Soft underbelly continues to hamper Liverpool's prancers

Liverpool were dumped out of the FA Cup yesterday. Nothing wrong with that. Indeed, even the final score of Oldham 3-2 Liverpool may suggest that the Reds were just outperformed on the day and that football is a 'funny old game'. But the issues are deeper, because this is precisely the type of match that marks what sort of underbelly the team have. The games where when the going gets tough, the millionaires dig in and find some professional expertise.

Yesterday showed once again that Liverpool just haven't got what it takes currently when you scratch away the glossy veneer. Suarez was a constant threat and had a wonderful game. One gets the impression these are the sort of games that he thrives on, with the picture in my head of him as a boy scrapping for every 50/50 on the streets of Uruguay with bigger, tougher men. He likes the physical side of English football and he always attacks every game with a chip on his shoulder like he's got something to prove. And this is our best player!

The problem is the other players. Players like Allen, Sterling, Coates, Borini. To me, they just embody everything wrong with the Liverpool team. Even players like Skrtel and Agger with their big masculine tattoos are so over-rated and don't really like a fight that it betrays their hard man image that they try and portray. Indeed, it took the introduction of a proper grafter in Gerrard to get the ship back on course, unlucky not to score late on, he was a constant menace and embodied the roll your sleeves up approach.

Liverpool have too many pansy 'footballers' and not enough players that want to get down and dirty. Oldham must have been salivating at the prospect of playing THAT team yesterday when the team sheet came their way. Tottenham and Chelsea have similar weaknesses that their hard men are just pussy cats in disguise. Compare and contrast these fairy teams to Manchester United (whom I despise, but respect) and the difference is night and day. I may be putting my head on the block here but the impression is that these players really have the mental toughness and a much harder physical presence to get the job done. Ferguson is the sort of manager that wants to see his side literally crawl off the pitch in a cup tie. The impression yesterday of some of the Liverpool 'day dreamers' is that this cup tie was wholly inappropriate to their character.

And it's in the league too where any side comes and has a go gets something out of the game. Liverpool just want the opposition to engage them in a game of pure football of you have it we have it. Unfortunately some teams know that half the game is in the head and to get amongst the prancers is to see their game plan unfold rather quickly.

Congratulations to Oldham. Enjoy your run!