Don’t get your hopes up United fans, Liverpool have got no chance against Chelsea

Today’s game between Liverpool and Chelsea is being billed as a title decider. A victory for Chelsea would move them three points closer to securing the Premier League title, after three years of dominance by Manchester United.

Liverpool – the underdogs – are being hailed as United’s potential saviours. If they can take just one point from today’s game  the title pendulum would swing back in United’s favour.

Speculation has been rife that Liverpool won’t put up much of a fight, because they have nothing left to play for and won’t want to help United clinch their 19th league title; one more than Liverpool.

Indeed, some internet polls have even shown that many Liverpool fans would happily watch their team lose if it meant that United didn’t win the title. I guess that’s what happens when bitterness and hatred of your rivals becomes more important than the love you have for your own club.

Liverpool faced a similar dilemma at the end of the 1994/95 season. Beat Blackburn and help United win the league, or roll over and Blackburn become Champions. Despite the speculation that Liverpool wouldn’t be up for it, they actually went out and beat Blackburn. It was United that failed to win their game so Blackburn on the league anyway.

I do believe that Liverpool’s players are more professional than their fans. They care more about winning, about honour, about pride. They’ll go out onto that Anfield pitch and give their all. They’ll do their best to beat Chelsea, regardless of how it affects the title race.

However, it won’t be good enough. No matter how hard they try, Liverpool are a shadow of their former selves. They’re suspect defensively. Their midfield is weak and without Fernando Torres they’ll be relying on the world’s best defensive striker Dirk Kuyt or even worse, David N’Gog.

Since Xabi Alonso’s departure to Real Madrid last Summer, they’ve had nobody capable of dominating the midfield and dictating the pace of the game. Alberto Aquilani may still turn out to be that player, but his injury record this season means the jury is still out on him.

They also sold Alvaro Arbeloa and replaced him with Glen Johnson, who is basically a right winger playing at right back. He’s fantastic going forward, but he leaves gaping holes in the defence that Jamie Carragher simply hasn’t got the legs to cover anymore. Indeed Carragher is probably Liverpool’s biggest liability. He appears to be so self conscious about his lack of pace, that he steps further and further backwards during the course of the game, looking for the security of the 18 yard box. This in turn means the rest of the back four has to move with him or else players will be able to run in behind while Carragher plays them onside. The knock on effect doesn’t stop there though. Their midfield is also affected. When top teams are attacking, the defence usually hovers around the halfway line, meaning that any clearances from the opposition are quickly mopped up, the ball is given back to the midfield and another wave of attacks can be started. With Carragher creating such a deep defensive line, Liverpool lose the ability to pen teams into their own half.

What Liverpool lack, Chelsea have in spades. They’re solid at the back. They have central midfielders galore and they have one of the best strikers in the league in Didier Drogba. They also carry a threat from the wide areas with the in form French winger Florent Malouda and recent returnee Joe Cole, as well as Salomon Kalou and Nicolas Anelka who can provide a goal threat from wide.

So for all the speculation and conspiracy theories suggesting Liverpool won’t put the effort in tomorrow. It’s irrelevant. Liverpool can try their hardest, but the fact is that Chelsea are currently a far superior side who should have no problems putting several goals past the Anfield club.

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