SOCCER ANGLES:If Liverpool are to beguile us anew in the spirit of Bill Shankly, they have to keep on keeping on, writes Michael Walker

OF BRIAN Clough he said: "He's worse than the rain in Manchester. At least God stops the rain in Manchester occasionally." Of his wife, Nessie, he said: "I was the best manager in Britain because I was never devious or cheated anyone. I'd break my wife's legs if I played against her, but I'd never cheat her." And to the injured Tommy Smith, he said: "Take that poof bandage off. And what do you mean you've hurt 'your' knee, it's Liverpool's knee."

You could go on. The list of Bill Shankly quotations and anecdotes seems endless because it is endless.

It is a circular joy because you have to keep going back for more. Each time it is still refreshing. Along with that other vocal football man, Clough, Shankly dominated the 1970s with his wisdom and wit and the purity of his enthusiasm. If you are aged 50 or below and support Liverpool even though you do not come from Merseyside, there is a very good chance that Bill Shankly is the reason why.

Shankly gave Liverpool to the rest of us. Before he arrived at Anfield in 1959 Liverpool had won the league title once in the previous 36 years and they had never won the FA Cup. After he left in 1974 Liverpool FC was one of the most famous institutions on the planet, sporting or otherwise.

"My idea was to build Liverpool into a bastion of invincibility," he said. "Napoleon had that idea. He wanted to conquer the bloody world. I wanted Liverpool to be untouchable. My idea was to build Liverpool up and up until eventually everyone would have to submit and give in."

Shankly won. His idea ruled; Liverpool ruled. England and beyond. So much so that when Alex Ferguson followed the Scottish path south, he would later say that "knocking Liverpool off their (expletive deleted) perch" was his primary task.

Ferguson retains Shankly's Napoleonic urge and that is perhaps one explanation why bookmakers among others awoke on Thursday morning, had a look at Liverpool three points clear at the top of the Premier League and promptly marked them down as third favourites for the title.

Just as Shankly and successors like Bob Paisley over 20 years implanted faith in The Liverpool Way, under men like Graeme Souness, Gerard Houllier and even a European Cup winner such as Rafael Benitez, that faith, the wider faith, has been replaced by doubt. We have come to distrust Liverpool and their so-called quest for the league title. They have taken away our Shankly feeling.

It says something of the scale of belief in Liverpool that it has taken so long. Getting it back will not be a short process either, but there are days and there are moments when changes in perception are crystallised and one of those arrives this afternoon at White Hart Lane. Should Liverpool win at Tottenham we will begin to think of the 2008-09 version as different.

Harry Redknapp is already one of the stories of a season rammed with them by November. Redknapp arrived at Spurs less than a week ago and they have since trebled their points tally.

"Harry's knack is his demeanour, the person that he is," said Jermaine Jenas after Wednesday's remarkable 4-4 draw at Arsenal. "Even the players that aren't playing seem to be happy. You can feel the belief coming from Harry while you are on the pitch."

Whatever the rights and wrongs of Juande Ramos, there is clearly some liberation at Spurs and their renewal is one of the factors Liverpool have to deal with.

On Wednesday as Spurs were doing their comeback thing, Benitez's team were plugging away at Portsmouth.

Eventually, with 14 minutes left, a penalty and a Steven Gerrard conversion. That was enough. As non-believers quickly pointed out, this was Liverpool's fourth Premier League victory in a row won by a margin of one goal.

So what, said Liverpool. That reveals resilience and commitment, not meanness of spirit. Portsmouth, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, that's four of the current top eight beaten by single goals. Wait 'til West Brom comes to Anfield next Saturday, then you'll see a show.

Then it was pointed out that Xavi Alonso's winner at Stamford Bridge was a deflection as well as a small chunk of Chelsea history - and, anyway, Benitez doesn't really want Alonso any more.

But all teams have quirks, recruitment is not science. Who would have thought that Matt Busby would sell Johnny Giles? Who would have thought Alan Shearer would move to Blackburn Rovers? These things happen, just as Fernando Torres has been missing as Liverpool have won and won.

The golden Spaniard's absence is a reason for belief, as is the effort of his compatriot Albert Riera, whose left foot is impressing the Kop more than Harry Kewell's or Boudewijn Zenden's did. Then there is Javier Mascherano, who has appeared in only four league games so far.

Options and confidence suddenly seem abundant but if Liverpool are to beguile us anew in the spirit of Shankly, they have to keep on keeping on. Then expand. That was never a problem when he was around.

Trouble in Middle Eastlands

I WENT to see Manchester City lose at Middlesbrough the other night. Stephen Ireland was creative, and showed more determination than those around him, but there was something worrying about City. Earlier in the season they had looked big, disciplined and athletic. Here they had Ireland, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Robinho and Elano starting. City dominated at first but then lost 2-0.

It was no game for Mark Hughes to question himself but City have added pressure as they go to Bolton tomorrow. They have won one of their last five in the league and November brings Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United to Eastlands, or Middle Eastlands as it's known. Lose at Bolton and those three loom. Suddenly the cold blows in. As they say in those parts, it could make an Arab sheikh.

Push out 'Big P' politics

SO THE Setanta Cup final is upon Cork City and Glentoran and in Cork and Belfast interest is peaking. But from random conversations elsewhere, the sense is one of indifference to this All-Ireland cup final.

That should not be the case. This should be a showpiece moment in the Irish calendar. The logistics obviously have to be looked at, tickets, venue etcetera but the idea of all Irish clubs competing for one cup is sound.

"Big P" politics need to be set aside for once and football people need instead to concentrate on what is good for the game. If that means both associations co-operating, then so be it. If that means people then ask why there are still two associations, so be it. The game matters more than bureaucracy. The Irish Cup was all-Ireland long before partition.

Good luck to both teams, especially Glentoran.