THIS is the problem. Or this is a problem. One of the two. Whichever it is, the problem is this: I can’t get anything done.
I mean, I get days like this sometimes — I presume we all do — where the things that we’re supposed to be doing seem pointless and we can’t focus on them. Days when you can’t get started and the things that you’re trying to start just don’t seem worthwhile because you’ve got this thing sitting at the back of your mind and it won’t let you concentrate on anything else.
I’m supposed to be writing a novel — and why not? Somebody has to, don’t they? Might as well be me. But it’s not happening, it doesn’t feel right. The dialogue won’t flow. And, trust me, I’m good at dialogue. I’ve tried to trick my mind with music; tried to make myself concentrate with Neil Young and XTC and Dinosaur Jr and Iggy and Cowboy Junkies and the sheer majesty of Gruff Rhys’ Skylon.
It’s not working.
And it’s not working for one very simple reason. I can’t stop thinking about Wednesday night.
Somebody tweeted, a guy called John Henry although clearly not that John Henry. Like to think that John Henry’s listening but my ego levels out just before we get there.
This John Henry said something nice. Said that he’d been listening to Unwrapped and that he could swear that somebody had just said that they wanted to see us put six past a weaker team. Called me a soothsayer. Which is both nice and a first.
I’ll take the credit for the number but I was thinking of a home win and I seriously wasn’t regarding Southampton as a weak team. I thought Wednesday night would be a challenge.
Wednesday night. Jesus Christ, Wednesday night. How am I supposed to stop thinking about Wednesday night How is anyone supposed to stop thinking about Wednesday night? It’s impossible, isn’t it? How are you supposed to stop contemplating glory? Why would you want to?
I can’t stop thinking about the passes, the multitude of glorious passes. The ball from Joe Allen across and around the defence for Sturridge’s first which I thought he’d taken too wide until he did THAT. Until he did the shuffle and the step and the feint and the shot and the goal. (The Jam, Tales From The Riverbank now if you were wondering, may narrate every piece from now on with a soundtrack).
The pass from Jordon Ibe, after we’d talked about the difference in Ibe’s game dictated by the fact that he’s not being told to behave like a winger and hug the touchline and instead cut inside and attack the man in the middle and see what happens (Talk Talk, Happiness is Easy) and what happens is that he slides the ball through for Origi and Origi suddenly becomes the lad who played for Belgium that summer, becomes the lad we thought he was and scores an honest to god worldie.
I can’t stop thinking about the way that Emre Can makes up for the sheer insanity of his challenge after 40 seconds that sees the Saints think they’re going marching on by jinking then lobbing with a ball that has Matt Le Tissier purring and claiming that he couldn’t have played it. For the younger ones out there, Le Tiss was a pretty decent player, people forget that. And he’s purring about Emre Can who looks lost in the first 10 — along with everyone else — but then becomes immense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJxwAZzyong
I can’t stop thinking about the way that we made six changes; the way that we start without Jordan Henderson, Nathaniel Clyne, Simon Mignolet, Mamadou Sakho, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, who I think we’re all putting in our first 11, but we’re not weakened because Jürgen Klopp knows that “our strongest team” isn’t the same as “our first eleven”.
There are factors, there are always factors. Jurgen knows how to deal with the factors. (The Clash, Straight To Hell) We’re in a position now where Klopp can decide that Divock Origi is the man we need and then make him be the man we need.
I’m getting it wrong in the second half, I’m on Twitter saying that THAT is the way you score your first goal because I’m not convinced that he’s touched Moreno’s shot. Not taking the hat-trick away from Divock but could we count that one as two goals so that Alby gets the credit he deserves? Sure Southampton won’t mind, doesn’t make life much worse for them.
Alby needed to make up for his part in the first goal, too. Mind wandering. Again. Concentration levels like mine, maybe he was still thinking about how great the City game was. The “goal” would have made up for that but the goal’s taken away so he delivers that ball for Ibe to chest and hammer and suddenly we’re not talking about Ibe’s end product issues anymore. A sub on the hour and he makes one and scores one.
And then another sub, Brad Smith, makes the sixth.
Brendan nearly kills that lad’s career with the Chelsea appearance when he uses him to prove a point about money and transfer committees (Quo, Paper Plane, it’s great, Peel loved it) but he’s put himself back in with that cameo. And Connor Randall’s done himself no harm again. He’s shaky for the first 10. Again. After that though? He’s immense. Again.
Lucas is Lucas, Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren are as solid as they need to be and Adam Lallana takes dogs’ abuse and keeps his head up and performs and performs until all you can hear is “six-one, Adam Lallana’s winning six-one” and the fans of St Mary’s are doing the leaving early thing and it’s all gorgeous. (Springsteen, Racing In The Street).
Jesus Christ, we’re seriously doing something else now. Chelsea then City then this.
Six points off the top, everybody to come to us, us to go to nobody of any note. Two games from a final, three from a trophy. Time to hit a winning habit. A turnaround in 11 games, getting better all the time.
I doubted. At 1-0, I actually doubted. Got that wrong. Apologies all round. Didn’t spot the formation either. There go my soothsayer credentials, right there. Thought we were a flexible 4-3-3 but Jurgen was open about this one: a diamond. Something different again. he’s doing different all the time. He’s got more than we realised and we realised he had everything.
Only one complaint. I want to watch it again. Now. I want Newcastle away. Now.
I want this on a daily basis. I want to watch Jürgen Klopp’s Mighty Reds do something new and incredible every day of the week. I’ve watched that third City goal about a million times, I have a feeling the six from last night may catch up but that’s all repeats.
I want the new, I want the amazing, I want to just keep going, I don’t want games to stop at 90 anymore, I want them to last for days, want each one to roll into the next. I haven’t felt like this since that season we nearly did it when I couldn’t stop thinking about Liverpool. I can’t stop thinking about Liverpool.
Fourth of December. In with a shout in three competitions (Roxy, Editions of You, genius), who saw that coming on October 3 when we were thinking of what Goodison would bring and all we could see were draws?
Look at what we are, look at what we’ve become, look what Jürgen’s done. Already. Look what he’s done already.
Look at what’s to come. Four competitions. Who says we can’t win them all? I’m saying it now. We’re winning stuff. We’re winning everything. We’re something new and I can’t think about anything else.
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
Ian, you have summed up perfectly how I feel right now. May it never stop.
I posted something on Facebook in the same vein….. We are onto something special….. This is more special than anything before since the glory days….. I can feel it…. We WILL win the league under JK at some point ….the drought will end. It’s going to happen….. I knew JK was good but this has surpassed all I knew of the man!!! It’s going to be ….. Well….. You know…//.
Brilliant Ian, at work yesterday I texted a mate” I can’t stop thinking about the Reds”. I’m so in love with all of them right now and can barely contain myself. Feel like a kid again. If the wife let me I’d put up posters !
Don’t ever stop writing! Not a bad time to be a supporter is it?
Nice one.
Loving the positive vibes, Ian!
Editions of you, skylon and loads of great goals. Sounds ok to me :)
2013-14 felt like a mad, magic, wizard’s spell. Like it was some cosmic, other order type stuff being created by a crazy off the cuff Uruguayan maverick. This feels like a reasoned, deliberate, tactically astute use of a squad of players to maximise their strengths and expose the weaknesses of the opposition. In other words, excellent football management. And we’ve only just begun…
Great article Ian, captures it perfectly! On a side note – what playlist were you listening to?
It’s one on Spotify that my mate put together for me a couple of years back from the daily blog that I did in 2013 (Mumbling Into The Void, the kindle book version’s a quid on Amazon, plug, plug)
I’m terrible with tech but this *should* be the link:https://open.spotify.com/user/116184080/playlist/34VmQTrGkXuRYO2b7KSt8W
Oh Daniel Studge!
The Kop, the Kop is roaring ,
Your name out loud,
For you have scored again
Give us the chance ,
To see you dance once more
And we’ell sing your name
Out louder than before.
The man needs a song, surely you scribes and all your influence can come up with something? It breaks me heart to see and hear the atmosphere at Anfield these days. And to those of you who sit next to some moaning twat given out loads to any of these kids, Chin them.
To Danny boy, obviously, but please, don’t call him that.
Any write up mentioning the genius that is Gruff Rhys is alright by me!
Yep, sums it up nicely.
I can’t stop thinking about the cheekiness of that Moreno screamer… When I’m not thinking about the astonishing self control Danny Sturridge showed when he pulled up and oh-so-coolly tormented the Saints defender until he was perfectly ready to strike. I’ve had my doubts about Sturridge’s desire and commitment to play football, but his extraordinary natural talent cannot be denied.
If what Richard Keys said this week is true — that Sturridge didn’t want the pressure of having the team built around him after Suárez left — then we have to find a way to make him WANT to be on the pitch for every game. He needs to feel that there’s no better feeling he could ever have in life than scoring for Liverpool and being cheered thunderously by our fans.
Richard Keys knows fuck all which is still more than Andy Gray.
It’s easy to think that if don’t like Keys, and it’s what I thought as well — except that after Suárez left I also had concerns about Sturridge being willing and able to handle the enormous pressure that was on him at the time. So I wasn’t surprised to read those comments by Keys.
And I also wasn’t surprised by Jürgen’s recent comments about Daniel needing to BELIEVE he’s fit when the medical staff tells him he is. The best thing for Sturridge now is to play and score consistently, so nothing else in his life feels as good as that feeling and the ego boost he’ll get from his teammates and the fans.
F! Richard Keys.. just seeking more publicity by disclosing so called “top secret” about Danny Boy..
Questions to ask…why did BR tell R Keys about what was discussed in his office with Danny Boy?…
When did BR tell R Keys?..a week ago or after Surez left..
This nonsense will not affect our Danny Boy..
A top top striker, would reject to build the team around.him?… what a non sense..
Honestly, I don’t give a single hoot about Richard Keys. I responded to what he said, not who he is. It is possible to separate the two. Unless one is bent on hating and shooting the messenger, the message can still be worth paying attention to. And Brendan Rodgers is gone from Liverpool. Get over it.
hi Ellie,
apologies, if I sounded as if I was shooting you. I have no reason to do so…I do respect ALL fellow Liverpool supporters.
however I was surprised with Richard Keys release that info…in an unusual way ~ “BR told me what he discussed with Sturridge” blah blah.. not sure what he was trying to achieve. And not sure if BR would have ever done that too…because I respect BR as a human being. He did his best for the club..(and I have never BR hater as stated before, just didn’t want to prolong his sufferings here)…and I believe BR is bigger than that not to disclose what he discussed with his players .
and yes…BR is history..
I am enjoying every match since Klopp took over.. and talking about it 3 days after…and about the next match 3 days before.. cheers..
FYi, The part of the world I live in, Richard Keys and Andy Grey write weekly match results predictions in a local paper. (I seldom read their previews which a 5 year old.might have done better)…whenever I glance through I hardly saw any positive comment about Reds from RK…Andy Grey is a bit better..
Ian, you’ve summed it up perfectly. It’s almost as if the belief that Klopp has instilled in his players is feeding the supporters and vice versa. The confidence is high, the belief is there. Nail on the head with wanting more and more as well. I watch the game and then want the next one to come straight away. The belief is here, Klopp has arrived and it is beautiful. My teammates and I have stayed up to 4 am to watch the Premiere League for years (we live in California but refuse to watch garbage MLS), and this is the most excited we are to watch LFC for a long time. Anyways, I could go on. We appreciate your writing and we envy you guys that can go in person week in and week out to make your voices heard.
Ian, don’t ever stop writing. You can sense the energy and excitement oozing onto your articles. One of my favorites for sure
Thanks Michael, much appreciated mate. (Careful typing, lots of Valpolicella)
Same.
Watched the highlights a dozen times. Listened to the pink a dozen as well.
Keep re-watching the pre and post match interviews.
Can’t wait for Newcastle, it’s starting to feel like 13-14, like something that was dormant in Liverpool has woken up. I’m vibrating with anticipation.
Thanks, Ian. I swear, you captured my exact thoughts, except I have a different playlist on repeat in my head ;)
Brilliant, mate.
“I want to just keep going, I don’t want games to stop at 90 anymore, I want them to last for days, want each one to roll into the next. I haven’t felt like this since that season we nearly did it when I couldn’t stop thinking about Liverpool. I can’t stop thinking about Liverpool.”
All well and good as long as Liverpool don’t think that all they need to do is roll up and collect the points on Tyneside. Big time Charlies will turn up at Chelsea and City but Bordeaux and Swansea? Who are dey?