While supporters may be divided on their thoughts on Benitez himself, what they are united in is their hatred for owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett - This Is Anfield Website, June 2010
A friend sent me a text this afternoon from Belfast. He is a Manchester United fan. Contrary to popular opinion they do have friends, and I continue to value my friendship with him. At the same time I carry on in the hope that his condition is curable.
The purpose of his brief message was to gleefully tell me that Liverpool were 0-2 down to Blackpool at half time in today’s game at Anfield. The wrong pool later won. Blackpool, for long enough identified as somewhere people would go to get on a fun ride rather than watch a soccer game, are now having a fun ride at Liverpool’s expense. I was not indifferent to the news but not greatly disappointed. Resignation best summed up my mood. There were no surprises there. That I never bothered following the game as it happened just about sums up my level of enthusiasm.
The Spirit of Shankley group organised protests before and after the match. Last week 9000 fans stayed behind after the game to express their dissatisfaction. They want rid of the current American owners of the club and one of the banners on display was emblazoned with the words ‘Yank Liars.’ That probably makes the Shankley group the most radical political force in British politics today. There is not much in the way of rivals.
Six points from seven games, languishing in the relegation zone, the future must look orange given that the orange of Blackpool overran the red of Liverpool on the pitch today. For someone of my ilk to long for a return to the Paisley era might sound strange to many. Nothing to marvel at, however, it is boot room Bob man rather than boot boy Ian. Under Bob Paisley’s leadership Liverpool enjoyed the most successful spell in its 128 year history. It has not been emulated since. It might never again.
As is inevitable the club coach will take a lot of flak. Liverpool fan and journalist Aaron Cutler argued:
Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool tenure has failed to ignite. A stuttering start to the season has dispelled any hope of a honeymoon period and instead exposed many of the same old frailties. Nobody expected a quick fix but signs of progress were anticipated, however small.
And that was before today’s debacle. Yet it is pointless to blame the current coach. As a friend ventured to me last week he was brought in to manage the decline, not achieve anything. Hodgson might have a reputation for managing well on limited resources but there is nothing to be carved from rotten wood. Trying to revive the club under its current owners is like giving the kiss of life to a corpse.
All those who blamed Rafa Benitez for the plummeting fortunes of the team, must now be looking back on his tenure as a golden era. The best thing about his departure is that it has shown clearly that he was not the problem there. True, his transfer forays were dubious at times, but he never managed to become one of the three Amigos propping up the rest of the Premier League.
Liverpool play old Merseyside rivals Everton next week. As a normal derby game it is important in its own right. But with both teams scraping around the bottom of the Premier barrel, on shared points from a similar number of games, there will be a sharper edge to matters. It might be seen more in the stands than on the pitch. While there is little to say that either team will rise to the occasion, the safe money has to be on Everton. What William Hazlitt said of man is true of Liverpool supporters:
As Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be.
A primary teacher starts a new job at a school on Merseyside and trying to make a good impression on her first day explains to the kids that she is a Liverpool fan.she asks the class to raise their hands to if they to are Liverpool fans.everyone in the class raises their hand except one little girl. the teacher looks at the little girl with suprise and says "Mary why didnt you raise your hand ?" "because I,m not a Liverpool fan" she replies the shocked teacher asks "then who are you a fan of?" "I,m a Man Utd fan and proud of it" said Mary the teacher asks "why are you a Utd fan ?" "because my mum and dad are from Manchester and my mum is a Utd supporter and my dad is one to so I,m one also" "well" said the annoyed teacher "thats no reason for you to be a Utd fan,you dont have to be just like your parents all of the time.what if your mum was a prostitute and your dad a drug addict and a car thief,what would you be then?" "then" Mary smiles "I,d be a Liverpool fan"....
ReplyDeleteMarty,
ReplyDeletedon't you just love it!!
Journalist in Iraq spots a wonder boy soccer player in the street. He notifies scouts who duly check him out and sign him up for liverpool. 1st game he scores a hatrick and things just keep on goin great for the next month. After his 7th game and another hatrick he says im goin to phone home see how my family are.
ReplyDeleteHis mother said the house has been firebombed, your dad shot dead and your two sisters have been gang raped..WHY IN THE NAME OF ALAH DID YOU BRING US TO LIVERPOOL!!!
Looks like Tommy Docherty is in control of the pool. he took Man Utd into the old 2nd devision. my buddy at uni is a Liverpool fan and wants us to visit the city and take in a game, i suggested we do it this year if we want to see PL soccer. Walk on Mackers YNWA
Larry,
ReplyDeleteseems you are all enjoying it. Marty has started a Hate Liverpool club!!
walking through the local forest park the other week, he noticed a bloke with his arms wrapped around a large pine tree,oh right thinks the mate another pervie Adams, and was about to go on his merry way when the bloke said "I know your thinking ,here we go a weirdo probably a fan of the bearded one," "well if the cap fits"says the mate, "you might not know this but the bearded one didnt invent this, in fact this is an old Americam native way of communicating with nature, and believe me it really works" says the bloke."aye right" says the mate "do I look like I came down with the last shower of rain or worse still a psf supporter?" "trust me a cara " says the bloke "just try it ,there,s noone here to see or laugh if you dont like it" so the mate put his arms around the tree,and immediatly the bloke slapped a pair of handcuffs on him,took his watch,wallet belt and shoes,"thanks mug" he says and he took off leaving the mate handcuffed to this huge tree in the middle of the park, a little while later a guy was walking past and he notices the mate "Helloooo " says yer man "what are you up to honeyyy ?"the mate tells him his story ,"OHH thats awful what a horrible man" says the guy and then he reached round and undid the mates jeans and whispered in his ear "its just not your day is it hon?"
ReplyDeleteI dont hate Liverpool Anthony I just love football!
ReplyDeleteNo Mackers, just havin a giggle. I went to see Celtic play Rangers for 1st time at 16yrs old. Walkin past tenament ghetto's I was actually afraid and disgusted at the poverty and harshness of the place. 'PARADISE' I dont think so. Seems 'paddy' got all the good gaffs in the UK lol cheer up Mackers, its the bad times that make the good times all the better. YNWA "you'll never work again" lol
ReplyDeleteI hope that with new owners and someone like Daglish at the helm the Pool return to being the team they once were, football needs clubs like L/pool wether you support them or not
ReplyDeleteLarry,
ReplyDeleteI was 15 when I first saw Celtic v Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final. Celtic lost 3-2. Dalglish was playing. It was after I got out of jail that I first got to see Liverpool at Anfield.
Marty I hope you are right. The US owners are still trying to mess things up, just like they messed the team up.
Marty, if they are deducted these nine points if they go into administration the landscape will change very quickly
ReplyDeleteAnthony,
ReplyDeleteThe first task of the Chilean miners, after their release, is to visit Anfield to advise Roy Hodgson on how to get out of a big hole before Christmas!
et tu Robert!
ReplyDeleteAnthony,
ReplyDeleteAfraid so. Just received by text and thought it might endear me to you even further.
Robert,
ReplyDeleteyou are free to criticise republicanism or atheists but keep yer trap shut when it comes to Liverpool!! You were never unendeared to begin with. Good to see you back
How do you know that your reading the paper upside down.........Liverpool are in the top 3...(ducks)!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete