As those who have taken positive delight in dragging down successive England managers may shortly come to appreciate, Peter Taylor is not a man to be easily ruffled.
The smart, authoritative football which Taylor has drawn from his Leicester City charges since he stepped snugly into Martin O'Neill's shoes may have been noticeably absent here but the man who might just be king was ready for any would-be detractors. As Glenn Hoddle, Kevin Keegan et al will tell you, when you are playing at the big boys' table, forewarned is forearmed.
Before being asked whether he was ready to do the decent thing and come racing, white knight-like, to his country's rescue, Taylor was asked to consider the theory that after such a spirited start to the season, Leicester's bubble had burst.
"We have lost two games in a row to Manchester United and Liverpool," he mused. "That's the sort of thing that would test Real Madrid, never mind Leicester City." Touche.
Liverpool's manager Gerard Houllier's assertion that his team had created a shed-load of chances brooked no argument. Neither did his claim that Leicester only really threatened to steal something late in the afternoon when, perplexingly, Liverpool's refreshing sense of adventure had been eroded by the Chinese whisper-style transference of the belief that if something can go wrong, then it will go wrong. They call it Roy Evans' law on Merseyside.
Much of Liverpool's football, particularly in the first half, was mesmerising and Houllier would have required an abacus to tot up the number of chances missed.
Indeed, the man whose goal finally divided two teams of quite differing merit, Emile Heskey, should have claimed a second consecutive hat-trick. He did not because, as his manager pointed out, he still lacks composure in front of goal.
But it would be churlish to criticise Heskey; he was a delight on Saturday, striking the decisive blow on 69 minutes after Matt Elliott hopelessly misjudged both the flight and strength of Babbel's cross from the right flank.
LIVERPOOL: Westerveld, Ziege, Babbel, Heskey, Fowler (Murphy 78), Hyypia, Berger, Hamann, Gerrard, Barmby, McAllister. Subs Not Used: Henchoz, Smicer, Arphexad, Carragher. Booked: Ziege. Goal: Heskey 69.
LEICESTER: Flowers, Rowett, Izzet, Lennon, R Savage, Eadie (Sinclair 78), Davidson, Gilchrist, Elliott, Cresswell (Akinbiyi 62), Impey (Guppy 70). Subs Not Used: Royce, Oakes. Booked: Gilchrist, Davidson, Elliott.
Referee: A D'Urso (Billericay).
