They're Gonna Kill That Poor Woman: Liverpool 0 - Arsenal 2

After a tepid draw with Hearts and then what you could call a complete disaster of a transfer deadline day, today's result is unsurprisingly causing a healthy amount of anger, angst, and hopelessness. You can read different versions of that them at our friends at The Offside or at Oh You Beauty. As for where I'm at, I guess it's how you interpret what was really the problem today, and how likely those things are to be fixed. And yes, a lack of strikers is probably going to come up. Deal with it.

Liverpool's main attacking foursome today was a 17-year old, an off-form world class forward (with questionable finishing habits), a new player that we have no idea is any good or not, and an aging, less mobile and perhaps less interested captain struggling to fit into whatever it is he's being asked to do. And the 17-year old was by far the most threatening. That's how you end up with pretty dispiriting 2-0 losses at home without truly working the other defense and keeper.

Because for all the good Liverpool did today, and believe it or not there was some, would inevitably break down with a poor touch or decision from Suarez, or a giveaway from Gerrard, or....well, nothing from Borini (when do we ask what it is he does for a living? Feels like it's close). And there aren't options behind that when that's not working.

Will Gerrard ever look like the player we thought he was? Will Suarez come good again and starting strutting be defenders like he can? Will Borini actually prove to be anything? Depending on what your answers are to these questions, that's either how optimistic you are or how low you feel.

Me? Genuinely worried about Gerrard, who looks like his patience has run out and his frustration has boiled over. Not that that's acceptable from the club captain. Suarez will find form, and things will look better. When that will be I can't tell you. Borini? I have no idea. He can't be totally helpless if he made it into the squad of a European Finalist, but then again it's been awhile since Italy produced a truly ruthless striker.

What's scary is that those questions have to come good if Liverpool are going to be anything. There's nothing else now. Adam Morgan wasn't even on the bench, which lets you know just how much he can be trusted. Shelvey, Downing, and Henderson are all midfielders. And that's it. It's just so hard to think that everything that has to go right for Liverpool to show promise are going to.

Oh, there are other problems here:

-The goalkeeper may be totally past it, and at the very best is totally devoid of confidence.

-Joe Allen, for all his pluses and benefits, isn't really a holding midfielder. He wants to press and harry, not lock up the defense with support. Which is why Liverpool were so cut open on the counter, and you just knew Lucas would have been there to at least slow it.

-How much are you really going to count on a mere teenager? What does it say that you now have to?

Still, it's three games in the league, and though having only one point makes your teeth chatter for sure, conclusions at this point aren't worth much. It could get much worse, with a visit to Sunderland and United at home to follow after the break. Or it could get better. Maybe why everyone is so panicked is we're so far from any conclusions. It could be anything at this point. And a lot of that anything isn't pleasant. But it could be. Wallow in the ignorance, I guess.

Bullets:

-It was obviously natural that Podolski would score after i motherfucked him in the preview. But it helps when Santi Carzola is pulling the strings for you. What a player, and what we'd give to have someone like that at Anfield. Real steal for Arsenal there.

-Might have helped had Shelvey stayed with Carzola for that second goal, however.

-Sahin was cautious in his debut. Nothing wrong, but nothing that noticeable. Obviously need to see more.

-Did I mention Borini sucked?

And I think I've had enough.