All great relationships come to an end, the natural course having run as far as it can. Sometimes they start passionately and brightly and quickly burn away to nothingness. Sometimes, they are a slowly burning and taut affair that consumes all within them in a supernova of passion oblivious to all around them. Occasionally, despite saying the opposite, things simply aren’t working. The public face presents a lie, when everything behind the scenes falls apart.

Of course, finishing 7th is no insult and 6th is not out of the question but this is Liverpool. European Champions on 5 occasions, runners up twice. League Champions 18 times and runners up on 12 other occasions. The most decorated club in English League history can end up qualifying for the Europa League because Portsmouth are not allowed to enter. Is it good enough to be surviving on scraps thrown by clubs imploding financially? Simply put, no it isn’t.

I saw Benitez’s post match comments on Sunday and was astounded. You can’t position yourself as a champions of the fans and then refuse to commit yourself to confirming whether you intend to be at the club next season. Benitez owes that to the Anfield faithful at the very least. They have backed him 100% throughout his consistent battles with the owners and the boardroom and now he throws it back in their faces. I think most fans of other clubs would be hard pressed to have kept the patience with a manager like the Liverpool fans have with Rafa Benitez.

Of course, his supporters will always point to the 2005 Champions League final victory and to a lesser extent, the F.A. Cup victory the following season over West Ham United. Last season saw Liverpool come within a whisker of winning the title but ultimately missed out due to the points dropped against “lesser” sides. The beginning of the season saw them lose as many leagues games in 8 days as all of last year. Complaints about Real Madrid tapping up Xabi Alonso were treated with the contempt they deserved after Benitez had spent most of the summer of 2008 trying to flog him.

He claims the club needs 4 or 5 great players, unlike the majority of the 77 he’s signed. With the exception of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, every single player at Liverpool is a Benitez signing. Incredibly, of the 77 players he’s signed, 30 of them have been sold on. His supporters claim the board have tied his hands in regards to the money he’s had to spend, but looking at his transfer record, honestly, can you blame them? A scatter gun transfer policy that currently sees Liverpool using Mascherano as a right back and a £7 million left back in the reserves. A depth of striking talent after Torres that a Championship club would be embarrassed to have at its disposal.

This refusal to commit himself to Liverpool next season surely treats the fans like idiots. He has more support from them and delivered probably less than any Liverpool manager since Graeme Souness’ dreadful tenure in the early nineties. He eventually fell on his sword and resigned after they were beaten by Bristol City at home in the F.A.Cup in January 1994.Yet the 3 seasons he’d spent there were littered with dreadful signings, arguments and badly judged media interviews, such as with the Sun newspaper on the 3rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Yet even he won the F.A. Cup in 1992.

Souness finished 6th, 6th and 8th and the club were at the weakest they’d ever been in the modern era. Liverpool have finished outside the top 6 twice in the last 20 years and only 4 times in the 47 seasons they spent in the top flight since winning promotion back to the top division in 1962. Of course, they may still finish 6th but that’ not Benitez’s weakness for me, it’s his refusal to treat his supporters with the respect they deserve after all the support they’ve given him and tell them if he’s staying.

Perhaps of course, he’s playing the protection card, asking the board for the moon and then quitting when they quite rightly tell him to get stuffed. Only then will he consider the offer from Juventus that is on the table and has been for weeks. Added to this the fact that he absurdly claims he’s trying to meet up with the new chairman after canceling two scheduled meetings in the last fortnight weakens his position even further.

Liverpool’s fans deserve better, the club deserve better and no-one is happy. Rafa looks fed up and coming from a family of Liverpool fans, they’re fed up. The relationship has run its course and if Rafa Benitez really cared about Liverpool he’d do the right thing and quit. When you get to a point in a season where you want your team to lose to stop a rival club winning the title, I think that’s all you need to say and that’s a fact Rafa. It can only get worse from here.

Former teammates; Alonso and Gerrard

I really can’t wait to read the December installment of FourFourTwo Magazine. In this issue Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard finally states what we all know: the departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid has undeniably damaged the Merseyside club. I would personally like to thank Stevie for a poignant piece of honesty. While fans and pundits pick over the decaying carcass of Liverpool Football Club, a team that has lost six of its last eight matches and is all but eliminated from the Champions League, Gerrard sites the initial catalyst for all the misery.

The captain states, “I was devastated, yeah. Devastated. But there was nothing I could do about it. Xabi said a long time ago that he wanted another chapter in his career and finally he got it and his teammates and the coaches couldn’t stand in his way. We just had to say thanks and move forward without him.”

Pressure has mounted on Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez over his side’s slumping form over the past month, with a sole victory over Manchester United keeping the club hanging from a thread. Yet to anyone who follows this team closely, Alonso’s departure signaled the beginning of an era of doubt an instability. As Gerrard wisely points out, Alonso is, “one of the best players in the world.” His diligent play over four successful seasons helped to propel Liverpool to Champions League glory, an FA cup triumph, and a stunning finish last season that saw the Anfield club nearly pip United to the Premier League title. Last year’s second place position is the closest Benitez will get to his most coveted prize, as Liverpool currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League table and are nine points adrift of first-place Chelsea.

Alonso’s deft passing ability, unrivaled vision, and sound work ethic made him the ultimate deep-lying playmaker for Benitez’s Liverpool. The Spaniard provided the perfect link between defense and attack, allowing Javier Mascherano to roam the final third and protect Liverpool’s back four. Similarly, Alonso enabled Gerrard to become the renowned attacking midfielder that we know him as today, slotting brilliantly weighted through balls to the Scouser’s feet in front of goal. Now it is Kaka and Christiano Ronaldo receiving this service, and Liverpool’s once metronomic rhythm has been disrupted.

Gerrard and Carragher have fallen upon troubled times

Lucas will never be a Premier League-caliber midfielder, and Alberto Aquilani is not Alonso’s natural replacement. That is not to say that Aquilani will not become a fine player for Liverpool, but Alonso’s skill set was incredibly rare, and replacing him in midfield is near impossible. Meanwhile Mascherano is having to overcompensate for this loss, throwing the usually tenacious holding midfielder off of his game.

With both Gerrard and star striker Fernando Torres injured and awaiting surgery, the future will not provide any respite for the once proud Merseyside club. Liverpool is in free fall, and as Gerrard intelligently points out, this trend began before his side kicked off the season, “It was always going to be different when you lose one of the best players in the world – and people are finally realizing that’s what he [Alonso] is, on the back of his form for Real Madrid and the difference in us from last year.”

With Liverpool preparing to play Fulham at Craven Cottage in a matter of hours, injury problems continue to plague the the Anfield club. Captain and perennial talisman Steven Gerrard will not play due to his nagging groin injury, while fullback Glen Johnson will miss action because of a thigh strain. Additionally, new signing Alberto Aquilani will not be able to build upon his mid-week Carling Cup debut against Arsenal due to illness. Fortunately for Liverpool the £20 million summer signing has not contracted swine flu, but this fact does not improve matters for a club that has been hit hard by injuries and absences.

Despite Liverpool’s massive 2-0 victory over Manchester United one week ago, the Merseyside club continues to battle tumult and adversity in this early Premier League campaign. The Reds have lost five of their last six matches, including Wednesday’s 2-1 exit from the Carling Cup at the hands of Arsenal’s young Gunners. Embattled manager Raphael Benitez continues to put on a brave face, but that task must be becoming increasingly difficult for a man who longs for the league title and is six points adrift of first-place Chelsea. The club’s boardroom struggles are well documented, and the financial noose has been tight ever since George Gillette and Tom Hicks took control at Anfield.

Even with all of these revolving problems, one player has continued to embody the the emotion and core values of Liverpool Football Club: Jamie Carragher. The 31 year-old Bootle native has come under media fire in the last two years, as the defensive stalwart has become a scapegoat for everything from Benitez’s tactics to the lack of progress on the Stanley Park stadium project. Carragher is often his own worst critic when it comes to his form, but his performance against the reining Premier League champions last weekend was nothing short of stunning. To many this notion will seem delayed, but I felt it necessary to point out the obvious because so few are giving credit where credit is due.

His youth may have passed him by and other players certainly posses greater tactical ability, but Carragher is in no short supply of effort and grit. His bone-jarring tackle on Michael Carrick last Sunday underlined this point, as Carra sent the former Tottenham midfielder face-first into the Anfield turf with a clean challenge in the area. Pundits were quick to point out Fernando Torres’ efforts on the day (rightfully so), and the deft touches of Yossi Benayoun. David Pleat certainly chimed in on the Sky broadcast when Carragher proved his metal, but the defender literally threw his body into boot and ball in the dying stages of the match to ensure Liverpool’s emphatic victory.

Carra: never afraid of a tackle

Carragher has been accused of suffering a dip in form over the last two campaigns, but make no mistake – he is the beating heart of Liverpool. Gerrard and Torres may provide the offensive threat, but Carragher’s steady play on the backline alongside Martin Skrtel is the spine of this club. Many fans will argue that Carra has become too inconsistent, citing the opening match of this season against Spurs as evidence of the centerback’s fall from grace. All premier players suffer poor runs of form, just look at Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. While Carragher undeniably has more playing days behind him than in front at this stage in his career, he is still more than handy in the final third. It will take this continued presence to give Liverpool three vital points against Fulham today, and if the Reds are to truly get their title challenge on track number 23 will play a large role.

If you believe Liverpool manager Raphael Benitez there are few midfielders more suited for the Premier League than Lucas Leiva. After all, Benitez has spent much of his 2009-2010 campaign lobbying on behalf of the twenty-two year old Brazilian. Benitez praises Levia’s work rate and dedication to the team, all the while ignoring his glaring deficiencies. Liverpool supporters from Merseyside to Mumbai have been lamenting Leiva’s inclusion in Benitez’s first team since the departure of Xavi Alonso. Replacing Alonso was always going to be a challenge, but after Sunday’s dismal performance against Chelsea it is concretely clear that Leiva is never going to be the man for that task.

This is a player that is simply not good enough for the daily rigors of the English Premier League. Yes, at times he looks like a fluid player that is capable of stringing together a few passes. However, against the likes of Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Spurs he has looked entirely out of his depth this season. The Chelsea match was particularly striking. Leiva appeared tactically naive and physically inferior as Chelsea’s midfield bossed the game and easily pushed the Brazilian off the ball. Benitez has exhausted the English media by plugging Leiva’s ability to give his all, but after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat it is obvious the midfielder brings little more than useless energy to the side.

Moreover, this is not a new problem for Liverpool. Benitez has been attempting to integrate Leiva into the first team for the better part of two years. So I put the question to you, the readers of EPL Talk: is Lucas Leiva good enough for Liverpool Football Club? Is his style of play strong enough for the English Premier League? If nothing else English football is associated with pace and physicality, two qualities that Leiva clearly lacks. At times the midfielder forlornly wanders the middle of the park, giving balls away while simultaneously disrupting Liverpool’s offensive output.

This behavior has deeply effected Steven Gerrard’s play in 2009. Against Chelsea the Liverpool skipper was forced to drop deeper in an effort to link midfield with attack, disrupting his offensive rhythm with Fernando Torres. Gerrard is renowned for his forward runs and box-to-box capacity, but on Sunday fans saw little of this as Chelsea ran riot in the second half.

Of course Liverpool’s misfortunes are not the sole responsibility of one player. Jamie Carragher has looked his age thus far and Dirk Kuyt has been incredibly ineffective on the right during this young season. Liverpool’s internal struggles are also well documented, as owners George Gillette and Tom Hicks continue to drag the club’s reputation through the mud.

Nevertheless, Leiva’s lack of creativity in midfield is the most pressing matter for the Reds on the pitch. Summer signing Alberto Aquilani is returning to health and is predicted to make his first start for Liverpool in the Carling Cup at the end of October. Even if Aquilani usurps Leiva’s place in Benitez’s midfield, Liverpool will still need to call on the Brazilian down the stretch. Most pundits cite Liverpool’s lack of depth as the primary reason that the Merseysiders will not end their twenty-year title drought in 2010. The fixture congestion created by playing in four competitions will certainly test this theory, and Lucas Leiva does little to ease these concerns.

The season brought no trophies to Anfield… Manchester United tied the league title record…  The big money summer signing proved a flop… Seven miserable home draws… Mid-season position squandered… Lengthy injuries to the big guns…

And Liverpool still had  an outstanding season. Their best in 19 years.

If Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, they’ll finish no more than four points below United. This would be the closest they’ve come since 1990 when the Reds last won the league. Apart from 2002, when they finished seven points behind Arsenal, the title has generally been far from Liverpool’s sights by season’s end.

The fact they were still in the race two weeks from the end speaks volumes.

82 is Liverpool’s highest premier league points tally before this season. The Reds are already a point ahead of that number. If they can finish with 86, there’s every reason to think title number 19 will be on its way to Anfield in the near future.

Despite the quickness of pundits to jump on Rafael Benitez who has yet to bring the league title back to Anfield, the Spaniard has made substantial improvements to his club each season he’s been in charge.

Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Pepe Reina, Daniel Agger, Fernando Torres are all among the outstanding players to have come in under Benitez’s watch. Sure, he’s had his occasional Antonio Nunez, and Robbie Keane’s failure to live up to his price tag won’t soon be forgotten. But on the way to glory, there are always bumps in the road.

The Liverpool side that took to the pitch again and again (the oft criticized rotation policy having been dialed down this season) showed their merit throughout the year. Despite the jaw-dropping draws (how did they finish level with Stoke City… twice???), Liverpool’s dominance over big sides hasn’t been witnessed like this in decades.

They did an impressive double over Chelsea and Real Madrid and came from behind twice to secure all six league points against Manchester United (including a 1-4 demolition at Old Trafford) and schooled the league’s most promising up-and-comers, Aston Villa, 5-0 at Anfield.

A post-Christmas rut saw Liverpool slip from top place. And many neutrals and outsiders will recall Rafa Benitez’s ‘rant’ against his frustrations with Alex Ferguson’s modus operandi as a marker of the Liverpool turning point. But nothing can distract from the fact that Liverpool have gotten better and better each season under Benitez and from finishing this season on at least 83 points, probably in second place, Liverpool don’t have much farther to climb.

There’s nowhere left to go but the top.

Benitez doesn’t have boundless funds to spend this summer. But if he’s savy in the transfer market. He won’t need them. Liverpool don’t need many changes. The side’s failure to break down ten-men-behind-the-ball sides is what led to the series of draws that cost them the title. But this can be combatted with a change in tactics. There’s no need to overhaul a side that can beat United, Chelsea and Madrid.

Rumors of Xabi Alonso’s departure should turn out to be merely rumors. They better. £18m or whatever the Spanish midfielder is valued at this week is not enough to say goodbye to his vision and prowess. His ability to see the whole pitch and know where to slot that pass to put Gerrard, Torres or whoever in on goal is priceless. And neither Gareth Barry nor David Silva are worth the sacrifice.

Benitez knows his side needs a little tweaking.

And maybe all it will take next season is not drawing twice against Stoke City to finally bring that title home.

Supreme No More

It says a lot, for better or for worse, that Manchester United’s eighteenth championship sent barely a ripple through the footballing press.  Most headlines read, “Man United 0 – Arsenal 0,” with United’s Premier League-winning feat mentioned in the sub header.  It seems the Premier League ended some time ago, perhaps when Liverpool drew Arsenal in a more exciting fashion then Saturday’s soaking wet kick about (or at least for me, when Aston Villa drew Stoke in early March).

This was an awful season all-round.  The sort of narratives that usually drive speculation among punters, neutrals and johnny-come-latelys fizzled just as soon as they were kindled: Benitez finally winning the league; Aston Villa challenging for the Champions League at Arsenal’s expense; the beginning of the end of Man United’s debt-pooled collapse in the manner of their American shirt sponsor.  Like a band of nervous studio execs descending on their auteur director, any hint of originality this year was forced to give way to cozy convention.  Even Liverpool trouncing United at Old Trafford 4-1, certainly the most dramatically significant match of the 2008-09 season, was the exciting exception that proved the deadly dull rule.

Sadly, Newcastle United going down with Alan Shearer saluting as the icy waves reach his cabin door, only for a BBC helicopter to come swooping in at the last minute to rescue him as the Toon break in half and lurch to the ocean floor, may be the only real convention broken this year.  Watching Newcastle was like watching a club stuck in time warp, with names and players culled straight from 2003-2004.  Viduka, Owen, Duff. Only Obafemi Martins looked the part on occasion.  Steven Taylor once or twice.

The Northeast is currently bearing the brunt of an economy laid to waste by the Ponzi-esque banking schemes of moneyed London, and it’s hard to imagine even a club of Newcastle’s stature coming back from the brink without lucrative new ownership.  Newcastle can still escape of course, but even if they do, the smart bet isn’t on a bright, sunny outlook for 2009-10.  And while relegation can often be the best thing to happen to a club, exclusion for once-mighty top flight teams, as in the case of Leeds or Forest, can last a lifetime.

It seems these days in the Premier League, relegation struggles are squeezing out the top-of-the-table victories for front page headlines.  While we can usually depend on You-Know-Who to fill out the Champions League roster, the list of potential relegated clubs is cutting closer to the core of the English football of old.  Even Tottenham prior to the intervention of Harry Redknapp, seemed early on destined for a relegation fight.  A collapsing domestic economy, coupled with the enormously-inflated cost of competing in the top flight, mean the difference between challenging for Europe and struggling to stay in the Premier League altogether is going to get smaller and smaller.

As is the distance between England’s four best clubs, and the rest.

Daniel Agger is stalling on signing a new contract with Liverpool FC. The obvious problem: his position is overcrowded with quality. The top Danish centre back must compete with Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel who have enjoyed the bulk of the starts this season and don’t forget Sami Hyypia.

Jamie Carragher: When Steven Gerrard comes off, Jamie Carragher inevitably takes the captain’s armband. With good reason. Carragher’s inherent leadership is as important to Liverpool’s defense as his ability to strip the ball from even the wiliest of attackers and, like Gerrard, Carragher’s play is an inspiration those around him, lifting the quality of his teammates with his passion and drive.  At 31 with more than 500 appearances, it’s hard to imagine Liverpool FC without Jamie Carragher. But while he still has a few more years to give, one must wonder who will be there to fill the gap when Jamie Carragher steps down. Carragher has already stated an interest into managing after his playing days are over and one could certainly see him following in the footsteps of Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness and eventually taking the helm at Liverpool.

Martin Skrtel: Martin Skrtel is a rock. When he gets it right he doesn’t foul attackers: he lets them careen off of him. Despite a few missteps here and there, Skrtel adapted to his new home quickly. His impressive performances in the spring of 2008 helped Liverpool enter a string of great results, and the start to the current season was one of Liverpool’s best opening runs in nearly two decades, due in part to Liverpool only conceding 21 goals so far (only three more than table toppers Manchester United.) So when Agger became available again, he found it hard to break into the first team as Benitez understandably did not want to alter the chemistry of the back four by ousting Martin Skrtel.

Sami Hyypia: The 35-year-old Finnish defender is rightly considered a legend by the Liverpool faithful and his work this season has shown he still has much in his tanks for the club he’s served since 1999.  Not the paciest of defenders, Hyypia rarely starts in the high-paced EPL, but he still shows his worth when needed. In the recent match against Manchester United, Hyypia came on in a last minute emergency roster change after Alvaro Arbeloa picked up an injury while warming up. While United might have hoped to take advantage of the reduction in pace in Liverpool’s back line, Hyypia’s cool head and great vision won out. The Fin was instrumental in breaking up United attacks  and allowing Liverpool to dominate the match. Hyypia cannot always keep up with younger, pacy attackers, but he shuts them down nonetheless. He seems to say, “I can’t catch you, but I know just where you’re going and I’ll meet you there.”

Agger would probably merit a slot above Skrtel in the back line pecking order if not for the injury problems the Dane has sustained since last year. When Agger went out for the long term, Liverpool’s lack of depth in the back became painfully apparent. Arbeloa was needed in wider positions and neither Hyypia nor Carragher can offer the pace that is essential in certain contests. To compensate, Rafael Benitez broke a club defensive transfer fee record when he obtained Martin Skrtel from Zenit St Petersburg for a reported £6.5m.

Now, due to the fine form of Carragher and Skrtel, there has been no room for the gifted Daniel Agger. But when Liverpool faced Portsmouth FC in early February, Benitez fielded  a surprise lineup. What appeared to be a five man back line proved to be a very attacking approach with Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena playing as wing backs, leaving Carra, Skrtel and Agger as the rear guard. While Portsmouth did score two goals and enjoy the lead twice, the Reds kept them on the back foot throughout the match, allowing Agger to do what he does best: create attacks from deep positions. His play is reminiscent of Alan Hansen’s: unafraid to push forward and penetrate gaps, Agger has the nerve and the skill to tear down the pitch, set up others and, at times, take the chance on goal himself. His 25-yard blast against West Ham was one of the best goals of that season and exemplifies the danger Agger can impose.

Agger and Skrtel are both 24 years old. When Carragher finally slows down, one can see these two building a fierce defensive partnership that could serve Liverpool for many years to come. The question is will Daniel Agger stay long enough to see that happen? Rumors abound that Benitez is sniffing out the possibility of buying Raul Albiol should Agger leave. But the qualities Agger has long displayed with Liverpool should give the manager plenty of cause to fight to keep the Dane in place.

 Late Liverpool Halt Chelsea’s Faltering Challenge

It’s a cold Sunday afternoon and I’ve parked my backside on the sofa to watch Liverpool vs Chelsea, a clash of the title contenders. Man United’s ominous form coupled with their rivals inability to keep pace means we all know that the team that loses Sunday’s game is well and truly out of the title race…in January.

The game itself is perhaps no thriller, Chelsea apparently toothless in attack registering a meagre 2 attempts on target to Liverpool’s 9. The first half was far from an enthralling affair but from the first whistle a hungrier, more dyanimic Liverpool were the only side who could have saved the game from being labelled a bore-draw.

The London side’s supporters were clearly never going to leave Anfield happy. An indifferent performance by goalkeeper Petr Cech, who was twice nearly caught in possession and Didier Drogba again left on the bench as Chelsea lined up 4-3-3 with Anelka, Malouda and Kalour preferred, no doubt to the Ivorian’s frustration to lead the attack.  The Blues created nothing all afternoon, Pepe Reina a spectator in the Reds goalmouth for much of the game.

Just after the hour mark Chelsea’s midfield finally featured in one of the games major talking points but not in the way that manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari would have wanted. Frank Lampard lunging for 50/50 with Xabi Alonso catching his opponent in the follow through was bizarrely adjudged by trigger-happy official Mike Riley to be worthy of a red card, Lampard and Chelsea justifiably furious.

Enter the 88th minute and it’s still Liverpool on top as it had been from the first whistle and Liverpool finally deliver a telling blow in the shape of a Fernando Torres’ late double. First a fantastic glancing header at the near post from Riera’s cross, minutes before Ashley Cole’s poor judgement not to clear first time let the ball fall to Yossi Benayoun to nip in behind and although Cole did well to get a foot in the way the ball fell into the path of the £20 million Spaniard to slot in his second.

Moments later and cue the final whistle, Anfield in raptures and Rafa Benitez delighted with the pressure momentarily eased on their own faltering title challenge. Scolari and Chelsea fans have to wonder why they have only taken one point in any of the games against the so-called ‘big four’ in five games so far this season.

Scolari though in his first season in charge (with glistening C.V in his defence) can be the only man to rationalise why Anelka and Drogba have never been paired together for any significant amount of time as  a traditional front two and the lack of starting opportunities for the effervescent Joe Cole. The board at Stamford Bridge have certainly tightened the purse strings after previous years of free-flowing spending and this is no major surprise, no club could ever sustain this (I’m sure Man City fans may not agree for now!) but the budget transfer budget needs to be at least £30-£40 million in the current climate to stay with the pace. The Portuguese duo of Deco signed (free) and Bosingwa (16 Million) the only Major arrivals at the bridge this summer.

My personal opinion of why Chelsea don’t score enough goals, is the absence of Essien in the engine room coupled with a three -prong attack that often resembles a negative looking 4-5-1 leaving Anelka isolated. Kalou and Malouda simply do not look like players who belong in a title winning team.

Should Scolari still be at The Bridge this summer in what is current an uncomfortable climate to be a manager at a top club, then a major rebuilding job is needed to make the Blues currently feeble title ambitions realistic.

Another weekend of Premier League action and another cracking Dirk Kuyt goal. Now who would have predicted that this time last season? Certainly not me and with good reason because his goal tally in the league last season was just five, managing 11 in all competitions for the Reds. So far this time around the Dutchman has already managed five in the league, seven in all competitions.

Kuyt’s transformation from potential big money flop to an invaluable part of the team has certainly been a steady one. Signed from Feyenoord in 2006 for £9million I must admit I thought Liverpool had bought yet another striker who wouldn’t cut it for them. The likes of El Hadji Diouf, Milan Baros and Vladimir Smicer had all arrived with big price tags and failed to improve Liverpool’s goal tally.

It’s always a fair assumption to make that players arriving from overseas will take some time to adapt to the English game. For example Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t an instant success but he certainly has become one. It would be fair to say that the most important thing Kuyt did in his first season was to dispatch the penalty that put Liverpool through to the 2007 Champions League final.

Perhaps Kuyt had been resting on that one spot kick to keep the Liverpool fans on side for the next season. Signed as a striker the Dutch international was expected to bang in the goals but struggled and was instead deployed out on the right hand side of midfield. There is no doubting Kuyt’s work rate, as he seemed to endlessly sprint from one part of the field to another, but his end product was what was being called into question.

Those asking the questions became so loud that there were rumours that Hamburg were preparing to make a bid for the flying Dutchman in the summer. However Rafael Benitez is thought to be high on Kuyt based on his endless work rate and has stayed put for now.

Good thing to because Kuyt’s rich vein in form has co-inside with Liverpool’s sustained push for the Premier League title. The football odds on Benitez’s side lifting the Premier League trophy have been shorten, albeit the campaign still being in its early stages.

Kuyt had become known as a big game player but as he demonstrated against Bolton on Saturday the 28-year-old has become indiscriminate about who he scores against which will please all of those who cram into Anfield every other week.

Truth of the matter is that whilst Kuyt is having a good season so far he is certainly being helped by the team around him who are actually mounting a serious title challenge for the first time in along time. It’s an old cliché but Kuyt is part of a well oiled machine, which will continue to improve if the Dutchman keeps up his standard of performances.