It was impossible to take it seriously. Liverpool's 10-1 saunter over the Finnish champions Oulu at Anfield last night (aggregate: 11-2) was more interesting from the statistical point of view because it certainly wasn't a football game as we know it. The Finns did their best, with effort and determination, but those attributes against the skills of Liverpool meant nothing. Oulu were out-classed, out-run, out-played, out-thought - in fact, they were just out of everything. In some ways, the vast difference between the two sides tends to devalue the competition but, at least, the Reds did confirm my long-held conviction that they could beat Oulu by double figures. And, really, they should have done it in Finland as well. Liverpool ran the Finns off their feet and there is no value in trying to evaluate the game. It developed into a matter of wearing out a couple of pencil points to record the goals and the major talking point was who scored Liverpool's fourth goal?, just before half time. Kenny Dalglish, a tormenting thorn in the heart of the Finnish defence, slipped the ball past the brave goalkeeper Rantenan and it was heading for the goal net when Terry McDermott ran in to drive the ball home. Both players claimed the goal. Bob Paisley gave it to Dalglish, who later turned it all round by letting McDermott have it - the second goal of his hat-trick. The Scottish ace was involved in the majority of the goals laying on chances galore which could easily have brought another half dozen. Liverpool missed a few, scored ten. Rantenan entertained with his goal keeping antics and made several fine saves... and the big shock was when Newcastle-born Keith Armstrong, watched by several club scouts, scored just after half-time when the Liverpool defence waited for an offside decision which didn't arrive.

The Finns defended to the best of their ability, gave the ball away when they had it and tired to such an extent that Liverpool rammed home six goals in the second half. The tally, for the record, was three for the outstanding Graeme Souness, three for McDermott, two for Fairclough, and one each for Ray Kennedy and Sammy Lee. They just failed to match their highest ever score in Europe - 11 against the Norwegians of Stromsgodset - but it was their highest score in the European Cup. Dalglish laid on the first two for Souness and also the third for McDermott. Dalglish made it four before half time (the goal was later awarded to McDermott). After Armstrong's lonely strike, Souness collected his hat-trick goal from the penalty spot after having been brought down. He had an interchange of words with McDermott before the normal penalty taker waved him forward to take the kick. Lee headed home a great pass by Ray Kennedy; who took a pass from Phil Neal to score easily a few minutes later. Two headers from Fairclough added numbers 8 and 9; with McDermott hitting the shot of the night for number 10. It was all so terribly easy. It may be getting monotonous but Graeme Souness takes the man of the match tag again. Three goals - his first in Europe - his first hat-trick for Liverpool and another superbly fashioned all-round display of midfield skill and strength made him the outstanding man on the field when there was not a fault in the Liverpool side. Terry McDermott and Kenny Dalglish ran him close but Souness, on a very easy night for the champions, took the eye in every move he made.
Entertainment rating: three stars. Conditions: dry, windy, pitch perfect.

Liverpool moved into the second round of the European Cup in commanding style, with a ruthlessly efficient demolition job of the unhappy Finns from Oulu, last night, and now look forward to the possibility of breaking fresh ground when the draw is made in Zurich tomorrow afternoon. There are several clubs going into the hat whom Liverpool have never met before in their 16 previous seasons of European football, although there are also familiar names like Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Ajax, Red Star Belgrade, Bayern Munich and Honved of Budapest. Liverpool chief, Bob Paisley, delighted with the way his players responded to his "no complacency" call in beating Oulu 10-1 said today "There are new names in the draw. We will have to see what happens tomorrow but we have to take what comes in this game". There were no injuries from last night's game and the champions look certain to be unchanged for the seventh successive match, at Manchester City on Saturday.

You can't keep Graeme Souness out of the Anfield limelight these days... and nobody's complaining the way he is playing. His form, even in a setup where teamwork is the priority factor, has been outstanding. I have made the Scottish International midfield ace man of the match in six of Liverpool's 13 games up to today. Again, I have not heard a single word of dissent to that judgement from any Liverpool official or player. But it is not just that he is showing himself to be the finest midfield player in contemporary football, he is getting goals as well and that is probably the most pleasing feature of his current performances. In his deep midfield role, the man who picks up the pieces from defence and turns them into gems of constructive play with the devastating accuracy of his passing, Souness is not required to work scoring positions for himself. Goals are a bonus from his tactical job - and seven goals from the last six games makes bonus an understatement. I recall speaking to him in the first week of the season, when he said how disappointed he had been to score only twice last season "my worst record in the First Division" and how determined he was to sharpen up his shooting.

He went on "over the years, with 'Boro and Liverpool, I have averaged seven or eight goals a season. Nine was my best with 'Boro even though I play in the most defensive position of all the midfield men". Already, with only a fifth of the league season gone, Souness is up to his seasonal average. "Any reason for this joyous state of affairs?" I asked him this week. "Nothing special" he replied "the ball is going in the net where last season it was going wide or high. I want to emphasise this. Teamwork is every thing at Liverpool. Individuals matter of course, but it is the good of the team that is most important. So it does not matter who scores as long as we score. If I don't score another goal all season and we end up winning something, then I will be happy. You are only as good as your last game at Liverpool - and we are constantly being reminded of that fact by the staff. I accept that. We all accept that. It is the system that produces success by Liverpool standards. Naturally, I am happy with my form at the moment. I am happy that I am getting goals as well but it is early days yet".

City's big two, Tony Book and Malcolm Allison, were at Anfield last night to check Liverpool's current form and even when taking into account the poor quality of their Finnish opponents, the Red's performance was impressive. Mr. Paisley said "It wasn't farcical. Some games when a lot of goals are scored can go like that, but not this one. I had told the lads to go out and do a professional job, to complete the task of reaching the second round, after we had been knocked out in the first round the last two years. They responded well. They went about things the correct way". The attendance of just over 21,000 was good enough to ensure that Liverpool did not make a loss over the two legs, as was feared. General Secretary Peter Robinson said today "We were very pleased with the gate considering the economic problems everyone is facing. We never made a loss financially in European competition but it looked certain this time. However, when all the bills are paid, I think we will make a small profit".

Souness continued "Now I am looking forward to the next three games - Maine Road, where I always enjoy playing, against my old team Middlesbrough at Anfield next Tuesday and then the big one, Ipswich next Saturday at Anfield. These should all be good open games. Tight but good. These are the sort of games which it is good to anticipate". Last season, Souness and his midfield partner Terry McDermott had a 25 pound bet on who would score most goals. Double player of the year McDermott won hands down with 14 to Souness's two goals and the bet has been struck again. As long as it does not affect team performance, providing it does not disturb individual displays by Souness and McDermott, I am sure the bet is simply a harmless piece of dressing room banter. But if it does creep into performances, l am sure manager Bob Paisley will clamp down on it like a ton of bricks. The penalty incident against Oulu the other night carried overtones of the rivals' scoring duel. After Souness had been heavily brought down as he was about to shoot for his hat trick goal, there was an obvious interchange between him and the regular penalty taker, McDermott. Souness picked the ball up, hesitated as he looked across at McDermott, and flung the ball at him. McDermott placed it on the spot, walked back and then gestured Souness forward to take it. Let's say that Souness was only looking for the best chance to score his first hat trick for Liverpool. Let's praise McDermott for his sporting gesture when he would have been entitled to take the kick. But it was an odd sort of incident that raised a few eyebrows. As it happened, both men finished with three goals so, this morning, they are tied on seven each. The competition can be good for both players - as long as it is kept in the background.

Former Liverpool reserve skipper, Brian Kettle, the man with six Central League Championship tankards crowding his mantelpiece, scored his first goal for his new club, Wigan Athletic, in the 4-1 hammering of Halifax Town on Wednesday. He went to Wigan a month ago and has settled in at leftback.

If Stephen Pile ever decides to produce a second book of heroic disasters, he might consider the claims of Oulun Palloseura for inclusion. The Finnish side might not be the worst ever, but they must be one of the most ill-equipped ever seen in the European Cup. Had the Finns not shown a remarkable adeptness at employing the offside trap, Liverpool probably would have shattered all scoring records for Europe's premier competition. As it was, they reached double figures, going through to the second round 11-2 on aggregate. Liverpool were caught offside 25 times. In addition to that remarkable statistic, Liverpool victimised themselves further by squandering at least half a dozen inviting chances. One of the most eagerly awaited figures of the night was the attendance. Had it been below 20,000 Liverpool, for the first time in 17 years of successive European competition, would have been out of pocket. But a crowd of 21,013 just spared the club that embarrassment. Whether, however, the spectators felt that they had received value for money is another matter. Long before the end the game had become so one-sided as to be meaningless and tedious. The inability of the Finns to mount scarcely a serious attack; the total surrender of midfield; the uncertainty of their defence and the eccentricities of their goalkeeper all combined to give Liverpool their easiest and most productive night in this competition.

All semblance of a contest disappeared after only five minutes when Souness, master of midfield and the chief Liverpool orchestrator, scored the first of his three goals, his first in European competition. By half-time Liverpool already could have been approaching double figures. Instead, largely through their own wastefulness in front of goal, they had been restricted to a modest four goals. Souness, with the help of two deflections, scored his second after 25 minutes; McDermott then swept home Dalglish's low cross from the right and then, just before half-time, Dalglish appeared to have scored himself when he prodded the ball goalwards from close range. McDermott, following up, was credited with the goal after some considerable debate. The biggest surprise of the night came soon after the interval when Armstrong, taking advantage of a lax moment in the Liverpool defence, scored a good opportunist goal, but then Liverpool began to score at will. Souness, from the penalty spot, completed his hat-trick, Lee headed Kennedy's long cross home and then Kennedy, Fairclough (2) and McDermott, his third of the night, completed the rout.