Has Rafa just cost Liverpool the title?

Liverpool have lost 2-1 away to Spurs. Now they will never win the league under Rafa Benitez, they will fall out of the Top 4 and perhaps face relegation, oh, and Spurs are going to qualify for the Champions League. Pocketing that £30m for Xabi Alonso seems like a mistake now doesn’t it?

Or, what if we bring ourself back into reality and looks at this logically. The first game of the season and Liverpool have an absolute shocker. Does this mean that, with 37 games of the season to go plus matches in the Carling Cup, Fa Cup and Champions League, their season is over? Of course it doesn’t. It means they had a bad day at the office.

While Alonso’s precense was missed it is in no way a confirmation that they will fail. Before Liverpool were described as a one man team with Steven Gerrard the only one that could get 3 points. Is it now asserted that it was really Alonso who was this one man? Absolutely not.

Liverpool still have a good squad and with Aquilani still posed to make his debut the allegations that Liverpool will falter this season are premature at best. There is still much room for improvement; another striker and centre-back must be priorities for Benitez, but if they can find some form a fluidity then the team they have at the moment will go far.

One game does not define a season.