Liverpool fans need to get behind Klopp and what he’s trying to do at Liverpool in future
While football fans leaving a game early is – literally – nothing new, the sight of Liverpool fans leaving Anfield in droves, well before the final whistle is becoming a very unwelcome sight.
On Monday afternoon, Liver4Liverpool contributed to a piece in the MailOnline about fans leaving games early, and the resounding opinion across fans, bloggers and sportswriters was that it’s wrong and won’t help the team when they need the fan’s backing.
And Reds’ legend, John Aldridge, has had his say on the matter, opining that fans have always done this at Anfield but it drives him mad seeing fans leaving early.
Writing for the Liverpool Echo, Aldo said: “Liverpool fans will certainly be thinking twice about leaving games at Anfield early in future after Jurgen Klopp’s post-match comments on Sunday.
“The manager couldn’t believe that supporters were getting off after Scott Dann scored with eight minutes to go.
“Fans leaving before the end is nothing new. I remember being in the Kop in the 70s and 80s and we’d always slaughter fans in the Kemlyn Road who got off 10 minutes from time, telling them to sit down.
“They would be wanting to get away to beat the traffic or the queues in the pub as they headed for a quick pint.”
As Aldridge says, fans are wanting to shoot off early to beat traffic, or simply get a head start on their fellow fans. But considering the sheer number of Liverpool fans not able to get tickets to games these days, surely if fans are willing to leave the game before it’s reached it’s climax, the team are going to see this as a lack of support or perhaps even take it as an indication that they can slack off themselves?
Aldo continued: “It’s not great to see and I’ve never been one to leave early. I used to always head for the top of the Kop towards the end of a game so I could getaway as soon as the final whistle went.
“Then I’d leg it to the chippy and then jump on the Woodcutters bus back to Garston, usually celebrating a win!
“Fans who pay their money are entitled to leave early if they want. To be fair, it doesn’t just happen at Anfield but at grounds around the country. Anfield certainly isn’t one of the worst for it.
“The vast majority of supporters got behind the team and stayed right to the very end on Sunday.”
As the former Liverpool striker says, regardless of our own opinions, whether a fan wants to leave the game early is up to them; they pay their money, they can make their own decisions. But having been called out by Jurgen on Sunday, it may make many think again in future and support the team to the final whistle.
The fans will stay until the end once the team shows them a never give up attitude right up until the final whistle. That was not the case on Sunday. The team has to earn the fans respect once more now that Rodgers is gone and so are their excuses.