The bubble burst, but we’re still there

NOW can our title claims be taken seriously? … Kelly, shut your big fat gob.

I had to ask didn’t I? Years of subservience to the darker side of life and stubborn refusal to acknowledge the sunshine if there’s a cloud within a million mile radius, tossed into the flickering embers of one excellent win in the capital.

We were getting a little too comfortable with the invisible helping hand. Deflected goals, own goals, red cards and brainstorm penalties. When would it end? Never, we were hoping, as implausible as that sounds.

After the monsoon misery of White Hart Lane, fans moan about the fickle finger of fate. Excuse me, but weren’t you just saying (for the past two months) that teams make their own luck?

Houllier’s use of the word “blip” was enough to give me palpitations for years, but I’m still sorely tempted to use it for the Tottenham defeat, despite a sliver of fear that we may finally have been found out.

We just have no killer instinct whatsoever, and if the opposition ‘hang in there’ they know they’ll get something. Even Portsmouth almost did it in a game that was drab beyond words, rescued by the strangest penalty you’ll ever see.

Whoever arranged a midweek fixture in the middle of the Champions League group stage ought to be taken out and shot.

It meant a little more rotation was necessary, after we’d stopped mentioning it or arguing about it. We’re forced to take a somewhat arrogant stance with teams like Pompey, measuring the threat level as minimal and selecting accordingly. A dangerous game.

Certain players are starting to take the hint, knowing they’re stand-ins and not stars and beginning to play like it. Pennant certainly, Lucas to an extent, even Babel only gets to start a few games as his Supersub tag refuses to go away. He made some breathtaking runs last week but almost inevitably stumbled when he came to pass, shoot or cross.

Thierry Henry one minute, Lenny Henry the next.

The paradox with games like Portsmouth is that we want the ‘first’ team out there. You know they’re going to park the bus and we need all the ingenuity we can get. Thanks to their late gift we snuck away with another three points and that’s when people start whispering about “our year, sign of a successful team” and all that hogwash.

So Saturday should provide some relief, with reality biting and drawing blood. It didn’t feel that way at the time of course, but maybe we’ll make more progress with feet firmly planted on terra firma rather than sticking our head in the clouds.

There’s little point in discussing the game itself. There should only have been one winner and not even ‘arry denied it.

How bitterly ironic that we were hit by an equaliser after dominating the previous 20 minutes and creating so many chances. During a tedious first half we seemed content to rest on what we had and silence the crowd.

Moan about misfortune all you wish, but our finishing has been substandard for years and almost every win this season has involved a nail-biting climax, clinging to a slender lead. We shouldn’t be surprised by the occasional bizarro turnaround.

Defeat will bring doubters scuttling to the surface and quiet contentment will be replaced by mild panic. It’s understandable to an extent, the bigger picture not always being visible to everyone.

Critics keep their heads down and mouths shut because nothing camouflages flaws better than victory.

Some concerns have been there for a while though. For example, when is Robbie Keane going to finish a match? His substitution at Spurs looked like it was pre-planned no matter what was happening in the game.

We don’t know what goes on at the training ground or in the treatment room and he passed up a few opportunities to shoot that he never would have in his pre-Anfield days. He may well have looked narked because of the numbskull jeers that greeted his return, but being dragged off in every single game can’t be doing much for his confidence with the return of Torres imminent.

Level with Chelsea is not the worst place in the world to be having these discussions, and this month’s fixtures do look pretty easy… Damn. I’ve done it again haven’t I?

Steven Kelly