Welcome to Issue 281 of Red All Over The Land.
As this Fanzine went to print our beloved team and our fans could dream of quadruple glory. By the time you get to read it those dreams could have been given a wake up call! It’s nice to dream though.
The football we’re playing hasn’t reached the heights of mid-autumn but we’re not doing too badly and if nothing else we should achieve the bean counters target and be in next seasons Champions League and when all is said and done, that’s Liverpool’s minimum requirement.
Our squad looks stronger than ever, but we still can’t afford injuries. Just as Diogo looked a rival to Mo in the goal scoring stakes, he gets crocked; quickly followed by Bobby Firmino. The gap between luxury and bare bones at Anfield isn’t a huge one but we’re blessed with an array of amazing talent when we have our best to choose from. In the numbers game we’re not at the level of Citeh nor Chelsea but we do spend within our means and that’s what makes this team and this club something different from the rest.
Signing Luis Diaz was a bonus, and the early indications give promising signs. We sent Neco Williams and Nat Phillips on loan so they could get game time but I’m not sure we’ll see them back at Anfield pushing for starts. Whatever happens with Nat Phillips he will always be remembered for his exploits last season. Unfortunately for Neco, TAA is a young man and anyone wanting to challenge him for his berth in the team faces an uphill struggle. The good thing about the current squad is we have international players being challenged by international players and I’m hard pushed to say when that was last the case.
Mo’s contract talks appear to have been hair brushed off the sports pages and SSN, but it won’t be long before it’s the bigger story again. Watching him play this season shows just what a player we have. During a game he may not seem to be doing very much, then he comes to life. And as Jürgen would say, ‘WOW.’ He’s scored 150 goals faster than anyone else has for this club except Roger Hunt, who scored a fair few of his earlier goals in the Second Division. Mo was born with a special talent and how privileged are we to be witnessing it. The club may have to move a mountain to ensure we can continue to enjoy one of the world’s greatest of modern players. Moving that mountain would be worth the effort.
Our Academy sides play a few important games during a season such as the Youth Cup and the Under 19 European competition. Other clubs play such games at grounds such as Barnet, and Aldershot or venues that are actually stadiums, but our teams play at Kirkby which with all due respect is only a step up from the park football syndrome. Why can’t Liverpool find a club that would be willing to work with them on providing a better ‘home.’ A small venue such as Marine or similar would mean fans turning up and creating something of an atmosphere. It could become a home for the Under 23 side and the Liverpool Women’s team as well. I don’t mean a RFL ground or Tranmere because they’re too big and too empty but a place where if the turnout was a couple of thousand or maybe more then surely it would help? Playing games in a football environment in front of real spectators would benefit everyone – and merchandise could be sold, shirts, scarves. programmes and, yes, Fanzines!
I’m not sure when issue 282 will be out because of the fixture list changing due to Cup football but if we’re in them then that’s good news isn’t it?
JJP: ‘Tomorrow is a long time’ someone once wrote. I hope so cos when you’re my age every second counts.