FAN SCENE:On the pitch things are looking up

Mar 7 2008

IT’S BEEN a great couple of weeks for Liverpool on the pitch, but let’s get the obligatory off-the-pitch moans out of the way first.

The wrangling and dealing for the ownership has continued apace this week, and though I would accept a DIC takeover cautiously (mainly because it would see the end of Kop Holdings ownership), I just want it to be sorted once and for all.

If Mr Gillett is willing to sell, his estranged partner should do likewise.

If Mr Hicks really does have the club’s interests at heart, he should take his nice profit and move on.

If a 50-50 split between the two American friends hasn’t worked, then how would it succeed with half ownership between Hicks and DIC? No chance.

The time has come, Mr Hicks, to relinquish your control of the club. Be a gentleman, admit you were wrong and move on. If the Americans do go, then we have at least a couple of things to thank them for.

Obviously the purchases of Torres and Mascherano (at last!!) didn’t come out of their own pockets, but their guarantees meant that we could get these players, and that has been a massive plus in a season of minuses.

These two have slotted into the team like a dream, and though the table may say different, we are a much better team for their inclusion.

When all’s said and done, it hasn’t been that horrific a campaign. Yes, we would have liked a concerted effort on the title, but too many games have slipped out of our grasp from good positions.

Gone are the days when a draw away from home was a good result. For us to win the League it seems necessary for us to have a maximum of about four draws, and we’re already on 11 for the season. We’ve lost fewer than United, yet the draws have lodged us below the top three.

Things are looking up, though. We’ve put in some very fine performances in the last fortnight, none better than the demolition of West Ham on Wednesday.

Enough has been written and said about Torres (he’s a different class, that’s obvious to everyone) so I thought I’d throw a little praise towards some other players.

Martin Skrtel had a rough start to his Liverpool career, but he now looks like a really strong, pacy and intelligent centre-half.

Much as Danny Agger impressed almost immediately, Skrtel has grown into his role quickly and quietly.

Having three other world-class centre-halves to guide you must have helped, but he’s looking a great buy at the moment.Similarly Ryan Babel. We all knew it would take time for him to get accustomed to the pace and power of the game here, and our patience is paying off.