Web creaks as skipper speaks from heart

The last time Liverpool won a league title, back in 1990, the internet had not yet been invented; but such is the incredible interest surrounding the current team’s bid to win a first title in 24 years it would be no surprise to see the worldwide web collapse under the pressure of their latest victory.

The pictures of an impassioned Steven Gerrard pulling his team together for a celebratory huddle at Anfield after they beat Manchester City 3-2 will surely become some of the most watched and iconic in football history.

You wonder if Tim Berners Lee, who produced the first web page in October 1990, six months after Kenny Dalglish led Liverpool to their 18th league championship the previous April, could ever have imagined his invention would bring so much worldwide focus to a football match in north-west England.

But all the same there was something raw and intense about the footage that spoke deep to every football fan around the globe; it summed up in a few seconds what winning trophies really means, even in this strange era when footballers earn €200,000 a week.

Certainly, on the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, it would be difficult to stop the hairs on the back of you neck rising in recognition of the raw passion on show — passion that sent out a huge message to the Premier League that Liverpool will fight to the end to win this title, not only for themselves but in memory of those who died 25 years ago.

What was significant, too, is that even in the heat of a frenetic and impressive win, Gerrard was imploring his team-mates to think about Norwich at Carrow Road next weekend and to add to the 10 wins in a row that have left Liverpool in charge of their own destiny.

The way the Anfield giants are doing it on the pitch speaks just as loud as Gerrard’s words; because they have now scored 93 goals this season — 15 more than the victorious side of 1990, which of course included Irish legends such as Steve Staunton, Ray Houghton and Ronnie Whelan, and seven more than free-scoring rivals City this remarkable campaign.

It was an attacking performance again at Anfield, too, right from the moment the excellent Raheem Sterling started the game at a frightening pace by opening the scoring after only six minutes. Further goals from Martin Skrtel and the winner from Philippe Coutinho only underlined that Liverpool have now overtaken City as the league’s top entertainers — and that’s without Luis Suarez getting on the scoresheet this time.

Comparisons with the champions of 1990 no longer seem embarrassing; whereas Dalglish’s side boasted Ian Rush and John Barnes, the current strike partnership of Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have out-scored them, and, of course, captain Gerrard already has his place in history alongside the skipper of 24 years ago, Alan Hansen.

The only question remaining is whether Liverpool, who now have the title to lose rather than to win, can cope with the pressure in the remaining four games, in particular at home to Chelsea on April 27.

The evidence, on the basis of this match in particular, is that they can.

It all means that Liverpool’s first title win since the birth of the worldwide web is now tantalisingly close. What on earth will the web traffic be like if they finally do it?