Well done Liverpool.

Sometimes you have to look at something differently. Sometimes an editorial agenda should be put aside and you have to call it as you see it. Opinions and feelings are not unconditional. It`s a bit like Honda Civics - I've always hated them, but the new one is lovely. Credit where it is due. Joss Stone is another example. Always disliked her and her music her for reasons I cannot coherently explain, but after seeing her at this year's Brit Awards, after picking my jaw off the floor, I have had to re-adjust my opinion. Single Malt Scotch. The taste and smell has always made me want to convulse on the floor, but recently, I've found myself warming to the fiery liquid. Conversely, I've always been partial to Brandy, and enjoyed a good drop quite frequently, but after a number of Ben-Hur-Epic sessions out on the beer (with Brandy chasers) post-game with my Dad, I have gone off it in a big, big way.

And so it was on Saturday with Liverpool.

As anyone who has visited this site ever will know, I am not a Liverpool fan. In fact, I would say they are one of four teams I would use the word 'hate' for. Indeed, they are at the top of that not-very-illustrious list. I hate everything about them, and always have done. Horrible team, horrible fans, horrible city: horrible everything. And yet on Saturday, I have to hold my hands up and say well done.

They played as well as I've seen them recently, and played good, attacking, flowing, direct football. I didn`t see one long-ball lumped up to Crouch. Gerrard didn`t dive at all hardly. Evra and Vidic were made to look like total mugs, and frankly the Red Mickeys were so much the better team it wasn`t funny. They outfought, outpassed, and outthought United, and the sheer, audacious robbery of that game took my breath away. Fergie's smug mug on Sky Sports afterwards reminded me how much I hate him. There was so much to admire about Liverpool on Saturday though. I actually took my temperature afterwards to see if I was ill, and then counted how many cans of Stella Actatwat I`d skulled to see if I was drunk. Nope - not even a bit.

Their home fans sing, and it sounded incredible on telly. As someone who remembers the days when we sang like that at the Bridge; you have to respect that. There isn`t a footie fan in the world who doesn`t get goosebumps when the Spion Road Kop sing *that* song (even if it is the only one they know, and most of them are humming it), and combined with a really good performance on the pitch, I was impressed, I dont mind saying. Bellamy and Kuyt in particular, both targets of my vitriol in the past both looked very good indeed, and Jamie Carragher looked a half-decent defender which is a most worrying development. Sure, there were the usual things that bring down the Red Mist for me, Pepe Reina and Mohammed Sissoko being the main targets this time. The way the Kop runs down to the hoardings behind the goal every time something happens, and the way Ringo Starr does his matchday announcements that Mr so and so from Runcorn should contact the nearest steward etc, really really slowly. The fact that the Sky Cameras pick out the attractive blonde in a Liverpool top just in time to see her stick her chin out and spit on the floor, and pay far too much attention to all the 'witty' Scousers' inane (and often badly spelt) banners.

But loathe them as I certainly do, I freely admit to having some considerable respect for their efforts against a United side that got a dose of luck that I would be embarrassed about were it to befall our club. The thing is, I saw it coming a mile off. They would nick it - you just knew it. They played poorly against Lille, Fulham, and to be honest against Liverpool but took nine points anyway. How unlucky were Liverpool? Like everyone else, I'm sick to death of the hard luck stories and sympathy appeals from Liverpool, but on this occasion, they were robbed. Pickpocketed. Burgled.

They gave it a bloody good go though, and played excellently in the process. I think if they play like that against Barca at home in Europe this week they will spank the Catalans off the park. We really needed them to do us a favour and but for a laughable slice of good fortune they would have done. I think our title chances went a long time ago, and I've said so on here many times, but John O'Shea's injury-time goal put the icing on it. I'd be gutted about it if I was a Liverpool fan.

So thank-you Scousers - your efforts, although in vain, are appreciated by this hack if nobody else. Rest assured I'll be back in my amusing, cutting, sarcastic and highly original Liverpool-hating mode next week, but until then, fair play to you.

I'm off for a Brandy. : )

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