TOMKINS: PROOF OF PROGRESSION
Paul Tomkins 26 January 2009

I don't think there have been many more one-sided derbies since Ian Rush scored four.
Although Liverpool have won a fair few local clashes fairly heavily in the recent past, and lost one too, possession has surely never been so dominated by one side. I half-expected David Moyes to ask Rafa, 'Can we have the ball back, Mr?' Admittedly there weren't too many saves by their goalkeeper, bar one incredible stop to atone for an incredible blunder, but fair play to Lescott and Jagielka for blocking almost everything in a game of attack versus defence. Those two were outstanding, albeit aided by virtually every outfield player dropping deep. Liverpool kept moving the ball, using the width with intelligence and trying to draw out their neighbours, but it wasn't so much that they parked the bus as brought the entire depot and lined them up like an Evel Knievel stunt. While Liverpool attacked and attacked, it's almost impossible to get in behind teams if they play that way. I'm also not sure I buy this hard-luck story of Everton having no strikers; if they choose to play muscular target-man Anichebe on the wing, that's their problem. It's a bit like Liverpool playing Kuyt on the wing with every other striker injured and complaining of having no fit centre-forwards. When Torres was out, Kuyt ended up back up front, naturally. In terms of footballing class, there was a gulf. The gulf in attitude and expectations was also seen in how the visiting fans celebrated a draw like a win, even though they'd thrown away the lead. Part of their glee was knowing that the Reds did not need a replay, with the Premiership and Champions League to seriously contest. So their glee pleased me, in a perverse way, as it was a little hollow. Thankfully Liverpool usually do better at Goodison, where the home team cannot rely on such negative (but clearly effective) tactics. Being a Cup game, the Blues might be even more hyped up, but that could help the Reds find some space in behind. Everton will almost certainly play better, but by making a game of it, they could play into the hands (or feet) of Torres and Gerrard. Everton actually remind me a bit of Liverpool from the early part of this decade when visiting big clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, and in Europe, Roma and Barcelona. It's testament to how far Liverpool have come that they no longer need to go to such places and get ten men behind the ball in ultra-negative fashion and hope for one moment of lightning to strike. The problem with that Liverpool set-up was how to take it to the next level. It's very hard to spring from a side that is hard to beat to one that can genuinely challenge for trophies – something Everton have yet to do. And while Liverpool have drawn a few games too many of late, that is a transition that I believe the Reds have been making well in the past two years. It's not quite perfected yet, but it's getting there. Only time will tell if this recent run is the kind of 'slump' where a team usually loses three out of four-or-so games; if this is the Reds' dodgy spell, then those draws are better than defeats, and a sign of progress. If it is a greater trend, then that would obviously be more of a worry. But all teams have bad days, and Liverpool don't seem to get beat on theirs. While I have a lot of respect for Houllier (who did a great job in his first three years), I currently see a Liverpool team improving in its overall output under Benítez, to one that had really fallen off the pace in the last two years under his predecessor. Whereas the Liverpool team, and overall squad, weakened after a peak in 2002 (with the replacement of McAllister, Fowler, Anelka, Barmby, Ziege, Redknapp, Berger and a few other established senior players with inferior talents), this one continues to look stronger. Every team will have its lulls on a short-term basis, but Liverpool are now one of the most feared teams in Europe and flying high domestically. The difference was that at this stage in 2002-03 and 2003-04 the Reds were off the pace by 10-20 points, and both times suffered very poor seasons in Europe. If this is not a sign of progress, I don't know what is. While Houllier signed some great defensive players (in particular Didi Hamann and the indefatigable Sami Hyypia), his attacking signings didn't work out so well. Harry Kewell could, and perhaps should have been a bargain, but he was just never fit long enough. That was just bad luck. Perhaps this failing of Houllier's is natural; it's far harder to find top-class offensive talent, and I can list loads of attacking midfield and striking flops signed by Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger in the last decade or so. (For the record I'll name just a few: Veron, Kleberson, Bellion, Forlan and, it could be argued, Nani; at Arsenal: Wreh, Diawara, Mendez, Boa Morte, Reyes and the woeful Franny Jeffers. But once you get just one right, you can be set for a number of years.) But between 2002 and 2004, Liverpool never made the step up to a really potent all-round team, in particular due to a lack of top attacking talents. Back then, Liverpool, like Everton, relied on defending in numbers while a gutsy little forward punched above his weight. But before he even got his feet under the table, Benítez lost Owen, the one guaranteed source of goals, and instead inherited the talented but erratic (and expensive) Djibril Cissé. So in four years, he has had to totally overhaul that side of the Reds' game. By contrast, at the point Benítez arrived, Ferguson already had Ronaldo and Rooney. He also had Giggs and Scholes, so the majority of his attacking talent was already in place, as were Ferdinand and Neville at the back. Already playing catch-up, Benítez had to start from scratch. He went for Peter Crouch and Craig Bellamy, two reasonably cheap players who have recently moved on for lots of money. Neither was a total success at Liverpool, but Crouch was certainly a good buy in every sense: playing well, and making the club a very tidy profit. However, once Torres arrived, neither was going to play as much football, and rather than be substitutes they took their chances elsewhere. However, in Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres and Albert Riera, Benítez has added skilful Spaniards with real class and vision. These are top-class technical footballers who are a joy to watch, without being prima donnas. Luis Garcia was another attacking success; not the most consistent performer, but you can never argue with the important goals he scored and how he made things happen. Dirk Kuyt is a bit similar in terms of output and important goals, if very different in style; not especially prolific as a striker, his goals and assists from the right flank have made him a positive attacking acquisition. Kuyt's game is that of a 'wide-midfielder', ie a solid type of player who does well at both ends of the pitch, rather than a 'winger', who is usually a skilful player who only excels going forward; making Kuyt more of a Ljungberg than a Pires. I feel Kuyt suffers by comparison with the world's silkiest wingers, but most teams tend to balance a winger on one flank with a more industrious type on the other, such as Park Ji-Sung at Manchester United. I also feel that Ryan Babel has been hit-and-miss rather than anything like approaching a flop, but he's fallen behind Riera in the pecking order. Some fringe players will need to play every week to find their rhythm and gain the confidence to show their true quality. But that will not be possible, by nature of their role, and the limitations placed on them by those established in the team. Dipping in and out of the side is not ideal to help them flourish; but if you don't have the likes of Babel and Lucas – young internationals with major footballing nations – then you don't have cover, and therefore can't rest players or deal with injuries. But it's not just Rafa's signings that have improved the attacking side of the Reds' game. While Steven Gerrard is simply a great natural talent who has improved with age, Benítez has also helped him treble his seasonal goal tallies and redefined his role. All of these players are still at a good age. The same is true of Benítez's key defensive signings: Reina, Agger, Skrtel, Arbeloa and Mascherano, with Insua vying to add himself to that list. So I see no correlation whatsoever between now and what went wrong a few years ago, when the best players, bar Gerrard and Carragher, were either on their way out of the door, or in their 30s. This squad has a far better balance in terms of quality in every position and also age. It has a better mentality, too, with less 'flighty' types. So my fear remains that some impatient fans (particularly with United on 17 league titles) would want the baby thrown out with the bath water if, despite progressing, the Reds fall a little short come May. For me, there are more similarities with Shankly's Liverpool than Houllier's, but even so, neither pattern is predetermined to be repeated. This is a new team, in a new era, heading into new and unknown territory: the future.