Tuesday, January 13 – 1914
Our only hope is Liverpool. The Cup draw panned out well for them in that it gave them Barnsley, a team of renown so far as Cup struggles were concerned, gave the Liver the benefit of the ground, and yet Liverpool only drew.
The fates rarely forgive football clubs. However, I can recall a time when Liverpool, striking one of their limp displays, could not beat Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield, but managed it by a nice margin when the replayed game took place.
Can they repeat the performance so far as Barnsley are concerned? Not having seen Barnsley, I am handicapped somewhat. What I find Liverpool folk say is this: – Barnsley cannot play better than they did last Saturday – everyone admits that they played a rousing Cup game – and Liverpool cannot play worse, and can play much better.
That’s a happy idea, and it will be necessary that Liverpool play better on Thursday, unless we are to be divorced from the Cup competition.
Barnsley will be happy in that they are at home before their own crowd and before their own followers. These followers, by the way, have been protesting against the way their best men are sold and the team dug out every year, its best goods being sent to market.
For a time they protested to the extent of refusing to go to the matches. But they Barnsley man loves his team to do well in the Cup ties, and Saturday’s draw will ‘tice him from his work unless I mistake the sporting Tyke.
Liverpool are giving Ferguson a trial run to-day, and on this trial depends the selection of the Livers team. There is a doubt about Dawson, the outside left, but all the other members of the team are ready and anxious for service. Until the team is chosen our commentary must be dry.
(Liverpool Echo, 13-01-1914)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 