Ben Johnson’s post-match review after Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United in the Premier League…
IT’S funny isn’t it, life? The mind tricks you a bit as you get older.
Ever wonder why old people think the world was better when they were young? “It wasn’t like this in my day?” “Wasn’t it?” “Are you sure, or can you just not remember the bad stuff?”
Your brain kids you into forgetting the bad times. Sorrow has a season that will pass. It does pass. It gets easier. We have been spoiled the last few years to such an extent that I have genuinely forgotten what this feels like.
I mean, I haven’t now, I can fucking remember it now, as I’ve just punched a piano and smashed my phone’s head in and feel in the absolute depths of despair. But I’ve got almost no memory this type of thing to fall back on, no lived experience that my brain can recall and plot a path to normality.
I mean, we watched Hodgson in charge of Liverpool, the last season of Rodgers, the fucking Souey years, the death of hope in Rafa’s last year, the this, that the fucking other and my brain has neatly rolled all that up, packed it away and took it the tip. I have no lived experience.
In general, what are you meant to do when it’s going the wrong way? When you can’t buy a goal and every fucking half a bobble in the other box is going against you. What are you meant to do with yourself? What did we do before?
We went the boozer, seen our mates, had a laugh and fucked it off. What are we meant to do now then, eh? Got some elders to speak to? Do it. They probably aren’t as daft as me and will be able to calm you down. Are you an elder? Act like you can remember this and tell every fucker who will listen that The Reds will be sound, yer? Because you know what? They probably will.
This won’t go on for ever though, this weird run. Let’s have it straight, it is a weird run.
Yes, players are out of form, yes we are not playing well, but we are getting had off a bit, if we are all honest aren’t we? I mean, we defended really well. None of the defenders deserved to concede a goal. Matip was fantastic. Fantastic. And yet we get our pocket picked.
The attack is a slightly different story but even still, play that game again 10 times and we win eight of them. It is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy at the minute, too static at times, too slow at times, a little too predictable. But then when we do move the ball well and create a bit of space. Someone second guesses themselves, fumbles their touch, crosses it when they should shoot, shoots when they should cross, cuts back when they should motor.
It’s just not working. Liverpool need to try and remember that this is supposed to be fun. Fun for them and fun for us. It is anything but for everyone at the minute. Most importantly, Liverpool need to work. They need to work, like they have never fucking worked before, stick it out and wait for their luck to turn, the confidence to come back and something to go their way. Because you know what? Chances are it will.
Also, say what you want about Divock but he doesn’t lack confidence, does he? First minute, the ball drops out the sky: “It’s alright lads, I’ve got this lack of goals thing boxed, watch I’ll just slap this volley right… In…. The…. Top… BIN, oh”. I mean it went over the Annie road. It was the most obvious shit shot since the Degsi Lovren semi-final last minute fella that should have resulted in a trap door opening in front of him and dropping him into the bowels of hell.
Which, as an aside, would probably look a lot like us, being sat in our house, in the middle of a pandemic, forced to watch The Reds last four games on a loop until we lose all sanity, which would probably be quicker than you would think. I’m saying just one more half at this rate. (Hahaha I wrote this line at half time – I was bang on.)
I mean, he then plays the half with the unreal ability to be in the absolute wrong place at the right time, until he gets his chance. One on one, two great touches: “Its alright lads, I’ve got this lack of goals thing boxed, watch, I’ll just slap this right in the top BIN… Oh”.
Unreal.
Christ Trent is having a tough time of it, isn’t he? He looks genuinely like he might cry every time the camera goes on him.
He looks a bit like a centre mid playing right back at the minute, but not in the boss way he used to. Devoid of confidence, second guessing everything, when he does try and play freely he is giving it away, when he is trying to play with some control, he is giving it away. Sort of indicative of The Reds’ problems really. A microcosm. Needs a jolt, something to go his way.
Not sure if this is your bag Trent, but I went the tip today, The Bootle one, straight in, with no queue. Glastonbury got cancelled today, it was fucking freezing, but straight in the tip first go. Give it a go.
The Reds have got a tough run of games coming up, haven’t they? Fucking good. Have you seen our record against clubs in the bottom six. It is shite. Give me 10 games against city, rather than 10 against shitehawks who sit in their own box and play dead.
Liverpool need something to kickstart their season. A lovely little diddle on Sunday would warm the cockles of the heart.
Fancy it?
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Worried about Neil. Hope he’s ok. Unless he’s doing the High Fidelity top 5 article. Top 5 Liverpool crosses onto Ben Mee’s fod
As a supporter from the states who watches every game, 4am or not, the Reds have been a highlight and savior all through this crap-fest year. Yesterday we finally fucked off the Orange Man to Florida, so that was a slight uptick, but today seeing the Reds still thrashing around the pitch in a football quagmire, has made life bitter again. And if it’s hard for me to take, I think about you fellas at TAW and those who live in Liverpool who literally live and breathe for this, and I feel bad for you all. But stay the course gents. This colossal, collective, bad luck, bad run of form will pass. Maybe not soon enough to save the league, but it will, and the boys will be back to their winning ways. Keep your heads TAW folks, and know that you bring so much to the supporter experience for those of us who live far away from Anfield. YNWA
Well, at 74 years I guess I am one of the elders. It doesnt make it any easier. Ex of Birkenhead, now of sunny Barcelona. And if Liverpool fans think we are having it tough at the moment, try being a Barca fan. My memories stretch back to Second division days, to being at Wembley 1965. My first port of call after a match, after listening to Jurgen, is to TAW. To the writing, discussion, analysis and wisdom, insights, humour of Neil, Ben. Paul Cope etc.
I think these are tough times, for all of us in the midst of the pandemic. How many of us can say these are the best of times. How many of us can say we feel confident now. People are saying the team is lacking in confidence. These players are human too, with families, wives, kids. Its not surprising they are struggling a bit too and finding life tough at the moment. Off and on the pitch. As they say, keep up the good work TAW. Up the Reds.
Good piece. The Degsy trap door bit made me laugh out loud, and not much Liverpool-related could make me laugh out loud right now, so thanks for that Ben.
On the point of lived experience, personally I think this worse than Hodgson. Obviously we were way worse then, but what did you expect with that bell? – it was almost tragi-comic at times back then and we knew he’d be gone sooner rather than later. To me, this is way more disappointing considering how cursed it feels and how far we’ve fallen.
Certainly, for the first time since those bleak Hodgey days, I think I need a break from watching our games. Not being defeatist, not wanting to just be a quitter, but I’m just getting very little positive out of it at the moment. It will turn better (but how much better I don’t know – I worry this team will never again quite be what it was) at some point, but for now it’s really grim, day-ruining stuff.
Have slept on it (badly), a few things come to mind. First up, maybe this was inevitable in a way because *only* Liverpool are in the unique position of being defending champions, and doing so under an unprecedented set of circumstances. We’ve all said it and thought it recently because it’s true: football is a bit shite at the moment. VAR is an abomination, all teams have had bonkers results, everyone has looked or is a bit knackered, and they’re playing in sterile enormodrones for our pleasure. It’s probably crap for everyone, but it’s definitely worst for us – our whole model is built on manager-squad-fans, not gazillions of PetroDollars. We’ve had season upon season of progress, three sensational seasons in a row including two of the best ever and culminating in the grail. We wanted to attack the defence of the title and we were well set up to do so, despite the truncated pre-season and lack of recovery time and all the other shit bits. And then VAR happened, and Pickford and useless England training sessions and an unprecedented injury crisis. So maybe for the lads, it’s not fun. It’s understandable really. And here we are – it’s a collective dip in form from a team that has given us *everything*, for years. And they’re not done yet. But this league title bid is done. It pisses me off but we still have to celebrate the last one! Arguably the greatest league title win ever, outstripping city’s billions, setting all sorts of records and beating everyone as we roared and cheered them on, then the hiatus and sealing the deal in a pandemic. The greatest ever. And the greatest travesty is that we couldn’t have the blow out to toast it, the greatest sadness is that the team hasn’t been hailed as champions week in and week out as would normally be the case and as they deserve to be. I’ve no doubt for the players and especially jurgen and co, it burns at some level. So I say, fuck em – even if it’s 2023, have the champions parade, line the streets, bring in the million people when it’s safe to do so and give these lads the party they deserve. In the meantime, hold our nerve, improve, and keep going. It’s the only way.
The league will almost certainly go to city, a cerebral outfit who don’t need or expect a ground full of passionate nutters roaring them on. They can just by another fullback for £60m if they need to freshen up. Our cycle is longer. I’m saying it now – I don’t want it to happen but I’m betting Mo goes in the summer and we get one of Sancho, Mbappe or Haaland in as replacement. Probably the former, and only if we finish the season well, which we can do when the lads are off the treatment table. The sad aspect of that is some of the lads who’ll be leaning out of the top deck of the bus this year or in 2022 or 2023 will already be playing for someone else. So be it. We’ll get through this, even if it gets worse before it gets better, we’ll finally get a bit of luck and we’ll be back. Maybe we’ll go on another mega run. We don’t be waiting another 30 years for the next title, that’s for sure. The fun will return. This is a big, ugly, Burnley-used bump in the road, but we never ever stop. Up the Reds.
These lads gave us the best 2-3 years. They won the CL and got the League for the fans just over 6 months ago. Back-to-back League seasons with 97 and 99 points. A dip is inevitable, even when we rightly added Thiago and Jota to a finished product of a team.
There should no sense of entitlement here. They are still boss players and the only way to get out of this slump is by playing through it. If the players can’t find the desire to raise their levels, then we won’t win PL games. Simple as.
As for the FA Cup. I am not bothered about it. We have a tight schedule as it is with Europe coming back. Our main priority now has to be to finish in the top4. That we have to do.
Slack finishing again.
I’m old enough to remember Shankly’s League winning Reds making a habit of being beaten at Anfield by sides who got relegated the same season. Check the stats…Blackpool springs to mind…