Welcome to Issue 312 of Red All Over The Land.
Okay, I’m going to say it, “We’re gonna win the football league again”. There, I said it and the white suit will be ordered very soon and worn at the Palace game. So, if it goes wrong from this day forth, throw the poisonous darts this way.
That won’t happen though and the day we’ve all dreamt about since 1990 is about to dawn. The day we get to celebrate with the team and fellow fans the day we all deserve.
Some have suggested we’ve stumbled over the line but that’s daft talk. The teams we’re facing have been doing their utmost to delay the inevitable and that’s what they should be doing. Even in 2019/20 the final couple of points were the hardest. Losing at Watford, needing James Milner’s acrobatics to save a red face v Bournemouth, then drawing at Goodison before we could raise a glass in triumph. There’s been a lot of drivel written and spoken but that’s borne out of a mix of stupidity and jealousy. I don’t care and neither will the million or so that line the city streets to see the team showing off THAT trophy.
The derby wasn’t brilliant, they rarely are but it was the result that mattered and as ever, the Blue Brethren went back to their wooden hovel claiming robbery. I sometimes think that makes it so much sweeter. We paid the price at Fulham for lethargy and against West Ham we weren’t brilliant either but again, only the result mattered. You can say the same about winning at Leicester. The history books won’t dwell on the performances.
I thought VvD restrained himself remarkably well when Micheal Owen suggested that only winning the league would mean this had been a poor season for Liverpool. This is what I said in Issue 304, the first one of this season’s Fanzines. 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. I don’t know what Michael Owen predicted at the start of the season, but I don’t recall him [or anyone else for that matter] suggesting Liverpool would win the league. I remember reading some years back when Fergie was around that Manchester United budgeted for a top four finish and Champions League football. Arne alluded to the same when after beating West Ham saying we’d secured a place in next season’s Champions League. In fact, if I remember rightly there were some in the know who were hinting, we might not even do that!
This Issue of Red All Over The Land is a one-off. It is intended to be on sale for ONE game, today’s v Tottenham. Issue 313 will be a full colour title winning issue. I had something similar planned in 2020 but I’m confident this time it will happen.
Oh yes, and both Mo and VvD will be Liverpool players next season, over to TAA.
JJP: My mother told me never to plan for the future but I’ve planned for the future and it’s nearly here. That’s why the champagne is on ice.