Liverpool Fans should ignore this obvious agenda
It has already begun. Of course, it was always going to be this way. The first so called ‘slip-up’ of the new season saw Liverpool FC and their players come under immediate scrutiny by the press pack and sections of the media. How original.
As stated, it was always going to be this way. Especially after spending close to £60 million this summer, combined with the £57 million spent in January. Especially after Manchester United last season tore from their grasp, their title as most successful domestic side in England. Especially as the club are finally in the hands of seemingly steady ownership and the ‘King’ Kenny Dalglish is starting the season as manager for the first time since Liverpool won their last league title back in 1990.
Regardless of the immense overhaul and restructuring the club has just been through – and is still going through, the transitional period the club finds itself in buys no extra time from the relentless pressure the media will exert every time a result doesn’t go the Red’s way. If the grand name of Liverpool FC didn’t already dictate this, then the money spent by the club over the last six months certainly will.
Anything but a victory (and probably a comprehensive one at that) against Sunderland on the opening day of the season at Anfield would have brought negative press instantly to the red half of Merseyside, and the subsequent 1-1 draw didn’t disappoint those eager to quell any rising optimism. This is despite the call for calm and patience for the new season ahead by Kenny Dalglish, and echoed on various occasions by voices like Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and most recently, Chairman Tom Werner. This is despite a vast restructuring going on at the playing level, where no fewer than four new signings made their debuts against Sundeland – three of the four in a four-man midfield. And this is also despite the fact that yet again, an incompetent referee made an incompetent decision against Liverpool at Anfield, during the ground’s first match of a new season (anyone for Rob Styles penalty blunder v Chelsea in 2007, or Joe Cole’s harsh redcard last season?)
Surprisingly, the press chose to focus less on the inept Phil Dowd and his ridiculous decision to let Kieran Richardson stay on the pitch after bringing down Luis Suarez when clean through on goal with only four minutes gone, and focused more on Liverpool’s failure to break down a team, who were fortunate to still be playing with 11-men. Mostly coming under ‘surprising’ attack was striker Andy Carroll. I use the word ‘surprising’ in a sarcastic manner – the £35 million price tag will ensure certain members of the press will focus on his every touch, unfairly or not – that’s what a massive price tag brings. I was, however, surprised that the attack on Carroll was as instant as it was, whilst being totally unwarranted – Carroll was far from the worst player on the pitch. I was genuinely more surprised at the seeming knee-jerk reaction from the ‘Chief Sports Writer’ for the Observer, who based an entire article in The Guardian on the fact that Carroll has not lived up to his £35 million price tag – from his performance against Sunderland. In the first game of the season. I wonder what his article would have been based on if the referee had failed to correctly disallow Carrol’s goal for a slight push? You got that one right didn’t you Mr. Dowd.
The reactive article on Carroll is something Liverpool fans better get more accustomed to this season, if results are not positive. And by this I mean press-positive i.e 3-points. The unfair criticism Carroll received comes from him not yet being given a chance to gel with his new side, and especially new strike partner Luis Suarez, thanks to an injury-plagued start to his Liverpool career at the end of last season. A fact conveniently forgotten by those keen to write a negative reaction piece.
In total opposite to the media’s obsessive negative pressure mounting at Anfield, the vast majority club’s supporters are remaining calm and sensible – for now. Most have realised that this is a rebuilding season and whilst it seems there are exciting times ahead and the future looks bright and optimistic, that time may not yet be right now. New signing and youth need to gel into a team that can push for honours but for now patience is the key. Maybe owner John Henry’s comments of a need to finish at least fourth this season didn’t help, and allowed the press to frenzy again – but those demands are the level every Liverpool fan is already hoping for – anymore this season, will be seen as a welcome bonus.
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Well said! When reading a newspaper these days I do as my wife does and read as far as, but not including, the sports pages. I just can’t be bothered anymore. On the internet I mostly only read fan based articles (be it Liverpool fans or those from other clubs) and I occasionally visit the sky sports pages to see what their sources and insiders are telling them that day (or to check actual facts such as the cricket score or who their next televised match is between)!
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jimmyareabi Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Thank you Ben
We certainly need to be more ‘on the ball’ with what we select to read these days
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I couldn’t believe it when I saw the headlines ‘Liverpool Flop’. We didn’t get beat, that would be to flop. And if we flopped, so did Arsenal and Chel$ki, who also drew, and very nearly Utd. But we were the one’s who flopped. lol
There will always be more pressure on us because of the negativity of the media against Liverpool. Add to that the money being spent, and unless we started in fifth gear from the off, which we did for for only about half an hour, the pressure will build and build. The only way to escape the negative press is to win and win well unfortunately. Hopefully they’ll have nothing to write about.
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jimmyareabi Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Exactley the point of the article I totally agree! Thanks for the comments
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You seem to blame everything on the Mr Dowd and the press, when clearly the players and Dalglish himself could have done better. The first half was good, but the second was very poor. After Sunderland equalized, we had no plan B and in the end they were the ones who looked more likely to win. Some of the decisions Dalglish made were perplexing – starting Henderson ahead of Kuyt, Flannagan ahead of Kelly, leaving Maxi and Aquilani out of the squad altogether.
Aguero has shown this weekend what we should expect from a £35 million player. I have yet to see a single performance where Carroll has looked remotely close to justifying his price tag. Be honest, if you could swap Carroll for Aguero, wouldn’t you do it?
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Simon Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 11:43 am
Carroll is paid 60k a week compared to Aguero’s 200k. This goes beyond transfer fees alone.
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jimmyareabi Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Thanks for your comments. The point of the article was to highlight the need for calm and patience this season and that whilst everything is not going to go our way, we shouldn’t panic after one game – so thanks for proving the articles point
that now goes beyond transfer fees alone.
Mistakes were made – but hopefully they will be learnt from.
Only an idiot would choose Carroll over Aguero but our chance for Aguero long passed when Rick Parry refused to follow up interest when he still played in Argentina. At present, as Simon says
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sorry jimmyareabi, i am with jmbk on this one!!!
Carrol (and liverpool) not good enough against sunderland, and this perhaps is not the major issue about carrol, the major issue is whether he will live up to his 35mil billing, as jmbk points out.
Also i agree we couldnt change the game in the 2nd period which is a major concern!!!
A question for you, jimmyareabi, if we did as well as we did in the 2nd half of last season without the new signings, should we be expected to do better with them this season?
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jimmyareabi Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
See my reply to jmbk
The situation on whether Carroll is worth £35mil is a whole other article – not the purpose of this one. To use Carroll’s ‘failing’ in one game, as the Guardian did, is flimsy. They could have highlighted the other issues, stated by yourself and jmbk to have a better basis for their argument – but chose a more sensationalist route.
With new signings & a new season comes greater expectations of course. But a balanced view of the club as a whole considering what happened the last few years, and patience is still needed. Thanks for your views
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Money can’t buy me luck… Both Ashley Young and Stewart Downing marked their debuts with defender beating runs and a shot on goal, Downing hits the crossbar, Young’s shot deflects off a defender into goal, the winning goal. Had Downing’s shot gone in, it would have put us 2 up and we may have finished 2-0 or 2-1. That said, if Kuyt started in place of Henderson, we would have won comfortably! Let’s not get onto Carroll or Flannagan for this. If Carroll was Rooney or Drogba, his goal would have stood too…
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jimmyareabi Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Luck certainly has been against Liverpool over the last few openening season fixtures! Thanks for your comments
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thanks to you all,i love you,Carrol is too slow and lacks skills but we still have to be patient,we shall reach the promise land this season,just have faith,YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE
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