Hoo boy. Liverpool 8, Besiktas 0. The largest victory margin in CL history. It was like the Harlem Globetrotters playing the Washington Generals; at one point Babel scored off a no-look deflection from his back/side at the top of the box.

The broadcast also had, easily, the greatest 21st soccer quote uttered on ESPN 2: play-by-play announcer Derek Rae exclaimed during the second half that "Liverpool's had Besiktas by the twizzlers this match," to which Tommy Smyth replied, "That always hurts." I don't have the faintest idea what "twizzlers" means exactly, but if my guess is anywhere near correct, that wins Announcer Quote of the Century.

This game -- which really was a complete annihilation -- is what makes Liverpool infuriating. The variance in Pool's performance is enormous, and a fan never knows whether the slugs that lost to Marseille or the studs that demolished Besiktas are going to show up. That makes the anticipation of every important match an almost unbearable mix of confidence and despair.

Advancing to the group of 16 is still a long shot, of course. But this result makes one tempted to believe.

FF

Saturday's draw at Blackburn was not a terrible result. Blackburn's a tough nut to crack, and we were away. I was only able to catch the match from minute 30 on, but, contrary to the press reports I read, I thought the run of play strongly favored Pool and we were unlucky not to convert on several chances. Yes, there were some close calls with Blackburn on our goal, but Blackburn's field play was overall inferior. The absence of Torres continues to hurt the Reds' punch -- and Crouch seems to have been invigorated by what he perceives as shoddy treatment by Rafa. The boys were much more dangerous once Crouchy took the field in the second half.

I missed the Arsenal-ManU game because I took my son to the zoo.

FF