‘In a season that threatened to strip Liverpool of every comfort, the club still kept a scrap of paper clutched in their fist. As the Worthington Cup final proved, they continue to hold the formula for beating Manchester United. They might have misread those instructions when they lost in the Premiership at Anfield in December but that rare lapse had been preceded by four consecutive league wins over Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
The process was a form of alchemy yesterday, replacing leaden months with golden memories. Gérard Houllier's team nullified United for most of the afternoon and were blessed with prodigious saves from the goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek. The Old Trafford team might have rescued themselves but there was none of the inexorable fluency that allowed them to drub Juventus 3-0 last week.
Liverpool's display had enough depth for them to immerse themselves in its joys. The athleticism of Dudek, the vigilance of the centre-backs, the dynamism of John Arne Riise, the self-possession of Danny Murphy, the assertiveness of Steven Gerrard and the predatory scoring impact of Michael Owen were reasons enough for carousing by the fans, but this was also an ironic triumph for their club.
The team's approach in the Millennium Stadium was a heightened version of the tactic that has got them into so much trouble in other tournaments. Pundits, for what it is worth, are unanimous that Liverpool cannot be Premiership champions until they abandon their counter-attacking style. In mundane games it does not work reliably and last week they were being mocked for defeat at Birmingham City.
Only a misanthrope would fail to find pleasure in the spectacle of a derided squad enjoying such happiness in Cardiff. That, however, does not guarantee that Liverpool will crash their way back to the forefront of English and European football, because there is a great risk at the heart of their scheme. What do they do if they happen to fall behind? How can they suddenly convert themselves into adventurous spirits?’