Never Give Up

We all still remember the second leg semi-final against Barcelona FC at Anfield. It has been written into folklore as the biggest European night that Europe, let alone Anfield has ever seen. That night before the match, with Mo Salah, watching from the stands, he wore a shirt that said "never give up" and while the task seemed ominous, the team never gave up. Needed 4 goals and a clean sheet to go through, they achieved the impossible and did it. A match which both legs would be worthy of a final in itself but it setup Liverpool FC to win their 6th European title and then went on to conquer the world. Tonight, the task is very similar and while the team has every chance to turn over Madrid as they have done in the past, the task at hand is different and lacking one very special thing, the crowd. 

It was pretty evident since the restart of the league last year, Anfield without a crowd doesn't hold no fear to opponents. Liverpool are coming off their first win at home after 6 straight defeats, something that was practically unfathomable last year before Covid. While this Real Madrid team might not be of the same caliber that dismantled Liverpool in the Final of 2018, they are still worthy opponents, waiting to strike when we are most vulnerable as shown in the first leg. We didn't play all that badly, sure the first half was dire but the mistakes that led to the goals were school boy to say the least. When we did up the tempo in the second half, we had them on the ropes, so there is enough in our team to do the impossible again. 

While Anfield lacks their 12th man, the stadium is full of history and under the lights, it has its own charm. We need the players to pick their heads up tonight, look at where they are playing, who they are playing for. Channel their inner self to prove to the world, the fans and more importantly, themselves that they can accomplish the impossible. With Klopp there, I don't think it will be difficult to achieve this, Madrid will no doubt have this in mind but the team need to realise that they have the backing off not only the fans in Liverpool tonight but around the world and we will be watching every second hoping for the best, and hope that they NEVER GIVE UP. 

19

For a long time I thought this day would never come, after so many years of coming close but which ended as heart break I thought I would never see my beloved football club achieve the one trophy we wanted so badly, the Premier League but what I witnessed last night, what I felt last night, will live with me till the day I die. Liverpool didn't kick a ball, in fact the team were at a hotel, sitting on the deck watching Chelsea take on current champions Manchester City. The result of that match wasn't tremendously important as Liverpool would have secured the title in any case with them needing one more win in the last 7 games they had to play but seeing the team sat with each other, celebrating the way they did in the early hours of the morning felt so much better than them playing in front of an empty stadium. 

It hurts me writing this as I was meant to break my Anfield virginity this year, I had tickets to the game against Aston Villa which was scheduled to take place in April but due to a pandemic that's pretty much crippled the entire world I could not realise this dream. Knowing that I would have been there, sitting on the Kop, chanting for the Champions sends shivers down my spine but I have to wait a bit longer for that dream to become a reality. I'm sure it will be still as special and I read something on Twitter, that with borders being closed in England it is sort of poetic justice that the people of Liverpool get to celebrate this one by themselves. After all it's the city and its people who the club was born and molded to, we, the global fans should let them have their moment. 

Today is not a day to talk about our bitter rivals but rather to bask in the glory of what this magnificent team has achieved. They like many teams of the past have proven to always get up after you've fallen, do your very best and you will succeed. After falling short by just 1 point last season, no one could have predicted such a brutal onslaught for title glory by Jurgen and his men. They were devastating to any opponent, only losing once so far this entire season, being 23 points ahead of their nearest challenger. The stats are crazy, and as they were crowned champions of England last night, they did so by the biggest winning margin ever in the history of the league. This team is just incredible and to see the unity they have with each other off the field along with the symmetry they pose on the field, it's just a joy to watch. 

Jurgen Klopp said last night in a live TV interview where he was left in tears, that this one is for the fans and boy do we deserve it. We've waited 30 years for this moment and even with all that is going around at the moment, it still feels great to sit here knowing that Liverpool FC have finally achieved greatness. Seeing the team and the manager get the recognition they duly deserve is heart warming but seeing the fans lap up the celebrations is even better. This is a team for the ages, and when Jordan Henderson so deservedly lifts that trophy a loft, albeit in an empty Anfield, he can be sure that there will be millions around the world screaming when he does so. Many may say this is a "tainted title" or season with what has transpired but I think not, it's the one season that nobody will forget and be remembered for years to come, where the closest thing that came stopping Liverpool from winning their first Premier League title was a virus and not another team!

You'll Never Walk Alone

The Fickle Few

It's always a case of not all but a few who are the rotten ones in a bunch, but this few is growing larger and larger.  Being a supporter of a football club isn't easy, especially now in the business end of the season. Liverpool find themselves in a strong position both in the league and Champions League, with the distraction of the FA Cup not there, it gives Jurgen and the team time to concentrate and really make this final push to the end of the season one that will bare some reward. At the moment, it's City in the driving seat for the league, while we do occupy top spot, they have a game in hand and if that translates into a win for them, it would change things immediately. It's not the first time Liverpool have been in this position, it's harsh but back in April 2014, we were strong contenders for the league title and we had a home game against Chelsea that weekend, it was the same game of "the slip" and while many put that down as the deciding factor in us falling short that season, I still say it was not. I could list over ten reasons why but that will just be dwelling in what could have been while we now can chat of what could happen. 

Which is why the team, more than ever needs every ounce of support from their fans, whether you're at the ground or at home watching them play. But while we are winning games and getting results, I've found a number of fans, especially online being highly critical of players and in other words, talking a lot of shit. This needs to be cut out, if you don't know what you're saying, don't say it at all. I've seen our captain, Jordan Henderson catch a lot of flack for merely just being on the starting line up. These fickle few want other players to start every game, like they have not heard of player management and fatigue. Also if the manager deems it good enough for a player to start, you go with it, if in the case like last week against Southampton, things are not working out, the manager and his coaching staff will change things to try and gain an advantage. After Jordan and James were brought on at St Mary's, the entire team dynamic changed, Jordan was playing in his preferred forward position, made life difficult for the opposition when they had the ball. Many cheered Salah's goal that broke the tie but not many realise that it was Henderson's header, that make the break happen in the first place. 

Then his goal, to seal the deal was the icing on the cake, you could see the emotion in him after he netted, what it meant for him, what it meant for the team and more importantly what it meant for the fans. The players go out there every week and give it there all, for the fans and this is how the fans return the favour? By slagging them at every opportunity online? Facebook groups, Twitter, comments on the clubs Instagram pictures?! When I see these comments I feel embarrassed being grouped with supporters like these. Those who only have negative comments, who see Salah missing one opportunity and want him subbed, those who see Jordan pass the ball back on more than one occasion and feel he isn't good enough, those who criticize Bobby for not scoring in more than one game, it's like they just started watching football recently and haven't a clue how this game works or how our team play. It's one of my biggest fears that we get glory hunting fans that only support the team because we're winning, the type of fans became synonymous with Manchester United, Chelsea and Man City. 

We don't need that crap at our club, we want fans that devote their passion of support to the team, those give of positive energy and not negative bile at every disappointment we see. Our club have achieved a points total that would be worth of winning the league 5 seasons ago, but yet here we are with still 5 games to and the league undecided. While Liverpool have the supposed "easier run in", every game from now on will be a final for the team and judging from the past few games, nothing is going to be handed to us. This weekend, we face Chelsea again, a battered giant, a team that started the season strong but found themselves coming up short after the turn of the year but the same team that provided a massive stumble in our challenge back in 2014. Some of their star players are looking to move away in the new season so they'll be here to perform till the end of the season. We already saw Hazard steal the show on Monday night and you can bet your bottom dollar he'll be ready to go again on Sunday. 

The team say a number of times, they're here to do their job not for themselves, not for the club but for us, the fans. The least we can do is show them support and not be a bunch of fickle idiots on the internet by moaning and groaning at any chance or slating players. Lets back them, as this is the time, more than ever they need us.