It is a decade since Steve McManaman participated in his last long distance cross-country race around the rolling parks and fields of Merseyside.

At 15 McManaman was the north-west champion for his age group, and the year above, and as such he should be on familiar terms with the decisive requirements of conquering endurance tests - single-mindedness and stamina.

And to many inside football including his team-mates, his manager and even Pele, there is no doubt that within McManaman's fusewire frame these qualities are to be found in abundance.

Nevertheless, there is a consensus among the wider public that McManaman, and the Liverpool team he defines more than any other player at Anfield, have not yet been totally convincing performers. Bearing in mind the subsidence adventure that was the second half of Liverpool's season last time around, these are the people with the freshest evidence.

Liverpool's collapse from being four-trophy contenders at Christmas to simply being fourth by season's end was stunningly poor.

The inevitable criticism spared no one, but while Redknapp, McAteer and Fowler were given the full Spice Boys treatment because of their off the park activities, David James and McManaman, though included in the same pop group, were additionally targeted because of their form.

The tangible spite in the criticism prompted Roy Evans to say "enough" recently and it did not need to be this way. Ask McManaman openly what happened and he replies openly: "By the end we just weren't paying football.

"Exactly why this was so is something McManman is unsure about, although he is prepared to nominate the time and place the rot set in - January 8th, the Riverside Stadium.

"Up until Christmas we were in all four competitions. Then we went to Middlesbrough in the quarter final of the Coca-Cola and we should have beaten Middlesbrough. After that there was Chelsea in the Cup at Stamford Bridge. Then there was Paris - we went out and we were terrible, terrible. And then the Man U game at the end when we were needing to finish second."

The obvious anger and weariness with Liverpool's failure seemed to be fading in his voice then but no, he was not finished.

"Oh yeh, the Wimbledon game, we couldn't do it that day either. Or Coventry. At least on the last day of the season at Sheffield Wednesday we did play well in the second half. But it's typical, we had about 100 chances and it never went in. They got one, scored and we ended up fourth saying `If only, if only'."

While refusing to blame others - "I don't know whether it was the formation or players' form or what" - McManaman does not absolve himself.

"At the end I probably wasn't playing the best and it's disappointing that that's what people remember, it does put a damper on things. But until Christmas I was paying well. If would have been better to get my bad month out of the way in November."

He does not attribute his personal falling away to injury although his left knee has been dislocated three times and it was Liverpool's concern about this which caused McManaman to miss Le Tournoi. It also caused a bit of bother. McManaman dismisses this. It was just a mix-up over a fax between Liverpool and the FA.

My knee needed substantial work - I'd missed some training with the last England squad - and if I'd gone to France then when would I have got the work done?" McManaman's and Fowler's, relationship with Glenn Hoddle seemed to nose-dive and though McManman spoke to Hoddle about the situation at the time the two have not communicated since.

While not directly involved in Le Tournoi he still kept in touch with the squad via his growing friendship with Paul Ince who McManaman visited in Milan before Ince returned to England, with Liverpool. Hailed by George Graham as "probably the most significant signing of the summer" it has been assumed that Ince, `the Guv'nor' has immediately imposed his vehement personality upon the Liverpool dressingroom. Not so, says McManaman.

"The idea that he can come in and say `I'm this' or `I'm that' is just a myth. Incey is already good mates with everyone and anyway we've got other expressive characters in the team."

This afternoon Liverpool take to Selhurst Park without Stan Collymore or Robbie Fowler up front. Fowler's knee injury means that the precocious Michael Owen will parnter Riedle for a match which may reveal much about Liverpool's present direction, an opening day victory away at Wimbledon would silence many doubters.

At 25, and almost seven years after he made his debut as a substitute for Peter Beardsley, McManaman is aware of the pressure that has accumulated as each title-less season has gone by. But, he is insistent that the speculation about Evans's future is not a factor.