Welcome to issue 288 of Red All Over The Land.
What happened before, during, and after the game against Manchester City was Manna from Heaven for the English media. Because Jürgen had the audacity to suggest certain clubs don’t have a ceiling on their spending power he was accused of Xenophobia, touching on being a racist. Yet what he said was simply the truth. Manchester City for one, and probably Newcastle very soon, and Chelsea in the past don’t have to worry about what they spend, nor, it would seem, having to balance the books. Liverpool are a wealthy club owned by wealthy businessmen, but they can’t compete with oil rich states who don’t have to worry about how much the club they own spend or even waste.
The game became controversial simply because of the ineptitude of the referee and it still touches a nerve when a referee from Greater Manchester can referee a game against one of the Manchester clubs. Maybe it just shows the dearth of refereeing talent in this country. It’s not the norm for the winning side to criticise the match officials but in this case, we’re entitled to say they were abysmal.
After the game Pep Guardiola said he’d had coins thrown at him [if it happened it was when he was inciting the fans in the Main Stand]. Manchester City also claimed their team coach, which is concealed inside Anfield until it’s ready for departure and you can safely say that would be more than an hour after the game had finished, was damaged. So, did a bunch of Scallies lay in wait along the Anfield Road to ambush the vehicle? Or was it a figment of their imagination.
There was a time when a game against Manchester City was a run of the mill, almost cordial, fixture with both sets of fans having a common dislike of the other Manchester side. Since the money arrived along with Pep Guardiola [and Jürgen Klopp] it has become something else. At Anfield the City fans showed what they really are. The graffiti and damage to the facilities was bad enough but once again we had the vile chants and mocking of those who died in stadium tragedies. It was no surprise; in fact, it was expected. It happened at Wembley, at Leicester and again at Anfield. I have a suspicious mind. Was mention of an alleged coin throwing incident and damage to the team bus a camouflage due to the behaviour of their fans? Let’s not forget, a few seasons back even the City team were videoed singing about Liverpool fans getting battered in the streets.
Of course, football fans from Manchester are not alone in this sort of stuff and clubs condemning it won’t stop it. I accept and fully realise our supporters are no angels but for Manchester City to basically accuse our manager of stirring up the volatile pot shows just what they are now all about.
Even at such an early stage of the season we know we’re not going to be in contention for the title and face a fight to make the Champions League places especially after Forest. I dread looking at any LFC news streams now because it seems every time you think things are getting better, another injury crops up. Jürgen’s press conferences have now become more like a medical bulletin and the injuries are a massive worry to us all. However, it’s not just injuries, players have aged, and the younger ones need time. If the club don’t do something in January, it could well be a long road back.
JJP For the first time in my life can I wish everyone a Happy Christmas in October.