Welcome to Issue 290 of Red All Over The Land.
I’d forgotten about finishing in the top four before the World Cup break, now I’m looking over my shoulder at the teams in the bottom half of the table. If things don’t improve that’s where we’re heading, and it could get worse! Out of both domestic Cups as well.
Since football returned after the World Cup our performances have, in the main, been abysmal. Brentford, Brighton, and Wolves to name but three. This is a Liverpool team and everyone, the manager included must take responsibility. The home game against Chelsea was almost a cure for insomnia and at Anfield, against Leicester and Wolves the word dire was used. That was one of the politer ones. We’ve been given so much during the past seven years, and we can’t forget that but even so what we’re watching now is unacceptable and was avoidable. It’s now up to the whole club to put things right. Those inside Anfield can play a part and create some atmosphere because that’s not been there too often this season either.
Blame has been apportioned in huge amounts from the owners not backing the manger down to Pep Lijnders writing a book! The simplicity of it is, other clubs genuinely strengthened and have got better. Liverpool haven’t.
Injuries have played a massive part just as they did in the Covid season, but the club didn’t appear to want to address the situation in the January transfer window and we can only assume who made that decision. We signed Cody Gakpo but needed a midfield player? We only need to have a couple of players missing to show how threadbare our squad really is. There can be no doubting several players haven’t performed to the high levels of the past. The likes of Hendo, Thiago, Fab and Mo are all in their thirties, not old by any means but is it a factor? I should also add that Jürgen seems to have lost some of his wow factor, that bullishness. His press conferences come across now as an ordeal, a chore and some of his comments before and after games make me wonder if it’s getting to him as well.
This season will be written off as a failure and you can be certain the pellets of poison will be in every newspaper, on all forms of social media and heads will be expected to roll.
FSG will get most of the blame. It’s obvious some of the Liverpool support want an Oil Baron to ride on a camel along Walton Breck Road throwing money around like confetti at a wedding. That’s football in the 21st century. Where that sits with the socialist support of Liverpool, I don’t really know but it would lead to some uneasy feelings. Then again, as has been pointed out to me recently, both Standard Chartered and AXA have some baggage attached. However, at the end of the day, if FSG do sell the club or take partial investment, nobody will seek the opinion of the support because when it comes to trading in billions, how are we expected to understand their principles if they have any. It should also be pointed out that FSG have neither confirmed nor denied anything, so it all remains rumour.
Against Chelsea there was an announcement and warnings following reports of homophobic chanting. Chelsea fans came out with their usual murderer’s stuff. There were no announcements or warnings made. Time for the club and football to act but we know little, or nothing will be done.
JJP. I was given some advice many years ago, advice that I’ve tried to stay with. I was told, always Drink before you Think. That way you’ve always got an excuse!