Curse of the pre-season trip to Singapore?
As Liverpool continue to teeter from one disaster to the next in a calamitous season, manager Rafael Benitez may want to look back in anger at his team's pre-season tour.
Coincidence or curse? Every time an English Premier League (EPL) team visit Singapore, they end up not winning the title.
Strange but true. Of the four times EPL clubs had came here, only Liverpool, who toured the Lion City in July 2001, won some measure of silverware that same season.
Even so, it was not exactly the EPL trophy that they won.
# 1996: Newcastle United
Flamboyant manager Kevin Keegan shelled out a then-world record £15 million (S$34 million) to sign striker Alan Shearer and paraded the striker in front of a packed Kallang.
However, the Geordie hero did not play in the Magpies' 5-0 thrashing of the S-League All Stars.
The joy was not to last.
Newcastle were unable to capture the EPL title, finishing second, despite hammering champions Manchester United 5-0.
Before the campaign ended, Keegan had quit in frustration.
# 2001: Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson said he did not mean to mock the hosts by fielding goalkeeper Fabien Barthez on the left wing when the Red Devils beat Team Singapore 8-1. Nevertheless, karma appeared to catch up with United back home in England.
Having won three successive titles, they surrendered their EPL crown to Arsenal.
And in a poor season, they failed to lift a single trophy and exited the Champions League in the quarter-finals in the year when the final was to be held at Old Trafford.
# 2001: Liverpool
Gerard Houllier's men are the only team to buck the trend so far after beating Team Singapore 2-0 and impressing the locals with their willingness to sign autographs and pose for pictures.
The Reds, who arrived on the island as treble winners (Uefa Cup, FA Cup and League Cup), returned to England to capture more honours.
However, the Community Shield and the European Super Cup are not exactly what Anfield want as they continue to chase that elusive EPL title.
2009: Liverpool
While the Reds made many friends in 2001, they were not at their charming best eight years later.
Xabi Alonso was moody as he pondered a switch to Real Madrid. Fernando Torres made just a cameo appearance. Steven Gerrard did not even make the trip at all. Worst of all, the Singapore Lions marched out to the tune of Liverpool's anthem You'll Never Walk Alone.
The Reds won 5-0 in Singapore but now, the team are out of the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and are increasingly losing pace in the title race.
As Liverpool continue to teeter from one disaster to the next in a calamitous season, manager Rafael Benitez may want to look back in anger at his team's pre-season tour.
Coincidence or curse? Every time an English Premier League (EPL) team visit Singapore, they end up not winning the title.
Strange but true. Of the four times EPL clubs had came here, only Liverpool, who toured the Lion City in July 2001, won some measure of silverware that same season.
Even so, it was not exactly the EPL trophy that they won.
# 1996: Newcastle United
Flamboyant manager Kevin Keegan shelled out a then-world record £15 million (S$34 million) to sign striker Alan Shearer and paraded the striker in front of a packed Kallang.
However, the Geordie hero did not play in the Magpies' 5-0 thrashing of the S-League All Stars.
The joy was not to last.
Newcastle were unable to capture the EPL title, finishing second, despite hammering champions Manchester United 5-0.
Before the campaign ended, Keegan had quit in frustration.
# 2001: Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson said he did not mean to mock the hosts by fielding goalkeeper Fabien Barthez on the left wing when the Red Devils beat Team Singapore 8-1. Nevertheless, karma appeared to catch up with United back home in England.
Having won three successive titles, they surrendered their EPL crown to Arsenal.
And in a poor season, they failed to lift a single trophy and exited the Champions League in the quarter-finals in the year when the final was to be held at Old Trafford.
# 2001: Liverpool
Gerard Houllier's men are the only team to buck the trend so far after beating Team Singapore 2-0 and impressing the locals with their willingness to sign autographs and pose for pictures.
The Reds, who arrived on the island as treble winners (Uefa Cup, FA Cup and League Cup), returned to England to capture more honours.
However, the Community Shield and the European Super Cup are not exactly what Anfield want as they continue to chase that elusive EPL title.
2009: Liverpool
While the Reds made many friends in 2001, they were not at their charming best eight years later.
Xabi Alonso was moody as he pondered a switch to Real Madrid. Fernando Torres made just a cameo appearance. Steven Gerrard did not even make the trip at all. Worst of all, the Singapore Lions marched out to the tune of Liverpool's anthem You'll Never Walk Alone.
The Reds won 5-0 in Singapore but now, the team are out of the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and are increasingly losing pace in the title race.
And im not saying its their fault either.
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