Do You Really Want To Play For Liverpool

There was also a point to prove to us the supporters after the diabolical collapse that we witnessed last Wednesday evening.  I don't know what happened then and if someone can give me an explanation please do, because in the space of a couple of seconds between the 75th and 76th minute of the game, there appeared to be eleven different men on the pitch.

That point though is now as far away as it possibly can be because this afternoon at Anfield, the team I watched, were not the team that Liverpool have proved they can be when it matters the most.  What we watched from the moment the game kicked off was eleven men surrendering to a team that were looking at relegation. 

There were a couple of bright moments, when the passing between Stevie and Luis Suarez gave us hope but they petered out as quickly as they had begun.  There was very little method or indeed fluidity in their play and it took a very bad tackle from Skrtel to get the scoring underway.  The first goal as we all know was the resulting penalty and it was the goal that instilled the winning mentality into the Wigan team.

A mentality, that appears to be missing from the Liverpool players.  We witnessed Luis Suarez up to his old tricks again.  His hands were above his head or he was on the floor trying to get referee Lee Mason to give us decisions. What he appears to have forgotten is that, he will get the decisions if he plays properly. Because of his previous history whilst there is a chance that he is playacting, then they will be passed by.

He did of course score Liverpool's first goal, after a good link up with Stevie G which brought the score level, but let himself down in the second half when he handled the ball as it went into the back of the net.  It was quite rightly disallowed and whether this added to the lethargy in the team but their play become even worse and in the end Wigan's captain ensured that they were the winners.

We also witnessed yet again that Jordan Henderson was totally out of his depth.  He was again a bag of nerves and I honestly wonder if he is indeed ready for the big stage.  I think the one move today that proved this point was the one where he picked up the ball, made a couple of good moves towards an open goal, then rather than turn and shoot, he carried on and found himself confronted by a wall of Wigan players. Any sensible person will tell you that if the goal is open - then shoot.

But Liverpool appears to have lost their ability to do that, so where are the club's coaches. Surely there are coaches that are qualified enough to teach the players how to score and how to approach an open goal.  If not Robbie could do with being kept busy and move Ian Rush from his ambassadorial role into a coaching role because believe me, give them both a pair of boots and shock waves may well go through the players we have today.

Something needs to be done because the team that plays on a normal match day is lacking the expertise that a premiership team should have and I would love to know why.

Which leads me to another question, which is of course is.  Why is a piece of silver more important to you all rather than ensuring that Liverpool are back where they belong.

Because that is the impression that I and most other Liverpool supporters appear to be getting at the moment. Put the same eleven on the pitch in a cup game and the change in work ethic is there for all too see. The players become the players that Kenny believed them to be when Damien Comolli handed over the extortionate fees for them. 

Stewart Downing admitted it himself before the Carling Cup Final. He had not been playing very well, but to ensure he was picked for the final, he played his heart out the game before.  It worked and although Cardiff ensured that Liverpool was given a hard game, he got his medal.

We then had the Merseyside Derby, although not a cup game, but because of the local rivalry involved they turned up again and the match turned into a classic.  It was our Captain Stevie G who stole the show that evening with a hat trick that will go down in history. 

Several days later came the quarter finals of the FA Cup and our opponents were Stoke.  Now Stoke as we all know can give the opposition a very hard game and they did.  But Liverpool's I want a medal team were in attendance and are now looking forward to a semi- final at Wembley.

Will they progress into the final, on today's form I would say definitely not, on their cup form, yes it is possible.  It should not be like that of course and I think it has now come to point where we have heard enough excuses to fill a child's story book.

This evening's was that they were too tired - 3 games in a week is too much apparently. Now these players are supposed to be highly trained athletes and should be able to cope with this.  There have been many seasons in Liverpool's past where the players have done this without moaning or indeed dropping their form.  They have worked extremely hard, earned their medal and brought the honours back to Liverpool Football Club.

The players need to look at themselves and if they cannot accept that they are playing for a major club, then I am sorry but they need to move on this summer.  If by doing that it means blooding more of the youngsters then so be it because this afternoon Jon Flanagan came back into the team due to Martin Kelly being injured and yes the Liverbird on his chest shone brightly.

We also witnessed the debut of seventeen year old Raheem Sterling.  He may well have only been on the pitch for eight minutes, but they were the best eight minutes of the game.  He immediately added some pace to the team and began to weave in and out of the Wigan defence and maybe I am jumping the gun here, but I suspect, if Kenny had been brave enough to start him, his name would have been on the score sheet.