Apart from that exhilarating and unexpected push for the Premier League title, following Liverpool hasn’t been too fun in recent years.
I don’t claim to be some kind of spokesperson for Liverpool fans. If I did I’d be very rich and I realise that people don’t agree with everything I have to say. In fact, I hope you don’t because life would be very boring, something which I don’t want following Liverpool to be.
But I am someone that has a gauge for what it has been like for Reds who follow the club home and away, and it’s safe to say that since that title challenge of 13/14, following Liverpool has become less and less fun. Performances and results became awful under Brendan Rodgers, the fan base had certainly thought it was best for the Northern Irishman to be relieved of his duties – which finally happened only a few hours after a Merseyside derby draw with Everton at Goodison Park.
The fan base needs uniting, and it looks like some German fella who happens to have rescued a great club with a massive fan base from mediocrity to turn it into a genuine force, winning a couple of league titles on the way, is given the task to it. The appointment of Jurgen Klopp alone may just do that – there doesn’t seem to be anyone who doesn’t have at least a tinge of excitement at the former Borussia Dortmund manager rocking up on Merseyside (probably playing heavy metal in the process, he’s probably a fan of Rammstein).
What Liverpool really want to get back to is the likes of the 13/14 season. Ok, there was regrettably no league title at the end of it all but it was such a wave you had so much fun. There was an even end of season do where a chorus of ‘we nearly won the league’ broke out – such is the high standard of Scouse self-deprecation.
But I digress, but it was the end of a season of fun, the city was buzzing in a style that people of my generation have seldom experienced. It’s the new man’s job to get that kind of buzz back.
Now that doesn’t mean Klopp must challenge for the title every season otherwise it wouldn’t be fun. It’d be nice but let’s be realistic (though if you look at the overall picture, a couple of cup runs and a tilt at the top four is certainly not out of the question). I do like the fact that I’ve heard stories from that season that because of the team, there were times when people went on night’s home and didn’t come home until three days later. There are plenty of individual stories to tell from that campaign.
There are a couple of endearing qualities about the German. The fact that when if his side loses then they have to lose well, which would make a welcome change from the couple of spineless performances that have been on display from April onwards. Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Stoke City and Manchester United all fall into that category. There’s probably more but I’ve done my best to forget them.
There is his celebrations, the way he speaks, the seemingly odds times he bursts into laughter in media interviews as well as those facial expressions which always seem to bring a smile to football fans. We haven’t even got on to touchline antics yet – that could be another piece altogether – but his personality is going to be a huge factor. Usually, if the Liverpool manager ‘gets’ us then Anfield tends to be a happier place.
In terms of on the field, we all want to see success, we all want to see that league title that has eluded us since 1990, but first and foremost we want to see fight. We want to see mistakes are learned from. Name me someone that doesn’t want to see that from their team.
Make it fun, though, because we’ve missed that bit. Get all that sorted first and then make us win again. If he manages to do all those things at once we’re all heading to town quite a bit!
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
