Remember mid-January? David O'Leary does. He mentioned it again yesterday after watching his burgeoning Leeds United side dismiss their most serious rivals for England's third Champions' League place with an ease and professionalism that mocked Liverpool's apparent resurgence.
Back in January Leeds were 13th and O'Leary was talking sideways of "a relegation battle". Nine Premiership wins and one defeat since then have left them staring at a place in next season's premier European competition instead. Then, of course, there is Deportivo La Coruna.
But in the Premiership Leeds are only four points behind Arsenal this morning. They have played a game more, but have still to visit Highbury. The way Leeds are playing - "Flying", according to Gerard Houllier - they could even nick second spot. By contrast, Liverpool - "We had a day off," said Houllier - have won just three league games in the same period, and while they are far from out of gaining their first European Cup spot since 1985, the momentum at the crucial point in the season was yesterday ceded to Leeds. Games in hand mean less and less at this stage of the season. Liverpool have two.
Ipswich Town may yet upset both of their supposed northern superiors, but there was a magnificent resolve about Leeds here which suggested that that outcome is a decreasing possibility. From Rio Ferdinand at the back, through Olivier Dacourt and David Batty in midfield, to Mark Viduka and the superb Alan Smith, Leeds were fierce, first and full of skill.
They were handed Ferdinand's opener after just three minutes 41 seconds, and were then faced with only 10 opponents for the last 20 minutes after Steven Gerrard was sent off; but, those gifts aside, Leeds won every other advantage on merit. This was an exceptional performance, especially in the first half. Leeds' domination of it had been so complete it was almost embarrassing. There were times when the silence inside Anfield was equally so, punctuated only by Liverpudlian abuse directed towards the men in the red shirts. The ears of Markus Babbel, in particular, must have been on fire. Robbie Fowler's should have been burning, too.
Neither, though, could be blamed for the first. As Ferdinand sauntered forward from the Leeds defence as Ian Harte prepared to take the corner won by Danny Mills' dangerous, volleyed cross from the right, the Leeds fans burst into a chorus of "Rio, Rio Ferdinand". Yet not even that, nor Ferdinand's obvious height, alerted the Liverpool defence to his presence. Harte swung the ball to the far post with typical venom and Ferdinand met it unmarked from six yards to plant a firm header past Sander Westerveld. So easy. Too easy.
But that set the tone. While Liverpool were all slow and sloppy, Leeds were all quick and neat. Smith, whose all-round display was immense for one so young - on days like this you can understand why O'Leary calls Smith "The future of English football" - put an improvised over-head-kick inches over as Leeds continued to take the match to their sluggish hosts.
Liverpool were wretched. It was 41 minutes before Batty made a mistake; Liverpool's were plentiful from the start. It was a question of when and not if Leeds got a second, and it came in the 34th minute when Harry Kewell skipped to the edge of the home area and flicked the ball towards Lee Bowyer's angled run. Viduka was offside, but back-pedalling, and Bowyer rushed through Westerveld's challenge to poke the ball in.
Houllier had made four changes from Tuesday at Ipswich and made another two at half-time to try to engender some speed and passion in his team. It worked to an extent, as Gary McAllister and Vladimir Smicer upped the tempo.
And nine minutes after the interval, Michael Owen controlled Jamie Carragher's pass behind Mills and centred to the middle where Gerrard met the ball on the run and on the volley. Nigel Martyn was beaten. Now we had a contest.
But it was Leeds who responded. Kewell swept past three on the left and supplied Smith with a chance. Then Kewell did the same for Dacourt. Both were wasted. Liverpool were still in contention, albeit distant, when Gerrard then clipped Batty. It was Gerrard's second yellow card and he was off. Leeds resumed control after that and Viduka hit a post with a brilliant piece of footwork and then a low shot. Viduka followed that with a run in on Westerveld in which the Australian should have done better, and Viduka ended an eventful game for him by scoring a disallowed, though perfectly legal goal in injury-time after a pass from substitute Robbie Keane.
Liverpool were bystanders by now. The fear for them is that the Champions' League connection they were aiming to make was also missed yesterday.
LIVERPOOL: Westerveld, Babbel, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher, Murphy (Smicer 46), Gerrard, Hamann (Heskey 66), Berger (McAllister 46), Fowler, Owen. Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Vignal. Sent Off: Gerrard (71). Booked: Gerrard, Hamann, Smicer. Goals: Gerrard 55.
LEEDS: Martyn, Mills, Matteo, Ferdinand, Harte, Bowyer, Dacourt, Batty, Kewell (Wilcox 84), Viduka, Smith (Keane 87). Subs Not Used: Kelly, Robinson, Bakke. Booked: Mills. Goals: Ferdinand 4, Bowyer 33.
Referee: A Wiley (Burntwood).
