If the Barclays Premier League trophy was to find its way to Anfield at the end of this season then Liverpool fans would not only have won their 19th top-flight title but would have waited 19 long years for the honour.
There’s a nice symmetry about those numbers and if only life were a fairy tale then it might happen. The gaping hole in Liverpool’s trophy cabinet would be filled and their long-suffering fans could live happily ever after; or at least until the start of the 2009-10 season.
Unfortunately, for Rafael Benitez and his men it looks like Liverpool are more likely to make it an even 20 years before they can hope to win the Premier League for the 19th time.
Former striker John Barnes, who whipped 84 goals into the back of the net for Liverpool from 1987 to 1997, knows how much the league means to his old team – he was there the last time they won it, in 1990, and significantly helped their cause by smashing home 22 league goals that season. But he doesn’t believe in fairy tales.
“Liverpool are doing their best on the pitch and for them to finish third this season will reflect that,” says the former England hit-man who helped Showtime launch its new Premier League show with Derek Whyte and Rob McCaffrey recently. “They could win the league, but I honestly don’t think they will.”
According to Barnes, Liverpool’s problem is not the off-pitch power struggle between warring American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and manager Benitez, but the fact that Liverpool are doing the best they can with what they have and, unfortunately, their best is simply not good enough to win the league.
“If a team is having off-pitch trouble and it isn’t being particularly successful on the pitch, we assume it’s because of those non-football problems. But we shouldn’t be making excuses; all that doesn’t matter.
“Obviously, all the elements in terms of the positive attitudes with the fans and media can help but in terms of them playing on the field, I don’t think they can do better,” he says.
Liverpool made rather hard work of beating Sunderland 1-0 in their season opener last weekend, with Spanish striker Fernando Torres sending a Xabi Alonso pass into the bottom right-hand corner from 25 yards for a late winner.
Debutant Robbie Keane, who together with Torres forms part of Liverpool’s £46 million (Dhs 315m) strike force, failed to make his mark on the game and was taken off towards the end, but for Barnes, Keane is still an astute signing by Benitez.
“Robbie Keane is a great buy – probably the most important of the season,” he says. “He is better for them than Gareth Barry would have been. Liverpool needed to not rely so much on Steven Gerrard and Torres, not just for the goals but for invention and creativity and Keane will provide that for them.
“Torres and Keane can make Liverpool go closer to the top of league but even so I don’t think they can win it.”
Aside from Keane, who came to Liverpool from Tottenham Hotspur, the Reds struggle to attract the very biggest names in world football because the club, even with their enviable history, are overshadowed by the spending power and success of Manchester United and Chelsea.
And that fact, says Barnes, will not change whether Liverpool’s manager is Benitez or anyone else in the world.
“I don’t think someone coming in can do much better than Benitez because you can only work with what you have,” says Barnes.
“You look at the squads, look at Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. Liverpool probably have the fourth best squad so I don’t think there’s anyone out there who could do better than Benitez.
“As far as the money goes, Liverpool fans have to accept – and we don’t like to – but we are not going to be able to get the best players.
Big poachers ahead
“If the best players in the world become available they are going to go United and Chelsea, and then maybe Liverpool so no matter how much money you have to spend, if they are not going to go to the club, it doesn’t matter.”
In the picture painted by Barnes, accusations levelled at Benitez for not buying the best squad he could have done last season, or building on it this season are groundless.
“Once upon a time Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli went to Middlesbrough [just after the team had been promoted to the top-flight in 1995]. Juninho was one of the best players in the world at the time. They went to Middlesbrough because the money they wanted, Manchester Utd and Chelsea wouldn’t pay.”
But those days are gone now, says Barnes, and the richest and most successful teams have first dibs on the best players.
“These days, if you are Kaka and want to come to England, the money that Liverpool was going to pay you, Chelsea will match it so where are you going to go?” he says.
“That’s why there’s not much movement in the Premier League at the moment because apart from Kaka and Ronaldhino – whose stock has gone down because of his attitude – what players are you going to want to come to the Premier League who are not already there? Why spend money if you are not getting players that are as good as those you already have?”
Liverpool finished fourth in the league last season behind United, Chelsea and Arsenal and are in the frustrating position of being one of the best teams without being able to mount a convincing challenge for the top spot. Benitez, according to Barnes, is in a tough position.
“Managers are under pressure to spend money and that’s what Rafa has done in the past,” he continues.
“He had money and he had to be seen to be spending it because otherwise he’s criticised for not spending it but you are getting players who aren’t necessarily improving what you already have and I feel sorry for him and Arsene Wenger similarly.”
At this stage the question of who is going to win appears to come down to a straight fight between Chelsea and United.
Where would Barnes put his money?
“Liverpool will get closer than last season, but I believe Blues are favourites,” he says.
