I said leading up to last weekend against Brighton, last Saturday could be an absolutely pivotal day in this year’s title race. And yesterday, with Brighton again at the centre of proceedings, we got to relive more of the same in real time under another pulsating Anfield atmosphere.
This may be longer than I anticipated so thanks in advance for letting me indulge you.
Yesterday’s admin-
Title Countdown:
9 wins down/ 20 to go.
28 points down/ 64 to go.
Current PL unbeaten run:
P 7 W 6 D 1 F 14 A 5 CS: 3
2 Straight Wins/ 1 Straight CS.
Current unbeaten home PL run:
P 4 W 4 F 9 A 2 CS: 1
4 Straight Wins/ 1 Straight CS.
I’m going to start this missive with something personal that really touched me yesterday.
Supporting football live with yer mates, creating memories together FAR beyond the actual 90 minutes, is the crux of what actual football support is all about. No matter how bad your week has been, no matter how good or bad your team may be, those social circles around the game are as an important part of peoples lives as their own faith and family in many cases. That routine, meeting your mates, having a good swill pre-match, and often after, forgetting what problems you may have in your weekly personal life and just having a laugh and good time with each other. Knowing you’re ultimately all there for the same reason, as one big family supporting your club, is just an unparalleled, shared part of life that people who don’t go the match regularly just can’t get their heads round and comprehend just why you do it and just why you make all the sacrifices you do. For the shared moments and memories money just can’t buy.
I have some of the best friends going yanno’. Our tight-knit little crew has been going the game together, all over this planet, for decades. Sharing some of the very best, and some of the very worst, experiences this absolute behemoth of a football club has afforded us. We regularly skit the living bleep out of each other like. But we’re always there for each other. Whether it be support when needed if something jolts you and sets you back over the worst day of some of our lives 35 years ago NOBODY should ever have to experience and live and deal with. Or just in general to help each other out and pick each other up when needed. Yesterday, I’m sat in a rammed Glenbuck with most of our crew. The ales flowing as it had most of the afternoon. Brighton games on and people have half an eye on it. More in hope at this point as City are winning at this stage. When they surprise me with the moment and memory that I’ll now forever associate with yesterday’s game ….. It’s my Birthday Tuesday. A significant one. Been doing this thing of ours the past 40 odd years since I was taken to my first game back in 1980 against Bradford in the LC. And there, in the midst of a packed pub, as excitements building for the game, they present me with a card that had a collage of different photies on the front of myself and our shared escapades at the match over the years. Which just blew me away. It may not seem much in the grand-scheme of things. It may be embarrassing to some to have someone stood up in a packed pub ripping you in a Birthday speech then singing to you. But it just brought home again just how special a social thing football is far and above the actual game. Shared memories, with the people that matter mist to you, that last a lifetime you just don’t get in any other walk of life.
And then there’s the reason we get these shared experiences. The thing that brings us all together and draws us back week after week. Year after year. In a way no sane or rational person ever should. The mighty Reds of Liverpool Football Club.
Last week, against Brighton, we as a crowd knew just how important the 3 points were during the game as we knew the on-going City score. That was as big a spark as any to ignite us and take over the game to see us home. This week, we knew going in to the ground the City score and just what was at stake. And no other spark was needed. After my moving experience, Brighton took over and the place went off! Sending everyone bouncing and singing onto the ground knowing just what had to be done. Creating a fervent, feral, wild atmosphere that saw our magnificent team, the current best side in Europe, go 5 points clear of the only team that are our business once more. When the synergy is like that, on and off the pitch, we are absolutely unbeatable. And that was a very hard won win against a good Villa side. Another massive test passed as Slot’s ridiculous, all time English top flight historical start, continues to roll and gain more and more momentum. A different kind of win where there was no big second half blow-out as we’ve become accustomed to under Arne. (Side-note: I’m really liking the patient approach first half. Far from a perceived ‘
slow start’, there's a
LOT to be said for conserving legs and energy early as you see what the opposition have to offer tactically and work out how to pray on their weakness’ the longer the game goes.). More a game of attrition as Villa didn’t offer many openings. But we still found a way to get a late second from an overall excellent, patient, controlling display. Finding yet another way to win under Slot with a magnificent 15th win from 17 this season. All part of the process to winning a league over 38 games. Grinding it out against a really physical team. Finding a way. Limiting Villa to what they are. A physical, set piece team. Winning those set piece duals. And when we didn’t, Kelleher, who had little to do in open play, stepped up with two blinding saves from corners. AndyRobbo having his best game by far this season to remind everyone that he’s still around and still as good as anyone in this league at left full. Brilliant from Slot to rest him the last few games and save his legs. Konate absolutely phenomenal again. This time forcing Watkins to be subbed as he completely dominated him physically. Curtis ubiquitous. And sensational in so doing. Luis Diaz, kept a lot quieter going forward than Leverkusen, doing some sterling defensive work. Mo just continuing to show how he’s back to being the best and most dangerous player in the entire league once more this season. Just a complete team performance from Europe's best side the first quarter of the season.
Moments and memories. I will forever remember Villa at home, in Slots first season, for the awesome gesture I received before. But the way this is building, and the synergy between supporters and players that Jurgen reignited, and Arne is taking on in a very similar, yet very different, way with comparisons to Bob after Bill that are glaring ….. If you think Anfield has been wild all this week, wait until after the break and City if we’ve beaten Southampton …..
Football aye?
NO shared experience in life like it.
‘
Lib’pool, Top the League. Lib’pool, Lib’pool TOP the League!’
Up the best in England and Europe Reds!
