The Anfield Wrap - Podcast 29
If you haven’t downloaded it yet, then here is a little reminder that episode 29 of The Anfield Wrap Podcast is available for download.
Episode 29 Overview
“This week Neil is joined by Rob, Mike, Kristian, Jim, Andy and very special guests Daniel Hunt and Earl Jenkins.
Usual script with the lads as they disect the Spurs and United games before discussing the fallout from the events at Old Trafford at the weekend.”
You can catch up with the team in between Podcasts for their take on footie, fashion, music and culture on Twitter at @theanfieldwrap . Here are the links to grab the latest podcast either as a direct download or via iTunes as you prefer.
Great Expectations
An article by Red Bubble for Kop That. You can follow Red Bubble on Twitter at @RedBubble1892
Success. No one is entitled to it. Not even Liverpool Football Club. Our club has a long and famous history. A history filled not only with trophies, but epic nights the supporters of most other clubs will never get to experience. Our past is certainly something to be proud of and in my opinion should be a spur and powerful motivator for current and future footballers lucky enough wear our sacred Liverbird upon their chests. Those who feel inhibited by it, and see it as a weight on their shoulders, will never have the mental capacity to succeed at Anfield regardless of how much footballing ability they possess. No one should ever forget what we have achieved or where we’ve come from, facing and overcoming tragedy along the way.
In the pre-Sky days, the size of a club was measured by their fan base and most importantly the success they’d achieved on the pitch. Trophies at the end of the season were what made you famous. Can you imagine anyone outside the participating countries knowing who was playing in the European Cup in the 60’s and 70’s? No, they simply saw the names in the record books. The winners.
We live in a different footballing world today. One where the landscape is shaped by the money clubs spend and the kudos gained from playing in the Champions League. A time of Sky Sports and their blanket coverage of football. Before the Premier League, the opinions of supporters (and I use the term loosely) we’re formed by what they saw at the match, together with the odd clip on the Match of the Day, as well as newspaper and radio reports. Today supporters believe what they are told. They are brainwashed by Sky and the national press. Today a big club is no longer the one with the most trophies, it’s the one with the most money.
The past 21 years have been difficult for supporters of Liverpool. Those who grew up watching us lift tittle after title have gone a generation without one and ‘generation Sky’ are convinced the Champions League is the holy grail…that is participating in it, not winning it.
Like I’ve already said, our history is something to be fiercely proud of and something we should always defend. Living in London it’s amazing how much I hear the phrase “all you talk about is history”. This, without fail, comes from supporters of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. Knowing plenty of supporters of Crystal Palace and Tottenham, it’s curious that they never seem to take issue with what a club has achieved in the past.
You may think I am now going to proceed to argue a case against the supporters of other clubs but in fact it’s our supporters I want to take issue with. The supporters who think that because of the trophies we’ve won in the past (our 18 league titles in particular) we are entitled to challenge for or, more ludicrously at the current time, win the league. The supporters who think that because we played in it for a number of years and constantly have it drummed into them by Sky and the press that non-qualification is a monumental failure, demand we finish in the top 4 at the end of the season.
I’m tired of sitting on a coach heading back to London after a game listening to the phone-ins and hearing people complain. Whether its a Kopite of 40 years or an armchair out of towner, they have one of the above reasons to gripe at Kenny and the players. We are where we are because it’s where we deserve to be based on our performances on the pitch. If the players who have arrived for huge fees and even bigger wages are up to the standards of our past is an argument for another day, as is who should be held accountable for spending large sums on players who may or may not turn out to be of the required quality.
My personal opinion is that if we win a trophy this season, no matter which it may be, it will have been a successful one even if we fail to finish in the top 4. There are only 3 domestic trophies handed out each year and when you win one your name goes in the record books, where it will remain for as long as football is played and maybe even an infinite amount of time beyond that. Granted, that may mean nothing to you or I in 100 years but what about the memory of being there the day you saw Liverpool win a trophy? I know that when I die and my life flashes before me the footballing pictures I’ll see aren’t Champions League qualifiers against Standard Liege and group games against Porto. It’ll be Robbie Fowler and Jamie Redknapp lifting the FA Cup in Cardiif. It’ll be Djibril Cisse dancing around the European Cup in Istanbul. It’ll be God and Samy Hyypia, lips pressed against either side of the UEFA Cup in Dortmund. These are the moments we live for as football supporters.
Hope, as we all know, is a great thing. So is expectation when it takes the form of high standards. Our club was built on the simple idea that first is first and second is nothing. Expectation, however, can quickly become a negative noose around the necks of players and manager when it becomes unrealistic. As much as we have achieved in the past and as much as our standards dictate our club exists to win trophies, today we only deserve to win what we are good enough to win today. No one ever won a league title because they’d previously won 18 in 119 years. If you genuinely believe our current squad of players is better than that of Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and the rest, then by all means moan as much as you want about not winning the league or making the top 4. I would suggest you have a reality check. At best, we are currently the 4th best team in the league behind the two Mancs and Tottenham. At worst, we are the 7th best behind those already mentioned and arguably Newcastle. With the players we have today, to finish 4th is the most we should expect from our league season and a couple of places lower is not necessarily failure. No one wants to see Liverpool without Champions League football but, despite what the national press and Sky say, it’s not the be all and end all. If we finish between 4th and 6th this year and win a trophy, I for one will be happy. Even if next season it means Thursday nights on Channel 5.
By Red Bubble
Liverpool Throw Water Onto A Growing Fire
An article for Kop That by George Clark. You can follow George on Twitter at @lfcgeorgeclarky
On Sunday Ian Ayre, Kenny Dalglish and Luis Suarez all came out with their own personal statements, admitting their embarrassment over the situation and their wrong doings. This happened after Suarez refused to shake Evra’s hand when Liverpool faced Man Utd at the weekend.
Everyone has their thoughts on it, and personally, I believe it was childish and let Kenny down, who throughout the whole issue has given Suarez his full backing, almost draining Kenny and his employers dry.
When questioned by Jeff Shreeves after the match about Luis’ decision to snub Evra, Kenny was quick to react saying Shreeves was bang out of order to even try and blame Suarez for the increased tension throughout the game. But even so, Kenny’s words alone were not strong enough to make the headlines as Ferguson said in his post-match interview that Suarez is a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club and should be kicked out of the club. I do believe Ferguson acted in a highly unprofessional manner but the way in which Liverpool have handled the situation has been poor considering it could have been over and done with by now with a quick apology from Suarez as soon as Evra made the claims.
The situation we’re in
It’s quite clear now to most fans that Suarez did act in a racist manner towards Evra but those actions alone do not make you a racist – Something which is a common image being painted by many footballing fans. Not only do people believe that Suarez is racist, I often hear fellow Liverpool fans being called racists just because we are backing our own player.
As I’ve mentioned, the way Liverpool, as a club, have handled the issue has been poor, including the fans. But I don’t believe in any way that everyone else has acted in a better manner. The media have stirred up a lot of trouble surrounding the case and the FA have not had a positive impact. I find it strange how the FA bail out two Englishmen by calling off the handshake, But when it comes to two Foreigners the FA couldn’t care less.
People should be careful what they wish for, because at the end of the day, no-one is bigger than the club. We should now put this behind us, beat Brighton at the weekend and Win the League Cup.
YNWA.
By George Clark
Fresh From Twitter
Thanks to those that have already left feedback on the site via the sidebar app - appreciated!Kop That: We Won It 5 Times - There… http://t.co/S0RscjRpKop That: Man Utd 2 v 1 Liverpool -… http://t.co/CdA5ovYJKop That: Upload To Kop That - We h… http://t.co/aiq7OXNzKop That: New version of Kop That i… http://t.co/9IOT14wHAll constructive feedback welcome on the new design. More features and new content coming soon!New version of Kop That is now up and running, thanks for your patience! YNWAKop That: Kop That Makeover http://t.co/nttOO8Lk #LFCKop That Makeover - Kop That has had a little bit of a makeover. Gok Wan wasn’t involved but I hope you like… http://t.co/A9dvK5zeKop That: Upload To Kop That http://t.co/XllgoIko #LFCUpload To Kop That - We have added a fan upload facility to Kop That. Our “Around The Net” gallery lets you… http://t.co/nHOkkTxXKop That: Write For Kop That http://t.co/jaO84s44 #LFCWrite For Kop That - Kop That is always looking for fans keen to share the work that they have done already… http://t.co/hgA5ZsjjKop That: Man Utd 2 v 1 Liverpool - Premier League http://t.co/GcWYlvLm #LFCMan Utd 2 v 1 Liverpool - Premier League - Saturday 11th February 2012 Luis Suarez returned to the starting… http://t.co/SC1ZuFN0Kop That: We Won It 5 Times http://t.co/P3W3KSXp #LFCWe Won It 5 Times - There are certainly more than a few creative Reds about with the likes of @kitster29 and… http://t.co/eDf6pgxNKop That: Kop That: Manchester Unit… http://t.co/nsDevCyp
Kop That Makeover
Kop That has had a little bit of a makeover.
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Man Utd 2 v 1 Liverpool - Premier League
Saturday 11th February 2012
Luis Suarez returned to the starting line up for the first time since his 8 game ban finished, having featured from the bench in the last outing against Spurs. A tense encounter saw the Reds go down 2-1 at Old Trafford to their arch rivals.
Suarez struck for the Reds to get back on the goal trail but it was a lack of handshaking between the Uruguyan and Patrice Evra prior to kick off that stole the headlines and got the media talking about race instead of football. Evra’s victory celebrations at the final whistle close to Suarez, also brought further criticism in the direction of Utd’s French international.
View the full match reports from Liverpool FC and Sky below:
   Match Report from Liverpool FC
   Match Report from Sky Sports
Image Source: Daylife
We Won It 5 Times
There are certainly more than a few creative Reds about with the likes of @kitster29 and @feintzebra amongst the ranks but this bit of “5 times” handywork is from the talented hands of @linvinnaar.
We lost and we are sad because we have made a big effort… Disappointed because everything is not that it seems…
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