I was talking to a ‘die-hard red’ yesterday. They’re all ‘die-hard’ until they start losing. Then they become ‘suffer-a-lot’ reds. But I felt his pain. Not saying I sympathised with it, but I felt it. Because, even with his beloved Liverpool a massive 22 points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table, he, like his team, is getting the jitters. A case of the ‘yeah, but what if…?’ syndrome. And that was yesterday morning. By night-time Liverpool had lost their 3rd game out of the last 4. Ok, two weren’t league games but various cup matches, but still. But still. BUT STILL! This is a supposed ‘invincible’ team. Regardless of what match is played.

Yet this is not a ‘sudden plummet’. It’s been evolving. From the incredible results with which they started their season, Liverpool were simply outstanding. Unplayable. Amazing in attack, superb in a defence led and bossed by golden boy Virgil Van Dijk. Mane, Firmino, Salah, all scoring for fun. Ripping teams apart. The best wing back pairing in the league, if not the world. But then the wins became less emphatic. Then a bit of a struggle. Then a dose of luck required and winning ‘ugly’. Not that the team, nor the fans, gave a shit as long as the weekly dose of ‘free points’ came their way.

So whether it is fatigue, after a long, hard winter program, or, as someone said on the radio yesterday, the fault of the winter break, I don’t know. No-one does. Not me, not God, not even Jurgen Klopp. Though it would seem unlikely that having a rest week after playing 10 games in 3 weeks would be anything but beneficial. But what do I know?

Spurs have done this regularly. Ok, not being 22 points ahead in the league, no team has ever done that before. But giving that wonderfully false sense of security which gives way to the murder of all hope. The more you believe the harder you fall.

Last season Liverpool were 10 points ahead of everyone else at the end of January and managed to lose the title. Which is possibly why everyone has become so jittery now. But Manchester City, should they win ALL their remaining matches, will end on 90 points. Liverpool already have 79. So ‘just’ have to win 4 of their last 10 games. Which should be beyond easy. If they play like they did at the start of the season. Which they are finding difficult. But Manchester City won’t win all of their games. Probably.

You never know. We may yet get some excitement at the top of the table for the season end. And its nice to know that others are suffering too.

Happy Wednesday

A xxxx