Has It All Fallen Apart?

Without having to be overly-critical on my own favourite team (like I did on Saturday where I blasted the team for their 'efforts'), I guess it's time we have to take a good look at our team again before we can convince ourselves about us being in the bracket together with United and Arsenal. Dumped out of 2 cups within a space of 4 days and ditched by the same team in Arsenal, there is no excuse as to how the season has fallen on all fours (or threes if you think we have a chance against Barcelona).

This is the first time in 77 years where we conceded more than 5 goals at Anfield and rightly, we deserve a royal spanking. We have been mediocre at best so far this season with only a few convincing performances against some inferior team on the way.

Each season we proclaimed 'this is our season' and looking at the squad, do you really think a team with Crouch, Pennant or Zenden is going to win us the Holy Grail? There are too many bit part players and mediocre ones. But we should try to understand that Rafa has limited resources so far and he could only go for players that are within his budget.


The loss on the pitch is nothing compared to the loss of both Mark Gonzalez and Luis Garcia. We could move on with this result but these two players are essentially our two best left wingers left at the squad. How the injury will hamper our campaign further remains to be seen, but it's still a major blow. Seriously sums up the plight we're in now. Nothing is going right, at all.

The only 'positive' I could master out of the game would have to be the little bit of determination in some of the players. Gerrard had to put up a good show after his gutless performance on Saturday and he was still driving the team on when Liverpool is 5-1 down. Yes, 5-1. Thank God I didn't watch it. How embarrassing.

But all these positives we look at after a defeat are just excuses for supporters. It's clear that the team is not good enough and that we are most likely going to end up trophy-less this season, first time after Rafa Benitez's appointment in 2004.

But no matter how annoyed or pissed you are, as a fan, I would like to say give Rafa some time to make things right. Rome is not built in a day and I believe he will still go on to make Liverpool a forces to reckon with in years to come. Looking at both Wenger and Ferguson, we know they don't have a particularly good start to their career at their respective teams but as time goes by, with more experience, they turned them into world beaters, a team he can use to call his own.

Although we have been particularly poor against the big 3 teams, I'm sure Rafa will learn from all the mistakes and put Liverpool back to where they belong. As inexperienced as he is, he will have to learn things the hard way just like real life, where sometimes we learn best when we fall, flat on the ground.

Maybe this 6-3 defeat serves to remind all of us to keep out feet on the ground and that there are still MUCH room to improve, much to learn. It's not the end of the day, just end of another race. But look this way that there is still better days to come under Rafa (I'm sure).

And as we always sing, "when you walk through the storm, hold your head up high, and not be afraid of the dark, at the end of the storm, there's a golden sky and the sweet silver song of the lark". Don't take defeat too much to heart and that after we survive this 'storm', taste of victory would be sweeter than ever. Come on, don't give up your faith in the team and let's walk on with hopes in our hearts.