Champions League 2006-7 - Euro Red Diary 21

by Joel Rookwood

Liverpool v Bordeaux

Liverpool have had 'one of those' starts to the season. Yet again. Every year since the legendary Dalglish parted company from the club in 1990 we have struggled to hit the ground running, with a succession of mediocrity having been inflicted upon the Anfield outfit ever since.

The one man demolition job that was Graeme Souness was equalled in occupational inappropriateness by the hapless though likeable figure of Roy Evans.

The latter's successor, Gerard Houllier only managed a runner's up spot in the league during a six-year reign in the Liverpool hot seat. As a result of this unacceptable return, the Frenchman was himself replaced, with Rafa Benitez lured from Valencia to Liverpool to help stop the rot.

In his opening two seasons, the Spaniard has led Liverpool to victories in the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup and the Charity Shield. The league title is the notable exception from the list, and the one which loyal Liverpudlians crave the most. However following a dismal introduction to the league campaign, we are out of the race for the title already.

And Bommy Night is still a fortnight away. As a consequence, Liverpool know their best chance of silverware could come once again in the form of the European Cup. The squad is undoubtedly better equipped to win the trophy than it was when victory was claimed in the final of the competition sixteen months ago.

With the nucleus of that part-marvellous, part-mediocre side still at the club, notable additions such as Sissoko and Kuyt have proved further astute purchases from the Liverpool manager. Notably however, not all recent acquisitions could be described in such glowing terms.

Rafa's side had been dealt a relatively unproblematic draw for the group stages this time round. With a valuable point secured on the opening day away at PSV, Liverpool then made hard work of a home tie against Galatasaray. We eventually won the latter contest 3-2 to top the group, meaning that a victory in France on match day three would go along way to securing our status in the 'Super Sixteen' round of the competition.

Bordeaux were next to host Liverpool, with the French team presenting a potential banana skin for a Liverpool side clearly lacking in confidence. A frustrating home draw to Blackburn leading up to the match didn't serve as the best preparation, and the break from domestic football was to prove a test of character.

Rafa's reds sorely needed to return home from Southern France with both a win and a clean sheet secured. It was a test that Benitez' side succeeded in passing, albeit in unspectacularly fashion.

Hyypia claimed that the 1-0 victory in South West France was the result of a 'back to basics' approach from the Liverpool team, who have hit inconsistent form for the first time since Liverpool began their ultimately successful quest for the European Cup in 2005.

When Benitez's side secured the narrow victory in Bordeaux, this meant that defeating the same team in the return meeting would virtually secure progression to the next round. Liverpool will surely strive to win the group, a goal which they will almost certainly achieve if they overturn PSV at Anfield in November.

Whilst such an eventuality would not guarantee a more favourable draw in the round preceding the quarter-finals, it does render one more likely. Indeed, as Chelsea discovered in the last campaign, this can prove imperative to ensuring success in the competition. The English champions, having come second to Liverpool in the group stages, were subjected to a painful and bitter defeat by eventual winners Barcelona in the Super Sixteen.

Ironically, Liverpool could (and knowing our luck probably will) be drawn against Barcelona, should they finish second to Chelsea in their group this time round. Having been drawn together again, Chelsea look likely to top the table at the culmination of the group stage on the 6th December, leaving Barcelona ominous potential challengers to Liverpool in the next round.

If such a fate is realised, then Rijkaard is unlikely to tremble with fear if he stumbles across a tape of this particular Liverpool game. In a match where opponents Bordeaux never really imposed themselves, Liverpool themselves posed minimal threat, and also appeared uncharacteristically shaky on the rare occasions in which the home side managed to mount an attack.

Crouch was the scorer of the game's solitary goal on 58 minutes, which sent the bladdered Scousers (well, those who had realised a goal had been scored anyway), temporarily delirious. It was a particularly inebriated away section, to say the least.

Our car-load did not arrive in Bordeaux until very late on the night before the match, and due to our typical lack of organisation, were forced to crash a rather exclusive five-star hotel in the centre of the city in the early hours of the morning that followed. A night spent in the car being replaced with the unfamiliar luxury of a night of indulgence.

Well, if you can call sleeping in a bath in a friend's hotel room indulgence… Upon hiring a car at Cacassonne airport, we had decided, randomly enough, to drive to Andorra to obtain some tax-free supplies, and as a consequence missed the festivities the night before the game. We made sure to make up for this fact on match-day however.

We enjoyed a complimentary breakfast to go with our complementary room, and whilst in the dining room, we found ourselves sat opposite the match referee, whilst dipping bread into bowls of hot chocolate. And the French are supposed to be cultured.

Having realised the occupation of the official, it became obvious that not one of our group (which overnight had swelled to eleven members), could remember his name, and so a quick text back home to one of the lads was required, requesting that a newspaper be scanned in order to identify the individual in question.

This was returned within the minute, revealing the name of the soon-to-become unfortunate Scandinavian. Following a cheeky request, the Norwegian official was gracious enough to pose for a photograph with us, despite the presence of some increasingly wary UEFA officials in the lobby.

I couldn't resist warning him against booking Momo Sissoko, our influential African midfielder, who worryingly has began to earn a watchful eye from officials with increasingly regularity. Wisely, the Norwegian obliged. Having said that, Liverpool's number 22 was only on the field for the final 22 minutes for the match, and during this period he didn't snap a single opposition limb. We forgive him though.

It was a largely uneventful game, and by extension, a largely uneventful trip. Importantly however, Liverpool had won the game without conceding a goal, and were top of the table.

Having left Bordeaux on the afternoon that followed, the drive back to the airport proved far more direct than the one from it had been, and we arrived back in Liverpool that evening in time to resume the sensible lives we had temporarily departed seventy-two hours earlier.

Let's hope it's a season where such trips keep on coming. Because we ain't winning that title.

Joel Rookwood

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