A major pileup of fixtures at a critical juncture may derail their ambitions to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition, but they are garnering little sympathy from their rivals and the media alike. Although Sky Sports don’t have the rights to the Champions League, they must be very grateful for it all the same. In a season where Man Utd have simply run off with the prize, the battle for slots two and three has helped to maintain our interest in the top of the table.

 As with the last few seasons, an exciting scramble is in full flow for the Champions League places on offer. And for the second season running, and the third in five seasons, Liverpool look likely to miss out. 

For Liverpool, failure to qualify will again be a major disappointment, having gone so close last season only to fail to score in any of their last five league games. This season also seems now to be going the wrong way in terms of qualification.

But the circumstances are different, but perhaps more cruel. With only one point garnered from games against their main rivals for third spot, Leeds and Ipswich, in the last 4 days and with Chelsea coming with a late run on the rails, the Reds are in a precarious position. 

Sadly for them, even victory in either of the two cup competitions they still contest might not take away the pain of missing out on third spot, such is the power and lure of the Champions League. 

It’s a sad state of affairs that what could be a great season in terms of silverware could appear ruined by failure to finish even third in the league. That Liverpool could lose out due to a ridiculous schedule of games will make it harder to bare for Reds fans. 

However, they are not getting a huge amount of sympathy for their plight. After all, critics jibe, the Liverpool sides in their heyday played over 70 games in a season with a squad of only half the size. In fact, in 1984, the Liverpool captain Phil Neal played the whole season with a broken toe for fear that he would lose his place. They had not even heard of groin strains in those days. Squad rotation had not been invented. So what are the current crop whining about? 

But comparing Liverpool sides now and then is unfair and unsatisfactory. The game itself has changed enormously since then but so too have the fortunes of Liverpool FC. The Liverpool sides of the 1970s and 1980s were at the very top of the game in Europe. They were used to punishing schedules and could call on massive experience. By 1984, Souness, Lawrenson, Hansen, Dalglish, Rush, Whelan etc were in their prime. Winning was a habit, no matter how many games had to be played. Continuity was the key. 

But that was then and this now. Liverpool have spent the best part of ten years in the doldrums. In the last two years, the squad has been almost totally revamped. Only now is Gerard Houllier getting the players and the squad he wants. The intensity of today’s game means that clubs vying for success cannot hope to win through using only 14 players. 

Large squads are critical, but finding the right players and the managing their expectations has become increasingly difficult. Houllier has yet to find the formula, but he is only two years into the job. Building for continual success is a long term project. That they have done so well thus far in cup and league is a testament to his methods. That they are now beginning to struggle is a testament to how far they still have to travel. 

The lung-busting intensity of today’s game also makes dealing with the kind of fixture pileup faced by Liverpool even more difficult to handle. Mark Lawrenson or Alan Hansen saying that they did not feel tired when on their charge in 1984 is completely irrelevant. The game has moved on hugely since then. Some comments made by Robbie Fowler help highlight this fact. 

In a recent interview, Fowler explained how difficult he was finding the pace and intensity of the game after almost two years on the sidelines with injury. If the game has moved that far in two years, how far must it have come in nearly 20? The game was so much slower then, for a start, when Hansen and Lawrenson graced the field. The fact that goalkeepers could pick up back passes lessened the rigours of the game. Nil-nil in a away tie in Europe, knock it back to Grobbelaar for the first 20 minutes and kill the crowd and the pace of the game.

One nil up away to Coventry in the League, the same principle applied. Kill off the adventure of your opponent, bore their fans into submission and give your midfield a break. Such a luxury is not afforded to any side today. Its funny how at the beginning of the season, Houllier was criticised for constantly changing his lineup. 

Now, as we enter the final weeks of the season, he is told that he has a big enough squad to cope. Where Liverpool were commended for taking the Worthington Cup seriously, now they penalised for their success, as the football authorities refuse to reschedule the Ipswich game, which had to be moved initially because of Liverpool’s progress to the Cardiff final. 

Next season, that cup competition is sure to be undermined even more as Liverpool follow the lead of Arsenal and Man Utd and field a reserve side. What other response should they give? When Ferguson was asked before last week’s game against Liverpool if he was sympathetic to Liverpool’s plight, he answered with a steely No. The pain of losing the championship to Leeds in the early 90s when his men experienced a similar fixture pile up was still there for all to see.

That Liverpool refused to accommodate Utd then still rankled. Liverpool may still have to face such heartbreak. But if they are going to be real contenders for Utd’s crown, they will have to adapt to the demands. They should expect no favours from their opponents, but nor should they give any. Sadly Sir Alex’s reaction shows why the problem of fixture congestion will continue to arise. He has partially solved it for himself by dropping the Worthington Cup from his schedule. 

Indeed the FA Cup is viewed at Old Trafford with only passing interest. But Liverpool, as Houllier knows, are still far from successful enough to pass up the opportunity to win silverware, be it the Worthington Cup or any other. But the Frenchman knows also that the lessons from the last two seasons must be rammed home into his young side if they are to achieve their goals in the coming seasons.

What do you reckon? Mail Paul at littleatlarge@dangerhere.com 
or post your thoughts on our message boards.