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Liverpool celebrate - Source: Reuters -
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It has been a long and winding road since Liverpool won their 18th League title, a road that has been tinged with bright starts ultimately to give way to heartache, defeat and the old saying "not again" come December - but after their best start to a Premier League season in 12-years there is a growing sense of belief in a team whose history in the beautiful game is as rich as Manchester City's new owners.
It's a very funny thing to be a Liverpool supporter right now, with fans looking at their team sitting three points clear at the top of the Premier League table feeling the need to wipe the sleep from their eyes.
And the same question keeps cropping up - is this the time that Liverpool fans dare to dream?
Ask any avid supporter if they would rather win the League or take Europe's greatest footballing prize and the answer will always be the same, because the consistent form and determination needed to become champions of the Premier League is English football's ultimate prize - a prize and a return to glory that Liverpool supporters have waited for far too long.
Red men's year?
Before Sunday's game where an unbeaten Liverpool, defensively dismantled an unbeaten Chelsea, at the aptly named fortress Stamford Bridge, questions were being asked of Liverpool, with critics stating that if Liverpool managed to do the seemingly impossible in London - then this could actually turn out to be the Red men's year.
And so it seems that Liverpool - unbeaten in all competitions since April 30th, have made a dream start to the 08/09 season - a start that can only rivaled by the fairytale of Hull.
They have come back from the brink of defeat in no less than four games this season, they have beaten Manchester United at Anfield, Everton at Goodison Park and of course ended Chelsea's ridiculous 86-unbeaten reign at Stamford Bridge - two of those games coming without the firepower of star striker Fernando Torres.
But while the media are starting to hail Liverpool as the ones to watch this season, even if the bookies still have them as third favourites, in a strange twist of fate, it seems that it is Liverpool's fan's who are the ones scared to proclaim "We're going to win the league."
Even if we secretly believe it in our hearts, and always do.
But the evidence of Liverpool's strength this season is becoming harder to ignore, and the fact that Red's boss Rafael Benitez is starting to do something that the fans have been telling the stubborn Spaniard for years - pick your best eleven, and er, stick with it - seems to finally be going in.
One of the reasons for stopping Liverpool and their fans declaring their title intent is we all know that the League is a long and arduous four-horse race that is never won in October - and with Liverpool's notoriously terrible Christmas season not too far away - one might feel the need to tread with caution.
One game at a time
Even Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is pragmatic in his response to the Chelsea victory, using the boss' well worn line of taking it 'One game at a time."
While Benitez believes that Liverpool's victory over Chelsea has sent a 'massive message' to the sides Premier League rivals, he also knows that his side need the nerve to stay at the top, with the likes of United, Arsenal and Chelsea always willing and ready to take your place.
Next up for Liverpool is a clash with newly managerless Portsmouth at Anfield, a game that this energised Liverpool should walk, but also the type of fixture that far too often trips Liverpool up.
But after seasons of 'not good enough for Liverpool' players coming in and out of the side (think Gonzales, Voronin, Diouf, Nunez, Morientes, Le Tallac, Biscan, just to name a few) it seems that Liverpool not only have a strong defence (only lacking with the unfortunate loss of Skrtel) an unwavering attacking threat, the missing link with the purchase of Albert Riera, thoroughly excellent since he kicked his first ball in a red shirt against Manchester United, and Robbie Keane, who has failed to make a dramatic goal-scoring impact, but is a valuable workhorse none the less, but also a unwavering confidence that many teams are finding hard to dent.
And while one might have to bite their tongue to stop the words they want to say from spilling out of their mouth - I for one believe in the beauty of my Anfield dreams, do you?
