Are Liverpool the most disappointing team in the country?

Following Liverpool's woeful FA Cup exit in midweek against a struggling Reading side, i found myself dismayed once again over the fortunes of one of the grandest clubs in the game. It led me to ask the question, are Liverpool the most disappointing team in the Premier League?

I am consistently underwhelmed by the performances they put in on the pitch, while off it the club seems to be in complete turmoil as a name that has been synonymous with all that is great about English football becomes just another headline in the soap opera world of Premier League ownership. For a club that sets such high standards for itself, and with such an outstanding and dedicated fan base, i feel that Liverpool and its supporters deserve more.

Liverpool's lack of strength in depth has been well documented, and without Gerrard and Torres they are without a doubt significantly worse off. This in itself is not too much to worry about, as any team would miss their influence. However, on Wednesday against Reading, the total inability of any of their players to make an incisive move, to break down the Reading defences, was a huge disappointment.

The likes of Benayoun and Kuyt are good players, but seem incapable of leading a team to success alone, while the likes of Babel and Ngog continue to show nothing to suggest that they deserve to wear the Liver Bird crest on their chest. I'm actually a little embarassed every time i see Ngog lead the line for Liverpool - it's not his fault, but he's just woefully inadequate for the role and responsibility bestowed upon him.

Of course it is easy to jump on the bandwagon and criticise Liverpool during this season when they are clearly below par. However, even last season when they were in contention for the league for so much of the year, they contrived to throw away so many chances that were gifted to them, drawing games that on paper appeared to be 3-points in the bank. The occasional stirring victory or talismanic performance for Gerrard or Torres fails to outweigh the weight of disappointment for me.

This week will inevitably raise more questions about the leadership of the club, both in terms of its owners and its manager. Tom Hicks has promised that the club will have money to spend in the summer, but will it be too late by then? Without Champions League football (which they are in danger of losing), will players such as Torres be looking for another club? Will they be able to attract the calibre of players they undoubtedly need? Is Rafa Benitez still the right man for the job? Surely he can't have many supporters left after he failed to offer any relevant explanation for his sides inexplicable performance on Wednesday. The question is though, would a replacement fair any better under the current conditions at the club, and if so who is that man?

Some may argue that the likes of constant under-achievers such as Spurs or, up until now, Manchester City, must be more disappointing than Liverpool, but at least both clubs provide value for money in the drama stakes, and their supporters would arguably suggest they are amongst the best clubs to follow for these reasons. Teams like Bolton, Stoke or Wolves might play unattractive football, but it has seen them overachieve in recent years and for that their supporters must be grateful.

What do Liverpool supporters feel? Is their club a constant disappointment to them? Given the remarkably high standards the club sets itself and the oustanding dedication of its supporters, my feeling is that the team all to often fails to produce what the club and its supporters deserve. I hope to see a day when Liverpool stand triumphant and united at the very top of the game again, but unfortunately i fail to see it happening any time soon.

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