SKY versus Liverpool FC (and reality)

“Reds held by battling Rovers: Ngog comes closest in dull draw at Ewood” screams the headline on SKY Sports. Not “Rovers held by Reds”. No, it was the away team that was held by the home team and only the home time ‘battled’.

“Liverpool's top four aspirations suffered another blow after being held to a 0-0 draw by Blackburn at Ewood Park,” continued the media giant’s latest propaganda release. Once again, note the emphasis on Liverpool’s aspirations. Do Blackburn have no aspirations of their own?

You would think that Liverpool had a divine right to be awarded three points simply for turning up at Ewood Park. Blackburn are an established Premiership club who are unbeaten in their last 9 home matches. Is it truly a shock that Liverpool – still without Torres – didn’t win? With City having drawn 6 consecutive matches including home games against Fulham, Burnley and Hull, is Liverpool’s third draw of the campaign really “another blow”? Disappointing for Liverpool supporters, yes, but in the context of the season, this was definitely a point gained and not two lost. If we were to miss out on 4th place by 2 points, I won’t be looking back to those dropped at Ewood Park thinking that was where it went wrong.

We deserved at least a point at Sunderland, all three away at Fulham and at home to Birmingham and were unlucky not to take more points from Tottenham away and Man City at home.

Had Man Ure or Chelsea played badly and avoided defeat, they would have been hailed for their resilience. We played badly but took a point. I’m not happy with the performance but I am happy we took a point.

“Blackburn deserved their point in a good week which also saw them beat Chelsea in the Carling Cup quarter-finals,” droned SKY. Logically, if Blackburn deserved their point then a draw was a fair outcome and therefore Liverpool must have deserved their point – not that we are given any credit. The report reluctantly acknowledges that “Liverpool substitute David Ngog came closest to scoring midway through the second half when he hit the underside of the crossbar from Glen Johnson's cross,” which would suggest that if any team might have won, it would have been Liverpool yet only Blackburn are credited with deserving their point.

Of course, this directly contradicts the ‘expert’ analysis from Matt Le Tissier under the headline: “No chance, Rafa: Blackburn the likelier scorers in Ewood Park stalemate”. How can it be true that Blackburn were “the likelier scorers” when also declaring “Ngog came closest to scoring” against the “battling” Rovers?

It is yet more negative bile spewed about Liverpool and is so, so typical of SKY Sports. Blackburn are praised for being dreadful to watch in a horrible spectacle of football whereas Liverpool get slaughtered. A point at home for Blackburn is apparently a good result whereas a point away for Liverpool is a “blow”. Blackburn were effectively relegated to the role of supporting act in what is ultimately an agenda-driven narrative about how badly Liverpool are doing.

A mate who watched the Man City v Arsenal Carling Cup game on Wednesday told me the commentators for that game were talking about Liverpool. It doesn’t surprise me as I hear that sort of thing all the time. Why discuss us during a match in which we are not playing in a competition in which we are no longer involved? SKY just want to take every opportunity to reinforce the view that Liverpool are doing terribly.

Before the derby, a mate of mine who supports Everton told me we were having a bad season. This from an Evertonian! They had just lost 3-2 to Hull City and were languishing in the bottom half of the Premiership. Do you hear SKY lambasting “the brilliant” David Moyes? Of course, not. In fact, I’ve even heard them acknowledging his injury crisis. Ever heard them do the same for Liverpool? When Moyes tried to play hardball over want-away Joleon Lescott, SKY insisted he has to sell the player to City and that not doing so would be detrimental to Everton longer term. The same pundits slam Rafa for selling want-away Xabi Alonso!

SKY’s agenda includes feeding the perception that Tottenham and even City are doing well whereas we, who were ahead of City and just 3 points behind Tottenham going into yesterday’s games are having a terrible season. Have either Tottenham or City been as handicapped as Liverpool firstly in terms of having no money to spend other than that which their managers generated from player sales and secondly in terms of suffering injury after injury to deprive them of their best players and any chance of a settled first team? In the circumstances, for Liverpool to be in and around those far more expensively assembled teams is an achievement but unfortunately most people can’t see beyond the name of Liverpool Football Club.

If we talk about history, prestige and size of fan base, Liverpool Football Club should finish comfortably above the likes of City and Spurs season after season but history, prestige and size of fan base don’t win football matches. Players win football matches and the best players cost the highest prices – prices we cannot pay.

Unfortunately, SKY have everyone by the short and curlies. Walk away from SKY and you won’t see much live football. Watch matches on SKY and you are forced to listen to the toxic views of bitter individuals who want nothing more than to see Liverpool and Rafa fail (like they did as players and managers).