. I just want to vent my frustration and my anger because I'm seriously pissed off! It's alright for the players who go back to their apartments on the riverfront and million pound mansions, they don't get stick off mates and colleagues week in and week out because the 'mighty Liverpool' is on the verge of going down the pan. Oh no.
They pick up their paycheques and swan off to fancy bars and restaurants drinking Crystal champagne that us common people can only dream of tasting. I'm not saying that they do this every week, but they do it on occasion. Of course they do! Wouldn't you want the finest crystal champagne glasses from which to drink the finest Crystal champagne? You're on sixty grand a week, sod it, order four dozen they'll do for Christmas presents.
OK, so that's probably harsh. Our lads seem like a relatively decent and respectable bunch. They see the logic in not partying now because they can own the nightclub later, but perhaps that's where it's all gone wrong? How someone whose pre-school son has a higher IQ than him can be worth one hundred thousand a week for kicking a ball defies any explanation I can devise.
A Junior Doctor can work almost as many hours as there are in a week for much, much less than that per year, and the doctor is saving lives. To me there is no logic in that.
Have you seen the advert for Five Live recently? The groundsman in the tunnel as the players run out:
Overpaid
Overrated
*$!*%"£
That says it all for me. Titleless mediocrity. It's what we are and how we play.
© s@h2004