MAKE-OR-BREAK: IS THAT SO? TEXT : NANTHA KUMAR

The most-hated Manure cum Evertonian fat boy photo is taken independently from charliegillett.com

We tend to build games against the scum to such heights that when the disappointment hits, we are at the lowest rung of morale. The match tonight is no exception. Should we read too much into the result?

There are not many Liverpool fans who, not surprisingly, would readily agree that the Reds, under Rafael Benitez, have over achieved. But would any other club have managed our record - two defeats in 28 league games - with uncertainties engulfing the club every other month? A club like Arsenal would love to have it and we must be grateful that we have not been completely sunk by now.

It is with this perspective that we need to approach the game against the scum. The pragmatists within our circle have always assumed that we will stumble along the race for the title - regardless of the advantage that we had. The difference between the scum and us is that they have actual strength indepth. The resources available to them - they are the richest club in the world- make it impossible for us to compete with them on a level playing field.

We complain about Lucas Leiva without looking at the impact a similar transfer signing has at other clubs. In May 2007, when the scum splashed out £18million on Anderson, we paid a meagre £6m for our Brazilian. None have bothered to point out that Anderson has slipped out of the radar at Gold Trafford. The scum can afford to write off their losses just as they did with the £32.5m they blew on Juan SebastianVeron.

Everything would be rosy if we are in a winning form; the world comes crashing down if we are not. And the same logic, it would seem, applies to the game against the scum. Apparently, a defeat will end any hopes that we had in recapturing the title we last won in Season 1989/90.

Hand on your heart now: did you really expect us to be challenging the scum at this stage of the season? There was a time when defeating the scum proved to be a highlight of our season, which is exactly how Everton fans feel about beating us.

We are not Everton and Benitez has given us a lot to look forward to in March and April. These used to be the months when even a tilt at the FA Cup had looked ambitious. And here we are, still in the running for the title - a long distance struggle it must be said - and Champions League glory.

We have beaten Chelsea twice this season and let the scum go with a respectable score line. The shifting of the goal posts in the Premiership era is such that these results guarantee nothing. This is where the work starts.

NOTES :

This article is taken from LSCM e-newsletter.