Parker: Liverpool flattering to deceive

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Former England international Paul Parker is not a subscriber to the school of thought that says Liverpool can be genuine title contenders.















"Before the season started, as has become usual over recent years, there was talk of Liverpool's ability to mount a sustained challenge for the title this time round.
Five games into the new campaign and heading into the first Merseyside derby of the season, Rafa Benitez's side occupy third place, just a single point behind leaders Arsenal after three wins and two draws. And included in those three victories of course, a moral-boosting win over arch-rivals Manchester United.
So far so good, then.
Well, you would think so, but for me Liverpool have not improved that much on last year and still fall short of being real title contenders.
They may be mixing it with the big boys early on but I don't envisage them still being there come mid-November.
For me, that's the time of the year when Liverpool's title prospects can properly be assessed.
But if, as expected, Benitez begins his famous squad rotation once the games start coming thick and fast, I fully expect Liverpool to fall away in the Premier League.
Liverpool's past domestic aspirations have suffered because of their involvement in the Champions League and I can see the competition throwing a spanner in the works once again.
Benitez loves to do well in Europe and as long as his side are still involved, he will continue to throw everything into the Champions League. It's not necessarily what the supporters want, but Benitez has already proved where his priorities lie.
If Liverpool are to improve domestically - which I'm sure the vast majority of fans want to see, considering the length of time it has been since their team last won the title - Benitez needs to tilt his focus a little more towards the league.
But even if he does that this time round, I still think they would struggle to match United and Chelsea over the course of this season.
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are world class but Benitez still needs to bring in a few more players of that calibre.
If his side can't break down a resolute Stoke City defence on home soil over 90 minutes, how are they supposed to win the title? The outcomes of those kind of games are what separate champions from the rest of the pack.
Liverpool are missing a player with a cutting edge and the ability to break down teams in situations like that. Gerrard can only be expected to do so much on his own