Assessing the chances of Hull City when Liverpool turn up at the KC this weekend has become more difficult - and more dangerous - thanks to our opponents' last two results.
Two 4-4 draws in the space of seven days are freakish and, for Liverpool themselves, detrimental. The first one, at Chelsea, ended their Champions League interest; the second one, at home to Arsenal, handed a greater advantage to Manchester United in the Premier League.
Too many people are making wild assumptions following that Arsenal game. The first is that Liverpool have lost the title already. They haven't. They still went top, albeit on goal difference only, upon getting their late equaliser against Arsenal, and Manchester United have proved recently that wobbles are well within their make-up. Any notion that they consequently won't be bothered about their remaining five games is bunkum and extremely dangerous to assume.
The second is that Liverpool are now suddenly weak and derelict in defence. This may have looked the case against Chelsea and Arsenal, but at Stamford Bridge they had to rely on an all-out attack policy thanks to their first leg deficit, and this left them more susceptible at the back. The crumbly rearguard against Arsenal is harder to forgive or understand, but it doesn't equate with a collapse in defensive structure or discipline that will affect them in every single match. You can bet any wayward dollars near your bottom that the defence will have been reshaped and replenished by the time the game kicks off on Saturday.
So where does all this really leave City's chances of causing any kind of upset - ie, stealing a point - against Liverpool this weekend? Well, any psychological advantage in the possible absence of Steven Gerrard needs to be exploited. At Anfield, it was obvious that Gerrard made up a one-man team, especially because Fernando Torres was injured. If Gerrard really is unavailable this weekend, City need to pack the midfield and push forward as much as possbile, as there simply is no player within Liverpool's ranks who is like Gerrard or can act like Gerrard.
Michael Turner's credentials will be tested to their very limit against Fernando Torres. If our ace defender, ever-present and iconic, really does have pretensions for England honours over the next few months, then this is the sort of game which will prove it. Torres is as outstanding as any lithe, athletic and confident centre forward has ever been and Turner will need to concentrate on him more than he has on any worldly-wise striker this season.
The City team, irrespective of form, will always feel like a better place for as long as Turner is in it. If he can do even three quarters of a job on Torres, then - at the risk of mixing up my fractions - we may be halfway there.
As for the Liverpool defence and its alleged leakiness - well, we'd be also in more of a position to exploit that if we had any A-list striking options available. As industrious as Manucho is, the game is ready for Daniel Cousin and Nick Barmby. One hopes they are ready for the game.
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