CAN you imagine the conversation? Because I can’t.
“Alright lads, yeah, what we’ll do is all chip in and get an aeroplane to fly over Anfield with a banner on the back saying ‘Rodgers out Rafa in’.”
In any group of Liverpool fans I can think of the reply would likely form just two words, aggressively delivered, the second being ‘off’.
Most match-going fans I know pride themselves on supporting the club; like to think Liverpool are different, are better. We get behind the team; cheer on the Reds, intimidate the opposition and pressure the officials to call everything our way. We make better banners and sing better songs. We’re more passionate than anyone else and wouldn’t consider booing our own. That’s what I was brought up on.
Many of these traditional fans now think Brendan Rodgers isn’t the best man for the Liverpool job. They’ll say as much in the pub or on forums but once in the confines of the ground it’s all about the Reds. Back them. Support them. The rest is for another time.
Hiring a plane? Dickhead behaviour. Standing there with Rodgers Out written on a piece of paper? Fuck off. “You’re not singing anymore”? Nah. Soccer AM ‘banter’. Not for us.
Person to my right is holding up a piece of A4 paper with 'Rodgers out' scrawled in biro. The world has gone absolutely bonkers.
— Kristian Walsh (@Kristian_Walsh) May 2, 2015
Liverpool fans number in their millions around the world and in their thousands at the match so blanket statements about supporters should always be avoided. Nevertheless, this cringeworthy plane-flying waste of money, which will have some banter kings somewhere fist-bumping each other in delight, has led to the inevitable sweeping analysis about everyone that supports the club.
“Did you see what the Liverpool fans did? Hired a plane with a ‘Rodgers Out’ banner on it.”
This small-time crap wasn’t in my name, and thousands of others will feel the same.
If a Liverpool fan is responsible for this — and there is no evidence that is the case beyond an anonymously-run Twitter account that claims to be in Liverpool — then they need to have a massive word with themselves. If it’s a fan of another team — ditto. Haven’t you got something better to spend your money on? Here’s a thought for you, put it here.
https://twitter.com/RodgersOutClub/status/594465371303837696
Not only is this banner embarrassing and now high on the news agenda what message does it send out about Liverpool fans aside from the obvious?
Yeah, come back Rafa. Because we’re a bunch of fickle twats that the minute it goes wrong will get right on your case. We’ll pay for a plane to fly over the ground to make sure you feel under pressure. So that even when you win, you’re asked about your job.
Remember when loads of people in the ground spat venom at you in the game against Atletico Madrid and called you a ‘fat Spanish waiter’? Your own fans, the people backing the team you managed? Fancy that again? Come back. We want you in. The other fella didn’t win the league last season and now we’re fifth. Only Chelsea, Man City Arsenal and Man United have performed better than us in the league over the course of the season but his time is up. Get him out. Look at our plane. We’re the best supporters in the world. Come back, all is forgiven.
If a Liverpool fan is responsible for that banner it’s another sign that the identity of the club and the fanbase is being lost. Calling players in the red all kinds because they miss a chance. Holding up shit A4 messages. Flying planes. Booing your own players. Singing “you’re not singing anymore” to the best fans Anfield has seen this season. And yes, again, half and half fucking scarves.
It’s not the game I knew. A game increasingly being infested by bad, bad dickheads.
[rpfc_recent_posts_from_category meta=”true”]
Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda-Photo
What once separated us from other supporters has been chipped away for a while now.
I’ll argue with others on forums and In the ale house about the managers position but today was truly embarrassing.
I felt ashamed of some of our supporters last time Rafa was here – they would stand in the streets taking fucking photos of the anti-owner protests, they turned their backs on Rafa when the ground practically emptied on his last game in charge at Anfield – save a few hundred on the kop and they would question sos and what they were doing every step of the way.
I feel shame again today.
No matter your thoughts on the manager, there are ways to do things and ways to behave.
who fuckin spends money on shite like this ?Fuckin rockets
I didn’t go as I was working today, saw this on my break on the Echo website.
I’m not a Rodgers lover, I very much share the opinion of many, that if there’s an upgrade in manger available,let’s go and get him.
Embarrassed, shocked, ashamed. Just a few of the words I’d use to describe my feelings when this came to light. It’s fucking disgraceful and the person/s responsible need to look in the mirror and assess their pathetic lives.
Liverpool FC ‘unique’? ‘Like no other’? ‘Knowledgeable and loyal. Nah, there’s a sizeable portion who are the complete opposite.
Liverpool Fc supporters I meant to add there in that last paragraph ^^
I refuse to think it was done by actual Redmen.
Actually, while I got my evil genius hat on, imagine the havoc you might be able to create, by doing that to an opposing team, the moment they have a slight wobble? Think Rafa explaining plain and simple how to beat ManU to put more pressure on them. :D
But… today at Anfield, what a stupid, stupid thing to do.
When this shit popped up in my news feed at about 14:50 I went to level 13 on the fume factor. It’s gonna kill me all this shit. I’ve had enough. What on the fucking earth is going on!! If this is actual Liverpool ‘fans’ then we need to consider hunting them down and ending them.
I hope that plane crashed
Fucking morons who arranged that.
makes the club and fans look a joke.
take your plane and banner and Fuck Off and support someone like Newcastle you idiots
Think its most likely, the same lot, Mancs who, did the one after missing title last year, fuckers already knew flight path. Be drones carrying messages next.
Change happens not always for the good, there are 3 options Acceptance ,or will go nuts, Education, for example explain to someone why half n half’s are naff and they be better buying something from HJC.
Direct Action on vendors of half n half, or scissors to cut scarf in half as more extreme example.
Just an idea, considering the times, could make a massive banner on the kop, detailing what LFC fans do and don’t do, this message would literally reach and school millions of fans around the world, who would want to defy the bold red from the Kop.
Disgrace… what has it come to really. What next? No doubt the attention this kind of thing receives will mean the wise guys will come back again because I doubt Rodger’s is going anywhere.
On a footballing note, after the results today, talk of how bad our season’s been looks slightly more harsh. Fine margins are all it come’s down to. Win at Hull and we are a point behind the enemy- even playing this ‘terribly’. However I don’t see a witch hunt for LVG who has been nowhere near a trophy all season.
Talk about an overreaction. The real problem isn’t the plane, it’s the cause of the plane. The rubbish performances served up this season. The capitulation in top 4 race, accepting it was over after Arsenal defeat – if Rodgers had gone into the WBA and Hull games with some optimism and not as a beaten man we could be in the top 4 right now. We had a lead, a penalty, a QPR red card and we just got over the line against them today – the worst team in the league apart from maybe Newcastle.
The players don’t look bothered and if they did we could be in top 4. The buck stops with the manager. Nobody gives a damn about the plane, get over it, it’s a one time conversation quickly forgotten. No one even mentions the OT Moyes banner any more – no one cares. Do the obvious and sensible thing pal – shrug it off and move on. It’s the abysmal performances from players and manager that needs addressing or we’ll be out of the top 4 for a long time. No plan, no motivation, no cohesion, no good. Time for a change. Klopp or Benitez in. Couldn’t care less if there was a plane over Anfield every game, it’s irrelevant to what’s going on on the pitch – where the real tragedy is occurring.
I understand what your saying but would Benitez or Klopp take the job? If not (could easily be true) who then? Its too simplistic to say Rodgers out Rafa in. Personally I want Rodgers to see out his contract and see where we are then. But to assume either of them would actually come anyway makes the Rodgers out argument all the more silly to me.
I think there is a great chance for both. I think both want to manage in the Premier League, and what other options apart from maybe Man City are there? This is a good chance to steal a march and get Klopp in, and if not him Benitez. Both are proven winners, and that’s what this young team needs at the helm, especially as Gerrard is gone next season too.
Maybe your right but I can’t see either of them wanting it. I think the frustrations come from performances this season but just looking at the points, where we got to in the cups- then I think ‘most’ would be delighted with 4th and getting to a final. Both of which we just missed out on. Klopp though.. Would be interesting wouldn’t it :)
That’s just the thing. I’m not as high on BR as some people but the plane thing is just plain stupid. There was some speculation on Twitter that it was Manure supporters. They look even dumber after their squad crapped the bed once again. Did the plane take off from Blackpool? Is that where the one at the Manure game last year took off from?
“Talk about an overreaction. The real problem isn’t the plane, it’s the cause of the plane”
Oh yeah, haha, I hadn’t even thought of that. And there was me thinking the plane was the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever seen as a Liverpool fan. Cheers mate for pointing it out.
It’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve seen but in the morning everyone will have moved on and got on with their lives, and it will be forgotten. Losing 0-3 at home to Real Madrid, or playing a weakened side away and losing 1-0 and our manager acting like it was a win is much more embarrassing. It’s not about how things LOOK it’s about how things ARE. This antic – (that’s all it is an ANTIC) has distracted people from the horror show on the pitch today, which we nearly drew and could easily have lost to the joint worst team in the league at home. That’s embarrassing. Everyone will have forgotten the plane in a day or two, but the capitulation to Real, United, Arsenal, Hull, Villa will be fresh in the memory for a while yet. Do yourself a favour and get over it, it’s not as big a deal as you’re making out.
I think you’ve misunderstood. I did think it was pathetic at the time but reading your comment I thought back to the Real game and then when the plane popped into my head I chuckled to myself. I can now see how it was bloody hilarious. Worth every penny and, who knows, could even influence FSG’s decisions in the summer.
I’m still torn though about whether this was witty Scousers or those mischievous so and so’s, the Mancs. I think if I was a detective I’d be looking at the MO and historic cases.
Anyway, you’re right mate, this can’t be viewed as embarrassing across the country because of some of our performances. If anything, it justifies it. Remember people used to talk about the Liverpool way, haha. It’s 2015, if you’ve got something to say hire a plane and bloody say it.
I am more inclined to think it was the mancs than any Liverpool supporters. But yep this is the 21st century and crazy shit is happening everywhere. What’s a plane flying over a football stadium in the grand scheme of craziness! :-)
Haha, Liverpool fans are daft mate, they don’t even want puppets playing with the players before kick off and they think fans should sing and get behind the team, haha. Planes are the way forward.
Yes, because good teams don’t lose to Real Madrid at home. Except Bayern Munich last season, who were beat 4-0 at home to lose 5-0 on aggregate (despite having the striker the manager wanted).
Teams lose occasionally. Could be an injury crisis or just a bad day at the office, but it happens. But these “antics” put us level with “plastic flag” fans, taking away our identity and what makes this club special.
You’re taking it too seriously. I predict over the next 3 seasons we’ll see more clubs (I think Arsenal will be next) see this happen. It’s a joke if anything. It’s novelty will dwindle and no one will remember it. This banner over Anfield will be forgotten in a day or two because it’s frivolous, superficial and can only really be looked on with amusement. Even you will have forgotten about it within a day or two. Take a load off buddy, and if you think what’s going on in the air over Anfield is bad, do yourself a favour and keep looking up, look behind, just don’t look on the pitch. Then you’ll really have some cause to be upset.
And as for special fans – last season proved that when the team is right, the supporters rise to the occasion – nothing wrong with the fans.
It really does put into perspective that giant red ball that saw Reina beaten by one of our own supporters. That was some poor horrified kid. This is something that some people actually thought was a brilliant idea.
In the words of the King: “Oh piss off!”
I was horrified by the banner. It was horrible and I too refuse to believe it was by LFC fans. It just so goes against the ethos of the club.
Despite today’s event, there is a really toxic attitude coming through social media from some voices that makes me wonder if the communication channels open to us today, enabling us to vent anger, irritation and frustration almost concurrently with events on the pitch, are doing us any favours. It’s like every missed chance promotes someone to go on a rant, question the manager, spit bile at someone or something. And continually retweeted and shared it proliferates.
That’s partly why my response to Neil’s great piece this week on Rafa was the same: I love Rafa to bits but would worry for him about the reception he’d get. I wouldn’t want him to step into the social media Anfield cauldron – despite the fact I believe he could a) do a great job with the right resources and b) cope with the pressure.
Totally agree. I like him too much that if things went wrong it but be heartbreaking! It was similar with Kenny, less so though as i’m only 25. Doesn’t take long though for the ‘everyone pulling in the same direction’ wheels to come off, which is an absolute shame. We probably wont win anything or get anywhere once the fans are divided. Whether the owners think a change is needed or not, once the subject is broached then its always going to be there at every poor result, bad signing and so on.
I doubt it was Liverpool fans that hired the plane. Utd fans flew 3 planes slagging Liverpool and Gerrard last year, one of which was a friendly at the Aviva Stadium Dublin were Gerrard wasn’t even present.
They’re still pissed about all the Moyes abuse they received
Gareth, I hear all these supporters claim that last season was down to Suarez. But if you look back to the 10 game ban, Rodgers did fairly spectacularly in his absence when he had Sturridge. I believe something like 7-2-1 with nearly 20 goals scored and less than 5 let in (I’d double check that, but it’s pretty darn close).
Rodgers could have let the squad be disrupted by the ban, the Suarez interviews with the Guardian and Uruguayan media, tipping Arsenal to bid 40M+1 as a big F.U., the long sulk on the sidelines, but he didn’t. Rodgers man-managed Suarez and the squad (including then-troubled teenager, Sterling) with aplomb. We went into the season with real momentum by the time Suarez arrived.
To me, this period seems a better measure of Rodgers than when he lost BOTH Suarez and Sturridge. Clearly, he never fancied Balotelli, but nothing he fancied was available at the time, and the squad was left without a proper focal point for their talents.
If, for argument’s sake, FSG put up 55M for Lacazette and we had him up top with Sturridge, Sterling, and Coutinho buzzing around (possibly Depay in the mix, too), surely you’d back Rodgers to get the club back “in the conversation.” Especially when you’ve got Mignolet coming off a Golden Glove season with the biggest turn-around since Orpheus.
And then we could save money on the plastic flags for our “famous” supporters.
There is no way we’d get both Lacazette and Depay in unless we sold Sterling. The Mirror(I know, I know!!) is claiming that City is going to pay Sterling big wages(like 150,000/wk+). If City will pay us 60 million, I’d take it. Provided we bring in both Lacazette and Depay with that money. Besides, can’t we replace Sterling with Ibe? Don’t they more or less play the same position?
Awful defence and manager. Time for Steven Merchant to take over.
Whats the big deal about a plane with a banner ! If the Anfield Wrap can write about managers they want , managers they dont want in the confines of the virtual world which is also read and seen easily globally than they cant preach the Liverpool Way when others try to do the same using a different tool ! Its part of being a supporter of a club in 2015 . The Liverpool way was lost a long time ago we are no different than others infact to spend that kind of money to get a message across shows enormous passion and committment.
Having said that I agree it was wrong .
Being flippant about it you’d have to say that not even Hodgson riled the ‘fanbase’ enough to get a banner flown over Anfield asking for him Out.
However, in all seriousness, this is shit. I would rather see Rodgers gone, but stunts like this are just shit. Really shitty shit.
When Hodgson was doing his worst, no one did any of this to him in matches, only quietly and anonymously slipping in banners at Melwood before daybreak
Yet managers far better and well mannered than Hodgson gets this treatment
Our fanbase is losing the plot, and their class
The club is now attracting the Thomas Cook fan I.e once a year merchants who pay over the odds.The ‘traditional’ fan is either being priced out of attending matches or is the victim of a pathetic ticket allocation system.Even when you are allocated a ticket you are surrounded by the once a year supporter and all they do is take pictures of everything with their spanking new tablet.Intense vocal encouragement for the team during matches is threatening to become a thing of the past.
I think it’s the 5-6 years of drought couple with the contrast between the hope of last season and the averageness of this one that’s pushing a lot of fans over the edge. Much more vermin than usual
So you’d ban these fans would you, those worldwide fans that may have travelled god know how far and spent god knows how much to get to see their football team for what may be the one time in their lives.
Of course all the ills of the crowd are down to them eh!!
I’m always torn on this one, ok, I’m talking atmosphere rather than hiring planes. In most peoples eyes I’d be seen as part of the problem but I don’t see it like that. I’ve said on here before that I often get asked to get tickets by people and if a young lad wants to go I go out of my way to sort it. Yesterday, I got them for a lad going to his first game. His dad supports Utd but he’s Liverpool mad. He told me he was gonna go early to get something from the club shop and it’s unlikely either would sing any songs. My view is, there might as well be at least 2 people in the ground who are actually enjoying themselves. I text his dad after the game and even he was buzzin because his son was. He’d bumped into Mario outside the ground and then Stevie got the winner in what could end up his last ever Liverpool goal.
I think my point is, was the plane down to day trippers or the Thomas Cook fan. Was it down to the young lad in Anfield Road end who watched the game in awe? I think we all need to take some responsibility for our fans and realise they’re not what we thought they were. Are the above the ones constantly on the back of players in the ground? Are they taking seats on the Kop that could be in the hands of ones would sing? My experience is, Kop tickets don’t become available as much as other areas of the ground. We have to wake up to the issues and stop passing the buck.
I think a lot of the issues in the ground stem from ticket prices. Seats have become more transient as some ST holders have to pick and choose their games plus there’s an underlying resentment at the cost which manifests itself in feeling a need to get your money’s worth. A losing streak can quickly turn sour. I’m the same in many ways. I went to Disneyland. The cost was constantly on my mind. I was constantly looking at the kids to see if they were enjoying it enough. The way it manifested itself was when Goofy turned up and tried to get me to dance I said, just fuck off mate, I’m not interested in this shit (I didn’t pay a couple of grand to get hassled by a man in a stupid costume). By contrast, had it been £20 a day I’d have loved it.
My guess would be if these were Liverpool fans hiring the plane then they’ll be from the Liverpool area and often go to matches.
Must have been the Mancs that. They’ve got form for that. TAW need to push that in the media. I’m finished with Rodgers but that was real cuntery of the first order. Gotta be the Mancs.
Off the top of my head, a list of just some of the things from this season that are better/less shameful than that yesterday:
– the fit strikers we’ve had scoring 4 league goals between them.
– losing two cup semis.
– United doing the double over us and not winning a derby.
– Gerrard’s last year being a bit of a nothing season.
– the goalkeeping situation in December.
– Lovren’s shot at the end against Villa.
– the champions league ‘campaign’.
I’m starting to feel more disappointed with us as supporters this season than at any underperformance on the pitch. Just… Fuck off.
I took my seat at the match and as usual there were the plethora of day trippers enjoying the ‘experience’ i.e. gabbling about things unrelated to the match, checking their emails and taking photos. They could have been visiting the Eiffel Tower for all they contributed to the occasion. I usually bear this torture stoically as it is a relatively modern phenomenon and I can’t change society, however when that banner appeared one of the t*ts jumped up and shouted in support of it I could stand it no longer. Despite me actually agreeing with the sentiments of the banner, to have to sit near a div who has no relation with my club, the millions of Scousers (and honoury others) who built up the tradition of what LFC is behaving in that manner was too much. Having told him to shut up and fu*k off I was warned by a steward that I would be removed if I argued with or “caused the gentleman any upset”. To say the game passed me by is an understatement. Having supported my club for 50 years I am beginning to think that old school dinosaurs like me are not really wanted.
As much as i find the attitude disgusting, when i remind our season and the way we are playing, i also feel hard to blame them.
I suspect the ‘red tops’ hired that plane.
No chance. All our rivals want Rodgers to stay. They can see that he is an incompetent fool and fear a real manger coming in to replace him.
I was so embarresed and i was at home listening game on radio
Plane banner was a laughable joke, but I guarantee it wasn’t fans of other clubs. All the rival fans I know are desperate for Rodgers to stay, as they see him as a clueless, bumbling buffoon. Their worst fear is Klopp coming in to take over. I’ve no doubt it was Pool fans who did it. I don’t agree with the plane, but I wholeheartedly want Rodgers sacked. The plane is just symbolic of what a lot of Liverpool fans are feeling. A large portion of the fan base seem to have also lost faith with Brendan. He annoys me like no other Pool manger, Woy doesn’t count, and I firmly believe it is time for him to be shown the door.
Probably right, I bet it was “pool” fans that did it.
That’s the problem right there. Too many pool fans within our ranks.
Pool?