It's taken till today to calm myself after watching us yet again this season fail to capitalise on many scoring chances. It's killing me that after yet another pre-season of much-hyped optimism we've got to and now, past the festive period and we're yet again double figures off the pace. We do have a couple of games in hand in truth but honestly, I can't see us capitalising- can you?
Now before you mistake this as just one of those negative posts born out of frustration (a knee jerk reaction if you will) or even just being on the wind-up, it's not. City was the eventual cracking point, which has now seen me become very disillusioned at not just the team, but the club as a whole.
Firstly, I’m not jumping on the "sack Benitez" bandwagon. I am however becoming increasingly baffled not only by some of his team selections but also his squad selections. Now he's not Houllier material by any stretch of the imagination. A lot of the time he sends out a very good side and one that can cope with and beat the opposition.
But a lot of the time isn't going to win us the league. Now I’ve already been told by certain quarters that I can't use "isolated incidents" as examples, and having thought about it- I can't, it's a fair point because as was pointed out to me at the time, while we were drawing 1-1 at derby United were winning 1-4 at Sunderland, of course while they were losing 1-0 at Bolton we were spanking Newcastle 0-3. Everyone has these off days.
Having thought about it some more however, I’ve realised they're becoming less and less "isolated incidents" and now costing us points on a more regular basis. Not a weekly one, but a more regular one none the less. Derby away was an appalling performance and but for a last minute goal by the skipper (surprise surprise) this post would have been posted on boxing day.
Birmingham at home, Tottenham at home, Pompey away, City away, not to mention out of the other 3 teams out of the "big 4" we've played all three at home and managed to accumulate a grand total of 2 points having lead in 2 of the games. Now, if you look at that, it starts to look less like an isolated incident and more like the start of a problem. Not just a problem but a reason. A reason why we're nowhere near the top with only half the season gone.
The optimist in me says well "bollocks- we've still got half the season for things to go our way" but the realist in me knows that its another half season for us to continue to squander points where they should be being picked up.
I still like Rafa and I’m more than happy for him to have the full five years, and maybe beyond if by may 2009 we've picked up number 19 or number 6 (preferably both). Houllier got them and Rafa has bought a much more attractive style to the club and won the CL so he should definately be given the same time. So this isn't an anti-Rafa thread. He loves the club, the fans and he has improved us ten-fold, I just wonder weather he does have what it takes. I'm not saying he doesn't, I’m just not absolutely positive he does.
In Benitez's defence, he hasn't has the funds compared to United and Chelsea. Don't get me wrong though, he's definately had funds and plenty of them. The signings of Alonso, Garcia, Crouch, Morientes, Torres, Babel, Gonzalez and Bellamy amongst many others prove that.
But that's not without selling and releasing people, and this is where my problems with the board come into play- and this in truth is probably what frustrates me most at the club. Angers even.
Now these two cowboys from across the pond and have bought the club. They arrived and said all the right things and admittedly, I even took a shine to them. They came here with promises of new big 70-odd thousand seater stadiums, all the money Rafa needed even "snoogey Doogey" if he wanted him and with the promise that none of THEIR debt would be put on OUR club.
Now, less than a year on, they've given benitez less money than moores could have done, they’ve done a huge u-turn on the new ground and now they want to put 50% of their debt onto the club. As Tom pointed out in his post a few weeks back every major announcement the yanks have made has not only failed to materialise on time i.e. the start of the new ground and the money for Rafa, but failed to materialise full stop.
Now this has been driving me mad for a while now and the public fall out with Benitez (perhaps bought on himself but I can see why he's p'ssd off) was the nail in the coffin for me with these pair of hicks! (no pun intended).
If I’m furious, imagine what Rafa must be thinking. He's got two fella's telling him he can't do this and he can't do that without either of them having any real idea of what Rafa's job entails. It's the football equivalent of Lenny Hendry telling Bill Gates how to run Microsoft- its absolutely ridiculous and it's another prime example of rich corporate-whores owning big football clubs. I'm quite honestly gutted Moores left because the only thing he couldn't offer, was the money, and seeing as the yanks have failed to deliver that (and they do have the chance in January to make me look like a right c*nt here) then they bring nothing else to the table that Moore couldn't.
Now if they cough up in January and back Rafa and we do get very close to the league or even win it then fine. Fair play lads, I look like a nobhead but I don't give a fcuk because we're champions and I’m too drunk and happy to care about what I put on an internet forum 5 months pervious and it's party time.
However until that does happen, give the man the cash you promised him, shut the fcuk up and let the man do his job. If you don't like it then get rid- thats your perogative but stop fcuking about cause it's costing the club dearly on and off the pitch.
Lastly my final gripe is with the current set of Liverpool fans. I'll upset people here, but its stuff that needs to be bought up and underlined. Having been called a glory hunter and likened to these fans myself in the last few days (I was not pleased) it's that indeed that’s prompted me to put this bit in my post.
Now naturally I’m a stroppy little sod. I don't take draws well, let alone defeats but I see that not as a weakness or a relentless way of supporting the side but more of a fierce will to win. Being bought up as a red through the dark and bleak days of Souness and Boersma watching us bomb out of cups to Bristol city and Bolton at home and listening to us get walloped 5-1 away at COVENTRY (don't you just cringe at the thought) I was told stories about Dalglish, Neal, Thompson, Souness and Hansen. About how they won trophy after trophy, how they were a ruthless winning machine. About Shankly and Sir Bob and how they didn't just want to be the best but needed to be the best. They didn't just win a trophy- they won it and then they won it again and again.
Now in fairness I had the mother of all paddy’s at derby away until we got the winner (fickle or what?) and my mood after City wasn't much better either. I was told to calm down etc etc by my match co-attendee and was then later bollocked because of a difference in opinion. Now the person reads these forums. I don't mind that you don't agree with me, I don't really care that whilst you were prepared to lynch Houllier (and rightly so) for how he sent the players out (no cutting edge, no imagination, no urgency) every week, but your willing to not only overlook but seemingly accept the same weaknesses that are costing us the same league title under Benitez. I do however have a problem with being labelled those things, and rightly or wrongly I was pissed off but its born out of frustration for what has finally become evident at this club. Too many people associated with the club have simply forgotten what the club is all about. It's about winning trophies for us- the fans. I'm spoilt. I was in Istanbul and in the nou camp, at both home legs against Chelsea and the home one again against juve. I was at the Barca semi in 2001, Roma in 2002 and Olympiacos 2005. I've been treated to some unbelievable nights and days out. But that's exactly it. While we should ALL be grateful and thankful for these days out, it's what we live for. It's what we crave and most importantly it's what made us great in the first place.
5 European cup finals in 8 years, countless league trophies and trips to Wembley seasonally routine. Why? Not because we were lucky but because we were f*cking brilliant. There was none of this oh god, Pompy aren't doing too bad- fratton park a draw there would be alright- it was get down there- tank them and get back home. That attitude was left to also-rans like Villa and spurs who threatened but never delivered- does it remind you of someone? And that’s the problem now. People who use the arguement "god, just imagine being a derby fan- you'd have something to moan about then". Well I’m not a derby fan, I'm a red and its win or bust.
Like I said- everybody has off days, I clearly remember being told about us being spanked 5-1 away at villa in our glory days or even 4-1 away at the dell. No ones perfect, least of all me but at some point there's got to be that feeling of destroyment when one of our centre halves can't pass the ball more than 5yrds. I suppose that's just me.
That’s that rant over, here’s for the next one. I apologise this is long- if your still reading, fair play.
The second gripe at the fans is their behaviour. I'm not going on about the “marauding scallies” that sing about Munich and Harold Shipman, or the ones who kicked the gates in, whilst we where in Athens. I'm on about the dickheads who don't have a clue. Don't worry out of towners this isn't an assault on you (us), I myself am not from the city.
The club has its fair share of nobheads which is a mix of scousers and OOT's. So this is by no means a tribal thing.
The scallies, who have such a bad name, follow this club weekly. Sometimes twice weekly. Sometimes its home sometimes it's abroad. Their behaviour? Well it's probably not the best or friendly but they're young lads, much like me up for a laugh, and as you'll appreciate all young lads who are having some fun, more often that not are doing something that isn't completely right/legal.
Weather they're singing Munich songs, smoking spiffs, coked off they're faces or kicking down gates to get into a European cup final that they couldn't get tickets for because the club robbed them- their behaviour isn't quite as embarrassing as some of the numpties that attend the games these days.
I've seen people lean up against Shanks Statue reading the sun newspaper. It’s frigging disgusting. If your one of those people who do this or have done this in the past- please don't ever come to the ground again.
If you’re the dickhead who was stood in front of me at City shouting "Kill the Nazi" at Didi on Sunday- Please don't ever come and support us home or away ever again. Didi is a Liverpool legend and if Nazi's the only thing you want to shout at him after all his years of service then fcuk off with the rest of the Ingerland boys and support fcuking Chelsea, spurs or Millwall.
The group who started off poor scouser Tommy with the words "did you here about the poor scouser Tommy?"- Just stop singing. For the speed merchants who want to sing Campioni and fields of Anfield road at 100 mph, belt up and learn it properly.
The ones who come in late, chat on their phones all game about eastenders and the slag he pulled last night and then leave early- your the problem fan/s at the club, your the ones who are an embarrassment and along with the sun readers, the corporate cock suckers and day trippers who don't know the words to the songs your not welcome at the club.
The truth is I Hate 75% of our support it's not the scallies who I’m ashamed of. Our fans can now be rated along with the like of United’s Chelsea's and Arsenals. Ones that create no atmosphere and no jack sh!t about the game and the club. We used to be the most knowledgeable in the land. Now? You’re having a laugh. Away games for the last few years leading up to Istanbul where my safety net. They were there as a reward for sitting in Anfield and watching us play sh!te football. The away games always produced a cracking atmosphere. The fans who knew the words to the songs went. The fans who didn't read the sun were there and the fans that knew what was acceptable and what wasn't on and off the pitch were there.
Post Turkey the aways got littered with the sun readers, the illiterate sing songers and the corporate cock suckers so my haven then turned to Euro aways. TNS (yes I know it's only Wales) and Anderlecht where great away trips but unbelievably they've gone west as well now. Barcelona away last season a prime example. I think there were about 20,000 reds over there last season- it was heaving. 10,000 of them were Muppets out there just so they can say they paid £300 for a ticket and that, that shows how much they love the club. It doesn't it means you've got more money than sense.
I'm half glad those "scallies" smashed the door in, in Athens. There was joy on those faces as if we'd actually won the trophy itself. That’s what it means. In the public eye of the world ran by politics and liars all in amongst the PC brigade- kicking down gates is going to give you and the club a bad name. And god we wouldn't want that now would we? I mean the rest of the country has such a wonderful opinion of us anyway, so we wouldn't to change opinions?
At the end of the day I’d rather have the lads who kicked down the door in their with me rather than the sun-readers, corporate whores and the illiterates.
It's amazing what a chasing by three City boys and another toothless display in Manchester does to you- Rant over!
No doubt I’ll be back for more though.
Now before you mistake this as just one of those negative posts born out of frustration (a knee jerk reaction if you will) or even just being on the wind-up, it's not. City was the eventual cracking point, which has now seen me become very disillusioned at not just the team, but the club as a whole.
Firstly, I’m not jumping on the "sack Benitez" bandwagon. I am however becoming increasingly baffled not only by some of his team selections but also his squad selections. Now he's not Houllier material by any stretch of the imagination. A lot of the time he sends out a very good side and one that can cope with and beat the opposition.
But a lot of the time isn't going to win us the league. Now I’ve already been told by certain quarters that I can't use "isolated incidents" as examples, and having thought about it- I can't, it's a fair point because as was pointed out to me at the time, while we were drawing 1-1 at derby United were winning 1-4 at Sunderland, of course while they were losing 1-0 at Bolton we were spanking Newcastle 0-3. Everyone has these off days.
Having thought about it some more however, I’ve realised they're becoming less and less "isolated incidents" and now costing us points on a more regular basis. Not a weekly one, but a more regular one none the less. Derby away was an appalling performance and but for a last minute goal by the skipper (surprise surprise) this post would have been posted on boxing day.
Birmingham at home, Tottenham at home, Pompey away, City away, not to mention out of the other 3 teams out of the "big 4" we've played all three at home and managed to accumulate a grand total of 2 points having lead in 2 of the games. Now, if you look at that, it starts to look less like an isolated incident and more like the start of a problem. Not just a problem but a reason. A reason why we're nowhere near the top with only half the season gone.
The optimist in me says well "bollocks- we've still got half the season for things to go our way" but the realist in me knows that its another half season for us to continue to squander points where they should be being picked up.
I still like Rafa and I’m more than happy for him to have the full five years, and maybe beyond if by may 2009 we've picked up number 19 or number 6 (preferably both). Houllier got them and Rafa has bought a much more attractive style to the club and won the CL so he should definately be given the same time. So this isn't an anti-Rafa thread. He loves the club, the fans and he has improved us ten-fold, I just wonder weather he does have what it takes. I'm not saying he doesn't, I’m just not absolutely positive he does.
In Benitez's defence, he hasn't has the funds compared to United and Chelsea. Don't get me wrong though, he's definately had funds and plenty of them. The signings of Alonso, Garcia, Crouch, Morientes, Torres, Babel, Gonzalez and Bellamy amongst many others prove that.
But that's not without selling and releasing people, and this is where my problems with the board come into play- and this in truth is probably what frustrates me most at the club. Angers even.
Now these two cowboys from across the pond and have bought the club. They arrived and said all the right things and admittedly, I even took a shine to them. They came here with promises of new big 70-odd thousand seater stadiums, all the money Rafa needed even "snoogey Doogey" if he wanted him and with the promise that none of THEIR debt would be put on OUR club.
Now, less than a year on, they've given benitez less money than moores could have done, they’ve done a huge u-turn on the new ground and now they want to put 50% of their debt onto the club. As Tom pointed out in his post a few weeks back every major announcement the yanks have made has not only failed to materialise on time i.e. the start of the new ground and the money for Rafa, but failed to materialise full stop.
Now this has been driving me mad for a while now and the public fall out with Benitez (perhaps bought on himself but I can see why he's p'ssd off) was the nail in the coffin for me with these pair of hicks! (no pun intended).
If I’m furious, imagine what Rafa must be thinking. He's got two fella's telling him he can't do this and he can't do that without either of them having any real idea of what Rafa's job entails. It's the football equivalent of Lenny Hendry telling Bill Gates how to run Microsoft- its absolutely ridiculous and it's another prime example of rich corporate-whores owning big football clubs. I'm quite honestly gutted Moores left because the only thing he couldn't offer, was the money, and seeing as the yanks have failed to deliver that (and they do have the chance in January to make me look like a right c*nt here) then they bring nothing else to the table that Moore couldn't.
Now if they cough up in January and back Rafa and we do get very close to the league or even win it then fine. Fair play lads, I look like a nobhead but I don't give a fcuk because we're champions and I’m too drunk and happy to care about what I put on an internet forum 5 months pervious and it's party time.
However until that does happen, give the man the cash you promised him, shut the fcuk up and let the man do his job. If you don't like it then get rid- thats your perogative but stop fcuking about cause it's costing the club dearly on and off the pitch.
Lastly my final gripe is with the current set of Liverpool fans. I'll upset people here, but its stuff that needs to be bought up and underlined. Having been called a glory hunter and likened to these fans myself in the last few days (I was not pleased) it's that indeed that’s prompted me to put this bit in my post.
Now naturally I’m a stroppy little sod. I don't take draws well, let alone defeats but I see that not as a weakness or a relentless way of supporting the side but more of a fierce will to win. Being bought up as a red through the dark and bleak days of Souness and Boersma watching us bomb out of cups to Bristol city and Bolton at home and listening to us get walloped 5-1 away at COVENTRY (don't you just cringe at the thought) I was told stories about Dalglish, Neal, Thompson, Souness and Hansen. About how they won trophy after trophy, how they were a ruthless winning machine. About Shankly and Sir Bob and how they didn't just want to be the best but needed to be the best. They didn't just win a trophy- they won it and then they won it again and again.
Now in fairness I had the mother of all paddy’s at derby away until we got the winner (fickle or what?) and my mood after City wasn't much better either. I was told to calm down etc etc by my match co-attendee and was then later bollocked because of a difference in opinion. Now the person reads these forums. I don't mind that you don't agree with me, I don't really care that whilst you were prepared to lynch Houllier (and rightly so) for how he sent the players out (no cutting edge, no imagination, no urgency) every week, but your willing to not only overlook but seemingly accept the same weaknesses that are costing us the same league title under Benitez. I do however have a problem with being labelled those things, and rightly or wrongly I was pissed off but its born out of frustration for what has finally become evident at this club. Too many people associated with the club have simply forgotten what the club is all about. It's about winning trophies for us- the fans. I'm spoilt. I was in Istanbul and in the nou camp, at both home legs against Chelsea and the home one again against juve. I was at the Barca semi in 2001, Roma in 2002 and Olympiacos 2005. I've been treated to some unbelievable nights and days out. But that's exactly it. While we should ALL be grateful and thankful for these days out, it's what we live for. It's what we crave and most importantly it's what made us great in the first place.
5 European cup finals in 8 years, countless league trophies and trips to Wembley seasonally routine. Why? Not because we were lucky but because we were f*cking brilliant. There was none of this oh god, Pompy aren't doing too bad- fratton park a draw there would be alright- it was get down there- tank them and get back home. That attitude was left to also-rans like Villa and spurs who threatened but never delivered- does it remind you of someone? And that’s the problem now. People who use the arguement "god, just imagine being a derby fan- you'd have something to moan about then". Well I’m not a derby fan, I'm a red and its win or bust.
Like I said- everybody has off days, I clearly remember being told about us being spanked 5-1 away at villa in our glory days or even 4-1 away at the dell. No ones perfect, least of all me but at some point there's got to be that feeling of destroyment when one of our centre halves can't pass the ball more than 5yrds. I suppose that's just me.
That’s that rant over, here’s for the next one. I apologise this is long- if your still reading, fair play.
The second gripe at the fans is their behaviour. I'm not going on about the “marauding scallies” that sing about Munich and Harold Shipman, or the ones who kicked the gates in, whilst we where in Athens. I'm on about the dickheads who don't have a clue. Don't worry out of towners this isn't an assault on you (us), I myself am not from the city.
The club has its fair share of nobheads which is a mix of scousers and OOT's. So this is by no means a tribal thing.
The scallies, who have such a bad name, follow this club weekly. Sometimes twice weekly. Sometimes its home sometimes it's abroad. Their behaviour? Well it's probably not the best or friendly but they're young lads, much like me up for a laugh, and as you'll appreciate all young lads who are having some fun, more often that not are doing something that isn't completely right/legal.
Weather they're singing Munich songs, smoking spiffs, coked off they're faces or kicking down gates to get into a European cup final that they couldn't get tickets for because the club robbed them- their behaviour isn't quite as embarrassing as some of the numpties that attend the games these days.
I've seen people lean up against Shanks Statue reading the sun newspaper. It’s frigging disgusting. If your one of those people who do this or have done this in the past- please don't ever come to the ground again.
If you’re the dickhead who was stood in front of me at City shouting "Kill the Nazi" at Didi on Sunday- Please don't ever come and support us home or away ever again. Didi is a Liverpool legend and if Nazi's the only thing you want to shout at him after all his years of service then fcuk off with the rest of the Ingerland boys and support fcuking Chelsea, spurs or Millwall.
The group who started off poor scouser Tommy with the words "did you here about the poor scouser Tommy?"- Just stop singing. For the speed merchants who want to sing Campioni and fields of Anfield road at 100 mph, belt up and learn it properly.
The ones who come in late, chat on their phones all game about eastenders and the slag he pulled last night and then leave early- your the problem fan/s at the club, your the ones who are an embarrassment and along with the sun readers, the corporate cock suckers and day trippers who don't know the words to the songs your not welcome at the club.
The truth is I Hate 75% of our support it's not the scallies who I’m ashamed of. Our fans can now be rated along with the like of United’s Chelsea's and Arsenals. Ones that create no atmosphere and no jack sh!t about the game and the club. We used to be the most knowledgeable in the land. Now? You’re having a laugh. Away games for the last few years leading up to Istanbul where my safety net. They were there as a reward for sitting in Anfield and watching us play sh!te football. The away games always produced a cracking atmosphere. The fans who knew the words to the songs went. The fans who didn't read the sun were there and the fans that knew what was acceptable and what wasn't on and off the pitch were there.
Post Turkey the aways got littered with the sun readers, the illiterate sing songers and the corporate cock suckers so my haven then turned to Euro aways. TNS (yes I know it's only Wales) and Anderlecht where great away trips but unbelievably they've gone west as well now. Barcelona away last season a prime example. I think there were about 20,000 reds over there last season- it was heaving. 10,000 of them were Muppets out there just so they can say they paid £300 for a ticket and that, that shows how much they love the club. It doesn't it means you've got more money than sense.
I'm half glad those "scallies" smashed the door in, in Athens. There was joy on those faces as if we'd actually won the trophy itself. That’s what it means. In the public eye of the world ran by politics and liars all in amongst the PC brigade- kicking down gates is going to give you and the club a bad name. And god we wouldn't want that now would we? I mean the rest of the country has such a wonderful opinion of us anyway, so we wouldn't to change opinions?
At the end of the day I’d rather have the lads who kicked down the door in their with me rather than the sun-readers, corporate whores and the illiterates.
It's amazing what a chasing by three City boys and another toothless display in Manchester does to you- Rant over!
No doubt I’ll be back for more though.
I know. I assumed it was Jacks, sorry, I should have made that clearer 
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