“I’m the fan who demands my one year in denial. I cling to the hopes of last season, refusing to believe something can’t be salvaged from this one (as the definition of salvage changes from Can we still finish top four? to Can we still finish top six? Top seven?) With my team so plagued by injury and other abrupt halts to any momentum, I’ve looked to those few inspiring performances to show me that a run of great form is on its way.” (EPL Talk)

1465 Sandro Botticelli, Mardochai lamenting before the gates of the palace
“Just when Lyons’ heroics in the Bernabeu had seemed to cast Liverpool’s Champions League elimination at that club’s hands in a more sympathetic light, Lille provided a reminder of precisely where Rafael Benitez’s side stands in the European scheme of things last night.” (Independent)

Eden Hazard’s late goal for Lille leaves Liverpool with plenty to do
“Lille are known as the Mastiffs and an unnerved Liverpool retreated from their lair nursing a nasty bite. No matter that Eden Hazard’s late, wickedly dipping thoroughly elusive, free-kick appeared flukey; it gave Rudi Garcia’s team a deserved first-leg lead.” (Guardian)

Lille vs. Liverpool
(footytube)

“Henry Ford. You wouldn’t want him on your pub quiz team but he certainly knew how to run a business. It must go forward. It must be evolving and improving constantly. Football clubs are the same. Everyone knows Ford’s pithy history quote, but he regularly expanded on the subject to great effect. ‘We don’t want tradition,’ he said. ‘We want to live in the present and the only history worth a tinker’s damn is the history we make today.’” (Daily Mail)

Le Sacrifice de Polyxène, Jean Cousin le Père ou le Fils
“Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega’s eighth Premier League goal of the season put a huge dent in Liverpool’s top-four aspirations at the DW Stadium. The Colombia international volleyed home Emmerson Boyce’s 35th-minute cross after Dirk Kuyt had needlessly given away possession close to his own penalty area. Liverpool showed little of the quality required for a place in the Champions League once Fernando Torres had hit a post in the eighth minute and the Latics were well worth their victory.” (ESPN)

Gerrard in hot water following Marriner incident
“Steven Gerrard’s conduct is under scrutiny on Tuesday morning but Rafael Benitez insists he did not see the incident in which his captain is alleged to have made a crude gesture towards referee Andre Marriner during Liverpool’s defeat to Wigan. A photo of Gerrard’s alleged insult adorns the back page of multiple newspapers in England, with reports indicating the midfielder could be the subject of disciplinary action from the Football Association. Gerrard also appeared to mouth an obscenity after being booked for a challenge on James McCarthy.” (ESPN)

Rafael Benítez: Liverpool ‘played without intelligence’
“Rafael Benítez cut a dejected figure as Liverpool’s Champions League ambitions suffered a serious setback with a 1-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic last night, though he mustered enough venom to condemn his players for the attitude and lack of character they displayed at the DW Stadium. ‘We didn’t show the right attitude and even though we worked harder in the second half, we played without game intelligence,’ complained the Liverpool manager.” (Guardian)

Fan Diary #28 – Liverpool at Wigan: Give Me Some Triangles
“Last night I hunted down a clip on my 501 goals DVD. It’s Liverpool’s Craig Johnston talking sometime in the 80s about Liverpool’s approach…” (EPL Talk)

You’ve heard this story before
“Honestly, the worst thing about losing a match at such a vital part of the season is to move on and do a damn write-up about it. And having endured the travails numerous times before never makes it easier, but at times like these role-playing as a critic warrants my presence. To say Liverpool played badly is an understatement. No excuse today. We had the main men we always needed. And yet to blow it off even as push comes to shove is an utter disappointment.” (BigFourZa)

Wigan Athletic vs. Liverpool: Video
(footytube)

The tribute money: Peter finding the silver coin in the mouth of the fish, Jacobs Jordaens
“Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat of Blackburn on Sunday sparked fresh recriminations about the playing style of Sam Allardyce’s side, with Rafael Benitez sarcastically observing: ‘I think it is a model for all the managers around the world, their style of football.’ That Blackburn are a hard-working, physical side is no secret. Allardyce, though, has taken umbrage at criticisms of their football in recent weeks.” (Football Further)