Article by Paul Tomkins - The ends justify the means

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After that epic, energy-sapping battle at the Bridge, one managerial sacking on that very same day ended up seeing both of the Reds' next opponents with newly appointed managers. And we all know the pitfalls that can bring. As I stated earlier in the week, nothing is being made easy for Liverpool. Not only have the banana skins been laid out, but they'd been covered with oil, grease and just about every other slippery substance known to man.

Until last week, Spurs were handing out league points like a child who's consumed six gallons of Cola throwing confetti at a wedding. Now, they're a totally different prospect. Spurs' amazing recovery at the Emirates only makes Saturday's visit all the harder; however, perhaps the effort they put in when chasing Arsenal shadows might work against them. Portsmouth were always likely to be more adversely affected than Spurs by the managerial merry-go-round, but a new manager in any circumstances can lead to a renewed effort in a squad to prove themselves. They certainly put in the effort.

And yet Liverpool's eighth win, along with two draws, makes for one of the best-ever starts to a Premier League season. Of course, that's a short history, but a pertinent one in terms of what Liverpool now crave. Few Liverpool teams prior to 1992 can boast such a phenomenal start, either. (One, in 1990/91, saw the first eight games won, but the Reds eventually finished 2nd.)

What makes this start even more remarkable is that out of the other nine teams currently making up the top half of the table, Liverpool have played seven. And one of the other three games was Everton away, a fixture where form has no function.

The first goal is crucial in games where the opposition come with scant ambition to attack. Tony Adams built his reputation on outstanding defensive organisational skills, so it was no surprise that he set his team out to hold on for a point. Against Stoke it was the referee who denied Steven Gerrard a set-piece goal, but this time the captain's effort was allowed to stand. Once that goal goes in, it's usually the signal to relax and turn on the style. However, it was a bit late in the day, and then the Reds got a bit nervy - which is understandable, but something they will need to learn from.

When the goals don't go in and the game is creeping on, you keep going and keep believing. Titles are won with all kinds of victories; you cannot be snobbish about their validity or beauty. Believe it or not, championships are also won with defeats and draws in the mix - which of course sounds obvious, but this can seem like a day and age when any poor result is treated as the end of all hope.

Part of that is down to the impatient, on-demand era in which we live, and the hysterical swing from euphoria to despair in the course of 90 minutes. But it's also clearly down to the increased competitiveness at the top end of the table. These days there is less scope to drop points and get away with it. However, perfection isn't possible, either.

Rafa Benítez made four changes last night, and with 15 minutes left you could sense the knives sharpening again for his rotation policy. But Liverpool had previously beaten Manchester United and Chelsea by making changes, and last night United made five changes of their own. I've already heard that United's squad is so good, they can afford to make changes. But it didn't stop them losing games last season when Ferguson left out Rooney or Ronaldo. Equally, it didn't stop them winning others, and winning the league. And anyway, two of the Liverpool players rested - Keane and Riera - had slight knocks, while playing Sami Hyypia against Peter Crouch (against a side that also contained Bouba Diop) was just plain common sense. The ends justified the means: three points.

But with a visit to Spain last Wednesday followed by the gruelling encounter with Chelsea away on Sunday, it was clear that this was going to be a game where changes were made; and anyway, all the Champions League teams have done so lately. At the weekend Arsenal rested Adebayor, and they won; last night, United rested Rooney, and they won. These are their best strikers, and Rooney was on a hot-streak. So there is hypocrisy in only Rafa getting roasted for doing so. The fact is, even had Liverpool drawn with Portsmouth, the Reds would still have been a point clear at the top. While far from ideal, a draw would have still left an enviable situation in overall terms.
After all, it is not individual results that define a season, but the accumulation of many matches. Liverpool slipped up after beating United with a draw against Stoke, but I argued at the time that it needn’t prove costly if other results go the Reds' way: which, so far, they have. And, if we're honest, even better than expected, with the full 15 points garnered from a tough run of games.

League title chases almost always have twists and turns, and with some excellent sides in the top five, it's almost certain that no team will run away with the title. Gone are the days of the lone dominator, contemptuously brushing all aside. You can bet your mortgage (if it's still worth much these days) that United and Chelsea will have a strong second half to the season. Fortunately, it seems to be a trait of Benitez's Reds, too. It's also true that there is pressure in leading from the front. It can be more tiring. Sometimes, as seen with United in 1996 and Arsenal two years later, it can be better to come from miles behind, getting momentum at just the right time. But of course, no-one can guarantee that the necessary late surge will occur, and equally, it's no good being ten points off the pace if the team that's leading keeps winning. You always want to be as best positioned as possible at every stage, but with something left in the tank for the second half of the season. It's no good burning yourself out in the first half of the season just to be top in winter. What I've said on many occasions is that teams that win the title in the modern age always go close the season before. In other words, no-one comes from 4th to win the title anymore.

Manchester United ended their 26-year wait in 1993 only after finishing second a year earlier, partly down to an Anfield defeat at the end of the 1992 season. Blackburn finished second in 1994 and won it in 1995, before Arsenal jumped from third to first in 1998 - but, crucially, they had been equal-second on points in 1997. And Chelsea finished as runners-up in 2004, a year before ending their 50-year drought.

My opinion has always been that this second-place season is the precursor that builds the belief (through improvement on the year before), but which also teaches the players to live with greater expectation and cope with the pressure; usually they've finished second by being in a title race at some point that season. So it may well be that this is Liverpool's 'dry run' (although that term does not capture the drama of a Premier League season). But equally, this is just a trend, not a certainty. And I do think that the previous four seasons have seen a steady improvement in the quality of the Liverpool squad, and a gradual education into the ways of the manager. Liverpool have become reaccustomed to the big occasion under Benitez, and this will serve the club well, as it relates to pressure.

Benitez recently pointed out that Sammy Lee and Mauricio Pellegrino have a lot of experience of winning titles, as does he himself. This is no idle or irrelevant boast; this is a crucial factor. While it's nice to have players with league-winning experience, you can also say that the hunger of the current squad is just as important (as it was for Chelsea four years ago). In these instances, I feel it's more important to have a management structure that has achieved it all, and understands what happens in these situations. The last thing you want is a manager flapping and getting nervous. But Benítez has twice seen off Real Madrid and Barcelona to land the Spanish title, so he knows what it takes in a long-haul race.

You do need some key men on the pitch with experience. But then Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard are fine leaders by example, and not unfamiliar with pressure (or winning trophies) at Liverpool, while the Spanish contingent learned a huge amount over the summer about what it takes to win a major trophy. Also, Mascherano has won two Olympic titles, and while I'm not sure how that compares with other major honours (given that it's not each national team's strongest side, with mostly youngsters featuring), it's clearly not something to be sniffed at either. Another key figure could be Sami Hyypia, whose age, calm demeanour and experience of winning trophies with Liverpool will make him a priceless member of the squad, no matter how many games he gets to play.

There's also the club building as a whole, from the Youth FA Cup wins in 2006 and 2007, and the reserves as national champions in 2008. It's like a volcano rising to the surface, with success filtering up to the top. Hopefully 2009 will be the year when the whole thing blows like Krakatoa.
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