25th May 1977- the footballing world was submerged in fear. That night sent shock waves around the world. Liverpool Football Club had risen. Paisley’s men had won the European Cup. A first for this illustrious club. A club had risen, and was going to takeover the footballing world. Those scenes will always be remembered in the hearts of many.
It was a terrific night, a night that changed the course of England’s most famous football club.
And then the club went into a slumber. A dormant period. But 28 years after the first, on 25th May 2005 a fifth arrived
The glory days were on the horizon, nostalgia kicked in, scenes of Paisley’s men transpired into scenes of Rafa’s men. Liverpool Football Club had risen once again. Like a sleeping giant woken, Liverpool Football Club was back.
7 years to this day we were celebrating our victory of the previous night, a 5th European Cup.
The joy, the happiness, the excitement. It all seemed right, it all seemed perfect. But was this a false dawn? Was this just another case of false hope?
Look where we are now. A third season in a row without the Champions League. an 8th place finish to add to our 7th and 6th place finishes in the previous two seasons. This is not the Liverpool Football Club that rose that night of 1977 in Rome, and this is not the same Liverpool Football Club that returned that night in Istanbul.
We fans need a reality check. We are guilty of living in our past glories. Its one thing to admire the past, its another to live in it. Our past is no more of an excuse for us. This is the reality, this is it. We are not the giants we once were, far from it. We are not the best in England anymore. Not even close. We are once again that club that is looking to rise once more.
A new dawn is upon Liverpool, a new era. Fenway Sports Group are trying to put in a brand new footballing structure into the club. A more modern approach. King Kenny has gone, and Rafael Benitez is not going to return. We are completely leaving behind our past as we look forward. Its a bit sad, we are a club of tradition, values, principles and make no mistake not a single Red around the World will ever forget this but we are on the brink of a new modern era that doesnt involves the same approach that Shankly and Paisley had employed. Thats the harsh reality isnt it? We need modernity to move forward. One might even argue the club’s past has held us back.
When Kenny was removed last week it angered many. One of our own had gone. Calls of “this is not the Liverpool Way” rang out. It was a brave decision from the owners but one which had to be made. Liverpool had to move forward, and leave behind its past. We needed to move forward with a new manager, and as sad as it is, Kenny Dalglish had to be left behind. It was my dream to once again see King Kenny in the Anfield dugout, but some dreams are better left as that- just dreams. Make no mistake, Kenny saved this club, stability returned, a trophy was here and the more than anything else, there was hope. Dalglish made us dream once more. But the price of a poor league campaign was too much in the modern era.
Now as we await the announcement of a new manager, one who will work under a Sporting Director, a new era begins, a new era of hope, excitement and expectation (realistic expectation I hope). Traditionally a manager had full control of LFC, but with this new modern approach, if reports are to be believed the manager wont have full control. Its a bold move, but one that is needed. As stated, the club needs to move forward into a new era.
All we can do as fans is get behind the new man, whoever it is. Get behind the players, get behind the club and have faith in the ownership. It is going to take some time, it is going to take some effort, but Liverpool Football Club will rise once more. We have the best fans in the world and we will continue to do so, that is something no one can take away from us. We have our principles, ethics and traditions, and no one will take that away from us. But with all the backlash occurring against the owners, the sacking of the King, the rumours of Martinez, we as Liverpool fans need to remember our traditions, even if the club goes modern. We get behind the team no matter what, we support them no matter what. If Liverpool Football Club needs to rise, it needs its fans.
You see the resemblance there? The passion is exactly the same decades apart.
Thats what we need.
Keep the Faith
YNWA
@sami_lfc96
Nice thoughts Sami but there are too many ‘sky says so’ must have instant success fans in our ranks now. I fear we are caught in a vicious circle of failure and frustration now. whoever gets the managers job will not be afforded the time to turn it around, and next summer we may well be in the same position we are now.Anyone who knows anything about football could see that Kennys men only required fine tuning ie 1 or 2 players to turn into a potent force, but he was not afforded any more time or money to make that a reality.I pray i’m wrong but i see a long hard road ahead for LFC….
Thanx great Red men of the kop… You will never walk alone.. We the super liverpoolfc fans in nigerian west african are very sad about the pass failure.. Al wil need in the club now is rafa benetiz and new good striker, pls pls extend my greetin to the kop empire
Great article, very true, we must move on
I’m very worry I think the glory days are past. We are always in the past and future is dark
RAJHEERAMUN,
Yes,Sami i appreciate your thinking,but you must be more realistic in this world of football,as you say modern football,you need money to invest for sure,but investing on a manager who have just experience to manage team like wigan,norwich,qpr,sunderland,w.b.a,just working to survive on premiere league,not to win’Premier League’Title nor any other trophies.We can be the best fans in the world,but we are also the greatest fool ,we are supporting what the owner and chairman say,we must accept what they want?we fans who finance them and not them,take a look at ‘Manchester United,Chealsea,Manchester City’ they are investing for sure,and i don’t trust in ‘LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB’any more.I prefer supporting ‘MANCHESTER UNITED’the greatest club of all time.
Porto, barca, ajax and real Madrid have all won more trophies then your precious club you twat! Get your facts right before you come here and talk shite about a shit club!
rajheeramun youre a C*U*N*T of epic proportions and not a true fan so F*U*C*K off to United then and dont let the door hit your ass on the way out. BYE. GOOD RIDDANCE.
The mancs will watch City dominate them for years to come!!!…………….Fergie will take them backwards due to their debts!!!
Thanks for the great passion with club, no matter what the spirit goes on. I liked K Kenny and his ways of Club management lets hope we do not slip backward more. Let support whoever comes as a new manager , Rafa too was good and would like to see him back. YWNWA
Rajheeramun. It’s easy to support a team in glory but to support a team when in struggle it shows your character. Go and support the muppet you are who many would have turn to city nowadays. Pathetic..
I will of course be 100% behind Martinez or whoever gets the managers job. When the decision is made, its full support to the guy, and excitement over a(nother) new dawn, but it doesn’t make me blind to concerns right now about the appointment process, the candidates we are considering, the reluctance to pay out for a manager with an established pedigree, or the management ‘team’ structure we will have under Fenway.
I think LFC fans have a right to criticise the shortlist of candidates, because they all seem to be the cheaper options, and they represent a massive gamble for the club. AVB would have a European pedigree, but Chelsea didnt play attractive football under him, and the press will have their knives drawn to strike at any sign of failure from him. No disrespect to them , but Brendan Rodgers or Paul Lambert should not even be mentioned in the same breath as the Liverpool job at this stage of their careers. A proven winner at the top level is required, but I agree that Capello is not the right man due to his age. Klopp would be a interesting appointment with “X-Factor” and he knows how to win a league at least. Martinez sets his teams up to play attacking football with flair, but there are defensive concerns to consider, and the simple fact he has battled relegation 3 years running.
Personally Frank Rijkaard would be my choice, Interestingly he didnt have the best managerial pedigree before taking over at Barca, but he did with the Catalans exactly what FSG want to do with LFC, turn a team in transition into title winners and European Champions, whilst working (at the time) on a limited ‘star player’ budget and bringing through quality youth players. The only question would be, can we tempt him from his cushy number with the Saudi Arabian national side where they probably shower him with gold… :)
Whoever John Henry chooses, to be honest, I am worried about any manager prepared to work with a sporting director who is shortlisting players on his behalf. This is just not suited to football, it just increases the chance of the vision for the team being diluted. It clearly didnt work between Comolli and Dalglish, especially with the over-reliance on stats to pick the players we bought.
The solution is to focus the hierarchy around the manager, not make him answerable to a shadowy glorified scout. What is required is a strong personality, a Shankly-esque figure in the managers role. I just get the feeling FSG want Martinez because they see him as a cost-effective media-friendly puppet. They want to be ‘seen’ as owners, and they are not happy with a holy trinity of manager, players and supporters only. Don’t get me wrong, I think FSG do have an excellent handle on the commercial side of the LFC branding and marketing, which is something we have long needed to capitalise on with our global reach, and they will take the club forward in that way, but they are trying to interfere too heavily in the footballing decisions, seeing players as commodities and investments to sell on, instead of just making the decision to sign (or not sign) the cheques.
My overall feeling is that whoever Fenway appoint, they are not prepared to fully trust their man, because they are afraid of sanctioning too much power to an individual, but no matter how sensible this is in business terms, football needs its messiahs. We need the LFC manager to be hero-worshipped to keep the cohesion between fans and club. The media knows this was/is our strength and has been trying to break it for years, and I agree with Nick, there are now too many LFC fans who are brainwashed by Sky Sports in terms of forming opinions. and sadly, with the dismissal of Dalglish, FSG have played into the hands of the media again. They need to learn a bit of scouse belligerence and solidarity if they are to maintain any sort of respect from the LFC fanbase long-term. They must work with our passion when running their business, not seek to divorce themselves from it, and they must concentrate on communicating more with the LFC fans instead of cosying up to the media. Just because the tabloids say our reputation is at stake and that we aren’t a big club any more, doesn’t make it so. Pay attention Mr Henry!
Greg read your blog with intrest and enjoyed what I read but would like to pick up on one or two things firstly you mention the quality of managers allegedly being approached to become our manager well Greg are you not using the sky thing or gutter press to put your point over we are not privvy to who FSG have approached for interviews these people may not be what we would call football men as such but I think they are clever enough to have people who are football men who have been through this process of selecting a club manager involved in their selection process so lets give them a bit of support in their quest to bring the club back to where it belongs.As for my second point about the manager having full control and you name frank riykaard as your personal choice well he only came to the fore when at Barcelona and to highlight this he was only the coach Barcelona who in my humble opinion are the best club side ever are run by a DOF who selects the Barcelona players to be bought or signed at their club and the manager has to coach them so i rather think that choice goes against your own opinion on what a Liverpool manager should be allowed to do at our club and also Greg football has moved on since the shankly / paisley days as Barcelona have shown the world and they have set the standards very very high indeed so we as a club need to move forward to try and emuliate Barcelona if not over take them I know this would be a masive step but you have to put your self on the first rung of the ladder to move onward and upwards because as we have shown in theses last twenty years were we stood still as the a club who were the Barcelona of there day but have stagnated to the point that we can not even get in the top four of the EPL I for one who has watched LFC since 1964 agree that we need a full overhau of the inferstructure of the club and we need it right now . Greg I do agree with you on your other points about the commercial side of the club and our sponsorship but I would also like to point out though i dispise them H&G brought in a lot of the big sponsors to our club and FSG inherited them while bringing their own new sponsors to our club so in short Greg FSG are about to do what this club has needed for the last twenty years or so and I am behind them 110% and believe in them that they want the best for LIVERPOOL FC
I love being a lfc fans since my childhood, lets join hands together and give our club support to risn again and support d new manager. We need to move forward not backward. Lets 4get abt d king, plz my follow brothers of same red blood. Our tradition is the best in the world football and our fans are d best in world
Greeting to all Liverpool Fc fan in the world and Sami that was a great article you wrote i agree with it and Albey that was commest of a true supporter i think there is one thing that we the fans need to do is to support who ever comes in a manager from glory to glory as a helps a person who wants to achieve in doing something.let’s us give him the support we gave to Rafael Benitez when we went to Istanbul that great night was one of the happiest night ever in our life and i no one will ever dought it let’s give that same support him in every competition and by doing so will help to achieve a better goal by the end of the season. God Bless Liverpool Fc and we all know we’ll deffinately rise again and once again we shall see spirit of Liverpool Fc and Angels shall You’ll Never Walk Alone