Bringing fan fury through turnstiles would hurt club

AS distractions go, a rare win over United was a blessing to some and a curse to others.

A few British writers did mention the demonstration against Gillett and Hicks on that day.

To my eternal shame I wasn’t one of them.

It’s the same dilemma we always face; leaving the sound and fury outside the stadium benefits the team against our hated rivals but diminishes the impact of the protest — especially when the eternal circus in Newcastle grabs every headline.

Geordies took their grievances into St James Park and promptly lost to Hull. The idea of short-term embarrassment for long-term gain is tempting, though it would be a tougher sell on Merseyside where there’s more at stake.

Making the Reds a less attractive (ie cheaper) purchase would have serious implications, not least of course for the manager.

I’ve kept my distance from the demonstrations because, frankly, aged cynicism has no place there. The politics are wearying beyond belief, but the denouement if these two clowns remain in charge is truly frightening.

And yet we’ve hit the brick wall that always faces football’s revolutionaries; are you going to stay away? Some would, but as in Manchester there is a huge queue of tourists always ready to replace you.

It would take years of catastrophic failure to turn that flood of star-struck inductees into a trickle, by which time the idea of Liverpool being a major force would tickle the ribs of London, Manchester and half our fair city.

The loss of European revenue alone would be so debilitating that there would surely be no way back. We might yet revive a heart and soul long diseased and blackened, but we could never be serious contenders such is the intricate balance at Anfield currently in the current climate.

The recent worldwide financial chaos does not bode well for the owners either, hence the despairing hope of rescue by the Middle East. For now we remain at the mercy of those clubs whose giant stadiums are already built and the fiscal peculiarity that is Chelsea ‘Football Club’.

It’s doubly galling when we watch the latest example of Gerrard brilliance, since he’s the embodiment of the old Liverpool Way; discover the talent, nurture it and allow it to flourish.

Though money has become the obsession of choice, time is the one factor managers cherish above all others. Steven made his debut in a team squirming uncomfortably in mid-table.

Since Champions League qualification changed from a luxury to an imperative we’ve not come close to producing his like again. Coincidence? An outstanding goal in France gave us the start we needed in this year’s tournament, despite a schizophrenic team performance.

Fatigue was blamed for a dismal second half yet we’ve seen this kind of display before, where possession is only one tenth of the law.

Marseille weren’t going to forget or forgive December’s thrashing and gave a better account of themselves. Sometimes you just have to give the opposition credit, pocket the points and move on.

Then the minnows show up and spoil everything. Dropping points to Salif Diao may be the cue for ego shrinkage, but we’ve seen this kind of game at Anfield a hundred times.

In the manager’s Year Five every emotion is heightened. We were champions elect last week, now there’s gloom and perspective is an alien concept. All the money, all the talent, home advantage against a pub team and still it isn’t enough.

Makes you think football hasn’t lost the ability to surprise you for a few brief seconds, until normality returns and Goliath squashes David under his size 50 sandals for the umpteenth time.

Had the early goal stood it would certainly have been the first of many. People do miss the point of the ‘Respect the Ref’ campaign. Managers go berserk whenever there’s a mistake, meaning they’ll do it every week if allowed to.

But a decision like Marriner’s on Saturday makes you wonder if there’s a craving for attention and a paucity of common sense. If you’re giving offside decisions from the edge of the box respect will vanish.

Our finishing remains poor though and when panic sets in it inevitably gets worse. Stoke were praised for bravery and solidity when in fact they ought to have been buried.

Eight goals in eight games suggest this is a deep-rooted problem and not merely transient.

* Steven Kelly