Liar, liar.....

Pants on fire...

Ok, now that I've gotten the post-Manc jubilation post out of the way, back to business. :-)

Didn't I say I'd post more regularly? Smack my head. I worry that I let you down but then remember you good folks (those that do actually read this stuff) already know where to look for regular updates, match reports and the like. If you had to wait for me for those things, well...we'll have a new stadium before then!

But I'm well-intentioned at least - we all know the difference between a white lie (where the truth is in there but is maybe covered with a little padding to avoid hurt feelings), and the outright baldy-faced, sh*t-stirring lies.

It's really been a miserable couple of weeks. Before Sunday, four losses on the bounce, an(other) international break that's done the usual job of returning our players to us in physical/mental pieces, George Gillett talking sh*te and fans even talking more so about what's Rafa really accomplished, are we really any better than when he took over, etc. etc.

I'm not quite sure why people were surprised there'd be some growing pains as players got used to slightly different roles. I'm not quite sure why people don't think players flying halfway across the world with no/little time to train with their teammates is *not* going to have impact on form and fitness (assuming they're even able to play at all). We've had a central defender who came through a serious injury last season and just recently recovered from a hamstring injury this preseason get clocked by a teammate in the opening game against Spurs. A distracted national team captain whose squad - once (and still likely) favorites to win next year's World Cup - were on the brink of missing out on the tournament altogether.

When things go wrong, it becomes far too easy for people to start hyperventilating and wanting to rip apart everything that gotten us where we are, especially if they were skeptical of players or methods to begin with. Was last May really that long ago? You know, when we finished 2nd, having conceded fewer goals than anyone and scoring more than anyone? Did it really all turn to sh*t just because Xabi Alonso left? Come on. But no, the poor start was all down to Xabi's absence, to zonal marking being useless, to becoming a team that's got no creativity and no goal scorers besides Nando and Steve, and blah blah blah, blah blah and blah.

Out came the fans who openly dismissed Benitez's achievements and crucified him over transfers, tactics, global warming. And out came those same fans with proclamations that now consecrated St. Gerard Houllier. If nothing else, it was a stark reminder of just how short attention spans are these days. (And trust me, this is not meant as a GH-bashing rant either. He took us forward from the Evans era, just as Rafa has done from those last bad years of Houllier's, and yes people - they were bad).


If the argument was that Benitez has taken us as far as he can, that'd be one thing. But that isn't the argument (and I'd disagree, if it needs to be said). It's that we're no better off, which is a porky of Pink Floyd dirigible-sized proportions.

The pundits tell lies on a regular basis. Some - in total, wilful ignorance of the Laws of the Game, came out with complete crap during the Sunderland game. "It's Reina's responsibility - no one to blame but himself for not clearing his area", some said. Making it sound like the rules that govern when the ball (the actual football, I mean) plays off the referee should also extend to a f*cking beachball thrown onto the pitch.

Mr. Ferguson was at it, too - how much Benitez has spent since his time at Liverpool: "ooh more than us, so I dinnae what Benitez is complaining aboot." Well, thanks very much for weighing in, you redfaced sot, but no one asked you, did they?

Can we get this straight, please? Having to rebuild the squad, the infrastructure of the club, will obviously cost a lot of cash. But Mr. Ferguson has routinely dropped upwards of £18-19mm on each purchase over the last few years, some costing double that. People seem to have forgotten that purchases on that scale are still a huge struggle for us and that we've still only spent that much on only 5 players in our history?

You expect lies from some of these quarters as there are still loads of people with axes to grind against Liverpool the team, Liverpool the city and Liverpool its people. But we've also had to put up with lies from within - from our so-called "custodians". These two hits on the 2009 "Lies about our Club" hitlist cannot be ignored as they come from those who are charged with our future:

• Christian Purslow with the easy listening MOR tune, "Rafa Had £20mm to Spend This Summer"; and
  

• George Gillett with the "in yo' face" defiant thrash rocker "We've Invested £120mm Out of Our Own Pockets (So Stop Blamin' Us)"

But in the midst of all the lies are those who diligently try to get the truth out, despite usually being slapped down over and over again for their trouble.

• Paul Tomkins with the brilliant writeup on his meeting with Rafa, laying bare some worn out myths

• Brian Reade and Tony Barrett exposing the seriousness of our current situation in their newspaper columns

• SOS with their 3-part "George is Telling Lies" video series on their website

Sure they'll be excused as Benitez apologists, as will anyone who backs up their assertions with any sort of evidence seems to be these days.

Lies are so easy to start and spread simply because they require NO substance behind them to get them going; just open your mouth or sit at a keyboard and go. Getting the truth out and fighting to make it heard above the din takes a hell of a lot more work. You have to research, you have to double-check and you have to be diligent as you'll constantly be questioned if not shouted down. You have to lay yourself on the line as you'll be the target of indifference at minimum, abuse and ridicule at the opposite end. But you keep fighting the good fight as you hope - you *know* - truth will win out.

All I want is some.