An open letter to the Liverpool players

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This isn’t a letter to tell you we’re disappointed in you. This isn’t a letter to tell you how to play football or how to score a goal or that we’re absolutely gutted we lost. No. I’m not here to play the blame game. And the reason is cause you lot, the manager and the other running the club know how to go about bringing success to a Football club a lot better than I know and will ever know.

This is a letter to tell you what a Liverpool F.C. supporter goes through week after week. May it be failure or success.

We are supporters of Liverpool F.C. And to us, the club is a lot beyond just football. It’s not like I’m watching Real Madrid vs Barcelona that I’ll support one team for 90 mins and when it ends, flip channels to something else. Probably discuss the game with fellow football fans and show off some expert views. No. Liverpool F.C. is an integral part of our lives. As for me, my life’s made of my parents, brother, girlfriend, friends and Liverpool F.C. None more important or less important than the other. Shankly told us Liverpool F.C. was important than life or death and we have hung on to his words.

Every week is made up of small and big wins and losses. And every week we supporters eagerly wait for our club and our players to wear the jersey, take to the pitch and give us a reason to smile. I, for one, study all week long. Avoid going out, meeting people so that I finish my syllabus. But never ever bargain on those 90 or 180 mins that is my football club. I have given up a close friend’s wedding, a reunion and sorts to watch my boys play. And mind you, it’s no sacrifice. It’s only cause I do what I feel is more important to me. And that’s my football club. It’s nothing put pure love. And as much love as it’s humanly possible. For god’s sake, I got the Liverbird inked on myself on the 30th of May, the b’day of the man whom I feel is the greatest in the world.

Now I don’t say that I’m the alone carrying the marshall of love for this club. There are millions across the world who share the same emotion. Everyone wants to see the club successful. It just comes out in different form. Week in week out I resort to social networking sites to interact with fellow supporters. Week after week I see the same faces come out with the same opinion, me included. Some want this, some want that, some disagree, some fight, some try to reassure one another. But everyone has the same thing at heart, the success for this club. Our football club.

Again I’m sure everyone in that dressing room and board wants the same. But here comes the difference, We are helpless. Just helpless. In our part, we do everything that might help the club win a game of football. That includes superstitions like where to sit, what clothes to wear (right down to underwear), how to go about the match day. And when results aren’t favourable, we try to find faults in what ‘ritual’ did we do wrong today that my club lost.

We do not want to blame you, we try not to blame you and we end up blaming ourselves. Inspite knowing there’s nothing we could have done to change the tide of the game. And we aren’t good enough to play or manage the club either. So all we’re left is ruing the missed chances, living a week of if only’s, trying to convince ourselves for better tomorrows.

After today’s game, again I had no one to blame. But here I am. Feeling helpless, run down and emotional. All I want to do is lock myself in a room and cry my lungs out till it feels better. Maybe it will, but I’ll be carrying around this pain all week long. If I say I won’t be affected, I’m lying.

We love this football club like our own blood. We are proud of this football club like it’s our child learning to walk. We celebrate every victory more than our personal achievements. We are hurt with every loss as much as a dear one hurts us.

I don’t want to tell you what to do and how to play. I just want to beg of you boys to think of the feelings that we go through, the meaning of this football club to us middle class people for whom this joy means so much and maybe the only joy, to think of the emotions once, just once before you pull on a Red Jersey. We ask for nothing else. We love you lot more than you can think it’s possible

Thank You.

Akshay Jajoo
YNWA!!
@aksh_jaj245

38 Comments

  1. Hello Akshay

    You can write all the letter’s in the world but at the end of the day, the signings Kenny has made have not made a difference. We are in the same position we were under Roy H. We need better players, its as simple as that..

  2. why are we the only team not to have full backs on the posts at corners ? why id andy carroll go backwards when suarez went to the byline ?he could only put it into the middle but andy went backwards the cross went begging i wonder why ? why does he get always himself behind defenders ?i want nothing more than for andy to succeed but he wont because he has not got an instinct for goal, he is never where he should b, it can be coached by a fowler a rush or even a maxi but to the great strikers it comes naturally.

  3. Well said Akshay,
    We all love our belov ed LFC and everyone connected to it but to be honest, since the cursed Carling cup win, we havent been able to score and when we have ( QPR) we’ve thrown it away! Suarez and Carroll both missed open goals vs NUFC!
    All we’re asking for is to show some passion and determination plz!
    YNWA

  4. This is absolutely tragic. Get a grip of yourself. I’m actually lost for words at how pathetic this is, I’m as die-hard as they get but this just drivel. EOTK you seem like a reasonable guy, Why have you published this?

  5. That’s the problem we are working class
    And you are middle class so you will never understand ! Stick to polo.

  6. Very emotional and very well put. But dont hold ur hopes to high cos I dont think they will even bother to read it. To b honest I don’t even believe that they have the same emotions as the fans do. They get paid Very well every week and when the club don’t need them anymore than they move on somewhere else. It’s us who suffer year after year. Game after game. For most of them is just a job. Win, lose or draw they still get paid. So u my friend with the rest of million fans around the world just have to put up with that. Sad but that’s reality with this overrated and overpaid pri madonnas.

  7. Total drivel. Cant believe someone would write an ‘open’ letter to facebook. Do you honestly think they care? Do you honestly think they read this? What I’m more upset about is you call yourself middle class and thats fine but LFC has a proud tradition of being a working class club. Always has and always will be. So while you’re crying in your room please foot think that you are speaking and crying for all of us.

  8. we are poor and we have alot of work to do carroll needs to go and so do alot of others. There has be alot of rot at Anfield for many years now. kenny has a big job on his hands and I dont expect any wonders fo 2-3 years to come. We are at best a mid table team at present and when you see Everton above us who have spent about £2.50 on new players over the last 5 years it breaks my heart!

  9. @Chris finch-its what we all feel mate! I feel so pathetic infront of man u,chelsea and arsenal fans. I bunk classes to watch lfc matches! But for what? To see a bunch of low lives running around like headless chickens? But i still watch it cuz i still hav a glimmer of hope that lfc will win! I bet millions of other fans feel the same! Players like henderson who doesnt even try makes me feel pathetic. Atleast players like spearing and adam gives it a try even if they are shit! Its time these players without passion are shipped out! I rather play with 1 spearing than 11 henderson!

  10. My man get a grip its not that bad itl get better we still have an fa cup semi let’s just believe everyone must believe we must all just pull together shut the rest out and support even harder we will get thaÞ cup I’m sure of it we will win it I know we will YNWA

  11. I look at Carroll, Adam, Henderson, Downing. None of them has got the same passion as others. Carroll had to be bought desperately as torres handed in the transfer late on jan 31. But the others? What kind of investment is that? If I look at these new faces, they dont look like they’ll team among themselves, let alone patch with Gerrard, Kuyt, Maxi, Agger. It doesnt look like a team from any perspective. Only putting ear-pricking pictures from training doesnt make it. Enrique has got that personality, seriousness and gives 100%, you can just tell from faces. Watched Raheem Sterling for 15 minutes and can tell he’s one hell of a Kopite.

    Hope he sells them all this summer and Comolli does a better scouting job next time. Then again, who are we to talk, right?

    Well written Akshay! #YNWA

  12. Genuine thanks for all your comments. These are my feelings and not stating them universally. Would just like to clarify that in India we use the term ‘middle class’ for what is ‘working class’ in UK. So the intention was that. Thank you again

  13. well said my friend we feel the same as u feel, but there some players which are not surpose to wear liverpool jearse. Well the did is done, may god save our beloving liverpoolfc amen

  14. Some people claim to love lfc and yet go on a web site any day and ye see them slag players manager and fellow fans maybe thats why morale is so low

  15. ‘middle class’. fucking hell,i actually agree with roy keane and the ‘prawn sandwich’ brigade,bollocks. shanks was a socialist and must be spinning with disgust at football today. i don’t care if i sound like a dinosaur,lfc was for the working man,the ordinary joe. modern lfc will welcome everyone,now football’s a business.give me the old days,home and away,in europe,cadging our way,any old how,to watch the lads.hot legs on the kop!!!now???where shall we park the people carrier,darling?can’t let joshua and tilly walk with the heathens who take public transport. middle class can kiss my arse.

  16. “. Shankly told us Liverpool F.C. was important than life or death and we have hung on to his words.” That’s where Shankly lost me and that’s were you lost me.

    Try telling Fabrice Muamba or Stilian Petrov that and see what they tell you.

  17. I find it funny how this post can get blasted with comments saying it is worthless and Liverpool players won’t bother reading it. Come one, will they read any of the other rants blaming the managers, players, owners and the Anfield cat?

    Bottomline is, this letter won’t reach the players, nor will any other tactical insights posted online. But through this letter, besides relating to the feelings of some true Liverpool fans, it addressed another issue. Drive and passion.

    Liverpool has always been playing for their fans. Time and again, it has been said that Liverpool fans are some of the best in this sport. Fans’ cheers bring their morale up, at least i hope so. But recently, i can see the players giving up.

    look, the players have the quality to win. They dominated almost every game earlier this season. From what i saw, Adam and Downing aren’t all bad. They try at least. Henderson on the other hand, fears the ball. Yes, he may have had flashes of brilliance, but in other times, he is afraid of making mistakes and losing his own market value. Carroll seems lazy too. These players are more worried about their value rather than the club.

    So, what i go from this letter is the frustration of a Liverpool fan while still supporting everyone in the club, isn’t happy with the lack of tenacity in the players.

  18. Well said, I’m sure you spoke your heart out. That is exactly how I feel too. I believe there is a mutiny in Liverpool at the moment. The players do not want to cooperate with Kenny. So either Kenny or those players or both have to go.

  19. Nobody talks about «the king» the king of what? Please rafa save us we need a manager not a daddy for millionaire

  20. some of you are just dump. To attack somebody for venting his spleen is childish. Why don’t you apply for the managerial position or get signed to play for the team. Good write @akshay #ynwa

  21. Well said Akshay and you are right in India working class is referred to as Middle Class. I get so upset each time i see liverpool lose. To be honest apart from Gerard, Spearing, Enrique, Pepe, Skertel, Agger ,Kyut ,Kelly none of them play with the passion for liverpool and its frustrating . I think KD sud start playing Raheem, Adam Morgan , Suso and coady atleast for rest of the games.

  22. I think Kenny cant do the job anymore because he didnt even buy any good player..we should get benitez back and give him half the money we gave kenny and he will get us spanish boys that plays good football…english players sucks

  23. All you people blasting Akshay What are you on about! Firstly I don’t see how coming from a particular economic or social background changes your emotions towards something you love, in this case- lfc!
    Secondly, the piece is thoughtful and clearly puts forward his feelings, many of us are feeling as helpless as him.
    And Lastly, if we can’t support a fellow Red on a social forum for putting his thoughts forward, how are good enough to support our team who will go through ups and downs! The Liverpool faithful are known for being quality fans and we’re letting that image wane!
    @Akshay, Quality piece mate! Haters gonna hate! YNWA!

  24. U TWATS WHO ARE HAVING AGO AT A LFC FAN WHO IS TELLING US HOW HE FEELS ABOUT THE SHIT WERE IN . YOU LOT SHOULD BACK THE BOY NOT SLATE HIM THOUGHT WE WERE LFC FANS …….. YNWA

  25. My wife ask me to change team after Newscaster game, I told her that Liverpool football was inside my blood and circulated for 30years-cannot be substitute until the end of my life…

  26. Lfc football team please watch 1980 to 1990 season premier league matches quality of Liverpool game.

  27. Please with some comments here. Yes, it was venting out my feelings. I’m used to the abuse because I refuse to give up faith. And I’ll deal with that. For all those who hated it, thank you for you time and effort for reading my modest piece. Those who liked it, you probably realised a state of helplessness there. YNWA!!

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