The satirical game that sums up Liverpool’s comical 09/10 season.

I’d originally wanted to come up with a post after Liverpool’s bore draw away to relegated Hull City, and though I stopped short, I quote here what few words I’d written.

If the final game of the season against Hull is the litmus test for the season to come, god bless us all.

Stray passes, under-weighted passes and over-hit passes was an infectious disease today, as much as the wrongly timed runs that it was far more exciting watching Hull on their swift and menacing counter attacks.

Not till the last 5 minutes of the game did Liverpool sprang to life, or rather did Gerrard came out of his shell with his trademark driving runs, seemingly determined to bow out of the season with 3 points, and up till that point, it seemed as if the whole team was on aimless auto-pilot.

There you go, my freshest thoughts on the outcome of the game at the sound of the final whistle of the season.

So where do we go from here?

Down?

IF Rafa Benitez, Gerrard and Torres leaves, that seems a certainty.

And at a time when loyalty can be bought with a wave of a blank cheque, it’s heart-warming to see that these 3 aren’t showing any signs of jumping ship.

Then again, not many are showing signs that they’re staying with the captain, even if the ship goes to rest at the bottom of the seabed.

And don’t that speak of hope that they do see dancing in the horizon?

There is hope, my dear Liverpudlians, and as slim as it may be, there is still hope.

The biggest difference between this season and previous’ is that this season, we haven’t been playing with conviction, stemmed from the uncertainty that surrounded the club’s situation, the manager’s position, as well as the unhealthy thought that, as a first team player, you’re guaranteed a spot in the team, simply because there’s no one else who can replace you — even if you’re a certain Lucas Leiva.

Forget about getting world class players, Liverpool FC really just needs more seasoned campaigners.

How about bringing in feisty Englishman, Jimmy Bullard? Combative, creative, hardworking, and Hull City is probably breaking necks trying to offload his wages from their balance sheet, in preparation for life in the Championships.

And what about his Hull teammate, Stephen Hunt, who loves tackling back as much as marauding forward, and I won’t be surprised if he brings about as much industry as Kuyt has, to Liverpool’s left flanks.

Of course, these are merely theoretical but these signings of seasoned campaigners are what I’m talking about.

I’d love to see more accomplished players in the squad, to complement Gerrard and Torres’ game, of which this season has shown that youngsters just aren’t able to step up to the mark.

Lucas, Babel, Ngog, Pacheco, Darby, Insua, El Zhar, all have failed to shift into upper gears when they’ve been called upon.

I dare say that they are in shock still, and unlike other clubs where these youngsters are given time to gel into the senior squad and allowed the freedom to perform and excel, our youngsters instead go out into the pitch with the burden that they must perform for every game.

It’s like asking your teenage child to lead your nation as the president — they crumble under the weight of expectations, which Liverpudlians have seen once too many this season.

So does this mean that a change of coach/manager will solve the crisis that hangs over Anfield?

Not really, and if this saga continues, there’s really only two things that’s going to happen here.

1. Liverpool quickly goes into a crisis so bad that it cannot be saved;

Or…

2. Liverpool slowly goes into a crisis so bad that it cannot be saved.

So what do I want to be changed? The owners. Period.

Everton FC (0) – Liverpool FC (2)

I’ll be brutally honest when I say that the Reds never really looked like convincing winners during the game, at least not till Kuyt’s goal did the Reds deserved all 3 points.

You could even be forgiven  for thinking that Everton was the better team on the day, as they astutely ran ragged our defenders with their aeriel prowess and brute strength.

Simple yet effective tactics to destabilise any mean Premiereship defence and would you believe it that this time round, lady luck visited our goal (in disallowing 2 good Everton goals) and even did as much as placing Reina onto the right spot to block Fellaini, barely less than 3 yards from goal.

Indeed Fellaini was a thorn, overpowering the Reds defence time and time again, and I must admit how highly impressed I was at his calm and collected performance.

He knew when to hold the ball, when to make that pass, when to cross, when to run, where unlike our Lucas who seemed lost whenever the ball was in his possession.

If there was a Worst Footballer Of The Match award, Lucas would have singlehandedly picked it up, but not to say he wasn’t any good at all, just that his weakness and his prowessess, well they’re  still 50-50.

One’s not too sure if he’s a footballing aristocrat or or footballing brat.

Anyway, the goal should be credited to Mascherano simply because he ran 3/4 of the pitch just to kiss the Liverpool badge in front of his fans — and does that look like someone who’s looking for a move away from Anfield?

My Man Of The Match award goes out to Masch, for his selfless runs, well thought passes, last-ditched tackles, and the constant harassing of Evertonians, and if only it was for the latter reason, I’d give him the award.

So where was Stevie G during the game, inconspicuously missing for large part of the game, and you get the sense that either he’s frustrated at playing alongside ‘kids’ or he’s yet to reach a 100% fitness level.

Let’s face it, Lucas is no Alonso replacement, while Ngog is no Torres replacement either, and it makes it extremely difficult for a world class player to ‘communicate’ football amongst ordinary men.

Nevertheless, Rafa finally managed to secure another 3 points in the bag and lift the club into 5th place, no thanks to Manchester City drawing yet again.

No doubt this will lift some of the pressure off his shoulders and allow him much needed breathing space as well, for the moment.

So Everton 0, Liverpool 2. Not the classic 4-3 encounters of the past, but just as cracking indeed.

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ART’s Top 3 Players:

1. Javier Mascherano
2. Dirk Kuyt
3. Pepe Reina

ART’s Worst 3 Players:

1. Joseph Yobo
2. Lucas Leiva
3. *Coin Toss* Tim Howard / David Ngog

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AUTHOR BIO: Mar is a passionate, understanding and tolerable Reds fan through and through. Until he gets to visit Anfield and experience the KOP end, he’s not quite the perfect Kopites as yet, but he’s getting there, nevertheless. Catch him at his personal blog.mar.sg and say hi.