by the Site Owner

Welcome back down to Earth to all those who were on "Cloud 9" after our victories against Unirea and Blackburn.

I'm sure many of you didn't take out a long lease on your spot up on "Cloud 9" as we all knew that one day, some day, we'd all come crashing back down to Earth where most of us have now setup camp and even started looking for a retirement home.

I haven't bothered reading the Wigan post-match report, nor do I intend on trawling through the internet perusing my usual dose of forums to see what other fans have to say. All I know is, is that Liverpool will not be playing Champions League Football next season. So get used to Thursday night football (assuming we even make the Europa League) and get used to seeing a new set of teams break into the "precious" Top-4.

The whole "Top 4" thing is probably the reason we've been so mediocre these past few seasons. The advent of Champions League football has allowed teams who haven't had a hope in hell of winning the league play against the true Champions of European football. I'm constantly reminded of us playing in the Champions League qualifiers last season against Belgian champions Standard Liege. I almost felt sorry after we'd beaten them over the two legs simply because in the old European Cup, they would have rightfully taken their place in Europe's elite competition.

Instead they came up against "mighty" Liverpool and had to settle for playing in the Europa League. It is now this mentality of ours that is coming to bite us in the butt. Imagine if only the winners of each domestic league went onto play in the Champions League? Maybe then, and only then will our Manager and coaches change their approach in matches and actually try and out-play teams instead of selecting players out of position (Yossi on the left, Masch at right back etc).

Maybe then, will our team actually treat each game with the respect it deserves, treat each fan with the respect they deserve and go out and bloody win as many games as they can.

People have kept slagging off our owners throughout this season. Let me ask you this, what was Wigan's nett spend this season? What about Reading? Money can buy you only so much, but if you've assembled a side of substantial international calbire (Torres, Reina, Gerrard, Kuyt, Benayoun, Maxi etc), then at some point, that team has to do the talking and not the money in the bank account.

The fact of the matter is, is that unless a bizarre turn of events, Rafa will be given another season to prove himself. If he fails next season to challenge for honours, then it will be his last. What this might mean in the greater scheme of things for Liverpool (from the first team down to the Academy) is another debate. But it might eventually bring in a manager who isn't as defensively cautious as our incumbent, or our previous manager Mr Houllier.

We're quite rightly a shambles on the pitch, and the only thing I can suggest for now is to bear with it, bite your lips and hope and pray for miracles. For its going to be a long trek the next 2 or 3 months. Money might "solve" some problems, but its the players who have to ultimately deliver the goods, and it has to be the manager who has to pull his thumb out his behind.