Liverpool FC Forum

[big al]

You've all pushed me into saying something that cuts my heart out.  Man U are the best team in English football Because Ferguson demands ultimate professionalism both on and off the pitch.

1. That requires players to worship the shirt.  Not spend time worrying about who's after them or what bloody medals they can win or can I go somewhere and get a sun tan.  Some of you worship Mcmanaman But he's a bloody pest. If he loved the club so much he should have stayed and helped us get better.  all he do'es is tell Owen he should leave "F**k You Maccers"

2. Never let the other team have the ball for more than two forward passes three is a goal.

3. Win every 1st, 2nd, 3rd ball etc.  continually pressure the opposing team.  Do't stand about waving your bloody hand for offsides or penalties.  Even 5 year old kids know play the whistle.

4. Never Never never say die. I've got a sore leg I'm off.  You were'nt allowed to have a sore leg in the old liverpool teams.

5  Believe in yourself and your team mates. No good if your players don't trust each other.  Gerrard runs about the pitch kicking everything that moves because the poor lad bloody has too .  Everbody else is too busy looking for their agent or manager in the crowd.

6  Use the costa nostra code say nothing, to nobody, about nothing.  Whats in house stays in house. 

7  Go to bed early.  For too long we have had prima donna's running about all hours of the night thinking their gods gift. The old guard at liverpool would have sunk a size 8 up a couple of backsides long ago.  This says a lot about professionalism and Beckham paid price at Old Trafford good on ye fergie.

8  Put your family life above everything including football.  Shanks took only Family men, no womanisers, or p#ss artists and if they were they knew how to keep it so well hid that the boss never found out.

9  Close players down, close players down, close players down even your own if you need to and kick everyone Even the ref if he gets in the way.  Not practical today but you know what I mean.  Passion commitment Blind focus on the game.

10 Nothing is impossible for the team. If its mathmatically possible we can do it but we never tell our oponents we can't do it, just shake the head look coy and keep saying its a hard task.

11 Losing is nothing. Absolutely nothing!

12 Winning is the way to greatness.  History is written by the victors.  Liverpool have for so long written the history of brittish and european history.  Now we are the ones being written about.  and that sucks.

13 Take each game one at a time.  That means for every game, pick the best of what you've got even mickey mouse cups. Ferggie falls at this on Shanks is still running.  Bill never played a friendly game in his life.  winning during training was just as vital.  If you settle for less than perfection then what you'll get will be a whole lot bloody less.

14 No one is bigger than the club, Even Bill for all his greatness knew this and never tried to be bigger than liverpool fc. unlike ferggie.

15 Football is more than a matter of life and death. 
Many have misinterept Shanks because he was'nt referring to himself he was much too modest a man for that. 

Bill Shankly talked about those people who came to Anfield as children, who grew up and went off to fight and die in two world wars, yet always had liverpool fc in their hearts.  Who lost comrades and friends that once stood with them on the terraces.  Those that became old and left the mortal plain.

Liverpool is, was their life and will be in their hearts long long after death. 
Liverpool for many give them hope in the bitter world of deprivation and poverty that shrouded their lives.  For dockers and miners, barrow boys and factory workers for the  unemployed he brought them something bigger than they themselves could ever be. He helped them be part of the greatest football club in the world. Yes guys we once rivalled Real Madrid, Benfica, Roma, Milan, once they feared us today they laugh at us.

The pride and spirit that Shankly, Paisley and Fagan give working class people not only in liverpool but across the britain, europe and the world.  The fulfilment of dreams is what lies at the very soul of true liverpool football fans.

This is the code that the great managers and great players live by. 

Do'es Houlier match up to this? No but then again we never expected him to.  We just wanted him to understand it.

I would have rather had the spend the last five years with Roy Evans in control without trophies because at least he understood me and countless thousands who, live for the smell of freshly cut grass and wintergreen.  Who's life still requires the weekly fix of their beloved liverpool and who know what its really all about.

Telling us the league is over shows he can never have our dreams in his heart.  He lives in another world, that do'es not see Anfield as Liverpools greatest albeit third cathedral.  his world is where teachers and bussiness men, play games with the dreams of children.  He's not and never will be one of us. Stood in the Kop "Bullocks"

"rise up like lions after slumber, ye the unvanquishible number
shake your chains to earth like dew,which in sleep befallen you
Ye are many, they are few"

Please Please leave Mr Houlier

[greenred]

Im speechless after that al,well said.

[LiverpoolFC_Kopite]

That was admirably put Al.

[supersub]

It took Ferguson 7 years to turn it round,he too was on the brink of dismissal and a hate figure for the Old Trafford faithful.Grab a copy of today's Mirror(12.11.03),there is an interesting article by Oliver Holt.I have had my doubts over the last three years,mainly about our dreadful,boring style,so I screamed for a change in the way we played the game and I am glad GH has listened and prepared to give it a go but it will take time,and with hopefully the addition of a few signings to slot into our weak areas we can begin to develop into the force we all want.

[gary]

well put mate:D

[JBG]

The only problem with the Alex Ferguson/7 years/Gerard Houllier anaolgy is as follows:

1. Once UTD recovered from their low point of Spring 1990 they never really looked back, consistently improving their league form. Liverpool have been up and down.

2. A big factor in UTD winning the league in 1993 was that there were no genuine top class sides in the Premiership. Leeds, the Champions, narrowly escaped releagtion. Aston Villa were an alright side, but hardly genuine challengers. Arsenal, who had threatened to dominate under George Graham, got bogged down in cups and soem of their best players: Merson, Parlour and Tony Adams, all had serious off field problems. The biggest factor was that Liverpool, who had pretty much dominated the previous 20 years, fell apart under Souness. Even Everton, the other big side of the 1980s, had fallen by the way side. English football was very weak in 1993, with England failing to qualify for the 94 World Cup, and teams like Norwich, Crystal Palace and Sheff UTD challenging for Europe. Therefore there was a larger power vacum which allowed an average Man UTD side win the league.

At the moment Man UTD, Chelsea and Arsenal are extremely good sides, so even if Houllier turned it around at Liverpool, we would still have to surpass those three. Man UTD and Ferguson didn't have that problem in 1993.

3. Eric Contona played a massive part of UTD's Championship winning side. Ferguson was stuck for ideas (remember how UTD collapsed in 1992) until Contona led them to the title. Liverpool have no Contana figure, and Gerald Houllier won't sign arrogant mavericks who might disagree with him (hence the reason he let Anelka go....you could even say that he got rid of Ince, David Thompson and Marcus Babbel because they were not "yes" men). Ferguson was prepared to cut a little slack with Cantona, whereas Houllier would have shown Cantona the door.

4. UTD were a rising club. While we all laughed at UTD fans' assertions in the 1980s that they were "the biggest club in the world", especially when they had guys like Terry Gibson, Mal Donaghy and Remi Moses in their side (I still laugh at the filth when they claim they are the greatest.....they still have only 2 European Cups compared to Liverpool's 4 and Real's 9), they were a growing club on the financial side, and once they started generating cash it was only a matter of time that theywould eventually win something. Could we say the same about Liverpool now

[big al]

I agree with everything you've said JBG But we can only judge Man U on where they are today and that's streets ahead of us. But your right on most points mate. 

Supersub we don't have time. The clock is ticking you are unique in that you are a true liverpool fan their at Anfield every fortnight.

The majority of us a lucky to see liverpool once or twice a year.  Yet it is now us the armchair fans that generate the vast bulk of liverpool's income.  TV revenue, overseas merchandisng and yearly visits to Anfield bring much more money than local fans do.  That's sad but true. How many season ticket holders have liverpool.  Celtic have 55 thousand with 10 thousand on the waiting list.  They are going to upgrade to a 78 thousand seater and if they wanted could fill it with season ticket holders.  Liverpool has as much support in Ireland, Scotland and Wales as Celtic and Man U difference is we don't have the money to be there every week.  Outsiders like me form allegiances with teams as kids because they are winning things. Everyone loves a winner. Our love develops and we understand the history and the identity and accept it as our own. At some point we make a commitment to the team of our choice. Liverpool's overseas fan base follow them because they were winners.  Today Man U and Madrid hold that mantle.  If it continues, we lose potential fans and therefore potential income. 

Take a look round at the aging support of teams like Spurs, Aston Villa, Leeds utd and Everton.  Yes they many have local fans but I can tell you that there's not as many of them kinocking about Ireland as there once was.  Football is sadly a Global industry the supporters love liverpool as much for its history of greatness as for anything else but Houlier is gradually making greatness disappear.   I hope that giving Liverpool the city of culture will create new prosperity in Liverpool so that local fans can buy up all the season tickets and therefore people like me will once again find it bloody impossible to get a ticket.  13 years ago I had to pay well over the odds. now its face value.

[simic_ie]

I just read the article Supersub and I must say, I do agree with a lot of what it says. The club has been stablised and we are playing better football even if we are not getting the results yet. I said earlier on in a post that Liverpool are missing Didi Hamann who is, in my opinion, as important to Liverpool as Keane and Viera are to Man u and Arsenal. Also take into account that our main striker is out for at least ten games a season every season. Could Man U or Arsenal cope without Van Nistleroy/ Henry for that many games on a regular basis? I don't think so. Yes we are probably more reliant on Owen than they are on those two but that is where we need to bring io one or two players to strengthen those positions. We have some weak players who probably should go but lets give GH the chance until the end of the season with our new style. If we don't get Champions League he will probably go, but if he does and we keep Owen, and strengthen he squad with quality proven players, then I think we can be stronger than a lot of us can believe given the situation we find ourselves in now.

[greenred]

these pictures were originally posted underneath a picture posted by cheesecake.
which has mysteriously disappeared.
so if they appear out of context,
blame him!

[greenred]

so rio pisses after all!

[greenred]

keane announces plans for political career

[jonnymac1979]

It took Ferguson 7 years to turn it round,he too was on the brink of dismissal and a hate figure for the Old Trafford faithful.Grab a copy of today's Mirror(12.11.03),there is an interesting article by Oliver Holt.I have had my doubts over the last three years,mainly about our dreadful,boring style,so I screamed for a change in the way we played the game and I am glad GH has listened and prepared to give it a go but it will take time,and with hopefully the addition of a few signings to slot into our weak areas we can begin to develop into the force we all want.

I read that Oliver Holt article, I have to say, I can almost see that silver lining when I take into account what he said.  In three months time, we could have the likes of Cisse, (Rivaldo....) Boumsong...

And a certain talismanic world class German will be back in the starting 11.

Then lets see how easy we are to push over.

The second half of the season will be very, very interesting indeed.

[JBG]

I can almost see that silver lining when I take into account what he said.  In three months time, we could have the likes of Cisse, (Rivaldo....) Boumsong...

And a certain talismanic world class German will be back in the starting 11.

Then lets see how easy we are to push over.

The second half of the season will be very, very interesting indeed.

I wish I was wrong, but Didi Hamman won't make an enormous difference to our fortunes. He's a very good player but our problems run deeper than merely missing a good defensive midfielder.

Also, I don't see Boumsong, Rivaldo and Cisse changing things around for Liverpool either. Cisse is overrated and has done little to live up to the promise he showed three years ago, Boumsong is still something of an unknown quantity, while I stick to the propostion that in the long term, Rivaldo would not be a good signing for Liverpool.

[redandblue]

Very well put, big al. Yep, Manchester United ARE by far the best team in the country, because Fergie demands excellence, week in week out. And just as importantly, the United plc Board demand excellence coupled with results. Our Board members seem to be terrified of making a decision, particularly when it comes to getting rid of GH.

Moores and Parry don't want to sack GH because they are all too chummy. They simply can't bring themselves to do it, and have embarked on a strategy which is basically.......give him another year. Every year. You would not see such a lack of professionalism at Old Trafford.

[simic_ie]

Well JBG, I'm not too worried about the long term future of Liverpool at the moment. If we don't have a future short- term then we sure as hell won't have one long term. I agree with you that long term, Rivaldo will not be much of a signing. But if he comes in January, plays well until the end of the season, and maybe the season after that, and brings short term success to the club then that will be a spring board for the club to compete elsewhere. There will be more money. The club will look more attractive to big name, established players, like Ayala and Van Der Vaart who have already turned us down. The long term future for Liverpool wil take care of its self. The squad is still very young and with experience of success will only get better in the future.