Take away the flowery metaphor and you get a plan for this season. Capitalise on the rocked, by rocking them even more. Last season, we began the chase. We battled early on to wins against Arsenal and Olympiacos and Fulham and a number of others, but we let the prize drift away from us even further by picking up injuries and only feeling secure at home. In our den, our lair, our hall, Anfield, we were unstopable, capable of victory in every game, but in the wilderness's of Highbury, Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, and many more, we were the hunted.
The main players in this game have been laid out for years now. Liverpool, Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea, Everton and a few others have always been lingering around the trophy, but only two of those have had the guts or means to get the trophy, whereas the rest have battled through obscurity and even close to relegation, but the Premiership has always been covetted by this group. Tottenham, Newcastle and Villa will need miracles, as will Everton, and Blackburn will not do so again which leaves a group of four.
There are two ways for us and these three to play this game. As the Lion or as the Gazelle. The Gazelle will run from the Lion and using trickery and pace will always reach the sacred river first. But the Lion will always ultimatley win. But it cannot try to race over long distances. It must pick it's spot, pick it's time and only move when it is right, or the Gazelle will run further away. Once, not so long ago, the Red Lion of Liverpool prowled and stalked this ground and ripped apart any Gazelle that thought of Running off with the prize. But that Lion got old, and limped off to die, but like so many plots before, and in the words of Master Yoda "There is... another". Now a new Lion stands on the brink of the Savanah , gazing out over the plains at the animals bellow it.
He saw the Baboons and the hyenas laughing. The old neighbours of the Lion's that have followed him, feeding off of the lingering remains of his kills for so long, now all
of the hoop about being above of the old Lion with their blue bottoms waving in the air like the apes that they always will be.He saw the wolf pack fighting amongst themselves. A new Alpha male who the others doubted, could not control his new pack that was arguing with each other, no matter how much he said he loved them. No great cubs had been born in years and they had picked up nothing but stragglers which now left them weak and Old, as their red and black fur turned grey again, they began to whither.
He saw the young Cheetahs, with all the meat they could ever want, attracting the largest beasts to their den. Rich and out of control, they fought for superiority but were still more powerful than the wolves, who they mocked by waving their new prize kills in their faces. Soon the meat would all go, and the fastest and the best would leave, it was just a matter of time. They even thought that they were Lions.
He saw the red and white flamingoes, all attractive but with no real meat in their ranks. One of the brightest had gone and others lusted after the stars that had gone for a year without losing a single battle. Now they were uneasy, still full of tricks, but uneasy without their brightest bird who had flown away to europe.
The Lion looked at this scene, in the dawn of his age, and he roared! He roared away the Baboons and Hyenas that could not bring in any new aids! He roared at the Wolves who had let time and poor judgement rid them of their domination! He roared at the cheetahs, that grew fat and complacent on meat! And he roared at the Flamingoes who no longer had their leader and fluttered off into the early morning air.
We are the Lion, and this is where we must begin. We will find that moment again, but now we must move into possition, while those around us squabble amongst themselves. We are relativly fit and un-injured, we've gained strength in vital areas and we are beginning to look like that old Lion once again, but it will take time and effort. We will be sharper, fitter, tougher and faster than we have been in so long. And now is the time to get ready for that final push of our great, padded paws and crush our adversaries. Patience is a virtue and a little more waiting won't hurt. And then we will roar again!
These teams call themselves Devils, Lions, Gunners and Toffees and they can laugh all they want now. But it is us that must fight like Demons, roar like lions and have the power of a thousand cannons if we are to taste the sweet, sweet taste of victory once more. We have the means, we have the power, we have the warriors. So let's Roar.
