LIVERPOOL fans, don't be jealous.

It's hard not to anyway, especially when they saw how Portsmouth left Everton blue-black with a 3-0 win last night, away.

Especially since they also saw how Portsmouth's new strike pairing of 'The Long and the Short' contributed to the scoreline.

The Long, being Peter Crouch. The Short, being Jermain Defoe.

What do they have to do with Liverpool?

Crouch left the Reds to join Portsmouth this season, frustrated with being continually left on the bench despite his goalscoring antics.

Defoe? Well, imagine if Liverpool had kept Crouch and brought Defoe over, instead of a certain Robbie Keane.

What ifs...no longer matter, though.

But what will sting Liverpool fans is that the new partnership of Crouch and Defoe, is suddenly on fire...faster than the Reds' own new combo of Keane and Fernando Torres.

Maybe the clinical precision of Portsmouth's win and the margin wasn't expected, especially after Manchester United beat Portsmouth 1-0 in their opening fixture, before Chelsea hammered them 4-0 last time out.

But those two opponents were two of England's Big Four boys.

Everton may have knocked on the doors of the Big Four last season, but their lack of creativity when key players like Mikel Arteta or Tim Cahill are out, always short-changes them towards the end.

So they were seen as a more even contest for Portsmouth last night.

This season, the Premiership's shrewd buyer of discards or unrealised potential - Harry Redknapp - has recreated an England 'B' strike partnership in uniting Crouch and Defoe.

Tactically, it's like going back to the old days in football, where one long bean was paired with a nippy Speedy Gonzales.

And that's how it was in the 11th minute opening goal last night, when a simple throw-in towards Crouch saw him flick the ball over behind for Defoe.

Defoe - shielding Joleon Lescott - turned round to fend off two more Everton busybodies, and shot home superbly.

Portsmouth's second goal in the 40th minute saw Defoe setting it up beautifully.

Right-back Glen Johnson passed the ball to him from the right flank, and continued to cut in towards the centre of the box.

Defoe turned and waited to return the ball across, for Johnson to slot home nicely.

Successful idea

And this is really what Redknapp has worked on patiently, to make the Crouch-Defoe combo more than just a successful old-fashioned idea.

Both of them often drop deep to receive the ball, and with their close-control, are able to hold it and square it for team-mates coming from a deeper position.

That often allows for more inter-play, like in the way they drew a reluctant Everton defence out last night.

The reward for such a modern-day tactical approach up front, came in the 68th minute, when Defoe dragged left of the box, and hesitated before squaring to an incoming Sean Davis.

Davis though, back-heeled the ball instantly, dragging two more defenders out of position for Defoe to chip the ball sublimely over the goalkeeper and under the crossbar. It crossed the goal-line clearly before coming out again.

It was simply proof that sometimes, some old-fashioned ideas still work in football, with a dash of modern-day versatility.

Oh, Liverpool fans, don't you feel like crying.