RED WATCH: Liverpool FC players lacked the self-belief to win

Mar 26 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

ALL TOO often in recent years, a visit to Old Trafford has provided a reality check as to the true status of our aspiration to be considered as legitimate contenders for the Premier League title.

Not that we arrived at Hogwarts last Sunday with any such pretension for this year, but our recent form knocking over seven average sides (with the obvious exception of Inter) had once again encouraged the belief that we were ready to serve notice on the likes of United and Chelsea that we were finally approaching a level which would at least have them watching for our results again.

Before the match Alonso, Aurelio and Rafa himself declared that our confidence was now sky-high, and that we would face United as equals, chasing a victory that would render redundant any discussion about who would claim the final Champions’ League slot. Sadly, once again we found ourselves merely confirming the evidence of our last seven league games against United, that the players simply don’t believe it. Even before the sending-off, it was clear that the confidence built by the effervescent displays of recent weeks was as fragile as a Middle-East peace settlement, as the stalwart performers of our unbeaten run betrayed a nervousness that Rooney, Ronaldo and co must have smelt half-way down the Warwick Road.

Even Steven Gerrard seemed affected, a becalmed presence behind Torres, giving the ball away with the regularity of a Swiss cuckoo clock. Pepe Reina gave the very definition of a ‘curate’s egg’ performance, mixing some outstanding one-on-one saves with a series of anxious blunders and at least one display of goal-line juggling that would have interested the scouts from Billy Smart’s. And the ease with which United forwards got between and behind Carragher and Skrtel almost from the off proved that the understanding generated between Sami Hyypia and Carra over the years should not be so readily discarded.

But perhaps the most worrying performance was that of Ryan Babel, who followed up his nervy performance in Milan with another tentative display which belied the huge promise claimed on his behalf by many observers. He’s only young I know, but he needs to find what the Army would call ‘moral fibre’ from somewhere pretty quickly; if he can’t perform on the biggest stages he’s likely to find himself following the path of Gonzalez, Nunez and the like back to wingers’ wilderness.

And of course there was Mascherano. I’m afraid I don’t buy the ‘just asking’ defence put up by Rafa and the player himself; it was pretty clear that his demeanour was supercilious at best, and just what was he asking to be clarified? Foul given, Torres booked for dissent, no confusion. Whatever his frustration with the infuriating Steve Bennett, Javier abrogated his first responsibility – stay on the pitch – and for that he must take the lion’s share of the blame.

Others are culpable however for letting it get that far, and I include his team-mates as well as the pompous and officious Bennett.

As a result we’ve lost one of our most influential players at the business end of the season, though we should still have enough to beat Everton on Sunday.

If the Old Trafford reverse triggers the collapse of confidence which has blighted large parts of our season, then the suitability of many of our players for a career at the highest level will once again be called into question.