Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, Liverpool have launched several failed title bids with only two lasting longer than the rest in 1996/97 and 2001/02; the latter of which was the club's best ever finish in the league. The Reds finished second that season, seven points behind champions Arsenal, but in mid-February 2002 they lay in fourth place behind the Gooners, Newcastle United and then-leaders Manchester United. Two points was all that separated first from fourth.
At that time Liverpool were suffering somewhat from vertigo having previously enjoyed a stint at the summit of the Premier League and were on a bit of a comedown with the touchline absence of manager Gérard Houllier and the departure of Robbie Fowler both key factors. Despite the FA Cup holders going out in the fourth round to Arsenal, the Reds had an enjoyable start to the year with a victory at Old Trafford, which secured a second consecutive league double over their rivals across the East Lancs Road, as well as high scoring wins at Leeds United (4-0) and Ipswich Town (6-0). The club's record between February and the end of the season was an impressive one with Houllier's men only losing once in the league, a 1-0 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur three games from the finish putting an end to that run.
In February 1997 they sat in second place, one point behind Manchester United at the top. Despite recording a second emphatic 4-3 win over Newcastle United at Anfield, the Reds finished fourth. As they did in 2002, they finished seven points behind the Old Trafford club, who were crowned champions, but level on points with Newcastle and Arsenal who both had a better goal difference.
Of the 13 games Roy Evans' side played between mid-February and May 1997, they recorded five wins, four defeats and four draws. Prior to this they had led the table for most of the season but were overtaken by United and then undone by poor defending as well as the loss of Robbie Fowler for the final four games of the season through suspension.
The game that best summed up Liverpool's title challenge that was a defeat at home to Coventry City at the start of April. The Reds were out of sorts at both ends of the Anfield pitch. Robbie Fowler's opener on 52 minutes was the only shining light in Liverpool's attack where key players failed to convert chances, whilst at the other end their defence was exposed with any hopes of a sustained title challenge effectively ended when Dion Dublin fired home in stoppage time after Noel Whelan had drawn the Sky Blues level.
This season Rafael Benitez's side are enjoying their best ever Premiership season so far, sitting two points behind Manchester United at the top who have a game in hand over their rivals. By comparison to previous seasons, Benitez has assembled a strong side. Granted they are lacking in depth a little and appear to be stretched at times with the occasional absence of Gerrard but in recent times there have been very few, if any, Liverpool sides that have staged so many successful comebacks as Benitez's team have this season.
However the fear that lingers is that the team will crumble under the weight of expectation being placed upon them by the supporters. Alex Ferguson predicted the very same thing at the start of the year and it is hard to ignore his prophecy given Liverpool's performances against the likes of West Ham United, Fulham and Wigan Athletic to name but three of the clubs that have taken points off them already this season. The draw with Wigan in particular does feel more irritating than most for Reds' fans due to the manner in which Liverpool conceded the equaliser - a needless foul in the area in stoppage time.
The same can be said for the free kick conceded by Yossi Benayoun on the edge of the area in the recent league encounter with Everton. However Benayoun is making amends for his previous failings by currently showing a rich vein of form, as does Fabio Aurelio. The pair appear to be enjoying their best form in a red shirt to date; something that is testament to the manager who is bringing the best of out of them. Comebacks seem to be the order of the year at Anfield with Saturday's result at Portsmouth being the team's fifth successful one this term. That is more testament to the resolve the Liverpool manager has instilled in his team than them riding their luck as they have done in several games in the past.
The title dream is very much still alive but it could be shattered within the next few weeks if Liverpool don't turn their upcoming ‘must win' games into ‘have won' games. If history repeats itself and Benitez's side suffer a similar fate to the classes of both 96/97 and 01/02 by crumbling under the weight of expectancy from both the media and their own supporters, there is a considerable chance that it could spell the end of the Spaniard's time at Anfield.
George Gillett and Tom Hicks may decide that the internal politics over Benitez's future that have continued to dominate the headlines as they did last season have rumbled on for too long and may wield the managerial axe as they prepared to do when they approached Jurgen Klinsmann about the prospect of him replacing Benitez in the Anfield hot seat.
The club's American owners are known for their fondness of playing out their feuds in front of the world's media and it would not surprise too many both in and outside Anfield if they did follow up what they failed to complete in late 2007. Whatever happens between now and May no doubt the dearly departed greats of the Anfield dugout will have been looking down with pride at the spirit and character shown on Saturday which has revived the dream of returning what Bill Shankly called ‘the bread and butter' back to Merseyside.
