ALL too often I have arrived at Anfield in recent years with the familiar pit in the feeling of my stomach – the sense of fear.
A fear that we were not going to win, that we were going to lose, or that we were going to drop silly points against an inferior team that we have completely dominated.
For the first time since Benitez’s best days as manager (in the league of course) when we came so close to winning the title in 2008, I now expect to win games.
My expectations have been completely reduced since the club’s near financial meltdown, the poor buys made in Benitez’s final year at the club, the entirety of the Hodgson era, the seemingly luckless second spell for Kenny…the list goes on and on.
In short, the events of recent years have driven me to the point of having zero expectations. Even our resurgence in the second half of the season in 2012-2013 didn’t allow me to relax or adjust. I’ve seen the false dawn too many times, the strong finish to one season only to have some belief, which was then dashed by a poor start to the following season.
But this time, it’s different. After the start to this campaign, how can I not have more optimism? The game against Fulham on Saturday is the first time that I can remember in a long time where I won up and expected to win the game.
Yes, the opposition is not exactly of the highest quality (and it’s also nice to see a bit more luck in terms of getting these games when teams are in their darkest days, that kind of thing usually happens to the devil down the M62) but I didn’t just believe we were going to win, I knew it.
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The truth of the matter is that we have regained something of our fear factor. Teams don’t lick their lips at the prospect of trip to Anfield anymore. We’re slowly but surely becoming a feared team again – and that really does have a massive impact on the way we approach games.
We’re not perfect of course, and there will be bumps in the road like Southampton at home, like Arsenal away, although the Fulham game is as close to perfection as you can get for me. We still have a way to go and we’re not yet a third of the way through the season. But the facts speak for themselves – we are second in the table and if we win our next game we will go top, even if that is temporary.
We are a work in progress but with the weekend we’ve just witnessed, where many of our rivals for a place in the top four dropped points, it just goes to show that we just need to concentrate on ourselves. Keep winning games, and see what happens come May. There are going to be a lot more bumps in the road, but the realisation I had on Saturday was refreshing. I now believe and expect to win games.
And, more importantly, the players are starting to exude that kind of confidence as well. That is the key to our improvement. Mentality – mentality and belief. We just need to take that into our next game. We need to use our new found fear factor to our advantage.
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yeah we have come to a point were the players,coaches fans are no more comfortable droping points, which is evident in how the Brendan Rodgers analayes every cheap goal conceded in every match.
I think they should make the tunnel from the away changing rooms, down the stairs and to the pitch one massive red-based mural to Liverpool FC. Imagine having to face image after image of the success of the side you’re about to face before having to walk out to a sea of red and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ being sang by 40000 fans.. Could be a massive psychological blow to the opposition before a ball’s even been kicked.
All hail LFC..Y,N,W,A
i know the time have
come for we (lfc) to take back our position…….
All hail lfc…
All hail ynwa..
All hail kops…
All hail the die hard fanx.. .
Y.N.W.A
Brendan Rodgers is slowly bringing back the glory days, a word for all BR haters, Go and hug mains transformer…
these are the days I have been longing for. The days we dominate the teams we play against and win.these are happy days to be a red supporter.
If people think that a win against the most hopeless opposition at Anfield since Palace is a sign that we are on the way up are completely misguided . Holloway lost his job, Di Canio lost his job and Martin Jol likely to lose his, i can not get worked up about these results , they are the doings of a flat track bully . I think that people like myself who have supported the reds through everything, will find it hard to be kidded by a thrashing of a Fulham side that looks like its going down.
You are 100% right, but you do have to agree that at least the signs are encouraging. A lot, and I mean a lot of tough tests are yet to come, but still it is looking much better than the doom and gloom scenarios of the past few seasons. Lets just hope that this is not one of those ‘false dawns’.
That Liverpool are now getting results from the majority of the games they should get results from is both indisputable and immensely enjoyable, but talk of fear factors and Anfield as a fortress (again) has no real substance.
Sure crass comparisons can be made between results in the league over the last few seasons and now, but c’mon it was far more than just domestic success that created the legend(s), we dominated Europe.
SPOT ON
You have to be in Europe first, a team inherited outside of that competition cannot dominate it, unless you know something I don’t.
I know what you’re saying tho, however, we dominated the league and Europe at the same time, now we can barely compete in the league and European domination is being discussed and applauded!!!
Time has changed and this is why LFC fans are laughed at, for living in the past, the future is here and, so far hasn’t been too rosy.
Let’s at least challenge for the league (almost can’t remember the last time), which as of now we are, then, maybe then, can we discuss Europe.
But to diss a man, currently second, which all of us want, makes little sense to me. If we were languishing in 14th or something, I’d massively understand.
for those of u saying we won against interior teams, let’s not forget it was hard b4 we broke down that defense against Fulham and let me tell u d more u win d more d confidence grow. so ynwa let them win more.
It’s hardly a fortress if we were beaten by Southampton. Long way to go.
Bayern & Barca will be kakking their Calvin Kleins!! Ha haaa
I don’t know why you people are becoming confused even after the dramatic turn around of fortunes of lfc, why criticising Rogers again? He is doing his best to restore the lost glory, he sees it to be important we take 3 point from our games regardless of the opponent we are playing. When other teams play those powerless opponent & trash them nobody complains, remember, those 3 point makes us to take step closer to glory days. YNWA