This post has been edited by Duke Red: Oct 24 2011, 08:58 AM


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YOU'LL NEVER WIN AGAIN

I have this thrown in my face all the time. Now as a fan of football I embrace the fact that you will get your fair share of stick. Banter will be exchanged and we will take the piss out of one another. However it always pisses me off when our rivals make fun of our anthem. How would you like it if someone lambasted your national anthem? If someone had started making armpit farts during the Kiwi's national anthem at the World Cup yesterday, Richie McCaw and the rest of the All-Blacks would have ensured he'd be drinking food through a straw for the rest of his life. One manc even had the audacity to say to my face, "To hell with You'll Never Walk Alone! We are champions! We will walk alone!". Well guess what mate, last night, your team almost did as thousands of your kin started leaving the stadium way before the final whistle. Before you berate our anthem, first try to understand it. Call it a song for losers but note that because of it, we never abandon our team. I need not bring up the half-time at Istanbul again, need I? Let's talk about a more recent example shall we? When we lost 4-0 to Spurs our fans stayed back to sing YNWA and we were playing away! If you turned the telly off or left the stadium early, then ask yourself what gives you the right to insult me, my team or our anthem? You know who you are.

Here's what one of your own had to say on one of your forums :

I don't intend to chide last night's result because I know how a team can collapse after going a man down. Liverpool collapsed in the same manner at White Heart Lane earlier this season. My intention is to clarify what it means to never walk alone especially to those who make fun of it. We often get criticised for living in the past and indeed I do, and I am proud of it. I read about and recite stories of how passionate Kopites are and this makes my bond with my club that much stronger. I'm wondering if the thousands that left last night feel the same way? I'm wondering if they feel guilty at all for abandoning their team in their time of need? How disheartening is it for a player whose spirit and confidence is all but shattered, looking to the stands for support, only to see that his brothers in arms are deserting him? Kudos to those who stayed for I know how hard it is to leave the telly on and stare defeat in the face when most choose to look away. You may be my rival but it doesn't mean we cannot have mutual respect. The gutter fans that leave the team are simply not worthy of flying our colours.

There will come a time where we will never win but there will never come a time where we will walk alone because even if we are on top, we prefer to stand together arm-in-arm. We win and lose as a team unlike what my mate suggested earlier about walking alone as champions. There is no shame in singing about glory if you also sing it in defeat, for do not underestimate fan power. There is a reason behind why Kopites are known as the 12th man at Anfield. We have proven time and time again that fan power can rejuvenate shattered morale and jaded legs. It is said that the Kop can literally suck the ball into the back of the net. A little far fetched if taken in a literal sense perhaps but what it does suggest is that the fans can help win a game. The great Johan Cruyff one witnessed it first hand:

There's not one club in Europe with an anthem like You'll Never Walk Alone. There's not one club in the world so united with their fans. I sat there watching the Liverpool fans and they sent shivers down my spine. A mass of 40,000 people became one force behind their team. That's something not many teams have. For that I admire Liverpool more than anything. Johan Cruyff

How do players respond to it?

"Listen," I said to the players. "Listen to that." The singing of 40,000 Liverpool supporters floated down the tunni., into the dressing-room and into our hearts.

Unbelievable. Liverpool were 3-0 down, being trashed by Kaka and Crespo, and our fans were singing "You'll Never Walk Alone". All the players looked at each other in amazement, and pride. "They bloody well haven’t given up on us," I shouted, "so we cant give up either." By singing "You'll Never Walk Alone", the fans sent a message to eleven shattered men in the dressing-room: the fans will be with you, through the wind and the rain, through times of adversity like this. No matter how much the payers hurt, we'd never walk alone. Our fans were with us. Together. Their message was to play for some respect, play for pride in the shirt. "The fans are with us," I said. "Let's give them something to shout about. They've spent loads of money. They're singing our name and we are getting stuffed 3-0. If we get one, they'll get behind us even more. That will help put another one in for us. Come on, let's f***ing have a go!" Steven Gerrard before leading the team out for the 2nd half at Istanbul

"We were sitting in the dressing room and we could clearly hear thousands of fans singing You'll Never Walk Alone. Can you imagine how that felt? We were 3-0 down in the Champions League final and all we could hear were 45,000 people letting us know they still believed in us. We knew they had endured a long journey and made so many sacrifices to be there. It was at that point we started to believe too." Luis Garcia

The only thing I fear is missing an open goal in front of the Kop. I would die if that were to happen. When they start singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ my eyes start to water. There have been times when I’ve actually been crying while I’ve been playing. Kevin Keegan

Liverpool's fans are just amazing. The best feeling I have at away games is Anfield. It is just incredible. I love it. You get goose bumps when you see their supporters sing You'll Never Walk Alone. Thierry Henry

To our rivals, this is how much YNWA means to us. To those who left Old Trafford or even the 'mamak' early last night, I'm sure you'll continue to desecrate our anthem for you will probably never understand it. Support your club as you wish, just don't chastise us for singing about solidarity, belief and hope.

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Oct 24 2011, 09:12 AM


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Weepu's kicking was way off yesterday and it was no surprise he was taken off. Could have been a bigger win had Carter not been injured as well. McCaw is one tough bloke and it's no surprise he played through the pain barrier. That being said the French gave a good account of themselves.

Yes, the death of Simoncelli did somewhat dampen weekend celebrations. I saw the incident on youtube. Surprised his helmet came off. It was disturbing to watch and gives you an idea of just how dangerous motor sports can be. YNWA and RIP.

Hmm I don't see the humour in it.

It is beyond me how the positives seem to escape the attention of some. Whine about creating and not scoring if you want but the fact that we mustered over 40 shots on goal against Stoke and Norwich (games we should have won) is a marked improvement over deserving to lose against them, something we were accustomed to not so long ago. Anyone remember being outplayed at home against the likes of Reading and Wolves? Like I said, all we can do is to keep creating opportunities and the goals will come. Does everyone who comments on games actually watch the game?

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Added on October 25, 2011, 9:42 amI've been patiently waiting for the outcome of the Evra - Suarez row. What has become of it? Evra had accused Suarez of being racially abusive and that he had uttered a racist word 10 times and that the ref, Andre Marriner knows what Suarez said. If this is so, why hasn't Mr. Marriner come forth? Why did he not send Suarez off? Where is the video evidence? He said it 10 times and I'm sure a camera would have picked up on it. Action needs to be taken against someone, so who is in the wrong here?

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Oct 25 2011, 09:42 AM

Goals win games in the end, I get it. I also get that becoming title contenders once again isn't an overnight process. We need to manage our own expectations and look towards signs of improvement. As it stands we are unbeaten at home in 9 games or so, and achievement of sorts if you consider how even mid-tables sides used to come to Anfield playing for 3 points just last season. Now even Man Utd were cautious and adopted a cautious formation. Not finishing opportunities that come our way isn't about tactics or formations. It's about the player so I don't get the criticism leveled at how we shape up on the field. It seems Suarez can do anything but finish at the moment and it is a concern but again, it has nothing to do with tactics. Possibly confidence but if this is so, it is only temporary. We've smacked the post in half the games we've played this season and on any other given day the ball may have found itself in nestled in the back of the net, instead of ricocheting wide. The transfer window is closed for the moment so we've to work with what we have. Keep this up and the goals will come I say.

Defensively, we've been loose but I also attribute that to the fact we're pushing forward more and throwing caution to the wind at times. Enrique and whoever plays at right back, surge forward at each given opportunity. It's the reason we've been creating so many opportunities. Like I said some days back, our back four looks exposed at times. I don't think it's totally down to Carra or Skrtel. We were conceding even with Agger in the side. I've never thought that Skrtel was strong in the air and in fact, I think he looks like he has lead in his feet. Carra's just over 6' tall and he'll struggle against bigger centre forwards, this is a given. Nothing he can do about his stature. We are prone in the air and this I agree with. Will Coates make a difference? Well he's bloody tall and I hope he's a better header of the ball than Peter Crouch. Not seen much of him but he does look off the pace a little. I reckon it's going to take him some time to adjust to the speed of the Premiership just like Alonso had to. In summary, I think we need better cover for the back four and maybe adopt a more cautious approach to games as negative as that sounds. I like the pairing of Carra and Agger and I hope the latter has returned to full fitness. I always get the feeling that Skrtel is a disaster waiting to happen. He gives away silly fouls and the way he grabs players during setpieces, you get a sense that it's only a matter of time before he starts giving away more penalties.

One can only hope. Stevie used to be injury prone as well years back. I can't wait to see Agger back in the starting lineup. Miss his marauding runs from the back and composure on the ball. What makes him the perfect spoil for Carra is he can actually play the ball out of defence.

I don't think Skrtel is the quickest player around either. He turns like a truck. Carra is doing his best but age is catching up and it's no surprise he's already talking about coaching. I reckon he'll hang up his boots at the end of the next season. Doubt he'd play for anyone other than Liverpool.

Seriously? Skrtel at right back? Fullbacks have a responsibility to cut out crosses even before they come in and to do so, they need to be mobile and blessed with some degree of pace. Skrtel is neither unfortunately. It would be a disaster to keep playing him there just as it was when we played Henchoz there years ago. Funny that you show concerns over Carra slowing down and have no problems with slotting the cumbersome Martin Skrtel out wide where he'd come face to face with wingers who are blessed with pace and quickness such as Nani, Walcott, and Silva.

I do however agree that Johnson could slot in wide right as an alternative to Kuyt who is more central.

I just don't agree. Skrtel looks lost whenever he surges forward. Shooting skills? His finishing is terrible as evident against Norwich and Man Utd. Clearly we're watching different players.

Yes, it's nice to have fullbacks with height to cut out crosses to the far post but not at the expense of speed. Kelly is unique in that he has both. With the exception of Stoke, how many teams have fullbacks that are over 6'tall? There is a reason for this.

I urge everyone to reconsider knee jerk reactions. It's fine to voice your disappointment or frustration but not every set back calls for drastic changes especially when we are moving in the right direction. I'm sure you've seen the opinions of fans sway with each game. Even when it's a positive comment like, "don't worry we lost yesterday but I'll still support the club forever", do you really need to say this? Fair play if your club has been shite for 10 years but after just one game and you need to declare your loyalty a game? Shouldn't it be expected that you still support the club after losing one game? You mean there was a chance you were going to jump ship? I don't think you need to say it, I think you need to show it but for that to happen you need to look long term and not just at one game. Look 5 years down the road and see if the club is currently pointing in the direction we want to go. We aren't there yet but based on recent changes, will be eventually get there? Under Hicks & Gilette, I could not see our destination but John Henry has laid down a vision for us and is addressing issues beyond the pitch. King Kenny is tasked with addressing issues on it and so far, we've been playing better football than we have since we finished 2nd in the league and that says something if you ask me.

We lost at the Britannia earlier this season despite dominating the game and once again, we created more chances. The difference this time is we put them away. Keep creating and it's only a matter of time before the goals come. Hopefully, this morning is an indication that it will happen sooner rather than later. Suarez's exquisite goal could prove to be the much needed confidence booster. He has missed a hat full of chances this season but that was truly a superb goal.

Good result this. We put out a relatively strong side, with the only new faces being Maxi, Coates and Spearing but Stoke were relatively at full strength and let's not forget how difficult it is for visiting sides to get 3 points from there. Been awhile since we've progressed to this stage of the competition.

LOL at the accusation that we talk about MU all the time, especially when we are discussing the draw. Can't differentiate between talking about a future tie and making fun of the others results, name, song and team? So I guess it's fine to mention the other teams we could meet so long as we don't mention MU?

I try not to get carried away by players kissing the badge these days, unless you're a local lad like Carra or Stevie. Too many badge kissing mercenaries around these days.

Oath. We've not won anything since 2006 and prior to 2001, trophies were as common considerate Malaysians. Makes winning anything that much more special. Prior to 2005, I only ever read about our European exploits. I will never forget the celebrations after that night in Istanbul and although it was 6 years ago, every moment is still fresh in my mind. I remember seeing despair in the eyes of each and every one of the 2,000 fans that night in Hartamas Square as we went 3-0 down. I could hardly believe what was happening. The fans stayed on though, each and everyone of us. We did not abandon our side. By the Xabi equalised, we were all in a frenzy. As we were taking our spot kicks, I along with mates of mine stood as the players did, in a single file, arms on shoulders and when Dudek saved from Shevchenko, pandemonium erupted as strangers started embracing strangers. We took the party to the streets and only left as daylight loomed and we had to go home to shower and head off to work. The streets around hartamas were deadlocked as fans danced to welcome the morning sunlight. Yes, we may not be winning much now but trust me, when we do, it will be worth the wait so keep the faith. We believe.

Now that's a little more believable

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Added on October 28, 2011, 11:10 amIt's a bit of a read but it provides insight into the considerations behind building a new stadium.

Madmoz, a summary perhaps? I always get a headache reading up on financial matters.

http://tomkinstimes.com/2011/10/the-costs-...omkins+Times%29

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Oct 28 2011, 11:10 AM

We've been averaging just under 45K at Anfield this season and with the prospect of a European spot next season, expansion should really start as soon as possible. Anfield gets really packed during those European nights.

Since we're on the topic, here's one to Stevie G, Captain Fantastic and One-Man-Task-Force.



Our captain, our talisman.

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Oct 29 2011, 10:06 AM

Mate of mine who is a manc messaged me the moment Xabi equalised and went, "this is a superb game".

Aside from downloading the match, you can also youtube the "one night in may" episodes.

Dumb ass commentator said we were fortunate to get that penalty? Fook off! Suarez was clearly tripped.

So we've not hit the post 10 times season, more than any other team. If we had scored just 50% of these spurned chances, we'd be in the top four by now.

So we may lose our captain for up to 2 months, and once again, he's faced with the prospect of having his career ended prematurely. Now we've all accepted that at 31, Captain Fantastic doesn't have that many seasons left to go and may in fact may have already started his descent from the peak. The thing is, if this injury doesn't go away, are we prepared to lose him this early before a successor has been groomed? In my opinion, to say that Henderson has been anything more than above average throughout the season so far is to be really generous. Yes we do have options in the middle of the park but it isn't a Spearing, Lucas or Adam we're looking to replace, it's Stevie bloody G, who has on multiple occasions won games single-handedly for us.