What happened to our fighting spirit?

Where did it go?

I remember the days that going 1-0 down, to me, meant that we were most probably going to bombard the opposition goal for the next half an hour, until we finally scored. That wasn't too long ago at all. Whenever we went behind, we seemed to look straight back at the goal, and go again, but something is really missing this season.

Last season we came from behind to win, something like 8 or 9 times in the league. I remember the great comebacks against Wigan, Man City and Middlesbrough. It's something this club prides itself on. Everybody loves a great comeback. Its these games that you look back on, when at the end of the season it results in nothing. Sometimes it's not about the silverware, but the great moments you remember, and it's those comebacks that stick out in my mind.

We always looked good for a goal, no matter what the circumstances. Even if we didn't go on to win, bar that terrible performance that sticks out against Boro at the Riverside, we ALWAYS looks likely of pegging one back. Against Chelsea in the champions league, against Arsenal in that 4-4 draw.

This season, something hasn't clicked. We've fallen behind far too often, and failed to recover on almost every occasion. Against Chelsea, Fulham, Sunderland, Villa, Spurs, Fiorentina. Every time we go behind now, I lack that optimism that the team filled me with last season. I just don't see a way back now, and I can't see where it is coming from. It could be that Gerrard has been injured, and hasn't really hit any form this season. It could be that we are relying too heavily on Torres too. Lets face if it wasn't for his 10 goals this season, we would be sitting close to the bottom of the league.

The way that we can break down some teams so easily, and fail to get behind others at all completely puzzles me. It's as though we can giving these oppositions too much respect. We don't show that same determination to continuously drive at them, and bang on the door until we force a way through.

It isn't that we don't have the fire power. We do. We have looked better going forward. We have stronger flanks thanks to Johnson, and both Insua's and Aurelio's improvement. Benayoun has excelled when called upon, and even Lucas has stepped himself up. Somehow these days, we just don't seem to be able to overcome any deficit, and until we do, we really won't pick up.

You are right about Gerrard's absence being a factor. For all his skill, strength and speed, it is his attitude and influence on the other players that makes him stand out above anyone else. It's hard to think of another player that so consistently drives a team on so to lose him is obviously going to have a huge impact.
Other than that, I think it's a confidence thing. We've had some terrible luck and when we go a goal down, I don't think the players have the confidence to surge forward and leave the lads at the back exposed. Last season we were solid at the back and that gave the rest of the team the confidence to counter attack.
If we can get a few results on the bounce with some clean sheets, I'm sure it will come back to us.