THE time is 5pm on Sunday and LIVERPOOL FC have beaten Swansea 5-0.
Gerrard, Sturridge and Suarez all have their name on the score sheet – as well as debutant Philippe Coutinho.
All is well in the Kingdom of schizophrenia.
Brendan Rodgers can sleep soundly now, knowing the haunting screams in the trail of defeat will not reach him the next few days.
A victory does that to you; it silences the voices – in every sense of the word – and allows you to float on a little cloud of endorphins, embalming your naked and vulnerable skin; sending you to your enclosed, gravity-free room where no harm can ever find you.
That is what it is though: A cloud. An idea. A feeling. As fragile as it is soothing. I guess that is the reason why we fall so easily through it. With good reason as well; the season so far has not exactly given Liverpool fans many occasions to float around among the white, puffy clouds. With every win comes the fear of losing the next game.
However, this should not come as a surprise to us. We knew we were in for a bumpy ride – regardless of manager – and Brendan Rodgers also warned us about it. No constant stream of cognac, cigars and chocolate this season. Lots of cabbage and overcooked pasta, and sometimes thin soup. We knew it. But did we accept it? I’m not sure I did. It’s easy to be the sensible ones during pre-season: Just give us something to hold on to. Something that tells us we are making progress and gives us genuine reasons to believe next season will be better.
Fast forward seven months: Serenity now!
After the games against West Brom and Zenit I imagine many started to doubt. Because I certainly did. “This isn’t going anywhere. He’s not fit to do the job.” The panic sneaks up on you; the annual feeling or realisation that tells you this was most certainly not the year either. Something needs to be done. The lambs are still screaming.
You start looking through various leagues and wonder which big-name manager could be available. These things can keep you up at night, you know. Not good. No serenity. Just you and your thoughts, alone in a dark room, with strange noises outside. Nothing compared to the ones in your head though…
[ad_pod id=”unruly-video” align=”center”]
In many ways I guess it is because of the nature of the game. The uncertainty that draws us to it is also what keeps us on the edge, always looking over our shoulder. And Liverpool FC are most certainly in a state of uncertainty. It makes every victory taste oh so sweet. Conversely, every defeat feels like Armageddon. The Horsemen are catching up, and only one thing can keep them at bay.
Seriously though…
What did we really expect from this season? Trophies? Developing an identity on the pitch? For me it was exclusively the latter. Trophies can never be expected in football – certainly not cup trophies. Too many uncertainties. One mistake and you are out. The only thing you can do is choosing a path you believe in and do your best to reduce the amount of uncertainties to a minimum.
I believe you get what you deserve in the long run. In football, that is. Results are a consequence of what you do on the pitch; do it well enough and you reach your target in the end. This season, LFC have not performed well enough for it to be considered a good season so far. But it’s not terrible either. We still have issues to sort out, but no matter what you think of Brendan Rodgers and the job he has done you cannot deny the fact he is onto something when it comes to developing our attacking game.
Our latest ‘glorious’ defeat against Zenit St Petersburg last night has left me feeling giddy and still, strangely, genuinely optimistic about the future. All in all this season has given me many reasons to believe. I feel we are on the right path, and I sense improvement.
I am a football fan. Today I am fine. Tomorrow I may not be.
[ad_pod id=’DFP-MPU’ align=’right’]
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com
Follow us on Twitter here: @live4Liverpool and ‘Like’ us on Facebook
There is no such thing as ‘glorious’ defeats . There is only success or failure . Rodgers has not had any success , and has failed miserably this season .
Time to go Brendan
It’s a pity every fan base has guys like you …
Rodgers should have been sackred 3 months ago . Disasterous embarrassing season . This time last year we were getting ready for our 1st of 3 trips to wembley , and a trophy !
Now – morons are going on about glorious defeats LOL . Lets go and get Morinho
Good article. It was actually a glorious victory. We lost the tie on the away goal rule but last night was a glorious victory. If we keep changing managers every season we will never get anywhere. We could get a Mourinho in and have one or two good seasons before he would be off to his next project leaving us with no unity throughout the club and academy but if we stick with this young and very talented manager we can build something for the near future and beyond. The young fans of the “me, me, me” and “now, now, now” generation won’t understand and will be on here crying for RESULTS NOW but we will never have success with that attitude. There would never have been a Shankly with that attitude.
ha ha , you think its the young fans who want rodgers gone ? wrong . im 41 and have been going to watch pool since 1990 and i want that useless fool sacked , and a hell of a lot of people my age feel the same .
my generation remember what it is like for liverpool to have high standards , and would like those standards upheld
if anything , its the young kids who preach patience . its because they are simply naive and stupid , and they dont have the same high standards as the older ones
You should be ashamed of yourself for a comment like that Brad , embarrassing lad !
Last night’s match was all what football should be about … standing together (players & supporters), belief, showing passion and the guts to never give up.
It’s a real shame we couldn’t score that 4th goal, but you can’t fault the boys, they gave it their all without question.
So …
WELL DONE RED MEN !! YOU DID US PROUD !! YNWA !!
No doubt we played well, but you can fault them. Luis was again our everything, but neither of the wide players stepped up with a goal or assist which has been a problem all season. Downing may be playing the best he has for us, but he is no goal threat at all and doesn’t get enough assists. That’s not enough. Jordan was actually playing well, and we had really good momentum until Rodgers’ substitutions. I was happy to see Allen go off (despite his goal he was playing poorly) but in hindsight the substitutions were not well timed.
I didn’t watch the match , but was goin through the live commentary.. and boy , how i jumped of my
seat everytime we scored a goal .it’s just a matter of time before we become the kings of europe.YNWA!!
haha deluded, deluded, deluded
terrible signings borini and Allen and Suarez will be off in summer,
back to sq one
Shanks would be turning in his grave to see the disgusting attitude of the two losers who are so content in defeat . What a bunch of losers .
Winning mentality courses right through a club , from the manager to the players and the fans . Certain fans are just sheep , content to follow no matter what kind of rubbish is put in front of them .
At 55 years of age , i have never seen Liverpool fans so apathetic and satisfied with mediocrity . Shanks built the winning mentality that has served our club well for 50 plus years , he would be disgusted to see it so casually put aside
There are no glorious defeats , just defeats , and thet should never be celebrated . Shame on those who do
Agreed. I don’t think we should be proud of losing in the first knockout stage of the Europa League. Zenit are a decent team but we weren’t playing Barca, Bayern, or Dortmund and we were clear favourites when the draw was announced.
Totally agree , this new generation of Liverpool ‘fan’ disgust me too , with their happy-go-lucky attitude of ” we win some , we lose some ” .
We dont need these clowns , Liverpool fans of the 70s 80s 90s didnt have that silly attitude , The prawn sandwich brigade has spread to Liverpool now also
Some Liverpool fans sicken me. This season was always about building and no other manager could’ve done much better than Rodgers with that team left by Kenny that couldn’t score in a brothel but Rodgers has gotten the best out of that bunch especially Henderson and Downing and even Suarez has been banging them in which he wasn’t before.. Rodgers is the right man and when he gets more of the type of players he likes Liverpool will be a real attacking force.
What sickens me are deluded fans who think our unproven championship joke of a manager will come good
worst season ever
summer transfer kitty totally wasted
unable to beat any good teams
inexcusable and embarrassing
Any fool who thinks a manager like that is the right man knows NOTHING about football
Wake up or shut up
I can’t agree Patrick. With exactly the same team (including Allen, Assaidi and Co.) I have no doubt that, say, Mourinho would have done a lot better. Or Ancelloti, or Hiddink, or any number of experienced top class managers. Our squad is a lot better than losing to Swansea, Oldham and Zenit. All those defeats were primarily dyu to team selections and tactical naivety. It’s to be hoped that Rodgers learns from these mistakes, but as 5 times European Champions why should we have a rookie manager in charge? And before anyone talks about Fergie needing time. Fergie was hired after 12 years experience having won league titles ahead of celtic and rangers, a European trophy and managed in a World cup.
Well said Taintless , an accurate summary , although judging by Rodgers persistence and stubbornness in continually playing Allen and Borini – I dont believe he does learn from his mistakes
Glorious defeat my ar*e . 1st is everything , 2nd is nowhere
Just more excuses from the Brenda Bandwagon
Rogers blew it with the subs yesterday. If ever you wanted prof, this was it. He claims glory in a loss.
Can’t believe people haven’t yet figured him out . He is a fake. Championship manager who has not and never will achieve anything .
Some fans dont want to face reality – because then they will realise how stupid and gullible they were for believing Rodgers bull
Its like a religion , they put their blind faith in Rodgers , and despite all the evidence showing how rubbish he is , they wont listen .
Sad but true
The world has turned upside down ??? Since when there is ‘glorious defeat’ ???
BEWARE !!! FSG PR team starting to brainwash LFC fans to accept mediocrity. We need to do something about it.
When i hear the words ‘Glorious defeat’- i automatically think its just losers making excuses , and it is
Rodgers is just a fat Irish barman who blagged his way into our club. Whoever recommended this conman to FSG deserves tazering