What's the point? It brings us back to the title talk that surrounding Liverpool FC on this early October day. Breaking reports late Tuesday had Luis Suarez telling the Italian sports daily, Gazzeto Dello Sport, that the Reds should focus on winning cups and not the EPL championship. Less than 24 hours later, Jamie Carragher went on talkSport and said the title race is wide open (because it is).
I was as outraged as the non-savvy iPhone fanboys that title talk is even taking place at this point in the season. I was Jim Mora outraged to hear the discussion begin. Suarez and Carragher's words made good copy and are conversation starters, but little else.
Liverpool has seven league games under its belt. It sits in fifth place with thirteen points, six behind the leading duo of Manchester clubs. There are 31 games left to play with 93 points on the line.
To put that in perspective, the last five league champions have earned 80, 86, 90, 87, 89 and 91 points on their way to glory. Even the Arsenal "Invincibles" won the 2003-04 league with 90 points.
Sure, there are some (North London) teams that have no shot (Arsenal) at winning the league this season (Gunners) because of their slow starts. But many more clubs chose not to wreck their seasons in September.
The Reds are doing fine at this point. A new manager and his new signings need time to bond together, form an identity and start moving in the same direction. Liverpool needs Steve Gerrard dictating its play. His return to a lineup that has no less than five or six unfamiliar faces is like the new software for the old phone. By the spring, the Reds should be fit and flying. Then we can seriously entertain some title talk.
For now, remember one of my favorite soccer sayings: They don't hand out trophies in October.
