Perhaps it is the cynicism which comes with a long wait for the impossible dream, but Liverpool appear to be the least convincing New Year Premier League leaders for many a year.
No sooner have the Reds gone three points clear at the top of the table thanks to a resounding 5-1 thumping of Newcastle United at St.James' Park along with Chelsea's failure to beat Fulham, than the Anfield club are facing negative headlines. At the time of writing club captain and all around saviour Steven Gerrard is answering police questions about an alleged incident at a Southport nightspot, a situation which has rather pushed Liverpool's good form to the back of the news agenda.
Articles by Stephen Orford
