Hello, REDs fans, well this is my first write, so before i start writing about what have been said already. ….I’ll start about how i got to love my beloved REDs then later along the way I’d get carried away and let’s see where I’d talk about then. Here goes…. 1987, i was 10 years old, Liverpool signed Johnny Barnes from Watford. King Kenny Dalglish agreed a fee of £900,000 to bring him to Anfield. I haven’t heard about him when he was playing for Watford, but all that changed when he played for the REDs. Digger made the left wing his own at Anfield, i adored, admired, i wanted to be like him, play like him. When i grew older, i read more and learned more about our History and fell in love with the REDs more and more. Along the way i met wonderful and not so wonderful Liverpool fans as well.
The last league title won at Anfield (1994-95), Blackburn won it, and every Reds Fan wished our King Kenny was the 1 managing our club that day lifting the title with the Reds rather than Blackburn. He was there, at the right stadium, with the right fans but with the wrong club. With Jack Walker’s high ambitions, the free hand and unlimited backing(How we wish we had this) all made Blackburn the perfect place for King Kenny to finish his rehabilitation after his near-breakdown at Liverpool. Kenny joined Blackburn in October 1991 and by May, Blackburn had been promoted to the newly formed Premier League through the play offs. In only their third season back in the top division, Jack’s dream was complete as he saw Blackburn Rovers win the Premiership title, at Anfield.
The closest that we have been to winning that elusive 19th, was in 2008-09, yup not long ago in fact, 4 points away ( if not for that goal that should have stood vs Stoke at Anfield, and for Howard Webb for being Manc). But seriously folks, that year we over achieved, i knew we could not possibly go into the following season fighting for the title again like that. We were short handed, we did not get replacements for our top players, hence when the new season starts, with the injuries to players, H&G problems, bad results, it did not look rosy for the REDs.
I am a Rafa fan, i loved him and still do, he stood by his players, and he told off SAF, he is a very good tactician. Yeah, he wasn’t a ppl person putting an arm around any one of our players, but does he need to? But then again Rafa isn’t the type of manager who would need to remind you that you are playing for LFC, the biggest club in the world, with the best fans and they are paid millions for playing in LFC. The players have to be self-motivated and inspired, Rafa was not that type of manager. If he could improve the relationship with his players, would LFC be awesome? Or do we need a bit of, good tactician, good motivator, good 2 way communicators? (players and gaffer). The media was anti LFC (not to mention some past players too), it doesn’t help Rafa, and not to mention the owners and some of our so-called LFC fans. All you see is Rafa’s rant that Dec 2009, but most failed to see that he drove the attention of our Stevie G’s Newcastle party away from the media….class. And you can see that last season, the triangle relationship in LFC was lacking and after the B’pool game, it was nonexistent.
Today we have Roy, he is different, he is good in dealing with players, quality relationship leads to quality communication which leads to success right? But with tactics i hope(A Big hope) that he has some tricks up his sleeve, i will give him time, i will support him coz he is my LFC’s manager. But I do also HOPE that Roy would sit back and reflect on some things that he could have done. I respect Roy, as a REDs fan i am bounded by the holy trinity relationship (Manager-players-fans). Roy is trying to get his players into his system, and only GOD knows when his system will be doing right. He inherited good players from Rafa and other players that he bought as well. Trying to get the players in the system/tactics he wants albeit the difficult fixtures (and easy ones like B’pool?) that we are going through don’t help either. The Reds under Rafa’s system, though not perfect always but effective and efficient most of the time (I know some of you would comment) are something that he should take interest. The Reds we know are good at PRESSURING the opponents (Don’t let the Visitors PLAY attitude), especially at Anfield, high up and forcing them into making errors, during the B’pool game, this was non-existent, well not all the time. Pressing high and hard – and fast from the start (That is what B’pool did instead to us),made it easier to create chances, because errors were forced and especially at the attacking third. I hope Roy, in view of him wanting to play to his system would also take a notice of what our players are good at and play to their strengths. Meireles was never a wide player, he is best suited in central midfield. Stevie was not playing well either, he was lost as Poulsen. Where was our midfield when the 2nd goal was scored? They were in Barca and Madrid……(pardon me I cant help it).
So please Roy, i Hope that you’d:-
1) Play players in their best positions (whether they like it or not) .e.g Meireles in Central midfield not wide. Or Stevie G just behind Torres(He scores more goals down there, statistics don’t lie)
2) Use your players, like Babel, play him and don’t just see him as a striker, (whispering) he can play left and right wing too…..
3) Play your players according to their strengths, your 2 banks of four tactics are OK, but pressure and pressure high, don’t stand off, (whispering)you’d give opponents confidence as it will make them string a few passes….
We would all love to see an improvement, but it is taking too long, our next game will be the derby. The season will only take shape just before X’mas, by then we’ll know who’s fighting for the title and avoiding relegation. So Roy, i am praying and hoping that WE will not do another Blackburn (the one that got relegated, 2 wins from 14 games). I’d still support and cheer my LFC Win lose or draw, with HOPE in my BIG RED HEART……
(Oh GOD please don’t relegate us)