What are the players thoughts? - On our success
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:17 pm
Now that the dust has well and truly settled on a brilliant end to the season, and having read jonnymac's superb post of what Istanbul meant to him as a fan, it's really made me all sentimental. This may not have been the greatest Liverpool side in recent memory, but it just made me wonder if the players really realise what they actually achieved on that famous night. I started a thread a while back asking if this was Liverpool's greatest EVER achievement, merely due to the nature of how the game went and the fact that nobody gave us a prayer of winning the thing. Certain members on here have seen the great sides and the great European nights from Paris to Rome, but even they admitted that this was something out of the ordinary.
I suppose the players who have been here for a while and have experienced some of the bigger games over the years (FA Cup final, UEFA Cup final) know what is expected by the supporters, where as some of the newer players are maybe still coming to terms with what is expected by us. Ok I'm sure they know about the history and tradition of this great club, but I'm sure if you asked them, even they were surprised by the support we took to Istanbul. Supporters on the continent are still loyal, but don't really travel in big numbers, where as we take 40,000 to the club's biggest game in twenty years and quite literally take over the city, painting the town red in the process. It brings me back to this famous statement:
LIVERPOOL IS NOT JUST A FOOTBALL CLUB, IT'S A WAY OF LIFE.
This saying just made me wonder what the other players thoughts are about the way the fans respond to a little success. Reading quotes from players about the support we gave them in Istanbul and other games against Chelsea and Juve is brilliant. Chelsea was just the most phenomenal atmosphere I've ever felt at an Anfield game. The way people like Alonso and Garcia have been talking to the press, you'd have thought they'd been at the club for years. Hell recently, Rafa said he wanted to stay here for ten years. Liverpool is now his adopted home. It seems quite obvious that the foreign contingent actually believe what they have been told by their parents about our history and our support. Maybe they will think of us when the team is up against it and give that extra 1% that can make the difference in games.
Generally speaking, I like to think of myself as an optimist and hope that they will. Quite simply, not many players will EVER play in front of such a set of supporters if they play till they are 100 years old.
Watching the players on their parade bus (albeit on tv) made me wonder even more about what they were thinking. Some of them looked like they were still shocked and could still not believe it. Others were just lapping every second up and showing a genuine lust for life (Cisse anyone?). That guy is the epitomy of the type of player we want at this club. He loves it here, you can tell. The fact he even played again this season proves just how much he wants to succeed here and how much he wants the fans to appreciate him.
Well listen up lads. If you want more of the same next season, give us that extra 1% and you will find that we will give you 10% more back in return.
Like i said before, Liverpool is not just a football club , IT IS A WAY OF LIFE.
YNWA
I suppose the players who have been here for a while and have experienced some of the bigger games over the years (FA Cup final, UEFA Cup final) know what is expected by the supporters, where as some of the newer players are maybe still coming to terms with what is expected by us. Ok I'm sure they know about the history and tradition of this great club, but I'm sure if you asked them, even they were surprised by the support we took to Istanbul. Supporters on the continent are still loyal, but don't really travel in big numbers, where as we take 40,000 to the club's biggest game in twenty years and quite literally take over the city, painting the town red in the process. It brings me back to this famous statement:
LIVERPOOL IS NOT JUST A FOOTBALL CLUB, IT'S A WAY OF LIFE.
This saying just made me wonder what the other players thoughts are about the way the fans respond to a little success. Reading quotes from players about the support we gave them in Istanbul and other games against Chelsea and Juve is brilliant. Chelsea was just the most phenomenal atmosphere I've ever felt at an Anfield game. The way people like Alonso and Garcia have been talking to the press, you'd have thought they'd been at the club for years. Hell recently, Rafa said he wanted to stay here for ten years. Liverpool is now his adopted home. It seems quite obvious that the foreign contingent actually believe what they have been told by their parents about our history and our support. Maybe they will think of us when the team is up against it and give that extra 1% that can make the difference in games.
Generally speaking, I like to think of myself as an optimist and hope that they will. Quite simply, not many players will EVER play in front of such a set of supporters if they play till they are 100 years old.
Watching the players on their parade bus (albeit on tv) made me wonder even more about what they were thinking. Some of them looked like they were still shocked and could still not believe it. Others were just lapping every second up and showing a genuine lust for life (Cisse anyone?). That guy is the epitomy of the type of player we want at this club. He loves it here, you can tell. The fact he even played again this season proves just how much he wants to succeed here and how much he wants the fans to appreciate him.
Well listen up lads. If you want more of the same next season, give us that extra 1% and you will find that we will give you 10% more back in return.
Like i said before, Liverpool is not just a football club , IT IS A WAY OF LIFE.
YNWA