Caretaker curse hits Liverpool Europa bid
They say that you should never appoint a caretaker manager on a full-time basis no matter how impressive their performance after being asked to step in, however surely Kenny Dalglish won't follow that pattern despite a disastrous start to his second spell as permanent Liverpool boss.
The Reds suffered their first home defeat of 2011 just days after Dalglish's long-term return to the dugout was confirmed and as the setback came against rivals for fifth Tottenham, it was a disastrous blow to their bid to qualify for the Europa League for the second successive season.
Goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric enabled Spurs to end their lengthy wait for a Premier League victory at Anfield and even more crucially sent them a point clear of their positional adversaries ahead of the final weekend of a mixed domestic campaign for both clubs.
The Lilywhites have theoretically the easier closing fixture of the pair in hosting relegation-threatened Birmingham, whereas Liverpool are away to an Aston Villa side buoyed by their win since Gerard Houllier fell well away to Arsenal at the Emirates, where they have lost only once in five visits.
The fact that Birmingham have far more to play for than Aston Villa may prove an advantage to the Merseysiders, who also boast a significant goal difference lead which ensures that if they draw at Villa Park and Spurs are shocked by the Blues, Liverpool will claim fifth place because of that record.
Tottenham have beaten the second city strugglers on five of their last six trips to White Hart Lane though so it's easy to understand why they have re-established themselves as [1.25] favourites to finish the higher of the two, with Liverpool [4.2] outsiders to earn a Europa League spot.
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Published: 16 May 2011
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