Editorial Issue 304

Happy new season.  Welcome to Issue 304 of Red All Over The Land.

As a Fanzine we’ve been going for close on 29-years and when the first Issue came out in November 1995 not many of the current Liverpool squad were born and the same can be said for a good chunk of the fanbase.   Arne Slot is our eighth manager during the Fanzines existence.  Although he will have Head Coach nailed on his door in our world, he’s still manager, team boss but we’ll go along with the new title if it makes people happy, which is what he’s got to do.

People have asked me what I think about the new man but in all honesty, I don’t know very much about Arne Slot.  What I do know is probably the same as everybody else, he’s come to Anfield from Feyenoord who had a couple good seasons under him in the Dutch League.  However, the Dutch League has been devalued in recent years and he’ll find coaching/managing in the Premier League totally different to anything else he’s experienced. Overseeing a club such as Liverpool requires him to work eight days a week and the 24-hours a day clock won’t seem long enough.  The press conferences he’s going to face will be a little bit more intense than the low-key ones he faces from LFCTV. Added to that, coming to Anfield he must fill the giant-sized boots that Jürgen left.  He will have the support of the fans and this Fanzine.  He will need time and I hope he gets it.

There have been several other changes behind the scenes with a total overhaul of the coaching staff.  Richard Hughes has become Sporting Director, and it will be interesting to see what his role is.  If he is now responsible for the buying and selling of players, then we can expect a raft of comments when the first transfer window shuts.  To date nothing has happened which is concerning some but with the two major International Cup competitions having taken place, maybe we’re waiting to see how things look when every player is back.  Even so, I’d be surprised if we splashed the cash.

The usual pre-season pastime for many is trying to see what the new season will bring and what will we term success at Liverpool.  I’m going to stick with what I said this time last year, a top four finish and a trophy won’t be deemed a failure in my eyes.

As I mentioned earlier, Red All Over The Land is fast approaching its 29th anniversary.  Will we [that means me] make it to thirty.  Putting the Fanzine together isn’t a problem.  Turning out on a freezing night in mid-winter to sell it is getting harder year-on-year.  Maybe I’ll have a think about it when January comes around.

 

JJP

I went to the Doctor’s a month or so back and when I walked in, I was given the shocking news I didn’t expect to hear.  “You’re looking well” she said. 

 

Published by

John Pearman

Editor of the only remaining Liverpool fanzine, Red All Over The Land. On sale outside Anfield on match days. Started this Fanzine in 1995