Our now difficult quest for the league title continues tomorrow with a trip to The Boro with a win the only acceptable result. We all know that we must win tomorrow and beat Sunderland at home before we make the trip to Old Trafford in search of a win that could blow the title wide open again. I don’t like to say it but ManU are cruising at the minute and we can only hope they hit a rough patch on the run and drop a few more points.
Tomorrows game is more difficult with the news that Torres will be missing so a lot rests on the shoulders of Kuyt, Riera, Benayoun and probably Babel to get the goals. Hopefully the return to league action of Gerrard and Alonso will prove to much for our hosts. Boro have struggled in the EPL this season but come into the game after a good win against West Ham in the FA Cup mid-week. Liverpool visit on the back of a 15 match unbeaten record which can only be matched by ManU.
You may not realise but Liverpool are looking for three Premier League points on Teesside for the first time since a 1-2 victory on 16 March 2002, when Emile Heskey and John Arne Riise scored for the Reds, and Gareth Southgate replied for ‘Boro. I hope it not a bad omen but The Reds have drawn their last three game at The Riverside. Hitting the back of the net has always been the issue on our visits to this ground. We have scored only one league goal in our last six league visits to Teesside, that being Fernando Torres’ equaliser in last season’s corresponding fixture and we have failed to score in seven of our last nine visits. We all remember the home fixture this season when it took a 90min strike from Gerrard to virtually steal the three points.
One factor which could affect the performance is the continuing boardroom headlines which seem to pop up every 10mins at Anfield. As well as the ongoing contract wrangles involving our manger we now, as I have previously posted, have to contend with the new that Rick Parry is to stand down at the end of the season although this may serve to end the contract problems faced by Rafa as it seems their relationship lately has been far from good.
Player Quote Of the Week
I’ve never wanted to leave. I’m here for the rest of my life, and hopefully after that as well.
A fine loyalty speech from Alan Shearer. Lets just hope that the St James Park grounds people can get the pitch repaired after Alan is put in the hole at half-time….even at the at stage he might show more life than some of the current crop of Toon players.
