It wasn’t the most convincing way to go to the top. A nil all draw at home against the lowly West Ham drew boos from the Kop, but the point ensured Liverpool are now clear at the top of the EPL. Is this the season they break their eighteen year domestic league drought?
Based on the performance against the Hammers, there is still much work to do despite the promising start to the season.
The away win at Chelsea in late October had given Reds fans hope. After all, in the past few seasons they had struggled to take points from fellow heavyweights in the exclusive Big Four club.
But winning the EPL is about consistency: winning the games against the middle table battlers who lift for the big four; winning home games; winning with flair and plenty of goals; winning games even when you play badly; winning consistently.
Winning full stop.
Liverpool doesn’t seem to be doing that at present.
Liverpool has now drawn twice at home against West Ham and Fulham, both scoreless matches.
Winning the EPL is also about depth of squad, especially for the teams battling on multiple fronts at home and in Europe.
Defensively Liverpool is sound, having conceded only eight goals in fifteen matches, the second best record in the league. But they find it difficult to score and wear down opponents.
The problem for Liverpool is simple – they only have two world-class players, who they rely on too heavily.
One of them, Fernando Torres, is out of action with a hamstring injury, his fifth hamstring related injury in sixteen months.
In his absence, £20 million striker Robbie Keane is simply not scoring enough goals.
Without Torres the goals aren’t coming easily.
Captain Steven Gerrard, the heart and soul of the club, has pledged that the club’s focus is on finally claiming the Premier League title, the only major club achievement missing from his CV.
His performances have so often saved Liverpool’s blushes, and he was instrumental in lifting them to the heights of European champions in the most dramatic fashion against AC Milan.
He is revered around the world as one of the world’s greatest players, and one of the best strikers of the ball.
But he needs support from those around him week in and week out. He cannot be constantly asked to save Liverpool’s fortunes.
It is probably the strongest squad in Rafael Benítez’s time at the club. But it can’t compare to Chelsea and Manchester United and their overflowing world-class rosters.
That is what wins the league.
Liverpool fans may not like to admit it, but they may have to settle for challenging for the title rather than winning it.
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