by bigmick » Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:16 pm
Rockthekop wrote:What exactly is real fan anyway?
I'm not sure, I only know that I've been told many times on here that I aren't one of them. I've given it some thought, and I don't pretend to have all the answers but I do know this much (I think).
Being a "real fan" has nothing to do with how long you've supported the club (I've been a Liverpool supporter since I was six years old, 1972 to present).
Strangely, for some people it also doesn't matter if you go the game regularly (the bloke who started this thread does and his "real fanness" was questioned) or live near the city (ditto).
It doesn't matter that you slag people who are in the employ of the club on here, in the sense that it is possible to slag certain players off and still be "real". Babel for instance has a target on his back, so does Dossena but to a lesser extent. Even Gerrard can be openly questioned as to his 'body language" his "me-ness" and his "committment". Players such as Kuyt and Lucas are strimctly off limits obviously. The owners of course are right in the hitting zone and you can build your "real fan" status back up be slagging them. That's like one of those "refuel zones" on a computer game where you can build your strength up again.
The manager is absolutely out of bounds obviously. If you express any doubts whatsover about the manager, or openly wonder if we might win a trophy within the next few years, your "real fan" status can be seriously in doubt before you know it. On the other hand, comparing him to managers of our past who won untold trophies and continually talking about his "love for the club" and "tactical genius" can repair damage which you may have inflicted upon yourself. This damage is self inflicted by for instance wondering why Martin Skrtel was playing at right back or Peter Crouch on the left wing.
Another tricky area, a minefield infact, is the one of "belief". This probably trips up more "Real fan" wannabees than any other area. "Belief" is all very well of course, but you've got to be very careful what you believe in. When real fans tell you to "believe", they DON'T mean believe that we really ought to win something occasionally. Believing this is ridiculous and delusional apparently because we haven't got as much money as Chelsea, and because Man Utd had a better team than us in 2003. On the other hand, when we are palably out of any chance whatsoever of winning the title, you mustn't say you "believe" we won't win it. You have to say you "believe" we can, even though you know we won't. You must all the time keep your powder dry to stick the boot into anyone who says that we really ought to be able to have a stab at it, because we obviously can't as we haven't got enough money (see earlier). This section needs to be studied by any wannabees, as it's by far the most treacherous.
Should you pass through these tests without perishing, there are further mountains to climb. You still have to jump through the hoops transfer market wise for instance, and the whole thing culminates in an excrutiatingly difficult short story section where you have to pretend that we've spent less money than everyone else, regardles of whether we have or not.
In short, being a "real fan" is not easy. I'm actually not all that gutted that I aren't one, I don't think I could handle it.
Last edited by
bigmick on Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"se e in una bottigla ed e bianco, e latte".