Following Sunday's disappointing result against West Bromwich Albion, there were two competing narratives. On one hand there was a desire to integrate the match and result into one of the main stories of the 2011-12 season—namely the one where Liverpool can't score even though they dominate possession.

Let's be clear of one thing from the start: No matter the specifics of all that came before it, Luis Suarez was an idiot for not shaking Patrice Evra's hand.

But then, so too was Patrice Evra for later trying to start a fight in the tunnel at the half and then for taunting the Liverpool striker after the match.

"We don't think he should ever have been away but we are delighted to get him back," Kenny Dalglish said when asked about the return of Luis Suarez following Monday's match against Tottenham. The response from the papers was immediate—and exactly what one would have guessed it would be.

"Kenny Dalglish has risked infuriating Manchester United ahead of Luis Suarez's appearance at Old Trafford next weekend," began the always understated Daily Mail.

As exciting a name for the future as Joao Teixeira might be, most would agree he isn't going to make a difference when it comes to where Liverpool finishes this season. On the other hand, when it comes to just what the biggest shortcoming of this Liverpool squad is—the biggest thing holding them back—very few seem to agree on anything.

Football federations are clueless at best, corrupt at worst, and in other breaking news the sky is blue. At least when it's not overcast. Though even then it's probably blue above the clouds. Unless there are no planes flying overhead and so nobody to see it, because then you're getting into trees falling in the forest territory.

It's been a fun week to follow Liverpool, with the crushing boredom of another international break coming along just as the things were starting to pick up followed by the kind of ridiculous insanity in the press that seems to come along before every United match. And by fun I of course mean absolutely hideously unbearable.

Against Everton, Lucas Leiva only passed to Charlie Adam twice in their 67 minutes on the pitch together, while Adam passed to Lucas five times. By comparison, Lucas passed to Steven Gerrard three times after he came on for Adam, a limited data set but one that nonetheless would equate to a healthy nine passes across a full ninety minutes.

Tea and Crumpets has always been a fan of taking the opportunity to talk to opposing fans in an effort to learn a little bit about their strange, quaint ways. To perhaps build a bridge, find a common ground, or if all else fails simply indulge in some good food while snickering at them from behind our hand.

It has to be fair game to wonder what happened to the faith Kenny Dalglish showed John Flanagan towards the end of last season; to wonder where it went on the back of a poor performance that owed a great deal to the young fullback being left exposed by the man playing in front of him.

It has to be fair game to wonder about the insistence on playing that man, Jordan Henderson, ahead of the more experienced Dirk Kuyt no matter the circumstances—even when coming up against one of the league's top six club's on the road.

Previous experience with Tottenham suggested that to invoke the club's name was to bring a horde of Spurs fans, eager to take offense at the slightest perceived slight, descending on the site. A bit like Beetlejuice, only without the need to say the name three times and a lot more vitriolic swearing.

Realising belatedly that the new season was quite nearly upon us, Tea and Crumpets panicked, packed our bags, and rushed off in the general direction of Sunderland in order to get the local take on the club, their squad, and what we could expect to see come matchday. Luckily for us, we found a willing conversation partner in the Roker Report's Simon Walsh.

If nature abhors a vacuum, then the transfer window abhors a lack of batshit insane rumours to sell papers and drive hits with. And with many of Liverpool's supposed targets cooling down after the more dubious corners of the intertubes had pushed them for weeks only for it to amount to nothing, a new round of insanity was called for.

Those who follow Liverpool are hardly a monolithic block.

Kickoff from Ewood Park at 20:00 GMT and 3:00 EST.

Ways to Watch:

Match shown live somewhere, I'd imagine, in the UK and on Fox Soccer Plus in the US.

MyP2P.eu
Atdhe.net
ChannelSurfing.net

Liverpool:

Team sheet when it's released.