Reading 3 Liverpool 1

How can we have over 60% of the possession and lose?

How can we take Gerrard, Torres and Carragher off when we are searching for a win?

How can we make wholesale changes to a winning team?

How can we expect to win the championship when we are dropping points against Reading?

Whats the point in trying to beat United when we cannot put teams like Reading to the sword?

Bloody awful!

Reds are still in it!

Liverpool score three late goals to stay in contention for final stages qualification!

Everton 1 Liverpool 2

So much incident, so many mistakes, an own goal, two penalties, two sendings off and many questionable decisions- this is a what makes the Merseyside Derby great.

Everton where supremely unlucky- they had a final minute stonewall penalty turned down when Carragher pulled the excellent Lescott. They had the impetus going forward in the first half, but the quality and resilience of the Liverpool players showed through in the second.

In the middle of all this, Benitez managed to substitute Steven Gerard! Tht could have been the mistake of his Anfield career- but two penalities finished by Dirk Kuyt took him through an made it looked like an inspired decision. I wonder whether he will play tghe same trick at Anfield against Arsenal next Saturday?

Everton went ahead in the first half after Sami Hypia got disorientated in the box and bizarelydrove the ball past his own keeper- this reflected the possession and balance of play in the first half- with Moyes successfully rearranging his side to combat a bright Liverpool start.

Liverpool came out to play in the second- the first goal was a break away from an Everton attack- Steven Gerard surging into the box from his own half and then being brought won by Hibbert- resulting in Hibbert being shown a straight red. Kuyt coolly converting the spot kick. The rest of the second half was frenetic rather than direct but there where chances at both ends, but Everton were noticably gettting tired.

The second Liverpool goal came late on when Neville produced an excellent save from a Leita drive after some good wing play by Pennant- Neville was sent off and Kuyt converted from the spot.

This result does not make Liverpool title challengers- but it is a game that we lost last season but didn't this- we will learn more against Besiktas and Arsenal- if we still have our unbeaten Premier League record in two weeks time- then will be the time to reassess this teams potential.

Liverpool 2- Tottenham Hotspur 2

Tottenham have not won at Anfield for 14 years, however, came within 2 minutes of rectifying this on Sunday.

The Anfield hangover from europe on Wednesday was clear for all to see- a positive start- but no sign of the killer instinct that was displayed by the reds earlier in the season.

There where good points- a poachers finish from Voronin- one which would have been missed in previous seasons. Some good efforts from midfield which would have been more effective if it had not been for some good defending from Dawson. In addition, the fact that we scored a late equaliser showed that the team has some resilience. Benayoun looked bright when he came on.

This does not mask the fact that our defence creaked- badly- the previously promising Arbeloa struggled against the pace that Tottenham possessed and Liverpool were sloppy to let Keane score either side of half time. The season is stuttering- this is where Liverpool show whether they have the quality required of Premier League champions.

Liverpool 0- Marseille 1

What a disaster! This was a performance that showed the inconsistency that has plagued Liverpool has not been eliminated. There were positives from the performance- one team looked as though it had been to the final of the Champion's league twice in the last three years- unfortunately it was not Liverpool.

At the same time- poor as the performance was- qualification is still in Liverpool's hands, however, we can not afford another performance like this.

Well done Marseille- you were great and deserved to win!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7019643.stm

Wigan 0- Liverpool 1

Well Benayoun scored and that makes everything right with the world! Well not quite, Liverpool where still lucky to find themselves the victors in a contest that but for a very friendly interpretation of the off side rule they could have lost.

We started with Torres and this was a correct decision- however, Benitez must face up to the fact that both Chelsea and United have teams of players that if available will play. At the moment we do not have that luxury.

Kuyt again looked useful, but his scoring record is not an impressive one- we have had a succession of strikers who play for the team- howevr, what we really need is one who will play for themselves- hopefully Torres is that man, but he must play every week if we are to win the league- and that is the mission that must come above all others.