Nothing Wrong with N'Gog's Attitude

The flip side, of course, is that the penalty got a point for Liverpool. It is easy to be sanctimonious but the only ones who really have a reason to be outraged are the Birmingham fans. The reality is that there isn't a team in the Premiership that doesn't try to trick or pressure referees into giving decisions their way. And does anyone complain when it is done in an England shirt? Of course not.

Sadly, however, that won't stop David N'Gog from being labelled a cheat something that is going to be very hard for him to shake off. You can sense that the next time he goes down, the referee will think twice before giving a decision in his favour: that suspicion is part of human nature.

Hopefully all of this won't affect N'Gog's confidence. The penalty quickly erased the memories of what happened just moments before when he sprinted past two Birmingham defenders in a move that was lifted straight out of Fernando Torres' manual (remember his goal against Marseilles?). It is that move which forced Lee Carsley into his lunge which - and this has been overlooked as well - got nowhere near the ball and could have seriously injured the player hadn't he jumped.

Indeed, N'Gog's performance has was one of the few bright sparks from that game and the season so far. His goal against Birmingham involved terrific skill - how else can hitting the ball with such power and precision before it hits the ground be described? - but his overall play has improved beyond recognition. There is an added sense of maturity around the way that he plays and he knows what is doing as well as what he should be doing.

Of course, confidence plays a critical role. That goal against Manchester United has fuelled the belief that he is good enough to play for Liverpool. That is not something which the player himself ever doubted but now even the fans are starting to believe it and that belief is something that he will feed on during games.

Naturally there are still aspects of his game that need improving. His control isn't the best, for instance, and it will be interesting to see how he reacts when things aren't going as well as they are at the moment. Above all, he needs experience to enable him to exploit certain instances during the game. Which probably means learning to drag his feet a little bit better when there is a tackle on him in the penatly box.

Paul has his own blog called A Liverpool Thing. You can also follow him on twitter.