Fickle is too kind of a word

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After we were demolished by Spurs our players pulled up their socks and won two games in a row. Although both scorelines showed 2-1 we were unlucky not to have won by a higher margin based on the chances we had.

I woke up yesterday morning with my head spinning and wondering why some so called “Liverpool Supporters” are bitching. We won two games in a row, do you hate Liverpool FC that much? Over the years we have been proud that our club has been different from any of the others, we supported our players through thick and thin with our Kop Pledge. I am afraid to admit that it is changing and it is changing fast, we are quickly becoming just like any other club.

I am not pointing the finger at any particular group because I have seen and heard it from everywhere. From Reds living in Asia, the Americas and to Reds in Merseyside and also from season ticket holders. I have witnessed this first hand when against Manchester United this guy sitting next to me bitched through out the game about Dirk Kuyt, he even bitched after Kuyt scored a hatrick. What else could Dirk have done to please this fool? The bitterness is getting worse this season with reports of some sounding just like Evertonians.

Yes we are not perfect, the victories against Brighton and  Wolves were not perfect by any means, we did make it hard on ourselves at the end however we did win both games after all. Coming back from a 1-0 and 4-0 loss to win two games in a row is a good comeback and we should all be proud of it. There are many positives to take back from both games like the fact that Stevie is back, Carroll played a very good game against Wolves and was unlucky not to score when his header rattled the post. And what about Charlie Adam creating the first goal? Before the game started I heard some bitching that he was in the starting XI. How many goals has Charlie created or scored so far? And the ones who think Henderson is a waste of money then they are wasting their own money buying Liverpool Merchandise. Jordan Henderson is only 21, he wears the captain armband for England’s under 21 and he is still settling in with his new team however he has already managed to score a wonderful goal for the Reds after just 6 games. Oh and then of course was the big sin that Kenny committed by substituting Suarez (and not Carroll) with 15 minutes remaining. Both Suarez and Carroll were having good games so I am not even going to waste my energy addressing this.

If you are not happy that Liverpool won than YOU ARE NOT A LIVERPOOL FAN OR SUPPORTER, if you want to be bitter than support Everton or Manchester United instead.

To all the Reds out there who stick by their club in sickness and health until death do us part I bid you a big YNWA.

-Antoine
On twitter @empireofthekop 

69 Comments

  1. What don’t people get about not subbing Carroll? He was our best defender of set pieces which is what they were relying on to get an equalizer. He cleared every ball in, not Skrtel or Carra. To take him off would have given them an excellent opportunity to nick a goal. We needed not to concede a lot more than we needed to score.

  2. I don’t know why should we called Manures or Everton Supporter if we like our team to beat smaller teams by a 2 or 3 goals….All that is because if we only win by one goal, and always conceding goals from small teams, means that we are AFRAID that when we play teams like we did play Spurs, we will get beaten by 4 or 5 goals..that’s all…and IT IS NOT, AND IT WAS NEVER TRUE THAT we hate Liverpool and we ARE NOT HAPPY because Liverpool is wining! But thanks God, that you found something to write about..and this is not the first story you write against Liverpool fans, just because they want their team to finish higher!!!

    1. What u just said made no sense at all. There’s a difference between opinon and abuse and what some fans are doing is abusing players and even the manager, if you feel offended by this post you are probably one of those who are abusing LFC. Fans like you won’t get us into CL or silverware.

  3. im so glad some one did a article bout this cos im getting so annoyed with these so called fans slating liverpool fc even when we are winning players who pull on the red shirt getting called all sorts i even read a fan saying kk is racist cos he took suarez off against wolves rather than a english player ie carrol that made me sooooooooooooooo angry to think fellow liverpool fans are thinking this way i think we are doing good some ov the players av at most only pulled on the shirt at most 7 times in time we will be there or there abouts ynwa

  4. fans have a right to voice their opinions about effort or selections or substitutions ? i am a long time red i watched billy liddle play, we have always had a voice and opinions to liverpool people its a natural response. i wrot to kenny pre season suggesting how we should use andy carroll, roy evans on lfc tv said carroll and the team need to do the identical things i suggested – 8 games gone and nothing done yet !

    1. This is not Mc Donalds, you don’t throw something in the microwave and suddenly you have a meal in 2 minutes.

      This is a rebuilding year it is going to take some time for these players to fully gel and start playing together as one cohesive unit.

      1. How much did Man City spend last season…and the season before…and the season before…and what have they won, 1 FA Cup. Says it all for me.

        Fergie didn’t walz into Manchester and sh/t out a Title winning squad.

        We had a pretty crappy & overpaid squad and the work to sort it out has only just begun.

        Like you say have some patience, support the team, players will come good & gell with each other.

      2. Sure you did see Liddell playing. I didn’t. Does that make me less of a supporter. I am a better supporter coz I support my team thru thick and thin. I guess you also knew John Houlding and McKenna?

    2. Not being funny mate but Roy Evans knows naff all about tactics, seriously I wouldn’t put myself in the same group as Roy. Lovely man, don’t get me wrong, but Roy Hodgson is a “lovely man” by all accounts and he knows nothing either.

      Also, why on Earth would you write to a Manager of a club expecting them to pay any attention to your suggestions for how to employ the players. That’s close to insanity displayed by celebrity stalkers.

  5. too many lazy people with no opinions on anything except for regurgitating what they read on the internet and press.

  6. Does this mean people are not allowed to criticise or have an opinion on how poorly we are playing and why this is the case. do we have to sit there and cheer when one of our players does nothing and is paid a lot of money for being a handicap?

    1. Nah, it means if you’re sending abusive messages to the Manager or the players, send them to Justin Bieber instead!

      Probably fair to say it also means have some patience with the new players and staff, don’t write off the whole team and the season, oh and for the love of God don’t expect us to be winning the league, not going to happen this season.

      Yeah, ‘patience’ is probably an important word to remember. I don’t remember us buying Carroll and Henderson as being complete players, they’re all about potential. Until they become the complete players their potential suggests they can be they’re obviously going to have good and bad days. Let’s face it Gerrard has totally vanished in his fair share of games, only nutters would write him off as done for or a waste of money.

      Let’s get behind the team, show some patience and be the best supporters in the world we all know we are. When the lads have a bad game there’s nothing wrong with analysing where they went wrong or if they were being lazy, there’s no need to write them or the team off though.

      Most people won’t remember how John Barnes’ signing was greeted but it’s fair to say it was treated akin to Henderson’s, but he was afforded patience and belief and what a player he (obviously) became.

      Henderson and Carroll aren’t the first set of Dalglish signings to be greeted with disbelief from fans and pundets alike, sadly they probably won’t be the last, history has proven that patience pays off.

      1. Voicing an opinion and abusing/slating/bitching are entirely different things. Get a grip and start supporting positively or turn your nose blue.

  7. I was thinking of writing something about this for a while now. It is very upsetting the kind of comments many of the internet message boards are seeing. Even in Bangalore, India, where the number of Liverpool supporters comes to more or less a 2-digit figure, I was pleasantly surprised at how level-headed, sincere, and knowledgeable these fans were. And all of a sudden it’s become a barrage of slating, cussing, and demanding. Sad.

  8. what was it ? dont pass or rather hoof high balls he can do nothing with, get it to his chest when not facing the goal, other strikers get near to him for knock on’s, dont allow andy to stand still in the box esspecially at corners and free kicks he can move 5 yards if need be but be on the move, vary the dead ball routine he and skyrtljostling for corners is no good, go far post or near post, go outside the area but keep moving. its not rocket science. kenny is the best thing thats happened to us but he can make the odd mistake.

  9. Another master stroke Antoine. Well said. Good point.
    As Kenny perfectly said: “We don’t need or want you”.
    I’m sick of these disgusting attitude by some section of fans. Are They real supporters of the Club? Theirs attutide is really really unfair.

  10. A guy even called Kenny a fool beside me while we were playing Tott’ham, that kind of comment only shows one thing, he was never and will never be a fan or supporter.

  11. RedEric and Stan…
    This article is 100% for you. Read it again and actually think about it instead of skimming it and not considering another point of view.
    The only thing that matters is the 3 points. If we won all our games from now till the end of the season 1-0 or 2-1 that would be good enough for me and it should be for you too. 3 points is what matters, not whether we score 3 goals or whatever.

  12. This by far the best article ever written! Points out everything wrong with quite a few fake fans now. So many negative comments I hear and it pisses me of so much. And as for the guy who wrote to King Kenny over the summer! Ha I almost pissed myself when I read that! As if he really needs to take advice from someone who dosnt have a clue about proffesional football or ever involved in working in proffesional football. But hey if you think you know more than KK who is Liverpools best player ever and statistically best manager ever then be my guest and keep living in that ignorant manner.

  13. Yes yes yes and again yes Antoine, you’re absolutely right and unfortunately you (and we) have to repeat again and again thoses words because of ignorant and stupid so called fans.

    They think it’s simple to make our team winning all games 5-0 because they’ve done it on football manager or fifa.
    They think they know more the team than everyone in the club because they’re looking at our matches summaries.
    They think they’ve got science of football watching barcelona and madrid.
    They think they are true supporter because they wear the Red shirt, but are ashamed of it after a defeat.
    They think they are real supporter but stop to sing when the team is in trouble.
    They finally think they are supporters, but they don’t know history of the club…

    To many so called fans think they are Red fans, but they’re not. Do we have to educate them? Yes, even if it’s a long road.

    Criticize, analyse, and speak about games, tactics, is a good thing. But football is not simple than that. It needs work, it needs time, it needs respect and passion, it needs.

    Fans from all around the world, we all know that we’ve got the right guys at the right place, and situation in the club has not been so good since many years. WE, as fans, has to sing all matches long, louder and louder again. It’s our mission to be confident in everybody working in the club, and back them in trouble times. Because we are not only supporters: we are Liverpool supporters !!!

  14. What I feel uncomfortable with is the fact that players are not all chosen on merit and perhaps Dalglish is to eager to establish his buys. We as supporters aswell as the owners aspire to be in the Champions League next year and collecting points to ensure that is priority. LFC fans are known to be knowledgable and some are currently not convinced about Kenny’s selection.

      1. I think he means Kenny plays some players because they’re his buys and not because they deserve to play, sort of hoping to justify his transfer activity and the prices he paid for them.

        But at the same time Kenny gets criticised for buying these players and if he didn’t pick them he’d be criticised for paying £20m for a bench warmer. Rafa got criticised heavily for not playing the likes of Aquilani. Kenny pays about £16-£20m for Henderson and £35m for Carroll and he plays the both of them and he still gets criticism.

        He can’t justify his buys and use them if they’re stuck on the bench. Having said that I would like to see Henderson being less prominent this season and more of a sub while he’s settling in and growing.

      2. I’m aware that we have a squad but I imagine that the inform players should be getting picked particularly in the PL if we wanna be in the CL next year. I would’nt like to be that arrogant as to name a team but I am of the opinion that Kuyt, on form and experience can contribute more than a couple of Kenny’s recent buys. Wether he’s in KK’s long term plans is somewhat irrelevant cos we need our best team out there now.
        Just an opinion!!

    1. still with the smart mouths..

      I AM A LFC SUPPORTER.I DO BELIEVE WE ARE THE BEST OF SUPPORTERS. but to say that lfc supporters are knowledgeable is like saying everyone knows how to play football whicj is not the case in this dimension im living in.

      everyone has their own fav selection and tactics. it doesnt mean it will win you a game or has the right over KK’s tactics and selection.

      The manager and coaches are there in the pitch with the players day in day out.. what gives you the confidence to say that your his selection is flawed over yours?

      even if its flawed and we lose a few games, doesnt mean the manager is useless and cant be trusted with his tactics.

      YOU are not the only one feeling the bitterness of a defeat.The players and manager are disappointed too..HECK! the whole club is disappointed.

      yea, maybe using the players he bought for millions is justifiable.how else would the player or squad improve?? 25 mil?? 30 mil?? that is the price paid for 5 years of the players service (excluding their pays..)
      how else would you get the best out of your young players if you dont play them?? how else would they learn from mistakes and improve if they are not thrown out there?

      and even if we use the likes of kuyt maxi etc more often, they are getting old..they wont really be here for as long as you think.what happens when youre too used to playing those players?? without the younger ones developing, your team will be dead the next season by bringing on players without any time on the pitch and at a very young age.

      all this has to come into play.Managing a football team is not just point and shoot and you get what you want.there is total all round planning that our club has so long lost.and “supporters” that keep on slating and mocking the club which stands for every soul, every machinery, everything that has been part of the club past present and future is to me not a true supporter but a mere fan that is just ruining the clubs name.

      i was watching a football discussion show a few hours back, and this problem with the “fans” not being happy has made it all over the sports news.

      whenever they talk about liverpool’s game they bring up stories of fans not being happy..

      I just dont get it.Is it THAT hard to put this through their thick skull, antoine?? even after reading your article the adhere to mockery? instead of proper knowledge of the game and our history and tradition..they sit back and complain their hearts out about how things arent going their way?? it is a shame really.

      now, stop being so self-adsorbed and get behind the friggin team!

      1. It has nothing to do with any of us thinking that we can do better than KK but there has been occasions when the supporters have recognized mistakes by some great managers ie; at the Ataturk Kop end everyone’s heart dropped when Didi was left out, realizing that Kaka will cause havoc for us,,,and they were right but we supported the team and backed them all the way. Managers make mistakes and sometimes the supporters recognize them.
        I do not believe by expressing opinions we are thick skulled, self-absorbed or fickle and it feels a little like the supporters are being mocked here.

        1. i half agree with you with that of the supporters views.

          expressing opinions is one thing.
          claiming that the manager is stupid or the players suck is another.

          the reason i constantly read eotk is for the delight of pasiionate supporters expressing their opinions.and its all been constructive till
          KK started losing games or even way before that.

          eotk is proof enough that supporters have been full of abusive comments that does not reflect on the spirit of the club.

          but you have to agree, there are some thick skulls out there spraying nonsense about the club and manager.these are the impulsive fans that will turn their head the other way when things go wrong.what we see with the football club is only once or twice a week on the pitch. and though we have a little idea of what is going on it does not justify us saying things we dont fully know about.

          i would just like to see a more united fan base towards the team whether or not things are going wrong or not.

          I just wish everyone was behind the team fully to see the team grow under kenny. honestly, im tired of changing managers and waiting for the right one to come along.i belive in kenny we have the right manager.its just a matter of time before everything gels and we start conquering the league again.

  15. Supporters aren’t androids who dutifully applaud when the teams performance stinks and fail to point out when things go wrong, or players are not good enough, or not interested, or carrying injuries, or played in the wrong position, or just playing awful. Also, where you think the manager has picked the wrong team, or tactics, bought or sold the wrong players. Its all part of the fun of watching your team.
    There are times when giving vocal support is absolutely necessary ie when we’re getting beat, but once the game is over is when supporters review the game and enjoy moaning, picking out the stars and the duds. Your attitude to support would have kept Hodgson in charge and Konchesky at left back.

    1. but the difference is simple: we were bad under Roy. We were much much much better when the King was back. We now play good football, and because of that, we have to give him time and absolute support…

      Roy was good at Fulham. But not at Liverpool… and not better at WBA.

  16. Antoine much respect for your work let me remind you that kk and the fans are gods who do things perfect we make mistakes we human. When fans feel its not the best we can be better they can say there oponion is that wrong. No other person can say where we go wrong than the lfc fan. You think fergie and the rest of the other coaches are going to give a tip no, why they are happy when we field weak side and lose points. We love liverpool even when it was 12th on the log. I hope some of us can avoid hursh words to the manager and plays and speak out kindly where we think we going wrong.

    1. There is such thing as reasonable constructive criticism, it is obvious that most of the criticism and abuse directed at Kenny is from many who don’t know (or understand) the whole situation.

      1. Spot on again, antoine. it is astonishing to see those so-called fans slating kk and the players and praising whiskey nose. they should go support the scums and stay away from our club.

  17. similar to a recent kk quote as long as we score one more than the opposition i dont care how many we conceed.
    its very early days but not being able to grind out a win has been a flaw in the past.
    a win is a win!
    i get the feeling that because city for example are banging in 5 a game we should too. any fan would like that from their team,but its still 3pts all the same. an think how much its cost them to buy those results…
    as long as we fight like lions (as in the case of stock) what more can you ask for.
    true we didnt against spurs,but are you telling me kenny took that sitting down….i know i wouldnt have liked to have been at melwood that week.
    for better or for worse behind the reds 100 percent!

  18. Well said, Antoine. Unfortunately, you get all kinds in this “digital age.” Some see transfers, and think it’s just plug-and-play, and we’re automatically stronger at any given position. Too much FIFA 12, as you said.

    Far too much anonymity in this day and age, leading to the “keyboard warriors” that can drone on and on, in an abusive manner, without knowing the first thing about a TEAM.

    If you want to demand the kind of results money buys, f*ck off to Chelski or City. Win, lose or draw, Liverpool will do it as a TEAM.

    YNWA!

  19. In my defence I never slated any players or threw abuse at em. Coz I firmly believe we have to get behind our team. It’s always been that way. I was just saying that Hendo needs time to learn off the other players and isn’t ready for first team and shouldnt be keeping the likes of kuyt and Bellamy on the bench who put in a lot more effort!

  20. I’m pleased with carrols attitude coz he really is working hard to prove the critics wrong and u can c that on the pitch… And subbing Suarez was the right thing. We need him 4 rest of the season plus carrol was helping out defence!

  21. I write articles on here, and I write on what I see in the Liverpool games, not what I read on the internet.
    I will not change my attitude to make people happy, those that want to read what I write are welcome, does that don’t, its their choice!
    I have always given credit when this was due, and always raised concern where this was evident. That is how I am. I have never offended anyone because it is definitely not my style, but if anyone deserved criticism, I will not pull myself back to please.

    1. one of the writers i look forward to reading. very knowledgeable and articulate in explaining what went wrong and what went right.

      i believe you have set an example of a very sophisticated fan and hopefully others learn from it.

      we might have to disagree at times..but its just something we have to accept and learn from each others views.

      keep up the good work.

  22. It’s the Internet age: these people used to be in groups of ONE in the bar & stand: ridiculed & despised by all around them when they tooted out their negativity. Now in the moist, dark breeding ground of the Internet forum they can group together to form the frothy scum surrounding the rest of us Supporters. Simply sniff at the bad smell and domestos it.

  23. Would u also describe fickle as someone adoring a player one minute then hating them when they leave or is that just football?

  24. A very good discussion at a very crucial moment for our football club but I just want to say this that Liverpool FC supporters in general are turning out to be more like Real Madrid supporters, both Clubs have the History, what I’m trying very hard to explain is Demand of our fans is now exactly same as Real Madrid fans. I think Liverpool Football Club is getting even bigger than what it was 20 years ago because of having GH and RAFA B and the experience of having exe lent Players, so having a go at some players who cost us more than £55million is very normal and understandable even if you are the King himself.

  25. so i’m not a true fan ? lfc runs through my veins, i have consistantly made the right calls on liverpool fc. i watched my team yes MY team home and away from the second division days.none of you can tell me anything about liverpool fc none of you have the reds more in their hearts than me,the same is the best you can do. kenny would be the first to understand where the likes of myself are coming from because he knows how much we care. shankly and paisley made mistakes and we voiced opinions then but that was considered a supporters right – which it still is. its the supporters who dont have that passion who are in the wrong.

    1. Your post seems to be a lot about you you you..also smacks of you taking pleasure in “getting every call right” for the past 40+ years. LFC has surely missed out on decades of dominance when your expertise was right there in front of our noses lol! not about proving who’s the better fan, it’s about the abuse we see the players & manager taking after only 5 games.

      This hysteria has been growing for some time & needs a slap in the face. IMO it stems from a deep seated belief in all of us that we aren’t where we think we belong: number one. Well we won’t get there by 2nd guessing everything and everyone. The mancs are sitting back laughing as we b*tch publicly at the team, manager & each other…patience, we all want the same thing!

  26. Well, Antoine..respect your opinion. I do agree that some fans have gone overboard with criticism..However, unless people degrade Kenny, people should have the right to say if they feel that Henderson wasn’t the right buy or etc..

    Just the fact you supported Hodgson till November, didn’t make him a better manager. I supported Babel and Co. too but then we know he was a failure at the club.

    Unlike, others..I REALLY HOPE HENDERSON proves me wrong..I will be the first one to admit it would be a stroke of genius from Dalglish, if that happens though..

    My article on why Kenny Dalglish and Henderson divides opinion;

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/865561-liverpool-fc-paradox-why-henderson-kenny-dalglish-has-divided-fans-opinions

  27. Great piece Antoine. If I could terminate these so called fans’ Liverpool membership, I would! We won’t lose anything.

    1. The same group of idiots loves to post identically stupid comments in different sites. so annoyed by them that i have started to come up with a list

  28. To criticise Dalglish after just nine months back in the job is unfair, he inherited a team that were in the bottom three last season with an unbalanced, ageing squad. Dalglish then lost his best striker (Torres) and his other best player (Gerrard) has been injured most of the time, Agger too has been in and out with injuries. People who were expecting us to turn into a world class side in just nine months are/were deluded and living in a dream world, a fantasy world. The real fans and the plastic fans are being exposed at this time for sure.
    To go from bottom three to being a highly entertaining quality title challenging side in just nine months would have taken some doing to say the least.
    Under the circumstances i think Kenny is doing an excellent job.

  29. Abusing the manager is not the way to be, but blindly supporting everything he does isn’t either.

    It’s human nature to question things. People are not robots, they will have opinions and they’re entitled to them. Freedom of speech means you are free to say what you like. These players get paid thousands a week to play a game, so fans (many of whom would kill to be in the same position) have a right to scrutinize.

    Flat out calling Andy Carroll a useless **** is wrong, but kindly pointing out he’s under-performing is a perfectly normal reaction.

    The ironic thing about you bringing out the kop pledge is that the things you’re saying fans can’t say about the team and Dalglish we’re all said to Roy Hodgson during his tenure, including on this site. Sneeringly chanting “Dalglish” during games, and taunting him are not exactly becoming of Liverpool fans, and neither is you telling one of your readers “to F**K off back to United”.

    Being a knowledgeable fan is just as big a part of being a great supporter as always being supportive of the team. Otherwise, we’d just be a bunch of idiots watching football.

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