Deja Poo

Fuckin' Bolton. Jasus.

September has barely wiped its feet on the way out and already Liverpool's league challenge is as good as over. I now fret for our long term league chances under Rafa Benitez, because it seems the little Spaniard cannot rid the team of its deeply ingrained inability to beat middle of the road teams in the Premiership, week in and week out. It's this that has cost us a league title under our previous two managers as well, dropping points to lesser sides. We hold our own with the big guns so obviously the ability is there. Must be a mental thing.

Everyone thinks league titles are decided by a team's results against the division's leading lights and this is true to an extent. But far more important is the ability to get up for a game against some minnows from the arsehole of Backwatersville on a wet and windy Monday night. Look at Chelsea. When Ranieri was there, their results against the big teams were more than good enough to suggest they should be winning the league, but they frequently imploded on supposedly inferior missions at Ewood Park or The Dell. What Mourinho has done is rid them of that particular mental frailty and that's why they win leagues, even playing poorly they will always punish inferior opposition.

Every game Chelsea play you expect them to win. With Liverpool, certain games, especially away from home and you just know we're going to struggle against the little men who treat playing us as their cup final. It's a nasty habit we'd better get shut of and pretty quickly, else we can forget about ever winning a league no matter what stadium or what funding we have behind us.

To have lost 3 games by end of September in a season where we're supposed to be mounting a challenge is wholly depressing. It's not that I ever believed we could win it this year anyway, but the least I expected was to see something that would suggest next year could be the one. Instead, we're still floundering for consistency which suggests we're getting no closer.

Aston Villa have managed to stay unbeaten so far, and they've played Arsenal and been to Stamford Bridge as well. Obviously Liverpool's ambitions differ from Villa's in that not losing is good for Villa where Liverpool are expected to win, but there's a steel and defiance, an iron will and hunger in Villa under Martin O'Neill that the more illustrious scousers would do well to note and learn from.

And Reina's in me fantasy team too. I'll be flogging him this week.