Playing Ludo: A Meeting Of Miracles

What makes sport such compelling drama is the idea that at any given time anything can happen. True though that may be, within those parameters there's enough which we can rule out. In actuality, despite the chance for something really peculiar to occur most of the time what we're left with is variations of the same thing. Which is why when it does, it's magnificent.

Moments are special because of three things. The first being most important which is the sheer levity of what's at stake. Even a miskick can become legendary depending on what's at stake. Next come the circumstances. What struggles did a team or player have to come through in order to ultimately triumph; the more dire the situation, the greater that glory. Lastly come the idiosyncrasies. Those layers of footballing irony that always seem to add insult to injury.

Razgrad. Unlikely to be immediately found on a map, even if the search was limited solely to Bulgaria. It was here that the eyes of the footballing world converged late last night as something truly spectacular began to unfold. Ludogorets have made waves in Bulgaria and have gone on to win the last three domestic titles. Last year they had moderate success in the Europa League, dropping only two points in the group stage before knocking out Lazio and then eventually losing to Valencia. They have acquired a taste for continental success and now they're dining at the top table.

Wednesday 9^th December 2009. The last time Liverpool took part in a Champions League game. A club plagued by instability from top to bottom and a dark notion that it would be a lot longer to ever get back. That nightmare is now over.  It will end as the operatic chords of that theme music that we've all longed to hear herald them onto the field.. In getting back there we are reminded of how special this competition is – the 2005 final holds a special place in the heart of everyone – and a much greater appreciation for the taking part.

Their opponents were Steaua Bucharest, who must even now not quite know what happened. Having won the first leg by a goal to nil, a fairly uneventful ninety minutes looked like it would be enough to see them safely through. A last minute goal from Wanderson put the game into extra time. In some games, an equaliser in such dramatic fashion would grab all the headlines. Not this one.

It wouldn't be until the last minute of extra time when the game would completely turn on it's head. With the penalty shoot out looking all but a certainty, suddenly the ball broke to Bucharest's Fernando Varela who found himself in on goal. In a heartbeat he was confronted by both a struggling defender and onrushing goalkeeper, both absolutely desperate for the Cape Verdean striker not to end the game there and then.

Stoyanov in goal it was who eventually felled Varela, only to then realize what the consequences were. A red card was produced and because Ludogorets had made all three substitutions there was no chance of bringing on anyone to replace him. One of the ten remaining outfield players was going to have to take his gloves. Cosmin Moti was the man who stepped up. A Romanian, signed from Steaua's most fierce rivals Dinamo Bucharest.

Back in Bulgaria, the last few moments were a blur. Steaua tried to snatch the game. A free kick was put over for a corner, which itself was punched clear. The final whistle quickly followed. The psychology of a penalty shoot out is such that nothing is ever expected of the goalkeeper and this applied to Moti a thousand times over. If he got his hands to any of them, it would be more than enough of an effort.

If there was one thing that was necessary, it was for his team mates to play their part. No amount of heroics in between the posts could save Ludogrets if they themselves didn't convert. To add even further suspense to a game that needed no more, Wanderson who had done so well to put the game into extra time saw his tame penalty saved by Arlauskis in the Steaua goal. Moti made immediate amends for this miss by denying the very next spot kick.

At this point, there was only one way this story was going to end. Even if it doesn't exist, the idea of fate plays with players minds. It should have been easier for Steaua to score but it never felt like that. Destiny will make someone better than they ever thought possible or shrink their ability to the point where it doesn't even matter. Jerzy Dudek and Shevchenko had one such moment almost a decade ago now.

After five, the teams were still locked. Now we were at the point where one miss and it could all be over. A sixty penalty either way could not separate them. Fabio Espinho scored for Ludo and the eyes of the footballing world watched as Cornel Rapa strode up to face Moti who dived hard to his right and caught it. Never again will a outfield player draw so many plaudits for catching a football.

Tonight's meeting at Anfield represents a point in time for both teams. A clash of two sides who are simply relishing the prospect of facing each other. For Liverpool it is a return to the stage where they feel most at home. Where the things transpire mean all that much more. Our Bulgarian opponents may be new to this stage but for it is a joy and a privilege to share this spotlight with them. Though the two events have no bearing over one another, what happened to Ludogorets was very similar to that which transpired at the Attaturk. To host them is like kharmic kinship. We take to the field tonight, filled with pride and buoyed by the prospect of a brighter future knowing full well that as far as Liverpool are concerned, in the European Cup anything is possible.

Reverse Engineering The Title

With disappointment comes introspection. It's usually preceded by an interminable amount of anger and sadness but eventually the trail will lead inward. Sometimes it's unwarranted. Even after having exhausted every avenue and strained every sinew, thoughts turn inevitably to what could have been.

Hindsight can sometimes be nothing more than arrogance dressed in more appropriate clothes. Someone's own ego in formal wear. There are times when minor adjustments lead to obvious conclusions but when it comes to the unforeseen circumstances of a complex problem, the after the fact solution takes everything for granted.

A lot can happen in ninety minutes. Less so if you're watching the MLS. Every league game comes with a dissection and latterly entire seasons are given a thorough inspection. Within that scrutiny emerges a narrative that will then be pulled apart. Highs and lows are categorised into negatives and positives and while it's important to learn from the past in order to shape the future.

It happens frequently. Usually it hinges on refereeing decisions be they legitimate call or poor decision. On Tuesday night against Manchester United, Milton Keynes had a very good penalty shout turned down when the game was still in the balance. Had they gone on to lose that game it would no doubt have been dubbed the turning point, even though there was no guarantee of any spot kick being scored. Whenever a corner is given erroneously and subsequently scored, fingers often point toward the official rather than the defending. Again, the outcome determines the script from which we all work off.

The moment that a game – or even a season – potentially hinges isn't all-encompassing. It only exists at all because of that which preceded it and is only important because of what followed. To focus on it alone is to shut one eye. It will allow for closer inspection but ultimately prohibit any real depth. Fixating on the failure itself ignores everything that led up to getting close to success in the first place. Becoming infatuated with a winning goal may overlook the fact that it was fortunate. Without the scope for both, there will be no way to get anywhere near whatever ambitions that may be set.

Had Steven Gerrard not slipped, Liverpool would have been crowned Premier League champions last season. A fair assumption, if not a common consensus. It's not the act itself that needed changing but rather the response to it. Learning from the past is just that. Whatever repairs that are needed must take place in the present. Improvement cannot be made retroactively, it must come in the hereafter. Rodgers isn't coaching his players not to make mistakes but to be good enough to correct them.

We forget sometimes that the role of an opponent is to force defeat as much as it is to win. In order for a forward to do his job well, someone at the other end is very likely to be in the wrong. As much as anyone would like to eliminate deficiency completely, in sport it is an inevitability. Talent is not an equivalency and as such there will be an imbalance. Simply making those bad times vanish doesn't work.

When it's not singular instances that get scrubbed, results do. Remove all context completely and just change history altogether. “If only”. The ultimate in wishful thinking. Swapping two (very specific) scorelines around gives Arsenal the title last year, it's that easy. Only it isn't. One outcome affects the next and you very quickly enter a world of pure speculation. Had Sunderland beaten Manchester City, do they then go on to beat Chelsea that weekend? That one week, those two fixtures alone, a whole table thrown into chaos.

Southampton and Aston Villa at Anfield. Hull and West Brom away from home. Those the games in which Liverpool failed to win which they would have been favourites for. Visits to St. James Park and The Liberty Stadium could also have yielded more. Is it possible that the title could have been lost in October? In terms of pure mathematics, yes. In actual terms, no. Setback in those early games may have given Rodgers the catalyst to things on the training ground which led to the victories that were to come.

While it ultimately leads to nowhere, the theory is sound. More points gained on any season represents some improvement and in this case it would at the very least grant the Reds a shot at the title. In the tentative start already made, the opening day victory over Southampton already allows for a three point advantage over 2013-14. Getting to a greater total than last year is about being able to maintain the standard which saw so many victories, rather than micro managing those instances where it wasn't possible.

Ten from the first fifteen available. It's a more than creditable way to begin the Premier League toil. Seven from the next three is more than feasible and could also do more in terms of bettering past results when Aston Villa come to Anfield. In amassing enough points to be successful over the course of the next nine months some will always slip through our fingers. When that happens we just have to collect some from elsewhere.

That which will define this year is still far in the distance. The game to be dissected from every angle won't be played for some time. Any kind of real endeavour must be taken as a whole, which is why they say that the journey is more important than the destination. This trip has barely even started and already there's been a bump in the road. Spurs loom large on Sunday, waiting to make our passage even more difficult. We can't pick and choose what happens in a season any more than sections of a path can be skipped. Obstacles may seem immovable and we cannot close our eyes and ignore them. They have to be gotten through or around. Brendan Rodgers needs to find a way.

Begins. Falls. Rises.

Familiarity can sometimes be a trick of the mind. Know something for long enough and it's capacity to surprise seems to disappear while never vanishing completely. The capacity to change for the better is always there and while the challenge to simply maintain becomes ever greater, let the rest of them be duped into underestimating again.

In emerging from nowhere they became larger than life. Expectations were exceeded in a way that went above what most would have ever dreamt of. No longer was the idea of a nineteenth title consigned to the shadows. Challenging for the title wasn't new for this team but it was new for this team. This is all part of a story that's been told over and over. An old story for a new generation.

So how do you reignite the fire for a conflict that everyone seems to known inside and out? For most it won't take much. Off the field there has already been a lot of work in trying to breathe new life into that which we think we already know while maintaining that which worked so well. With the right attention to detail, a vision can be made reality. Only then can you take the kind of heritage that comes with LFC and make it your own.

Some interpretations don't work at all. When you have an entity that is so ingrained into popular culture that it becomes very clearly defined – by those who like it and those who don't – then there are parameters to work within. Even in those circumstances it's possible to be unique while maintaining that which people know. In certain hands however, these marks can be missed so much so that the end result then becomes like a parody of that which it once stood for. Roy Hodgson did for Liverpool what Batman and Robin did for cinema. In this instance, Brendan Rodgers has a little more of the Christopher Nolan about him.

Legacies are defined by what's left behind, long after the aspects that established it are gone. If everything crumbles to dust the moment that it's architect is gone, then the foundations weren't quite strong enough in the first place. The truly great can stand the test of time. At Anfield, those foundations have been rocked to the core over the last decade. At last there appears to be something with which we can build greatness upon.

Tomorrow will see the start of a new chapter. The third part of Brendan Rodgers' tenure at the helm. Year one gave us an introduction to this new incarnation, then came the much lauded sequel. Does the closing chapter of this trilogy end with Steven Gerrard lifting the Premier League trophy? We'll are thirty eight games and another emotional roller-coaster ride away from finding out.

Early previews suggest that hope is lost. More will have to be found. The stakes are higher now. There's a storm coming. Isn't that always the way? A resurgent Manchester United and a buoyant Arsenal; coupled with Chelsea and Manchester City whom Liverpool fought so hard last year and suddenly the rogues gallery appears very full.

Also, this time the battle will be as much internal as it is external. History doesn't get rewritten all that often. Every miskick and every dropped point will summon forth his name. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. He was once was the bane of Premier League defenders up and down the country; this time he will be Liverpool's reckoning.

For those on the outside looking in, Luis Suarez's departure will cast a great shadow over the club. He was born in the darkness after all, we merely adopted him. With that also comes the idea that last year was a fluke. Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers won't be wallowing in a pit of despair, looking on as all their hard work is destroyed. There are bigger challenges that inevitably await, that must be met head on.

“Why do we fall?” asks Michael Caine's Alfred, in a voice just the right side of parody. “So that we can learn to pick ourselves up” comes the self supplied answer. It's a theme that echoes not just on the screen but as we strive to come up against whatever problems there are in our daily lives. A nice sentiment definitely - but also massively incorrect.

Ultimately there has to be a reason behind that fall in the first place. Simply continuing to stand isn't enough. Avoiding mistakes is as advantageous as learning from them. As far as Liverpool are concerned, such sentiments serve a dual purpose. Standing up in the face of adversity is more than honorable enough but this time around it's more about not letting anyone push them to the ground in the first place.

Whatever story there is left to tell and whatever ending we have yet to arrive at, everything looks much different now than when it started. In football it's often said that it's the hope that kills you. On the screen it was said that “there can be no true despair without hope”. That might be the way it felt in the immediate aftermath of the Chelsea and Crystal Palace games, but certainly not what those on Matthew Street would have said at 2am after the Newcastle game.

Faith can be poisonous when it is blind and unwarranted. But placed in the right hands and it will be rewarded. This team has just given us a season that even without a defining piece of silverware is unlikely to fade into the memory. Continuing in the same manor and trophies will not be far behind. There were not only incredible victories but the sheer scale and method of them, the likes of which we'll be looking forward to seeing again this year.

Maybe we've seen it all. Maybe we just think we have. Maybe the best is yet to come. Maybe they've given us everything. Well, not everything. Not yet.

Devil In The Details: Stop Telling Us What We Already Know

Little things make a big difference. For instance if you were to put the word modern in front of both football and art, it conjures up very specific imagery. Flocks of people gathered into overbearing, soulless hives; all looking to fill a void. Not all galleries are bad though.

Really honing a craft takes many hours of painstaking effort. Whether it be on the canvass or on the training ground, attention to detail is key. Everything that works well is there for a reason, so retroactively speaking it makes sense to assume that what's not there is just as important. Because the line between success and failure in sport is so incredibly small it can appear as though what would be needed to sway the balance is blindingly obvious.

From the outside looking in, even those of us that are well versed in footballing theory are only capable of reading any given scenario in a limited number of ways. Those with hands on experience and the physical ability to effect change get the full picture and there is no need for interpretation. Then again, the idea that someone watching from the stands can see something the manager can't isn't exactly a new one.

With more eyes on more of the game than ever before, with that comes more critics. Simply knowing – about any given subject – isn't enough for some people. Their insight has to be commended or opinions have to be validated. It's not enough to be right any more, it has to be illustrated and reiterated on a regular basis. Nothing happens on the football field with a hundred percent certainty.

There is very little that goes untracked these days. Mention a player and immediately there is a digital compendium available regarding every conceivable aspect. Judgements are made by both those on and off the pitch, after which only one group makes decisions. This process is too much for some, who will try and prove all sorts of things before the ink is dry on his contract. The reasons why we like or dislike a player don't have to be rational but when it comes to Liverpool, the very least they should be given is courtesy and respect. No-one ever knows for certain prior to a ball being kicked and regardless of any labels they may have, there won't be a consensus on anyone that isn't either lazy or too obvious.

The difference between players at the highest level are so small that when true quality shines through, that gap is large enough so that it doesn't need pointing out. Also, because of the minutiae involved in a single game, let alone a whole season; failure does not instantly validate any pre conceived notions. Look at the difference in Luis Suarez playing alongside Andy Carroll as opposed to Daniel Sturridge. In both scenarios the ability of everyone involved doesn't alter but they are regularly used to substantiate all sorts of claims. In the case of the former, it was once argued that Suarez would never be a prolific goalscorer at the top level.

Only over an elongated period of time – when a negative has been shown to be truly consistent – does the point have any real weight behind it. The problem now is that these valid arguments are being taken and manipulated into something else. Driven home to the point where conformation bias comes into play and all objectivity is lost. Glen Johnson is the easiest current example to use. For the purposes of this, it's only worth taking into account the time since Brendan Rodgers took over.

The statsheet reads like a horror story. One league goal and six assists in sixty five out of seventy two possible games. It would be cynical and easy to suggest that if he were playing for another club, under no circumstances would he be wanted here. That's understandable but Rodgers clearly does; for now at least.

Is it because of the sheer weight of information that someone will make the right choices or does it matter what is then done with that data? Coaches can know the game of football like the back of their hand but if they don't know how to effectively communicate these ideas then they are effectively sterile.

While in Johnson's case there may be enough evidence to suggest immediate exile from Anfield, whatever can be seen Rodgers is unlikely blind to it. Because of his history with the player and a lack of viable alternatives both in house and elsewhere, in the immediate future he will be a part of this team. Spending the following twelve months – after which he is likely to leave anyway – pointing out his flaws would be as valuable as alerting everyone to the colour of his shorts.

This also applies in reverse. Making a stand against popular opinion because it's widely regarded is very peculiar but not uncommon. A handful of good games and there will be calls of a “return to form” as well as other people reaching out, cherry picking numbers and passages of play that make it appear as though Liverpool suddenly have Phillip Lahm, Javier Zanetti and Lillian Thuram all rolled into one. Warts and all, he will always be Glen Johnson. If the manager doesn't know what he does or doesn't bring by now, this is a completely different conversation.

With the new season rapidly approaching, lines already being drawn. Dots being connected. Lovren, Sakho and Skrtel will each be both hero and villain every week. Every moment Rickie Lambert makes – from the dressing room onward – will be charted. It's not that these things are being said blindly but the idea that they're the only one noticing is. So many of us standing in front of a picture that Brendan Rodgers had made look so good last year, all arguing about subtext and conjecture. If we stop arguing, we may be able to appreciate the art of it all once again.

Points Make Prizes: Tackling The Anfield Wrap's 84 Point Question

Foresight tends to be as punctual as it is inaccurate. If something is to be proven right, chances are it will be too late. Seeing into the future is nigh on impossible and yet it's attempted with great regularity. The satisfaction that comes with knowing something – or at least perceiving to – in advance is very much part of the allure that comes with gambling and subsequently being rewarded for it. It doesn't matter whether they are long shots or dead certs, people can't get enough of being right.

To speak hypothetically about events that haven't occurred yet, is to flirt with fantasy. Even the most grounded and rational of responses bear only a passing semblance to reality for there are always dictating circumstances and unforeseen intangibles. These kind of scenarios are asked more because of their insight to a person's thinking as opposed to the accuracy or legitimacy of their answer.

The question – offered up by Neil Atkinson of The Anfield Wrap - that has been laid before everyone over the summer has been whether or not to duplicate last seasons net result. Nothing else, just a guaranteed eighty four points. The gamble being that it would probably guarantee Champions League football for the following campaign but potentially forfeit a title challenge in favour of stability. But before you place any bets, lets have a look at the odds.

First of all lets look at the minimum requirements. To finish in the top four next season and keep the wheels turning, over the last five seasons you would need an average of 71.8 (we'll call it 72 and from here on in, any decimal number will be rounded up). This is well below the established threshold and further proof that taking it keeps Liverpool in the Champions League for next season.

The established method of getting there was hitting the benchmark of two points per game. Win your home games, draw the aways; it was like a mantra. Since there have been quadruple places available, it would have done the job every single time until last season (Liverpool did hit this mark exactly in 06/07 so there may be an issue on goal difference but the point still stands). Over the last few years the Premier League has changed dramatically. The places that were on offer in Europe's elite competition used to be enough. Not any more.

Sky's baptised “Big four” were a glass ceiling for so long. There was very little chance of any side having the quality to break into that group and they had to be content with being better than most but nowhere near good enough. Liverpool have since fallen and risen at the same time as Manchester City's financially backed ascension. Even without looking at a resurgent United there's still Everton and Tottenham who can at least believe that they can crack into that category now. The belief is there and especially after what we've all collectively witnessed it cannot be ignored. Whatever the legitimacy of the claim, six into four doesn't work.

A decade ago the gap between third and fifth was nineteen points. It was the same the following campaign and seventeen after that. There was a definite chasm there. Two years ago Tottenham recorded their best ever Premier League haul and it wasn't good enough. Last season was the first in five in which third was double figures above fifth and even then Everton's tally was above the aforementioned average needed to qualify. It's become a whole lot harder simply to miss out entirely.

Simultaneously the quality at the front of the league has evened out a little or that the rest of it has become so bad that simply by dispatching of it consistently it's possible to bridge a gap in quality. Liverpool have done exactly that over the last twelve months and in spite of everything else, there's no reason for it to change. As such, while it's gotten harder to break into the top tier in English football; to win it has actually become easier.

Given that Brendan Rodgers' team earned enough last season to be runner up six out of the last ten, it's safe to say that any kind of repeat would be enough to put Liverpool in contention. From needing to accrue over ninety, the last five times the trophy has been lifted have all been under that mark. Over that space of time, eighty six would be enough and coincidentally that's exactly the number that was required by Manchester City. Quite simply, if there is any improvement at all, it could very well do the trick.

Even with all the prior knowledge in the world, football is never as easy as it seems on paper. A figment of my imagination playing out an alternate reality doesn't behave in quite the same way the real thing does, despite the amount of times they've been seen before. They look and feel very familiar but when the smallest detail can make the biggest difference, any kind of forecast disappears into the wind.

When the margin is so small between having the kind of success we've all waited so long for in winning the league and what would represent a massive backward step in finishing fifth or below, it's very easy to understand taking certain things for granted. Guarantees of anything – let alone a number of points – are very hard to come by in football.

Whether playing it safe or taking a chance at further glory, it has to be said that getting to the same mark again in the first place would be an achievement. Unshakable proof to the few doubters that remain that this team isn't just a flash in the pan. There are doubts that without Suarez, simply repeating isn't possible. With him in our ranks it wouldn't have been that straightforward. Easier perhaps, but who knows. When it comes to being underestimated, this team loves defying those kind of predictions.  

Football By Numbers: Why Stats Are No Fun.

On their very brightest day, facts and figures are encouraging. Nobody truly gets excited and punches the air in delight after discovering a particularly pleasing conversion rate, the reaction you're more likely to come across is one of mild appeasement. The emotional equivalent of being at a party with barely anyone you know only to discover an old acquaintance. Life isn't suddenly inexplicably perfect but it's better than it was a moment ago.

That's not to say that I'm some kind of Hodgeasaurus who doesn't believe that stats have any relevance, far from it. What can be gleamed from them is useful but no conversion rate discussion captures the excitement of Daniel Sturridge when he's through on goal. The problem is that by and large, numbers are cold and unfeeling. Mourinho-esque in their rigidity. They're a slap to the face of ambiguity, with the ability to instruct and inform but very little else.

Football is a deluge of numbers. Because of their importance, they're forever in the top left corner of the minds eye. After a period of very clearly defined seconds and minutes, all that matters is for one side of a hyphen to be greater than the other. Those on the pitch - the people we put all our faith and hope in – once they cross that line all at once lose their identity and assume that of something greater. There was a time – feels like an eternity now – when Fernando Torres' name was sung with pride. Anfield would bounce along in honour of Liverpool's number nine and while it may seem that it may now forever be the height of his fame, there was no real magic in that fabric.

That shirt has a lineage which makes it coveted, so much so that it's current occupant spoke of his pride in adorning it for the first time on Saturday against Preston. Having been associated with players of the calibre of Rush, Fowler and Heighway mean that there is expectation. Whether or not Rickie Lambert will live up to that at Liverpool is still up for grabs. One thing is for sure. He's much more worthy of such a label than El Hadji Diouf ever was. Iago Aspas' decision to take that shirt last year looked brave and endeared him somewhat but ultimately only ever added a pressure his ability wasn't able to cope with. I doubt he'd make that same choice twice.

It goes even further than that. People generate their favourite figure by any number of frivolous means. Sometimes they're even capable of wielding some kind of magic. I'm not sure quite how a symbol used to represent quantity was somehow conferred these powers but thirteen in particular has a reputation. For better or worse, our strive for individuality leads to this. Fondness can be found because of any remote connection. The reason that Liverpool have a relationship with the number five is not because of our collective worship of terrible boy bands from the nineties. Similarly United love 1999 because they're all massive Prince fans. Obviously.

I've been told that they never lie, but Shakira's hips tell me they're not telling the whole truth. A last minute winner numerically speaking is the same as any other goal. It's simply one more to the tally. There's no way what happened in the dying moments at Craven Cottage in February can be described as trivially as that. Three points may be all that were awarded that day, same as any other victory. The manner in which they were obtained and the momentum that followed will never be represented.

Brendan Rodgers and his team have over the last twelve months kept the scoreboard ticking impressively. Over a hundred goals. Eighty four points. In the end however, it didn't quite add up. Looking at the table at the end of the season made for joyless reading, if you focus solely on the numbers. What'll raise a smile in years to come will not be sums and tallys, but headers and volleys.

Endings are the perspective from which all history is written. Those that triumph – have and always will set the narrative. The final score becomes the point from which the story is told. Any previous events that do not fit that mould are either bent into shape or discarded altogether. Spain were moments away from going into their encounter with the Netherlands in Salvador. David Silva probably should have doubled that lead moments before Daley Blind's cross field ball and Van Persie's incredible leap. Five-one doesn't care about all that. The result will even gloss over the epic nature of the goal which ultimately turned the tide. Five-one remains unmoved.

As languages go, binary does not have the capacity to convey Coutinho's goal against Manchester City. It was a feeling that can barely be quantified into words, let alone digits. There was something very Shakespearian about last year. Old Bill at his uppermost grandiose. Often baffling, defying all convention and eventually turning to tragedy. To address it simply in ones and twos would be to ignore what joy there remains in football.

Only one team can ultimately be crowned Champions of England and just because Liverpool slipped on their way to the throne does not invalidate everything that went before it. A sequence of incredible adventures that stir the heart, not a series of complex equations that tax the mind. Last season wasn't about an upward gradient. It was poetry in motion.

Twin Peaks: Two Incredible Liverpool FC Victories Over Time

Life. Death. The rise and fall of an empire. Just as the day has dawned, so shall the night come.

t’s only a matter of time. All which has begun will at some point come to an end. Things can change in a heartbeat. In life sometimes those alterations can be irrevocable but in sport every moment that passes arrives a new opportunity.

A shot at making it right.

The first half an hour of Liverpool’s 5-1 demolition of Arsenal may have only been a few short weeks ago but the sounds and sights of it will burn long into the memory. A performance which be put upon the mental mantelpiece of those that were able to witness it (although Gunners may be hard pressed to ever dwell on it again).

In recent history, there have been very few like it. But there was one that sprang immediately to mind. It was the time Real Madrid came to Anfield and were blown away.

Together they are arguably the two best opening halves for Liverpool Football Club in the last 20 years. When reminded of that incredible early spring annihilation of Juande Ramos’ side in the warm afterglow of that victory over Arsenal, it’s worth noting the differences between the two. Like twins that do not share each others looks, though they may share the same DNA; it is what separates them that makes them important.

Pre match tension comes in many forms for many different people but in the big games it grips us all. A thousand different football matches play out in the mind simultaneously, trying to gain some sort of credible insight as to what is about to unfold. The naturally positive will look at certain areas with an attempted rationalised hope while others will dive head first into superstition or something a little stronger in an attempt to avoid the possible worst case scenarios.

In the lead up to facing Arsene Wenger’s men, there was an air of natural trepidation given the disappointing draw at the Hawthorns a week prior and the finely balanced way the season was going. Given Arsenal’s record at Anfield as of late, it only added weight to what was already a must-win game.

Compare that to Real’s first ever competitive visit to Anfield and there wasn’t quite the same level of tension. Of course there are a multitude of reasons for this. It’s much easier to approach a one-off tie—especially one in which you already hold the lead—than that which is part of a campaign and the club’s specially affinity for the European Cup meant that it was going to be much more of a spectacle regardless. Still, there would have been few anticipating quite what happened in either encounter.

Any direct comparison between the two games is what this is about.

The merits of one team, player or even manager over another is an irrelevant discussion. What it illustrates however—in big broad red letters —is how far Liverpool have come. There were 561 days in between the aforementioned triumph over Real Madrid and – on that very same turf – losing to Northampton.

On Sunday, Swansea came to Liverpool. They have their own incredible story, book-ended by two victories. Last September when they traveled to Valencia and stunned them by three goals to nil, it was exactly ten years to the day that they defeated Huddersfield at Vetch Field. Having been a part of that journey, Brendan Rodgers and his team appear not only driven to get Liverpool Football Club back to where they once were but adequately equipped to get there.

Because of it’s competitive nature, there is no guarantee that a fall from grace will be followed by a return to glory. While Southampton and also Manchester City have been able to find a way back from having been down in League Two—the latter having had immeasurably financial aid since their return to the Premier League—there are still also tales of those who haven’t quite been able to find a way.

Nottingham Forest and Leeds have done well in terms of stabilisation following turmoil but still find themselves on the outside looking in. Just when it appeared that Wolves had gained some stability, they themselves fell backward two divisions in successive years.

Then there is the case of Portsmouth, who in five years went from winning the FA Cup to being relegated to League Two. A fan base made to suffer because of off-the-field decisions and a football club crippled by poor management and ownership.

Sounds very familiar.

There was a point where it looked like Liverpool were destined for administration. Perhaps even the beginning of a slide that could take decades to erase. Stade de Reims are the sixth most successful side in France in terms of league titles, despite having won their last of six Lique 1 titles in 1962.

It mattered not that they were heavily involved in the infancy of the European Cup (runners-up in the first two tournaments) when they were liquidated in 1993 and had to auction off their assets. After a remarkable rise from the ashes, going into this weekend they sit eighth in the French top flight.

It feels as though it’s taken forever simply to get to this part, where there is but a chance of something special. The goal from the outset this season has been to get back into the top four but it is only a subplot in a much longer quest. There is still the 23-year search for a title, a generational gap that could potentially be bridged by the end of this season.

As unlikely as it sounds, while it remains even but the faintest of possibilities, the aim should be to finish as high as possible. With 11 huge games of the season left to go and two of the top three still to play at home, it isn’t a question as to whether Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers can go all the way but whether they will.

Only time will tell.

The Perfect Storm: Why Defeat Matters More

A word that means everything. An entirely unattainable concept, yet one that people strive for every day. To actively chase it would be to forever be tailing the impossible. An existence founded upon perilous fragility; for one mistake would erase all that had gone before.

Still we frivolously attach it to many different aspects of our lives as well as ourselves. The world itself, a single day and even in relationships. Constructing them in our minds as ideals while knowing that they can never exist because of that one quality which can never be obtained.

Perfection.

In the face of the recent happenings at the Hawthorns, with Kolo Toure central to a rather crucial error, such an all-encompassing

In whatever facet of reality, there is usually a margin for error; some much larger than others. Ideally you would stay away from these lines, sailing as far away from the edge as much as possible. For Liverpool, the waters are not quite so tranquil however.

Looming has been the prospect of being shut out of Europe’s elite…but there is now a path to safety.

Following the game against Aston Villa at Anfield, it was clear that a mistake had been made. The uproar that followed and subsequent fears, while having legitimate grounds ran away with itself. What it did bring up however is that in spite of everything, that setback meant more than all of the victories before it.

The pain from even the smallest of cuts causes concern.

So far there is enough evidence to suggest that the wound caused at Anfield some eleven days ago is hardly life threatening but the way in which Liverpool were exposed and then inflicted cannot be allowed to happen too often. Both in terms of set up and performance, everything went wrong but even having said that and with all the frustration and anger that came along, it was still a point gained on last year.

To stand around and simply focus on the situation would not be indicative of moving on from it. There is no one entity who should shoulder the entirety of the blame, especially given that more or less the same side played so magnificently against Everton.

Portions of it have been dished out and Rodgers himself has publicly taken some culpability. While a line does need to be drawn under that game, it should not be forgotten entirely. If it is to serve as a reminder of what can go wrong and a motivational tool for the remaining fixtures then at the very least it will have served a purpose.

Acknowledging shortcomings is the first step toward being able to counteract them. They are the fuel which lights the fire within. A perfect world is one within there is no room for improvement, which in itself is a fallacy. Without being empowered to strive for something better, complacency will poison the mind; turning dreams into nightmares. In the Premier League the threat of failure lurks around every corner. So long as we can feel it breathing down on us, the need to get away and move forward will be ever present.

Football as played by human beings and not numbers in a formula—a la Football Manager—will forever be ruled by those who make the fewest missteps. The reason why Guardiola’s tactics at Barcelona were copied so frequently is not because of their esthetic value but that they won games; and subsequently trophies. Methods work over a period of time due to a lack of cohesion on the part of the opponent or due to the personnel within. Once a side knows how to negate tactics or to prevent a special player from getting the ball, it all falls down.

At the highest level, making correct decisions is not enough. In order to usurp and take over, mistakes have to be made.

The sale of Liverpool Football Club to George Gillett and Tom Hicks was so substantial that the effects are still around today. It was only after Rafa Benitez left that the sheer level of damage could be seen. Even after they had gone and Kenny Dalglish had stabilised things, it wasn’t that long ago that Liverpool dominated games and did seemingly everything in their power to gain victory, only for one errant back pass or a lapse in concentration and how well things were going before became an irrelevance.

That was how it went under Kenny. The cost was dear.

Things have changed for the better. Rodgers and his team have built an aura around themselves that no matter what the opposition, they cannot keep Liverpool out. Having swept aside most of the league so far, it is the frequency of those combined poor performances and results which could ultimately define the season. On only two occasions have the club been beaten whilst playing badly; with the point away to Newcastle looking less and less calamitous in spite of it being an opportunity missed.

There is still far too much time left in the campaign to say one way or another whether anything of the mistakes of the past will become costly. So then it is up to everyone involved to make sure that standards are maintained from here on out. Added up, small errors become a big problem.

However if the timing is right, it will only take one.

Despite the emphatic derby victory, Everton will keep chasing. Juan Mata will spur on United and so long as Tottenham themselves continue to win then they cannot be ignored.

Looking upward, a double header with Arsenal could at least put the breaks on their momentum, who will be desperate to push on from their magnificent start. Chelsea and Manchester City will remain as they are but it would be reassuring to even attempt at bearing down on them and the title as opposed to being worried about being caught out in the race for fourth.

Despite having been been able to ride out the Christmas fixture list with only minimal damage, tougher times no doubt lay ahead. There will be moments when even the brilliance of Sturridge and Suarez won’t be enough.

When that happens, Liverpool must make sure that they are able to ride it out. Brendan Rodgers cannot allow one or two cracks to sink his ship. For the rest of the season the club may have to weather a storm. At the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky…

Unfinished Symphony

Destiny is a tool of the inactive. Fate a driving force for those who are uncomfortable in taking a central role, even during events in which they are the star. There are certain situations that arise that – once taken advantage of – appear almost preordained; but it is the active process of grasping that opportunity which will eventually determine success and failure.

In a team setting, where a collection of people must pool their talents together in order to achieve a common goal, there will always be a disparity between how much each individual can contribute. Those that are truly gifted can appear to defy any number of fates. No matter how dire the circumstances, they act as a balancing force. Their role is to be that initial platform. To establish a base and make sure that at the very least, there will be a chance to accomplish whatever objectives had already been set out. Some don’t even stop there.

No single contribution matters more than the next. Ultimately, in spite of how small or large they may be, so long as there is an active addition toward the end result, every effort counts. The talented, by their very definition, give more in any kind of collaborative project but the outcome would vary dramatically with no other input at all. The best conductor in the world can do nothing with those that do not know how to play instruments. Luis Suarez is right now playing beautiful music whenever he steps out onto the pitch. To play on the biggest stage however, this virtuoso is going to need some help.

Football isn’t as simple as being able to split the team into four separate groups like you would an orchestra, because certain personnel have to perform dual roles. Imagine asking someone to play two different things at any given time during a performance and that’s the equivalent of someone like Henderson having to deliver on both ends of the pitch. Instead of focusing on the instrument itself, focus on their contribution to the overall sound. Something like an violin or piano is going to add more than say a triangle.

Within that depiction there are a few distinct categories. Those whose sound will feature prominently; the aforementioned Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, whose movements on the pitch it can be said are of the effortless glide with which a pianist will slide his fingers along the keys and Steven Gerrard, still leading the horn section despite claims that he’s too old to do it. Whatever type of song it is that these players play will be the overall theme of the season. It’s possible that they alone could be enough to earn Liverpool a standing ovation at the end of the season but it’s incredibly unlikely.

At the other end of the scale there are touches of subtlety. Depth to a piece as it moves through its peaks and troughs. They are bridges; and though they will never grab the same attention as their more grandiose partners still there is a purpose – however deceptively tiny – to be served. Brad Smith and Jordan Ibe fit into this category perfectly. Though there aren’t as many opportunities for them to play as perhaps they’d like, nobody expects them to be the star of the show. At the moment they’re just getting used to their seats in the main amphitheater. Raheem Sterling and Jon Flanagan have shown what can happen once you become comfortable.

Lastly a group who appear throughout and are necessary to complete the composition. The drum beat that sets the rhythm while all around there are fantastical solo performances. It is how this group performs that will ultimately decide how far Liverpool can go this season. Within this cross section there is a handful of players who have make a step up. If they continue in this manner then anything is possible.

It matters that within the team, the best players reach their potential. They are the ones who set the ceiling for which everyone else can aim for. But the likes of Gerrard and Suarez were always going to have a large say in proceedings. It’s when the progression of someone such as Jordan Henderson propels him from background noise to front and center that the whole unit becomes elevated. In such an open season where anything seems possible, it’s within these outsiders that lies the key to a top four finish; or even more.

Beyond simply those that will play a regular part, there are others that will be looked upon to make a contribution. Understudies that have a chance and every right to make a name for themselves. Everyone that arrived in the summer barring Simon Mignolet – arguably Mamadou Sakho – and all those who will be acquired over this coming window; it could very well be down to one of them to make the difference. On a day when one of the headliners cannot reach a high note, it will be down to everyone else to make sure it goes unheard.

The difference can be summed up in two players. While Victor Moses appears to have the blues and is forever blowing raspberries into his own trumpet, Iago Aspas has suddenly made some noise of his own. Nobody has any clue what kind of instrument he’s playing (perhaps it’s Dion Dublin’s dube) or even whether it will ever mesh with the rest of the team but at least he’s making himself heard right now for the right reasons.

At some point in the season there will be a crescendo. A moment – or series of – which cannot be allowed to pass by quietly. If there are only a few able to reach the level of performance required, everything else that has gone before will fall flat. Brendan Rodgers has conducted things wonderfully so far but the tempo and intensity is about to rise inexorably. Perhaps at the end of it all, his Liverpool philharmonic will be touring the bright spots of Europe next season.