Interesting that on George Bedi"s facebook, he claimed the lack of red card for Carragher was the crucial point where the game would have turned, and there were pundits who said similiar things after the match. In my opinion this is desperation - Liverpool were the better team from the kick off right through to the end. They clearly had more appetite for the game, were first to every ball, were stronger and quicker in every department, and were fully deserving of their win.
I just get so frustrated that for the past 20 years, Liverpool rarely play well unless their backs are against the wall, as they so definitely are right now. In the 80s, Liverpool could be 15 points clear at the top, and would still play football with their hearts on their sleeves, and would tear up any and all opposition. They would put on a display whether they were playing Real Madrid, Man Utd, or some unheard of team from outer-Uzbekistan. Now it takes talk of management sackings, the worst run for 50+ years, etc, before they turn out and put on a display worthy of their badge and their history.
So what has changed?
The passion from the Scouse support has not changed, aside from the dampener that seating the Kop brought about. I use to stand on the Kop and get lost in the atmosphere - it never feels like that any more.
The introduction of so many foreigners cannot really be blamed - there were periods during the 80s heyday when Liverpool did not have a single English player in the "best 11" - admittedly they were mostly "local" foreigners (home countries, or Norway, Denmark, etc)... but they were still foreigners. Ian Rush was Welsh, Kenny was Scottish, Jan Molby was Danish..... but all were considered honorary scousers. Whilst Torres and the rest of the Spaniards, Brazilians,etc in today"s team are revered by the fans, I don"t feel that honorary adoption to Scousehood.
Money? Yes that"s changed, but not sure that more money makes a team have less desire to win. Man Utd have loads of money, but they still have burning desire.
Foreign Manager? In the 80s, we were successful under Paisley.... but prior to that we were massively successful under Shanks, and he was foreign (sort of), as was Dalglish in the post-Paisley years.
For me, the rot started when Dalglish resigned as manager and Souness arrived. I don"t know why, but that is the period during which it all started to degenerate (very quickly), and a period from which we have never ever recovered. OK we have some Euro success along the way, but we don"t have the domination that we had during the 80s, but more importantly (Stevie G aside) we don"t seem to have the heart and desire we had during the 80s.
Where did it really go wrong? Is it recoverable? Can Liverpool ever recover the dominance they once had? Can any team?
just about agree with most things in here....I noted Mr Bedi comments too, and was naughty, as I hardly know him , but couldn"t resist putting a reply (sori George), and as i said there ...Straws.
It defo started to fall apart in Dalgliesh / Souness era...which was also the end of the Bootroom era...no coindence I"m sure. Money isn"t the problem, as we all have it, and Arsenal have won the prem without spending rube-llions.
The biggest thing has to be attitute towards the lower teams....Mancs chelsea arsenal would NEVER lose or draw at home to the ratio we always do and have done over the past few years...this has been our downfall in the main. Getting up for the big games isn"t an issue, but nor should it be for the stokes and sunderlands of this world, as this is where the league is won, as the prem as more mediocrate teams than it does world class teams.
i"d not be overly surprised come 16.30pm at the weekend and we are strugging against fulham, and its all pointless again...i kind of half expect it, was is a truely horrid feeling
