Anytime Liverpool take on Manchester United in a game it can go one of three ways for me. If it’s a draw you feel somewhat let down that nothing was resolved and it leaves both sets of fans delving deep into the suitcase of excuses as to why their team deserved to win it but didn’t or how the referee prevented them hammering the other. If it’s a a defeat you know your Facebook page is going to light up with abuse from friends out to remind you of your teams real status as a result of that game. It’s best often to sign off from the world for a few days, find something else to watch for a while and pretend it never really happened. But, if it’s a win, then your weekend is made and you can spend whatever free time you have ensuring those same friends are on the sharp end of your delight.

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This is how it looked the last time Liverpool made it to Wembley

The last time Liverpool played a game at Wembley it was May 1996. John Barnes, Jamie Redknapp, Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler were in the lineup and those cream suits were the butt of jokes for a generation. That was the F.A. Cup Final against Manchester United and although the club have been back to Cup Final’s since then, those finals were at the Mellenium Stadium in Cardiff while the new Wembley was being built. Indeed, since the new Wembley opened it’s doors in 2007, an amazing 60 different teams have played there without Liverpool having made an appearance. Last night’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City resulting in a 3-2 aggregate victory ensured that they would finally make their new Wembley debut’s.

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After a string of poor performances by Liverpool, the pitchforks are out and the torches are being lit. Questions are being asked in some media circles about the purchases made by manager Kenny Dalglish with most of the attention being poured on and almost daily basis via some article or another, onto the shoulders of £35-million man, Andy Carroll. Despite the fact that no player sets his own fee, the likes of Carroll has been joined by Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson as players being hailed as ‘transfer busts’ by the club. Rightly neither of the three have panned out, but for each of them there has been a Luis Enrique, Charlie Adam, Craig Bellamy and Luis Suarez; not to mention the money brought in by the sale of Fernando Torres.

Under Kenny Dalglish’s tenure let’s take a look at his purchases, sales and analyse them by the player age, position, the price paid, whether I’d make the deal again and a reason to be positive about that player going forward.

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Dalglish didn’t like what he seen from his team, but deserves the chance to put it right

If there is to be a worse performance by Liverpool this season then I hope I am unable to be in front of a television to watch it. Today’s 3-1 away defeat to Bolton had better be the low point of the season and certainly the last time I have to watch a Liverpool side put forward such a lack of effort or willingness to be in the game. Only Craig Bellamy, Steven Gerrard and the ever dependable Pepe Reina can hold their heads high on the club bus ride back up to Liverpool and Kenny Dalglish knows it having threatened after the game to wield the axe of change on anyone not properly focused.

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Adidas have long been associated with Liverpool. They were there at the tail end of the glory days in the mid-late 80′s and baring a short hiatus when the club went with Reebok, they have been with them through the last several years. But now it would seem their loss of support for, and faith in the club is Liverpool’s gain after it was announced the club had signed a £25-million kit deal with Warrior Sports.

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Dirk Kuyt was never likely to be goal threat as a loan striker despite work-rate

It’s becoming all to common this season. A draw at home against a team we really ought to be beating if we hold any aspirations of finishing in the top four. Today’s nil-nil snooze fest against Stoke City made it seven home draws — yes, seven — from just 11 home games. Yes we’re undefeated at Anfield but that is still a lot of dropped points and when you consider the side is just five points out of that forth place you can’t help but wonder what might be if they had been a little more clinical. That lack of finishing has been the story of Liverpool’s season with just 24 in 21 games.

It’s all well and good talking about how many times the woodwork has intervened and how often they have dominated their opposition, and while it is all true, history shows that good teams find a way to get results and there’s only so long you can bang the “what if” drum of bad luck. Liverpool’s lineup today looked far to negative to me for a team playing at home. It wasn’t the three at the back that bothered me though — with the pace of Johnson and Enrique as wing-backs that kind of defensive formation has the potential to be quite positive — but rather going with just one man up front: Dirk Kuyt.

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When Andy Carroll joined Liverpool for £35 million many felt that the next thing to arrive at the club would be a hatful of goals courtesy of the big mans head. Sadly things haven’t worked out quite as many might have hoped, and as the games go on the groans in the stands begin to get louder, but having turned 23 just last week, a little perspective is required and certainly a large dose of patience.

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