Colm's Corner
Columnist: Colm Kavanagh

30 May 2005

Dark Forces – The Empire Strikes Back?

May The Fourth Be Still With Us?

Allowing for our perceived standing, going into the season just finished, we’ve had a dream season, finishing in fourth spot, successfully – in accordance with the rules – gaining entry into European Champions’ League Qualification Round Three.   Alongside Manchester United no less.  Caps well and truly doffed to Moyes, his staff and what was left of our first-team squad. 

There’s a part of me quite mindful of the fact that we stumbled towards that finish line a mere 34 points behind champions Chelsea, collecting less points over the second half of the season than West Bromwich Albion in fact.  However, be it a stumble or a collapse over the finish line, it remains a fact that we finished ahead of Liverpool – the reward being entry into the Third Qualifying Round of next season’s Champions’ League.  The League table never lies, surely?  For once, we’re allowed to lose the run of ourselves and celebrate a fourth place finish even though we remain a world away from the weight of expectation “Nil Satis Nisi Optimum” supposedly demands.

I am also quite mindful of the fact that those wonderful people who run the Football Association have also put to bed any fears we Evertonians have regarding our participation in next season’s Champions' League tournament.  Chief Executive of the FA, Brian Barwick, said, “Liverpool finished outside the top four.  I think the FA were right and proper to put the top four in to the Champions League.  That's how teams kicked off in August, expecting a top-four finish to give them qualification or pre-qualification and that will not be changed.”   Nice to hear one renowned Kopite express a sense of perspective here!

Speaking of which…..has history been rewritten already?  Was it just me or did I really hear Liverpool manager, Rafa “Still” Beneathus, say, repeatedly, that his side would finish ahead of Everton to claim that fourth place spot, ensuring Champions’ League football.

Before the first derby of the season he said, “I know Everton are ahead of us at the moment and that they are having a good season, but the season is long and we are still only at the start of the race.   I prefer to wait and see where we are at the end.  I am sure we will improve our level in the second half of the season and finish in the top four.”

After the Goodison derby defeat, Beneathus said, “I've said it many times before but I have a lot of confidence in the team and we will be in the top four by the end of the season.  Why?  We have a good squad, good players who are training hard and who understand the situation, and it only takes two or three games to change everything.”

After then defeating Newcastle at Anfield, last December, he said, “I have a lot of confidence.  I think we will finish in the top four.  We know it is a long race and we need to win more games.”

Following the Djimi Traore Riverdance Special at Turf Moor, in the FA Cup Third Round, he offered this, “I have to think of the bigger picture.  I'm working to build a new team for the future.  If you want the team rebuilt, you need money.   You need to get into the Champions' League and get as far as possible because that means more finances.”  Spot on Mr Beneathus!  Words echoed by many Liverpool fans who then voted accordingly in an online poll on the Reds’ official website – the outcome being, and I quote, “92% of Fans Rate Top Four Finish Over Cup Success”. 

Before the trip to Cardiff, to face Chelsea in the Carling Cup Final, Mr Beneathus was focused on the upcoming trip to Charlton Athletic, “Now we have the Chelsea game to look forward to but before that there are a lot of big Premiership games, starting with the one at Charlton.  We know there's still a gap to close on the fourth placed team and we want to go about closing it as soon as possible.”

After a vital League win at The Valley, their official website, in jubilant mood, reported thus, “After trailing to a first-half header from Shaun Bartlett, the Reds showed much of the fighting spirit they will need if they are to overtake Merseyside rivals Everton in the race for the precious fourth-placed finish, and with it the chance to play in Europe's premier club competition next season.”  Ahem!

February 4^th saw the Reds in fighting mood – their official website once again setting the tone: Rafael Benitez today insisted Liverpool will win the race for the final Champions League place and declared: 'We’re better than Everton.'   The Reds remain seven points behind Everton following their fortunate victory over Norwich in midweek, but Benitez is remaining steadfast in the belief that his team will eventually overtake the Toffees.  And such is his confidence in his players, he hasn't even looked at the remaining fixtures for the other teams competing for that coveted fourth place.
 
"Sure, I think we are better than Everton.  In my opinion we have a better team and better players," he said.  "But they are having a very good season and they are working very hard and winning lots of games because they have a great team spirit.  But I still think we are a better team.  People ask me if I've studied the schedules of other teams, but I haven't.  I'm only interested in my team and what we have to do.  I didn't see the Everton game in midweek and haven't watched it since.  I saw the score at the end of the game and that was it.  I said to myself 'okay, it's seven points again'. 

"What they or any other team does isn't of interest to me really.  We know what we need to do and that is to reduce the gap.  Even if we come to the final month of the season and there is a gap to close then we will fight to do it.  I can promise you we will fight to the end.  Everton have won a lot of games 1-0 this season but I am sure they will lose more games before the end.  When they do we have to take advantage.  That's what I mean about it being up to us.  If we play well and win games then I am confident we will get fourth place.  I've never changed my opinion on that.”

Ever get the feeling that a lot of pathetic straw-clutching was already in place across the park, last February?

Seven days later, the official Liverpool website was previewing the trip to Birmingham City.  Oh dear…  Rafael Benitez has stressed that he and his players will not be distracted by results elsewhere this weekend as they aim to take another step towards Champions League qualification for next season.  The race for that coveted fourth place in the FA Barclays Premiership could well take a few twists and turns with each of the competing club's involved in tricky looking fixtures. While Liverpool go in search of maximum points at Birmingham, Middlesbrough (6th) and Bolton (7th) will be preparing to go head-to-head at the Riverside, while earlier in the day Everton (4th) entertain league leaders Chelsea.  Liverpudlians will certainly be hoping Chelsea can do them a favour by taking points off the Blues at Goodison but Benitez insists the Reds are focussed only on their game at St Andrews.
 
"If we want to reduce the gap we must win, we can't afford to worry about how other teams do and hope that they drop points.  Our idea is simply to beat Birmingham.  Our focus is on that and not other games.” 

Moving into March, anxiety kicking in across the park –

Rafa Benitez still has his sights set on 4th place regardless of Everton’s consistency this season.  Rafa gives a ’nothing is impossible’ rallying cry but admits that he’ll have a better picture in 15 days. Highlighting Liverpool's progression in the Carling Cup and Champions League (or having a bit of a dig at Everton's lack of cup success!), Rafa says: “Everton have an advantage.  They are not in a lot of competitions, so they can focus on the league games.  But they have won a lot and have consistency and confidence.  Each time you win it becomes like a snowball — you gain more confidence and improve.   We still believe we can do it, but I will discuss it again in 15 days because we have some very important games.  We must keep our heads up and fight, because it may be that we will need three points from the last game of the season to achieve what we want.   Nothing is impossible in football - we must fight to the very last week because we can achieve anything.”  The Everton fixture at Anfield on 20th March will no doubt be the game that both teams are focusing on.  With Liverpool trailing their city rivals by 8 points with 11 games to go (10 games for Everton), it will certainly be a must-win if we're to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League.

After Liverpool lost at Newcastle and Everton failed miserably, at home to Blackburn, the official website across the park was once again straw clutching – Rafael Benitez has promised his Liverpool players will keep fighting until the end of the season in a bid to secure fourth place in the Barclays Premiership.   Saturday's defeat at Newcastle was the Reds' eleventh of the season, although no ground was lost on Everton as David Moyes' men also crashed to defeat at home to Blackburn.  With ten games remaining and eight points to make up, Benitez knows his side need to hit a winning run sooner rather than later if their Champions League dreams are to be realised.  He said: "We will keep working hard until the end.  There are three points available for each game and it is important we keep trying.  We need to stay confident and believe we can do it.  We will keep fighting until the end.  It may be that we get three points on the final day and they're the points we need.  That's why it's important we don't give up.  But we need to start winning away from home.  If you do not win away then you cannot close the gap.  You make it very difficult.”

The visit from Blackburn Rovers saw the official website in battling form - Rafael Benitez is grateful to Blackburn Rovers for ensuring Liverpool are still in the race for a fourth place finish in the Premiership but he’s in no mood to show them any mercy at Anfield on Wednesday.   Blackburn's recent 1-0 defeat of Everton was a result that kept the Reds' aspirations of pipping the Goodison club to Champions League qualification very much alive.  Had the Toffeemen triumphed against Rovers eight days ago the gap between them and fifth placed Liverpool would have been eleven points.  As it stands there is only an eight-point gap between the two great Mersey rivals and an Anfield victory over Everton's conquerors in midweek will reduce the deficit to just five. Benitez was naturally delighted to see the Blues drop points but knows that result will count for little if his side suffer the same fate against Mark Hughes' side.  The Reds boss told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It was fantastic for us that they (Blackburn) beat Everton.  We were all watching this game and it was frustrating because we couldn't do anything about it.  Thankfully, they did us a favour.  It was very important for us that Everton didn't win that match.”   He further added, "If we do the same things in the Premiership as we have in Europe, we will have a good chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying again.”

Celebrating their Anfield derby win, Liverpool have closed the gap in the race for 4th place to just four points after goals from Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia gave them a well earned 2-1 victory over Everton at Anfield today.  …Rafa's men are now hot on the heels on David Moyes' 4th place side and they will surely take the fight for Champions League qualification to the wire if they continue play with the verve and desire they showed today…  But at the end all that mattered was the scoreline and this win puts Liverpool with firmly in the race to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

Bravado was now getting the better of some across the park – evidently the case with the tale of the Tortoise catching the Hair in the Race for 4^th! …Taking on the role of the shell-backed reptile is Liverpool.  Slow out of the starting blocks, beset by problems along the way and constantly written off.  On the other side of the track is Everton, in the guise of the long-eared mammal.  Long-time pacesetters for fourth and a side who, in certain quarters, have already been prematurely declared the winners.  But as the charge of the tortoise gathers pace, the hare suddenly seems to be stalling…. a football season is more reminiscent of marathon rather than a sprint and Liverpool are timing their run to perfection…. Saturday's defeat of Bolton coupled with Everton's demise at West Brom 24 hours later means that with seven games to go just one point now separates the two great Mersey rivals.  It was 11 at one stage before Christmas…. Come the end of the campaign we may well look back on the weekend that's just passed as a pivotal moment in this eagerly contested battle between Red and Blue… There may be no silverware on offer for the team that eventually emerges triumphant in this intriguing local spat but the riches that will be reaped from Champions League qualification, not to mention Mersey pride, will no doubt keep the football fans of this city on the edge of their seats between now and May 15….  In the story book, the tortoise prevails and wins the race.  Fingers crossed that fiction can become fact in this season's Premiership.

Oh dear.  Perhaps in a world of Brothers Grimm, eh?!

Liverpool then managed to yet again decline the invitation to increase the heat on our own misfiring team, by losing at Manchester City.  Manager Beneathus waxed lyrical about Champions League qualification being more important than any Champions League run!  With one eye on the upcoming trip to Turin for the CL clash with Juventus, Mr Beneathus said, “It is more important for us to finish fourth in the Premiership than it is to do well in the Champions League.  If we play to the level we can, we can still get there but if we do not improve on the mental approach we had today, it will be difficult for us.  You want to win every game of course but with our injury problems you need to be clear about what is more important.  Even if we won the next game against Juve we could go all the way and maybe lose the final and end up playing in the Uefa Cup.”

Speculating then that it could indeed go to the wire, Beneathus suggested, "I don't know if it's good that Bolton are now involved in the race as well but the last match of the season is Bolton against Everton, so maybe it's good for us!”

Rumours of a straw shortage at Anfield were instantly dismissed!

Further misfortune for our Red rivals arrived via the towering frame of one Duncan Ferguson, who sent Manchester United home from a vibrant Goodison Park empty-handed.  Though Liverpool also won on the same night, at Portsmouth, Beneathus lamented, “Okay Everton won — but we can only do our job and win our matches.  And if we make no headway then we must move on and win our next one.  That is all we can do.  We can only keep winning our next match and hope Everton make a mistake.  They didn't against United, so we must move on to the next game and keep hoping.  But we know we can't afford to lose anymore.  It is still a three-horse race for fourth and the final game is Bolton against Everton, and that might be good for us.  We do not know whether we need to win all four of our final games.  But the two away games this week are vital.  The difference between all three of us — Everton, Bolton and ourselves — is only a few points.  If we look at the table all the time it will make it more difficult for us.  The most important thing is to win our next match, we can do no more.”

With games rapidly running out and chances not being taken to grab fourth place, the scenario (first noted months ago) surrounding the possibility of Liverpool winning the Champions’ League but finishing outside the four qualifying places offered via the Premiership, began to receive closer attention across the media.  Shit-stirrers aplenty, we read the taunts aimed our way, as the possibility of Liverpool “stealing” our fourth place spot (should we secure it) could not yet be dismissed.  Evertonians being Evertonians – well, it was only natural to express our time-honoured fear.  The FA being the FA – well, it was only natural that they would not comment till after the Liverpool v Chelsea Champions’ League semi-final had been decided.  Surely Mourinho’s Chelsea would put this saga to bed!

Wrong!  The saga was to continue. 

Mr. Beneathus demanded that his own side put this issue to bed once and for all, by claiming that last qualifying place in the Premiership – fourth place.   Benitez urged his players to try to prevent such a dangerous situation by claiming the Champions League place through the Premiership route.  Realistically, Liverpool needed to win their remaining three matches, starting with the visit to Anfield of Middlesbrough, to put any pressure on Everton, who enjoyed a four-point lead with a game in hand.  Benitez insisted that victory over Boro was more important than the return leg of the semi-final with Chelsea.  “For me this is the most important game.  We could end all the debate simply by finishing fourth and we have to try and do that.   Chelsea is a big game but if we finish fourth then we will be in the Champions League for certain, and that is what matters.  If we had won at Palace last week it would be much closer and Everton would be under more pressure so I was very disappointed with that defeat.   Now we must concentrate on the next one.  If we lose against Boro, then it could be all over for us.”

However, prior to defeat at Arsenal (which secured our own fourth place finish in the Premiership), Mr Beneathus opted to offer a different opinion to anything he had previously stated, “We will go into the Arsenal game knowing it is another final for us, a Champions League game and one we have to win.  I have no comment on the situation over qualification for next season, the best thing is not to talk about all the things surrounding that.  My objective is to take the team to Arsenal concentrating on one thing, and that is winning.  Afterwards maybe we can talk, but the most important thing is to be focused on this one match and not all the things around us.”

Furthermore, after the Arsenal defeat, defending his team’s somewhat erratic form domestically, he stated, “We will remain positive.  Real Madrid finished fifth one season and won the Champions League, the next season they won the league.”  Indeed, the straws were back out across at Anfield!

In the aftermath of their astoundingly fortunate triumph via a penalty shoot-out in Istanbul, we heard further bleatings from the man who had all season blabbered on ad nauseum about finishing fourth.  Fourth, fourth, fourth, fourth.  A minimum finish, in fourth place, to guarantee Champions’ League inclusion the following season.  Thems the rules, no?  Seemingly not so according to Beneathus – “Winning the Champions League with Liverpool was the biggest night of my life in football.  It was fantastic.  The champions must defend the title.  I was thinking the other day that if you go to play the European Super Cup and play the Inter-Continental Cup and you are not in the Champions League that is not common sense.  They (Uefa) must hear the people and they must use their common sense.”

Which people is that Mr. Beneathus?!  Does it include people who support other clubs – supporters of clubs who have qualified for next season’s competition in accordance with the rules already set in place, and understood by all competing teams?  Common sense?  Uefa?  Hah…that’s be a first!

And so to today, May 30^th, the media clamour to ensure “justice” prevails and that the Champions are included in next season’s tournament continues to build up a head of steam.  Before I carry on, I am certain that a number of you (if you’ve managed to get this far!) are shaking your head in disbelief and thinking, to yourselves, what’s the fuss about here – we’re fourth, we’re in and that’s that.  End of argument.  I can’t say I disagree with that sentiment but perhaps it’s worth a timely reminder that this is Liverpool we’re talking about here.  This is the very same Liverpool we wrote off over the winter months and continued to do so as they found themselves drawn to face both Juventus and Chelsea.  Even after they rode their luck, to a degree, to make the CL Final, we mocked their chances.  Three goals down at half time in the Champions’ League Final we mocked them again, loving every minute of their demise.  We should have known better than to relish their demise before the final whistle had blown. 

THEY ARE THE DARK SIDE…

The Dark Side moves in mysterious ways.  How often have we witnessed it over the years?  They, like every other club – be that a G14 one or Uefa one and G14 don’t give a shit about – knew the rules for qualification before a ball was kicked last August.  Failure to finish in the top four domestically seriously damages your cashflow.  They all know that from the off.  Which is why I’ve trawled the official Liverpool website, using the various quotes, to try to convey the mood of Beneathus, and his red horde, as they chased us for that precious prize over the latter months.  Ultimately ending in (bless!) failure.

A part of me completely agrees with the belief that reigning champions have at least earned the right to defend what they’ve won – Liverpool being no different to any previous winners of the Champions’ League.  Much has been made of the precedent involving the replacing of Real Zaragoza, with Real Madrid, some seasons back and if that was the case then why not similarly with Liverpool this season?  Well, that’s Spanish football for you.  I believe the Spanish FA “pressurised” (ahem) Zaragoza into accepting their demotion, to Uefa Cup football, allowing Real Madrid to defend their European crown. 

The English FA have already gone on record as stating that the teams finishing in the top four places will represent England in next season’s competition.  They also stated that they would push for Liverpool’s addition to the four clubs already selected should they win the Champions’ League, which is now the case.  I think it’s fair comment to state that the current custodians of Everton Football Club know they’d be bloody well lynched if they even considered “financial remuneration” and making way for the current European Champions’ League holders in next season’s competition.

Thing is though, how can Liverpool be “accommodated” without upsetting someone who has spent all season long trying to qualify for the Champions’ League competition, abiding by the rules laid down by both Uefa and their national association?  Quite simply, they can’t!  We’ve seen rule changes (ridiculous as they may well be) whereby the holders of both World Cup and European Nations Cup are now forced to qualify for the next tournament – the days gone whereby holders received automatic entry into the next tournament.  If rules have been set in place, by FIFA and Uefa respectively, to ensure holders no longer receive automatic entry to defend their title, then why should it suddenly become any different for Liverpool Football Club and their dreams of defending their title? 

Quite simply, they’ve had 38 Premiership games to ensure this became a non-issue.  I keep telling myself that this remains a non-issue – and that is what it should really be!  But this is Liverpool, the Dark Side, and I refuse to rule anything out until we’re playing in a Champions’ League qualifier and they in a Uefa Cup tie.  Would those in the media who are championing “justice” (sic) on this non-issue equally champion a similar cause if the winners were Italian?  Or German?  Spanish?  I very much doubt it!

One of the “aims” of the G14 cabal is “to promote and improve professional football in all its aspects and safeguard the general interests of the member clubs” — yeah, a load of verbal diarrhoea from the self-serving suits who’ve ruined European club football over recent seasons in order to preserve those “general interests of member clubs”.  G14, they tell us, like to “promote co-operation and good relations between G-14 and Fifa, Uefa and any other sporting institutions and/or professional football clubs, paying special attention to negotiating the format, administration and operation of the club competitions in which the member clubs are involved.”  Which means, one way or another, they’ll pay that “special attention to negotiate the format” to ensure one of their own, the current holders, gets to further enjoy a G14 slice of next season’s cake.  If that’s at the expense of some shower of plebs, an irritant upon the shoe of G14, then so be it.  It’s in the better interests of the competition and, of course, our sponsors.  Bullshit, the lot of it.

Of course, we’ve also got our good friend Mr Beckenbauer (from – surprise! surprise! – G14 club, Bayern Munich) offering his support:  “How can we turn our backs on them and say 'No, you are not welcome'.  It won't be the same if the champions are missing.”   Funny…the next World Cup is being held in Beckenbauer’s back yard and I’ve not seen or heard one utterance from him bemoaning Brazil’s plight in having to qualify for a tournament they won in 2002, in Japan.  Maybe Beckenbauer’s comments have more to do with canvassing votes for the next Uefa Presidential Elections!

One of the complications that arises with the possible inclusion of Liverpool alongside ourselves and the other English clubs who legitimately qualified is that it possibly affords the English clubs an advantage in obtaining a higher co-efficient, at the expense of our main European rival nations (Italy, Spain and Germany).  This scenario obviously poses a problems for the mentioned nations, and understandably so.  If the roles were reversed and the English FA was viewing the possibility of five Italian clubs all playing Champions’ League football next season you can bet your last pound that the English FA would cry foul, “protecting our interests”.

Nothing is ever fair in love or war, it has often been said, and I fully expect this to run and run and run.  Uefa have indicated that they will, erm, “discuss” this matter at a meeting in Manchester on June 17^th.  What’s to discuss? scream Evertonians!  Again, I’ll remind you — THEY ARE THE DARK SIDE.  I fully expect a swinging pendulum of emotions over the coming three weeks, as speculation, one way or the other, will be rife.  Of course, the clamour for Liverpool’s inclusion will, predictably, be loudest.  We can expect a very political game of football between the suits from Uefa and the suits from the English FA. 

Of course it goes without saying that a lot of minds would be at ease if our mate from across the park, Liverpool CEO Rick Parry, came out and stated clearly that he does not want to see Liverpool play Champions’ League football at the expense of Everton Football Club.  Of course he won’t say that – he’s too clever to allow himself, and Liverpool Football Club, be placed in that uncomfortable position whereby they publicly close one possible avenue into next season’s competition.  It would be nice all the same to see Everton Football Club seek clarification on this matter from across the park.  It would be nice also to see the Liverpool Echo chase Mr Parry for confirmation that Liverpool FC seek Champions’ League inclusion not at our expense.  Until we hear otherwise I refuse to dismiss this possibility.  THEY ARE THE DARK SIDE!

When it comes to dealing with THE DARK SIDE we must learn to be wary – expect the unexpected.  T'was ever thus I’m afraid.  It goes without saying that come June 17^th – may the fourth be still with us.

In more ways than one…

Colm Kavanagh

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