Over the past 2 years, we’ve become quite used to mediocrity, toothless performances and just straight forward dire showings. There’s been awful players come and go – along with a small few great ones too – and a couple of managers as well but one thing has remained the same: Liverpool fans, in general, are some of the greatest, most loyal and patient fans around. For the most part, anyway.
Criticism for Roy Hodgson only really reached a groundswell in his final few weeks, when performances and the subsequent results got to such a ridiculously poor level, that Reds were left with no choice but to get him removed.
Likewise, at the end of last season there were so many Liverpool fans that could still not openly criticise Kenny Dalglish that, at one point in the close-season, it appeared like he might just keep his job. Even now, there are still some that will try to rationalise that last season wasn’t as bad as it first seemed.
So when Liverpool stumbled to a draw with Sunderland on Saturday evening, the odd moan about our finishing or slight negativity about our league placing was shouted down by Reds all over the internet. ‘Work-in-progress’, ‘it’s going to take time’ and ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ were the replies.
I couldn’t agree more – this ‘project’ (to use a word now popular with this new breed of young managers) is going to take time. I can already see the initial stages of it beginning to pay off – we’re keeping possession more, the likes of Joe Allen, Raheem Sterling and Jonjo Shelvey are all shining brightly and have introduced a generation of young midfielders to the team that don’t treat the ball like it’s a hot potato.
[ad_pod id=’DFP-MPU’ align=’center’]
But on the other hand, criticism is allowed. Nobody is calling for the manager’s head, that would just be ridiculously absurd, but we’re all fans, we all have a vested interest in this club – many of us as ‘paying’ fans – and, in a ‘higher’ sense, the club belongs to us, so when our team picks up 2 points and concedes 8 goals in their first 4 league games, we’re fully entitled to not be very happy.
Criticism is healthy, in all walks of life. If great authors, thinkers, scientists – and yes, sportsmen too – hadn’t received criticism throughout their lives, they would never have had any reason to strive to break through the barriers and to reach new levels. Criticism shows that, as fans, we’re passionate about our club and the players that wear the shirt and that we want the team to reach the heights that we’d once become accustomed to again. In many ways, I’d be more concerned by fans that watched Saturday’s match and, following a drab draw, shrugged, got up and didn’t give it a second thought.
The fact is, this team is now learning a new philosophy, and new ideas; they’re learning under the stewardship of a new coach. But bad results and toothless performances are not going to be acceptable indefinitely, irregardless of how well we’re keeping the ball. I’m happy, as I’m sure we all are, to give this team and staff time to build something special. In the meantime though, we’re going to need to see signs that it’s getting us somewhere and that means winning football matches from time to time. If the team continues to struggle in front of goal and continues to fail to get some points on the board, then feel entitled to have a moan. I know I will.
