Eight points in 2012. Two wins all year. The worst form in the Premier League bar Wolves.
Liverpool have only picked up fewer points in a 12-match period in 1957.
The cold, hard facts are alarming. But the harsh reality is turning into a joke.
How appropriate then that the final straw for club icon Kenny Dalglish’s managerial reign came on April Fools’ Day, a humbling defeat at the hands of Newcastle, slipping further behind the top four and at this rate, the top six.
This afternoon, the Magpies eased past a hapless Liverpool team, with their Carling Cup triumph barely covering up what has been a season to forget with everyone connected to Liverpool Football Club.
Dalglish was very much a short-term resolution at Liverpool to boost morale; however, he is not the man to lead Liverpool forward for their long-term future.
Without the creativity and impact of Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez, the Reds’ would be a team languishing in the realms of mid-table.
Liverpool undoubtedly have bought poorly in the transfer window. The acquisition of Jordan Henderson for the sum of £20 million has proved profligate. Henderson hasn’t proved anyone wrong thus far, he has been very poor, and he looks a shadow of his former promising self at former club Sunderland.
Charlie Adam has been underwhelming, but has at least been consistent. But compared to the £35 million walking disaster that is Andy Carroll, perhaps criticising Adam is slightly harsh.
Carroll, for once, looked interested and showed glimpses of his quality in the first-half against Newcastle. However, you have to wonder where this effort was in his other 28 league appearances this season. Incidentally, this came against the same team that accepted Liverpool’s act of desperation, when the Reds’ threw £35 million at Newcastle’s doorstep just last January.
And how these two clubs have adapted since is quite startling.
There were a lot of raised eyebrows around Tyneside, and indeed the footballing world, when Newcastle felt it necessary to offer Alan Pardew a five-year contract just last January. What a decision that was by the Newcastle board. Pardew has stabilised the Newcastle team and brought in some real bargains, whilst his team has epitomised the drive and desire he talked about in his first press conference as a Newcastle manager.
These in the shape of star striker Demba Ba on a free, and for £8.3m Newcastle have constructed a formidable central midfield of Cheik Tioté and Yohan Cabaye. Not forgetting the £10 million signing of Papiss Demba Cissé from Freiburg, who has made an instant impact bagging seven goals in as many games, and linking up superbly up top with Senegalese team-mate Ba.
A wonderful season could get even better if the Magpies manage to overhaul a 5 point gap between them and Spurs before the end of the season, and seal a shock Champions League spot. Don’t rule them out.
Liverpool are closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places, and that really says it all. The likes of Stewart Downing, Henderson and Carroll have been, on the whole, woeful. Luis Suarez is the only player in the team who you could say possesses the ‘wow’ factor.
If I were John W Henry I would be looking no further than Rafael Benitez, who was harshly sacked by the club in June 2010 after one poor season.
Liverpool were a far stronger domestic force with him at the helm, and tactically masterful on the European stage. Benitez took Liverpool to two Champions League finals, winning one of them in 2005 after a heroic comeback against AC Milan.
You just feel as though one of the special European nights at Anfield is a distant memory and will become even more so if Liverpool don’t act accordingly and get a new manager in and let him build up the team as he sees fit.
Under Benitez’s tutelage, Liverpool were guaranteed to finish in the top four and even managed a top two place in the 2008-2009 season. On current form, Liverpool will be fortunate to finish in the top ten this season, with teams like Fulham and Swansea looking more than a match for them at this stage of the season.
The fashion in which they capitulated with 13 minutes to go at Queens Park Rangers’ Loftus Road typified their year thus far. They had dominated QPR for long periods, but their defending deservedly cost them the match.
You wouldn’t have seen Liverpool sacrificing such a lead at a relegation-threatened club under Mr Benitez.
Liverpool’s success in the transfer market has almost been non-existent, and if Dalglish had been any other manager, considering the awful form Liverpool have been in, the fans would be calling for his head.
Luckily for him, a low-burning light at the end of the tunnel may have formed, after booking another date at Wembley for the Reds’ when they meet arch-rivals Everton in the FA Cup semi-final later this month.
This year’s Carling Cup victory over Cardiff only served to paper over the cracks. The underlying truth of that game was that Liverpool struggled to beat an average Cardiff City outfit who have again faltered in the promotion race and look set for another season in the Championship next term.
This is why King Kenny has to go. If Liverpool fail to attract the calibre of players needed to compete with the top four, it will be only be a matter of time before Suarez et al leave the club.
Sean Gallagher
Mile Oak 0 Eastbourne United 2
Cooper double puts United back on track
PETER Cooper ensured Eastbourne United returned to winning ways at Mile Oak after a closely fought encounter on Saturday afternoon.
Two second-half goals from Cooper gave United three much-needed points as they cemented their mid-table position in division two.
After a first-half where both teams effectively cancelled themselves out, United quickly took the initiative in the second-half when Josh Grimes’s shot rebounded off the post, before Cooper was on hand to slot home and give the away side the advantage in the 53rd minute.
The victory was sealed after a good run from Cooper was halted inside the penalty area in the 75th minute. Cooper stepped up to cooly put away the penalty and give United breathing space with just 15 minutes remaining.
United boss Paul Daubeney admitted the difference between the two sides was his sides’ ability to take their chances resulting in a welcome away win for United.
“To be fair to Mile Oak I felt the game in terms of possession was 50/50, and in the first-half both teams cancelled each other out.In the second we both went out and attacked each other looking for that all-important goal.”
Daubeney reserved special praise for Jamie Bunn and Josh Grimes for their role in his side’s win.
Daubeney said of the duo, “That is the best substitute appearance from a player who has played under me, let alone Bunn’s best since he has played here!
“He was simply faultless. Grimes also impressed me, he came into his own in the second-half and linked up really well with Cooper up front.
“That’s also the best I’ve seen of him since he’s been at the club.”
United travel to Wick next in the league, ahead of tough fixtures against table-toppers East Preston and second place Hailsham Town over the festive period.
Daubeney added, “We are quietly optimistic travelling to Wick we can get something from the game. With the games we have after, I think it’s important we can get at least a draw there, if not more.”
UNITED: Daubeney, Lee, Featherstone, Jules, Hughes, Goodwin (Bunn 45), Trickett (Brand 88), Catt, Barden, Grimes, Cooper
ATT: 34 Referee: Duncan Baker
East Preston 5 Hailsham Town 1
MAC sees red as Stringers collapse
FURIOUS Hailsham Town manager Ken McCreadie laid into his players after they were thrashed at table-toppers East Preston in a top of the table clash on Saturday afternoon.
McCreadie was understandably frustrated after seeing his side succumb to a 5-1 defeat at Lashmar, his anger boiling over midway through the first-half as referee Robert Myhill gave him his marching orders after being too vociferous in his protests.
The Stringers started brightly, and were arguably the better team 20 minutes into the game. Shane Saunders went close inside the first minute with Ben Billings, Steve Dallaway, Ashley Jarvis and Danny Leach all testing opposition ‘keeper Alex Bryant.
However, that would prove to be false optimism for Hailsham, as Matthew Axel started the rout giving East Preston the lead in the 24th minute.
It would get worse for the Stringers faithful before half-time when Charlie Oatway made it two on 35 minutes, in somewhat similar fashion to the first goal.
Shortly after the interval it was three when George Gaskin was left with plenty of room inside the box to comfortably slot home a third in the 51st minute.
Hailsham thought they had given themselves a lifeline after star striker Danny Leach slotted home a penalty after Ryan Alexander was upended in the box two minutes later.
But two goals in quick succession from Gaskin, completing his hat-trick, cemented East Preston’s lead at the top of the table.
Hailsham manager Ken McCreadie gave no excuses for his side’s inept display, lavishing praise on opponents East Preston. He said, “East Preston quite simply gave us a footballing lesson.
“They have a very strong squad, they have a good first division squad let alone a second division one.
“They bossed us in every department, our midfield was overran and our defence was just not good enough and that is not something I have said a lot this year.”
McCreadie also insisted that he has no problems with the referee or any of his officials despite his sending-off and is focused on getting his team back on track ahead of this weekend’s game at Steyning Town.
“I have no qualms with Mr Myhill or any of his officials. I discussed the situation with them at half-time and why I wasn’t happy. There will be no further action taken and as far as I am concerned that is the matter closed.”
He added, “Understandably the lads are gutted and they should be. It was a very poor performance all-round, but we have to remember we are second in the league and this is only our second defeat of the season- our first away from home. We are looking forward to putting things right at Steyning Town this weekend.”
HAILSHAM: Tanner, Dean Stevens (Jacob Stevens 72), Ottley (Hall 65), Earley (Attril 65), Richardson, Alexander, Dallaway, Jarvis, Leach, Saunders, Billings ATT: 53
REFEREE: Robert Myhill
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