“If you can’t make decisions in life, you’re a bloody menace. You’d be better becoming an MP.”
ON a day when the great Bill Shankly has been the subject of much discussion amongst the Liverpool faithful, this particular quote felt quite apt in the aftermath of the Reds’ gruelling and much debated 2-2 draw with Tottenham.
The decisions that were made at Anfield, rightly or wrongly, led to what feels like a hugely frustrating two points dropped on what was, on reflection, a fair result between two sides who left absolutely everything on the pitch.
It feels like much has been made of the fact Jürgen Klopp was asked a question in an interview before today’s game about Shanks and he answered it honestly.
“Did Bill Shankly say what he did after one day?” said Klopp, when discussing the famous mantra that “Liverpool Football Club exists to win trophies.”
“Did he say it after one year? Or did he say it when he was in the middle of his fantastic success? I am sure he didn’t say it after one day or one year.
“The team he had and the fantastic success was when you had a team that stayed together and got better together. There were seasons when you only needed 12 players in your squad.
“That’s a good situation, a fantastic manager, outstanding club, football crazy city – just go. We cannot compare those times with these times.”
The headline spin distorted the context to say the iconic Scot would be happy finishing fourth, yet when you read it back this was far from what was said.
What Klopp did say, and will continue to reiterate, was his plea that we have to abide by process, that we have to do this our way, but most importantly of all we have to do it together.
Today was another example of that togetherness bearing fruit. Liverpool staying united on and off the pitch. Our vexation and upheaval directed toward opposition and officials, and carrying it through until the absolute end.
I think that if Shanks was about still he would approve of what this manager is trying to achieve and the way he’s doing it. Through the sense of indignant frustration on days like today, the Reds remain on an upward curve, they have a vision, and we all have something we remain more than able to get behind.
First is first, and the rules over the white line remain pretty much the same. Yet the game beyond the game has changed inconceivably since the days of our past and will continue to do so.
As Klopp added: “You need to do what we are doing to be in a position to win something one day. To just want it more desperately than other clubs doesn’t make it more likely to happen. That’s how it is.
“You need to do all your homework and when the time comes, you have to catch it.”
Days like this serve as a reminder that the bastion of invincibility we all crave may still be some way in the distance, but is never any less unimaginable under this stewardship.
Stay angry, stay hungry, stay on our own path. Every little thing, will be alright.
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
I don’t know how you do it but this had an incredible calming effect on me. You should write more.
Yeah, Amy, I agree.
I still feel hard-done. I do not think they really got at us. We looked defensively very strong. A few better placed final balls on those counters and it is 2-0.
I think the team can/should take great pride with how they held Spurs. A great shot and two-dodgy pens was what it seemed it had to be to beat us?
We had to dog that one. We weren’t great second half – leggy and tired – yet somehow, through the outrageous ability of Salah we managed to get ahead of them again. That would have been that in an ideal world but the officials were determined to step-in. Moss isn’t a Premier League referee. I don’t know how many times that needs demonstrating to be honest. When has a ref been overruled by a linesman? Fucking linesmen mate. Can’t even get started on that one.
We played like a team with holes in it. We’re class but we’re vulberable. We’ll get the gaps plugged. I know we will. I am completely confident that Klopp knows precisely what and who he wants.
A word on Karius – I’m not having that he was poor today. That’s just the narrative around him rather than the reality. Their first goal is made into a mistake by the sheer ridiculousness of their finish. Perhaps he could have claimed it but they all fucking punch. He made good saves off Eriksen x 2, Son and he saved a penalty off Harry Kane, who I think has recently been recommended for a lifetime peerage and a Pulitzer prize. He also holds the record for most ever Premier League, with 43,000 goals in 100 games (approximately) and was instrumental in Britain’s triumph over the Nazis in World War Two. Not a bad day all things considered.
@Dan you just repeated what I posted on the ratings article by Ben earlier. :) Glad you see it too though.
Let’s keep marching on!
Exactly!
Fact is it’s not a bad result – feelings on it are just determined by the circumstances, the denial of what would have been a glorious winner.
We’ll be alright.
Don’t forget it was the HarryKane that helped win the Battle of Britain *salutes*
Great common sense, Dan. Breath of fresh air. Thanks, mate.
No worries. Had to get it posted as I was going off my head in that last ten minutes.
I’m pretty certain that one day I’ll be found dead in front of the tele having watched Liverpool.
Our fans can’t have long term unity. They’re too thick. It’s not Klopp’s fault we haven’t won the league for so long but the result of that absence of success means he suffers the backlash from it. He’s building Liverpool and we’re continuously progressing. People just love to moan though. everything is taken out of context. We have stupid arguments about whether it’s better win the FA cup or finish in the top 4 and then fall out with the ones who know for Liverpool to be the best and the champions again it takes sustained top 4 finishes to start with. You can do a Leicester but that’s not what I want. I want a period close to the 80’s again. We have stupid rhetoric to divide us like ‘we exist to win trophies’ or we can’t celebrate progress when it’s clear and sustained. What really annoys me is this argument – “I want to win everything. I want players who aren’t good enough to win anything but because they’re local or we signed them young I’ll champion them”. If you want to win you have to have the best players. You can’t drop 10 points over the season, turn round and say ‘he’ll be brilliant for us one day but why aren’t we winning anything now’. It’s part of the reason. we’re not. Every window leads to a meltdown. No one trusts the club to just get on with it. No one trusts Klopp to do what he’s good at. Let’s have a protest and try and destroy our club on the basis not buying isn’t in the best interests of the club. Strange logic. Like I said, too many thick fans. Too many impatient fans. Too many smackheads in Norris Green telling billionaires how to run a successful business while eating a pot noodle coz it’s all they can afford. It takes time to build. My belief is Klopp will leave Liverpool in 3 years or less. I think he has a desire to win the league for us (as well as his own drive). I think he wants to please us. But, one day he’ll think ‘you know what, they’re all melodramatic bellends. I’m getting off.’
Spot on about some of our fans. As my mate said yesterday, we had years of moaning that Rafa and his successors signed shite instead of going for fewer, but better quality players. Now the manager does that, all the while developing what he already has, and he’s clueless for not being able to sign them in job lots, to order. As if this was Amazon frigging Prime.
Being a goalkeeper in a strong team is thankless.
Goalies in weak teams get peppered and play blinders, conceding 2 or 3 but saving loads. Goalies in strong teams stand around freezing for 85 minutes and get maybe 1,minute of frantic action, concede a goal and get crucified.
But I’d like Reina back.
Nice one. Klopp is still the manager for us. We just have to trust his process and enjoy the ride. Fuck that is easier said than done!
Having supported and watched Liverpool since 1970 i have seen most of their success and failures. I will never stop supporting them. But i will be among the first to applaud and criticise them when it is due. At the moment our front players are having to do too much, ie if we score ,we concede to often and too quickly after it. Moreno is NOT a defender, Lovren is NOT a defender, Klaven is NOT a defender , but this is my own opinion. This is where we need changes asap. Can is going and i cannot say that i am unhappy about that, Gini ( i cant spell his surname) is NOT an asset to our team. Keeper wise we need a better one as our defence is utter junk. Hindsight is always great, but we should have bought players in Jan and blood them during the remainder of the season. Many say but” we are still in the CL” and that is true, but lets be honest here we are not good enough to win it and it is with that in mind that i think that we should work on getting a better squad for 18/19. I believe Klopp will deliver but it is a matter of how long he is going to be given when he has non PL standard players in the squad.