Liverpool FC Forum

[Leonmc0708]

As Liverpool fans, we've always loved an underdog - we love a player who loves LFC, like we do. We love a player who tries his heart out, who's prepared to go through pain for the good of the team, who will even turn down moves anywhere else for much more money, just so he can pull on the red shirt of his childhood dreams. We love a comeback, a fighter, someone who won't give up.

Good scouse, scally qualities, epitomised by the local lads in the team like Carra, Stevie G, and Robbie.

However, one more player has risen from the dead (seemingly) in many fans minds, and is now displaying all those traits we love so much.

A player who DID turn down much more money, just so he could play for us. A player who idolised liverpool fc as a kid, and dreamed of playing for us. A player who, to the detriment of his own fitness and reputation, played through injury for a full year or more, because his team needed him. A player who never turned on the fans, even though the fans turned on him. A player now, that fitness has returned, who is covering more ground than anyone in our team (according to last months opts stats). A player who is showing a desire, defensively AND in attack, to exceed his reputation, and surprise even his biggest opponents.

A player who put Gary Neville into the stands after two minutes and walked away laughing.

Harry Kewell is rapidly becoming the edge of the seat player we were promised, and, while the delivery was delayed, he REALLY has been delivering for two months now, and deserves some credit for it, so, a massive well done to Harry, rapidly becoming an honorary scally! Long may it continue!

[dawson99]

i dunno whats scarier, leon being nice about someone or me agrreing (sorry)

in all seriousness thats a quality post, well written and totally true. the last couple of months kewell has finally turned a corner if you ask me. Hes becoming more confident each game and is looking more and more like the player we wanted to sign. (was nice to see him get the better or neville too)

He has takena lot of stick from everyone and ridden the storm so fair play to the lad and long may it continue that he plays like he is.

[Boocity]

Good post Leon, to be honest I was never a Harry basher, quality players just do not turn cr@p overnight. This is the same reason I don't slag off Nando.

[Liverpool 4 EVA]

I've always been in support of Harry.

The lad's been very good lately and I think he will improve further.

[Anfield rapper]

Good post. I've been well impressed with Harry this season, and don't think he deserved the stick he has had in the past off some of our fans. When he wasn't fit he tried to tell everyone he wasn't fit but just seemed to be played anyway. In the CL final last year i felt so sorry for him, he just knew he wasn't fit enough to be playing and needed to come off. It was only natural at the time that people jump to conclusions because we were 3-0 down and it looked like he had taken the easy way out. But he is a professional player first and foremost and now he's on his way back to full fitness. It would be a great story if he could go on and win the title with us in the future, i look forward to it.

[Houllier=LFC]

I remember reading somewhere 2 months back that Kewell said he has not recovered 100percent from his groin injury, and has to come in 1 or 2 hours early for some preparation work before every training. Im really happy all his hard work and efforts are finally paying off on the field.

[Ace Ventura]

Here come all the people saying i was behind Harry all the way and i never criticised him at all 

Tbh i know i did criticise him i was well p!ssed off when he refused to play in the champions league...i think it was a big away game.
I know now that he was obviously not 100% and didn't want to make the team suffer, but at the time i saw it as a lack of commitment.
That commitment cant be questioned at this time and he is probably on current form one of the first names on the teamsheet, he has battled back well and i am glad to admit i was wrong.

[woof woof !]

Well I'm not going to apologise for having a go at him in the past , £60 grand a week unable to play for us but always seemingly ready to jet off to some obscure sh'ithole and play for Oz ! F'uck that 

But Leons right , Kewells now showing better than ever and I applaud him for that, and the grin on his face when he picked up his yellow card was hilarious  as was the pundit who later referred to him as "Legendary Liverpool Hardman Harry Kewell " 

   

[redmikey]

anyone who never said the phase "lazy auzzie b@stard" at some point is a lying scally.

I am not into player or manager bashing but at times everyone is guilty, egor, harry,cissie...

it is good to see harry put in the work it has needed to get back from a long running set of small injuries which can be worse than one big injury, as all the fans can see a pot on ya leg but a small twinge of a muslce is not easy for the man in the street to understand as he runs up the road to get in his car after forking out 50 sheets for a night at the footy. having witnessed a player on thpusands a week not seeming to care.

great post by the way..      we have just got to draw another game to get the doom mongers back though

[Scottbot]

Kewell has been our best attcking player (for me) over the last 6/7 games. His touch has been superb, he's putting in crosses, using the ball intelligently and running at people. That challenge on Neville (how the hell he didn't get booked!) set the tone for the rest of the game and galvanised the crowd (even more!) on Saturday. He also looks like he is regaining the pace he showed at Leeds. Every time Harry gets the ball now i find myself shouting 'skin him' or 'run at him'. The only thing i would like to see (being a bit critical here) is Harry really going for the byline before he delivers his crosses and i'm sure we'll see this from him as his fitness and sharpnes keeps on improving.

[Leonmc0708]

Just to re-iterate, not my words, (Nidgemo from RAWK wrote them) but definitley my sentiments, and posted here with his blessing.

[darwisigila]

[quote]Ace Ventura
LFC Elite Member


Here come all the people saying i was behind Harry all the way and i never criticised him at all..

[bigmick]

Anybody who never slagged Kewell in the past was either Australian (most of those guys did stick up for him TBF), completely clueless or mind-numbingly loyal to the cause above and beyond the call of duty. As I don't think any of the above apply to me I get on his case alright and I think he deserved it. If it really was the case that he wasn't ever fit then Harry should've been stronger and insisted on treatment rather than drifting through game after game in my view.
Anyways to the present and he's been a revelation but I think there is much much more to come. His clash with Neville on Saturday morning means we are certain to see a rematch with lots of grudge next season and though I rate the Man U man as a footballer, my money would be on the Australian to comfortably get the better of him.
I think Harry can and will improve in two key areas. Firstly and most obviously in his sharpness and fitness. My hunch is that there is a little burst of accelaration still in the locker and next season it will be there for all to see, making him very hard to contain. The second way he can improve is not down to him at all really. Our lack of a potent and natural goalscorer means that he has to generally cross it high and far enough back for somebody to head it. To do this he has to shift it and get his left leg around the ball which is do-able but difficult and fairly easy for the full-back to defend against if that is his only option. Were it the case that Kewell had the option of fizzing it in low and in between the centre-halves and the goalkeeper aswell as standing it up, then he would become much more difficult to defend as the full-back would have to get much more straight on and open up the possibility of Harry coming inside.
The second thing is a classic example of the team dynamic which is contained within a football match. The mere presence and threat of one option can actually open the door to something entirely different. As we currently lack that option, teams can defend 4 or 5 yards further up towards the edgs of the penalty box. This makes a huge difference to blokes like Crouch who ideally want to be winning headers from inside the penalty spot.Get a natural goalscorer (or hope Fowler does the biz) and teams will naturally slip in a couple of yards deeper which makes Crouch a different animal. Cause and effect, every action has an equal and opposite reaction and all that old b0ll0cks.

[jonnymac1979]

My view on Kewell posted after last weeks Arsenal game.

[darwisigila]

we are human....make mistakes and i hope kewell can score tonight against benfica