Are Liverpool FC Still in a Crisis?

After such an excellent performance tonight Liverpool supporters must be feeling rather confused after the succession of insipid displays they have witnessed at Anfield this season. For the first time in the Premier League this campaign The Reds managed to score more than three goals in a game. These four goals also took them to 24 goals scored at home this season, equaling their lowest ever total in a league season. In the top 10 only West Bromwich Albion have scored less goals than Liverpool and even already relegated Blackburn Rovers have scored the same amount.

What makes these statistics even more frustrating for manager Dalglish, the players and fans alike is the amount of chances that they have spurned. Liverpool have scored 47 goals in 37 games at an average of 1.27 goals a game but amazingly have also hit the woodwork 33 times in 37 games at an average of 0.89 times a game. To rub salt into their wounds, the Merseyside club have also become the first Premier League side in history to have missed five penalties in one season, scoring just one.

Despite his man-of-the-match performance today £35m striker Andy Carroll still failed to find the back of the net and add to the six league goals he has scored since he arrived from Newcastle last January. Jordan Henderson scored his first goal since August, while £20m winger Stewart Downing is yet to claim a goal or an assist in the league since arriving at Anfield.

Dalglish was quick to point out the positives of a season which included Carling Cup triumph and FA Cup heartbreak, but also appeared to use this emphatic win to paper over the cracks of a disappointing league campaign. He said it had not been 'a bad' season and claimed that Liverpool have had plenty of similarly good performances only for luck to go their way: "That performance was on a par with a lot of other performances where we've not had the result. Against Chelsea we got that."

I have said many times this season how well we've played but not had the break to win it."

Although Liverpool have signed off their home campaign in style, there are still clearly aspects of their overall play which they will have to improve next season if they are to reach the expectations of the supporters. The inability to kill off lesser sides has been a spanner in the works, as has the inconsistent performances of their star names such as Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reina and Stewart Downing. Their fans must now hope that this outstanding victory is not another false ray of hope.