Are Liverpool "Stok"ing Fire into Their Dampened Title Race?

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Football is like an unknown candy. You won't always like the flavor, but then you did buy it.

Football results are the same. Like an expensive candy being bought from the market store, you never know what you're in for.

The defeat at White Hart Lane was exaggerated to an extent, as if Liverpool were already out of the title race or are in May, pot less.

Lucas, despite his fine performance, was branded as non-Alonso-like, and Liverpool were deemed to lose or be doomed, the very least, without Alonso's services.

And this was after the first game.

I wonder what will happen midway through the season, as it unfolds.

Panic?!

The interesting thing to note is how a result psychologically plays with the fickle minds of the fans or et al.

And media plays along, as if it were the famed piped piper leading a hoard of the unenlightened beings to the inevitable and most sought-after truth.

With reports being rife about a certain rumor, well, the media will certainly make you sure that an impossible event is inevitable.

But, yes, we dance along to the media's tunes.

Concerning Liverpool's defeat to Spurs on opening day, there are two possible and sane reasons of why we couldn't continue our previous 4-0 scoreline form.

Firstly, a good amount of the core squad were given extended leave.

And secondly, Liverpool's centre-backs were having a harrowing time.

Not only in containing the Spurs attacking gang but also with the injuries sustained by the unfortunate collision during the match.

It was really sickening to see that happen.

However, seeing an 18-year-old Ayala coming on for a nail-crunching defender like Skrtel was shocking.

On the contrary, despite the defeat, the teenager produced a fine display, strengthening my belief in our club's ability to produce world-class players.

Ayala is not of Carra's mold already but in time, after his fine display at a hostile ground, was encouraging.

But most importantly Rafa believed in the youngster to put on a show.

With Spurs having displayed a classy first-half performance, I felt that it wasn't our day—and so it wasn't with the final scoreline being 1-2.

Johnson proved a point for us and, more importantly, for Rafa, who dished out a figure of which we all know, what he's capable of.

But last night's over-the-board performance really proves that Arbeloa to Johnson is a great transition.

Plus, add Johnson as an English to the Spanish Liverpool, it seems that Johnson and Liverpool are a match made in heaven.

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