International Liverpool fans are often treated with derision by some of their English counterparts, those that live local and head off to the Kop every weekend. Andrew Lawrence, an Aussie Red discusses.
Truth is, while I know most Reds fans don’t think this way, it is a sentiment that I can understand. There is something special about following your team in person, whatever sport you might follow. Maintaining that attendance across decades, with the same bunch of people, despite spiralling ticket prices, and years of disappointment is something that should be applauded, and envied.
Recently Stephen Armstrong wrote a terrific article on the English match day experience for the March 2014 issue of the Anfield Wrap. Although a United fan he wrote a surprisingly readable account of life as a regular English football goer. For Armstrong, it wasn’t about the results or glory, but about the mateship, booze, memories and laughs.
As someone who has been following sport of all descriptions since I was a small kid I understand the sentiment. It’s part of the reason I became a foundation member of A-League club, the Melbourne Heart. If I was in it for glory I would be hugely disappointed.
The problem for the international Liverpool fan, though, is that the EPL match day experience is largely the opposite. For many of us watching Liverpool on the east coast of Australia, the experience is a rather lonely affair. It’s not about mates, or booze, or laughs. It is about the football, and the club.
It’s about going to bed at a childlike hour on Saturday night, so that you can get up at 4.30am on a Sunday morning to watch the game, or taking a nap on Sunday afternoon so that you can stay up late Sunday night to watch a 12.30am or 2.30am kick off, despite the fact that you know you have to front up to work at 8am the next day. Match day banter consists of hurriedly thumbed texts to mates, who like you, are probably sitting at home on their couch in their underwear cheering on the boys, or their opponents, trying desperately not to wake up the Mrs, kids, neighbours or dog.
The smarter members of our fraternity invest in a PVR or IQ box that can record the matches so that they can watch the games at a more civilised time. Deep down I know I should splash the cash but then part of me knows that it wouldn’t make any difference. I would still have to get up and watch the game live anyway. Besides, I don’t want to be one of those people who greets every football fan they meet the next day with a hurriedly spluttered “don’t tell me the result”.
I know a guy whose girlfriend won’t let him watch the game while she is staying over. It can take him up to four days before he gets to see his team’s match. That’s a long time to have your head buried in the sand.
For those extroverts that desperately need the human touch we do have a thriving local supporter group down here now. It’s even got official status. Deeply committed fans who embrace the night and gather at the Imperial Hotel, on the fringes of Melbourne’s CBD, to sing Kop inspired songs, and drink into the early morning. I’ve tried it. I liked it. I’m just too damned old for it. Not every week. Not when I have to be ready for work a couple of hours after I get home.
Instead I content myself with watching Liverpool at home on my new widescreen TV, and hopefully in person when the club tours downunder every couple of years.
We particularly like this flag. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Unlike Kop season ticket holders, before Liverpool’s 2013 exhibition match at the MCG the only other time I had seen an EPL team play in person was a 2009 preseason game between Melbourne Victory and Fulham (only 20,000 in the crowd that day). The highlight was watching Eddie Johnson run onto a perfectly weighted through ball to score the second of Fulham’s three goals. Yes, that was the previous highlight of my EPL related match day experience. Eddie Johnson. Fulham.
Fast forward to the present and the highlight is now Stevie G scoring in another practise match. Still, hardly the kind of thing you would write home about. There was a moment of Suarez genius in that match too, a neat pass to Aspas to set up the final goal in added time. Unfortunately I missed it. I think I was reaching for a donut.
Like most foreign fans I harbour the hope that one day I will make the pilgrimage to the Kop to see a match. If I do, I accept that I will be bent over and screwed every which way to Sunday. Exorbitant ticket prices set by the secondary ticket market (sold to me by ‘real’ fans), obscenely priced accommodation and travel expenses. A hostile home crowd that according to some that have made the journey before me, will treat me as a disease more worthy of loathing than the mob that live down the M62. I just hope if I do make the effort it isn’t a 0-0 draw like my only trip to see England play at the old Wembley.
The reality is though that if you are one of the lucky 44,000 or so who squeeze into Anfield every second weekend than you are very much in the minority, a very lucky minority, and you shouldn’t lose sight of that fact, no matter how unhappy you are with the memories of the way things used to be.
In a 2011 report compiled by a German company SPORT+MARKT Liverpool were estimated to have around 71 million fans (United topped their list with 354 million). A more recent, but less scientific look at Facebook shows that the club’s Facebook page has over 16.4 million likes. Sadly, and to my great disappointment, this trails Manchester United (43 million), Chelsea (24.8 million) and Arsenal (21.6 million), although one suspects that a good 10 million of the Mancs likes total will soon be migrating to the Chelsea figure. In case you are curious, Real Madrid (53.6 million) and Barcelona (57.1 million) were well above the EPL clubs.
With so many foreign based fans it is easy to see why the TV dollars, baht, yen and yuan are pouring into EPL coffers at an unprecedented rate. For international fans the match day football experience is very much about television. Importantly, it’s also damn cheap, and comparable to anything you would find in the UK.
In Australia, for around £38 a month, on a basic Foxtel pay television plus sports package, you can watch every Liverpool EPL game (and almost every other EPL fixture), most Liverpool FA Cup games, Champions league and preseason matches. As an added bonus you can suffer through all Socceroos and A-league matches. Until recently we could even watch a weekly Liverpool TV match day special on free to air but this has gone now, presumably because the coverage on pay TV is so good most fans didn’t need to wait for a delayed match coverage.
For an extra £10 a month subscription to Setanta (yep, it’s very much alive and kicking over here) it’s possible to watch most of our Capital One Cup matches, all England internationals, almost all our Europa Cup matches (god forbid we ever fall back into that competition), and you can check out our loanees in the Championship (although only a few games each week are televised). Setanta even covers League One and Two, the Scottish Premier League, and the English Conference, although for me that is pushing it a bit too far. If I want crap football I can watch the A-League or the Socceroos.
All this is a far cry from the football diet I was fed when I was younger. Back in the seventies and eighties the only game I saw each year was the FA Cup final. I’m told there was an English football wrap up show on the government ethnic channel, SBS, but being a country kid this was beyond the capabilities of our antenna. If I wanted to know what was going on in English football I had to be content with scanning the tabloid sports pages. Thankfully Australia has come a long way since then, and football in Australia is no longer just a sport for sheilas, wogs and poofters.
Unfortunately, we haven’t come that far.
In Melbourne, a city dominated by AFL football it can still be difficult finding a decent football related conversation. The 100,000 people who crammed into the MCG for a preseason match, and dominated the city for a day, quietly disappeared after the match into a continent the size of Europe. Yes, Liverpool has a lot of fans down here, but it’s a bloody big country.
Personally, I know only two Liverpool fans, although only one of them watches the games religiously like myself. If I want to talk football I am pretty much restricted to the latter, a friend who is an Arsenal fan, a work colleague who also follows the gunners, and two other acquaintances, one a remarkably civil Milwall enthusiast, and the other a long suffering Aston Villa tragic. I used to know a Chelsea fan who swore he had supported them before their rise to relevance, but given his early twenties age I am somewhat dubious. My exposure to the dark side of football, i.e. manure supporters, ended recently when the final one in my life moved back to Manchester.
Yes, it’s a lonely road being a football fan downunder. When Sergio Aguero scored the title winning goal in the last seconds of the 2011/12 season I had to share the moment in a Facebook chat session with an expat English Spurs fan living in Manila. Of course, Facebook being what it is I can’t say with any certainty that he was in fact English, in Manila or male. Truth is, I don’t even know his name because he was using a rather clever alias.
No, it’s not easy following football when you are on the other side of the world.
The next time you jump on the Soccerbus from Sandhills Station spare a thought for us reds fans down in Melbourne. Take a moment for the supporters in Jakarta, Seattle, Nairobi, or god forbid, any part of New Zealand.
When Suarez performs the next piece of magic that you will talk about down at the pub for the rest of your life, keep in mind that the closest personal experience some of us will ever have of football genius is a glimpse of Harry Kewell strutting his stuff for Melbourne Heart. Yes, that Harry Kewell. I’m pretty sure he is coming back from injury this week…
Related Video from Redmen TV:
Born in the UK and raised in Australia, currently based in Melbourne, Andrew is an international Liverpool member who has been following the pool since the days of Craig Johnston.
International Liverpool fans are often treated with derision by some of their English counterparts, those that live local and head off to the Kop every weekend. Andrew Lawrence, an Aussie Red discusses.
Truth is, while I know most Reds fans don’t think this way, it is a sentiment that I can understand. There is something special about following your team in person, whatever sport you might follow. Maintaining that attendance across decades, with the same bunch of people, despite spiralling ticket prices, and years of disappointment is something that should be applauded, and envied.
Recently Stephen Armstrong wrote a terrific article on the English match day experience for the March 2014 issue of the Anfield Wrap. Although a United fan he wrote a surprisingly readable account of life as a regular English football goer. For Armstrong, it wasn’t about the results or glory, but about the mateship, booze, memories and laughs.
As someone who has been following sport of all descriptions since I was a small kid I understand the sentiment. It’s part of the reason I became a foundation member of A-League club, the Melbourne Heart. If I was in it for glory I would be hugely disappointed.
The problem for the international Liverpool fan, though, is that the EPL match day experience is largely the opposite. For many of us watching Liverpool on the east coast of Australia, the experience is a rather lonely affair. It’s not about mates, or booze, or laughs. It is about the football, and the club.
It’s about going to bed at a childlike hour on Saturday night, so that you can get up at 4.30am on a Sunday morning to watch the game, or taking a nap on Sunday afternoon so that you can stay up late Sunday night to watch a 12.30am or 2.30am kick off, despite the fact that you know you have to front up to work at 8am the next day. Match day banter consists of hurriedly thumbed texts to mates, who like you, are probably sitting at home on their couch in their underwear cheering on the boys, or their opponents, trying desperately not to wake up the Mrs, kids, neighbours or dog.
The smarter members of our fraternity invest in a PVR or IQ box that can record the matches so that they can watch the games at a more civilised time. Deep down I know I should splash the cash but then part of me knows that it wouldn’t make any difference. I would still have to get up and watch the game live anyway. Besides, I don’t want to be one of those people who greets every football fan they meet the next day with a hurriedly spluttered “don’t tell me the result”.
I know a guy whose girlfriend won’t let him watch the game while she is staying over. It can take him up to four days before he gets to see his team’s match. That’s a long time to have your head buried in the sand.
For those extroverts that desperately need the human touch we do have a thriving local supporter group down here now. It’s even got official status. Deeply committed fans who embrace the night and gather at the Imperial Hotel, on the fringes of Melbourne’s CBD, to sing Kop inspired songs, and drink into the early morning. I’ve tried it. I liked it. I’m just too damned old for it. Not every week. Not when I have to be ready for work a couple of hours after I get home.
Instead I content myself with watching Liverpool at home on my new widescreen TV, and hopefully in person when the club tours downunder every couple of years.
We particularly like this flag. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Unlike Kop season ticket holders, before Liverpool’s 2013 exhibition match at the MCG the only other time I had seen an EPL team play in person was a 2009 preseason game between Melbourne Victory and Fulham (only 20,000 in the crowd that day). The highlight was watching Eddie Johnson run onto a perfectly weighted through ball to score the second of Fulham’s three goals. Yes, that was the previous highlight of my EPL related match day experience. Eddie Johnson. Fulham.
Fast forward to the present and the highlight is now Stevie G scoring in another practise match. Still, hardly the kind of thing you would write home about. There was a moment of Suarez genius in that match too, a neat pass to Aspas to set up the final goal in added time. Unfortunately I missed it. I think I was reaching for a donut.
Like most foreign fans I harbour the hope that one day I will make the pilgrimage to the Kop to see a match. If I do, I accept that I will be bent over and screwed every which way to Sunday. Exorbitant ticket prices set by the secondary ticket market (sold to me by ‘real’ fans), obscenely priced accommodation and travel expenses. A hostile home crowd that according to some that have made the journey before me, will treat me as a disease more worthy of loathing than the mob that live down the M62. I just hope if I do make the effort it isn’t a 0-0 draw like my only trip to see England play at the old Wembley.
The reality is though that if you are one of the lucky 44,000 or so who squeeze into Anfield every second weekend than you are very much in the minority, a very lucky minority, and you shouldn’t lose sight of that fact, no matter how unhappy you are with the memories of the way things used to be.
In a 2011 report compiled by a German company SPORT+MARKT Liverpool were estimated to have around 71 million fans (United topped their list with 354 million). A more recent, but less scientific look at Facebook shows that the club’s Facebook page has over 16.4 million likes. Sadly, and to my great disappointment, this trails Manchester United (43 million), Chelsea (24.8 million) and Arsenal (21.6 million), although one suspects that a good 10 million of the Mancs likes total will soon be migrating to the Chelsea figure. In case you are curious, Real Madrid (53.6 million) and Barcelona (57.1 million) were well above the EPL clubs.
With so many foreign based fans it is easy to see why the TV dollars, baht, yen and yuan are pouring into EPL coffers at an unprecedented rate. For international fans the match day football experience is very much about television. Importantly, it’s also damn cheap, and comparable to anything you would find in the UK.
In Australia, for around £38 a month, on a basic Foxtel pay television plus sports package, you can watch every Liverpool EPL game (and almost every other EPL fixture), most Liverpool FA Cup games, Champions league and preseason matches. As an added bonus you can suffer through all Socceroos and A-league matches. Until recently we could even watch a weekly Liverpool TV match day special on free to air but this has gone now, presumably because the coverage on pay TV is so good most fans didn’t need to wait for a delayed match coverage.
For an extra £10 a month subscription to Setanta (yep, it’s very much alive and kicking over here) it’s possible to watch most of our Capital One Cup matches, all England internationals, almost all our Europa Cup matches (god forbid we ever fall back into that competition), and you can check out our loanees in the Championship (although only a few games each week are televised). Setanta even covers League One and Two, the Scottish Premier League, and the English Conference, although for me that is pushing it a bit too far. If I want crap football I can watch the A-League or the Socceroos.
All this is a far cry from the football diet I was fed when I was younger. Back in the seventies and eighties the only game I saw each year was the FA Cup final. I’m told there was an English football wrap up show on the government ethnic channel, SBS, but being a country kid this was beyond the capabilities of our antenna. If I wanted to know what was going on in English football I had to be content with scanning the tabloid sports pages. Thankfully Australia has come a long way since then, and football in Australia is no longer just a sport for sheilas, wogs and poofters.
Unfortunately, we haven’t come that far.
In Melbourne, a city dominated by AFL football it can still be difficult finding a decent football related conversation. The 100,000 people who crammed into the MCG for a preseason match, and dominated the city for a day, quietly disappeared after the match into a continent the size of Europe. Yes, Liverpool has a lot of fans down here, but it’s a bloody big country.
Personally, I know only two Liverpool fans, although only one of them watches the games religiously like myself. If I want to talk football I am pretty much restricted to the latter, a friend who is an Arsenal fan, a work colleague who also follows the gunners, and two other acquaintances, one a remarkably civil Milwall enthusiast, and the other a long suffering Aston Villa tragic. I used to know a Chelsea fan who swore he had supported them before their rise to relevance, but given his early twenties age I am somewhat dubious. My exposure to the dark side of football, i.e. manure supporters, ended recently when the final one in my life moved back to Manchester.
Yes, it’s a lonely road being a football fan downunder. When Sergio Aguero scored the title winning goal in the last seconds of the 2011/12 season I had to share the moment in a Facebook chat session with an expat English Spurs fan living in Manila. Of course, Facebook being what it is I can’t say with any certainty that he was in fact English, in Manila or male. Truth is, I don’t even know his name because he was using a rather clever alias.
No, it’s not easy following football when you are on the other side of the world.
The next time you jump on the Soccerbus from Sandhills Station spare a thought for us reds fans down in Melbourne. Take a moment for the supporters in Jakarta, Seattle, Nairobi, or god forbid, any part of New Zealand.
When Suarez performs the next piece of magic that you will talk about down at the pub for the rest of your life, keep in mind that the closest personal experience some of us will ever have of football genius is a glimpse of Harry Kewell strutting his stuff for Melbourne Heart. Yes, that Harry Kewell. I’m pretty sure he is coming back from injury this week…
Related Video from Redmen TV:
Born in the UK and raised in Australia, currently based in Melbourne, Andrew is an international Liverpool member who has been following the pool since the days of Craig Johnston.
With Liverpool’s next fixture coming away to Cardiff City at the Millenium Stadium this Saturday, Jack Lusby (@LusbyLatest) looks at the key areas Brendan Rodgers needs to focus on in preparation.
Jordan Henderson and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate after a 3-0 victory over Manchester United. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Following a pair of comfortable 3-0 away victories at Southampton and Manchester United respectively, Liverpool find themselves positioned conclusively in the race for the Premier League title, with nine games to go this season every point is vital.
In the last ten games Liverpool remain undefeated; eight of these were wins, with the Reds taking the full three points in each of the last five games.
The Anfield club’s next fixture represents somewhat of a breather on paper, with Cardiff City sitting in 19th in the Premier League table, taking 25 points from 30 games; however, it would be imprudent for Rodgers to take his once-rivals lightly.
Cardiff – Threats:
The Defensive Stalwart
Steven Caulker in action against Swansea City. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Unfortunate to concede a last-minute winner in their last match, a 2-1 loss away to Everton, Cardiff would have been looking to build on an impressive win against their relegation rivals Fulham the previous weekend; the main man in that contest was centre-back Steven Caulker.
An adept defender, Squawka attributes Caulker with a 55 percent success rate in the tackle, 60 percent of headed duels won, and an average of 12 defensive actions per game; the Englishman is also yet to make a defensive error this term.
The main threat caused by Caulker in the Fulham game however, was his ability to get on the end of crosses. Finishing the game with two goals, an impressive feat for a centre-back, Caulker could well pose a threat to a Liverpool defence which often baulks when it comes to defending crosses.
The Midfield Dynamos
In the Welsh side’s last five games, two midfielders have stood out in particular: ex-Birmingham City man Jordon Mutch, and Solskjaer’s compatriot Magnus Wolff Eikrem.
According to Squawka, in the last five games Mutch and Eikrem have created 11 and 10 chances respectively, a statistic made even more impressive considering neither have featured consistently during that period – Mutch missed one game, whilst Eikrem has featured in three.
To put things into perspective, only Liverpool’s Luis Suarez (14) has created more than Mutch in the same period, whereas Eikrem is joint with Daniel Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho.
With Cardiff likely to look to get the ball down and play, Rodgers will be astute to take care of these two playmakers.
Liverpool – Key Areas:
Daniel Agger celebrates scoring the first goal against Hull City. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Hugely impressive in the last two games as part of a consistent back-four, Liverpool’s Danish warrior could be considered key once more in this fixture.
As mentioned in my Manchester United post-game piece here, the Reds are now benefiting from keeping the same back-four in games, having kept consecutive clean sheets now for the first time since the beginning of the season.
Agger is Liverpool’s best defender in terms of aerial duels – as per Squawka, winning 71 percent – and Rodgers would be wise to utilise his vice-captain to counter the threat posed by Steven Caulker.
However, with Cardiff City a less-imposing fixture on paper than in recent weeks, the Northern-Irishman may look to reintroduce his most prodigious of defensive talents, the now-fit Mamadou Sakho, as a means of easing the Frenchman back into competition.
Joe Allen
Joe Allen could return for Liverpool (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Rodgers’ trusted midfield signing Allen continued his resurgence in form when included as part of a midfield diamond against Manchester United.
Utilised to flood the midfield and break up play, Rodgers may consider continuing the Welshman’s run in the first-team to counter the creative threat of Mutch, Eikrem, and another midfielder, Peter Whittingham.
According to Squawka, Allen is Liverpool’s most effective midfielder when it comes to defensive situations – often in a positive sense further up the pitch – having won 56 percent of tackles attempted; the diminutive charge also boasts a 74 take-on success rate.
Jon Flanagan
Jon Flanagan in action against Arsenal. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Whilst they haven’t proven to be the most effective so far this season, Cardiff City do possess a selection of mercurial talents on the flanks with the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Craig Noone and Kim Bo-Kyung.
To counter this projected threat, Liverpool’s local-lad Jon Flanagan may once again prove key as the Reds plot another win.
Again, as per Squawka, Flanagan was in imperious defensive form against Manchester United: the full-back won eight tackles and was second only to Martin Skrtel with eight defensive actions.
With Liverpool’s next fixture coming away to Cardiff City at the Millenium Stadium this Saturday, Jack Lusby (@LusbyLatest) looks at the key areas Brendan Rodgers needs to focus on in preparation.
Jordan Henderson and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate after a 3-0 victory over Manchester United. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Following a pair of comfortable 3-0 away victories at Southampton and Manchester United respectively, Liverpool find themselves positioned conclusively in the race for the Premier League title, with nine games to go this season every point is vital.
In the last ten games Liverpool remain undefeated; eight of these were wins, with the Reds taking the full three points in each of the last five games.
The Anfield club’s next fixture represents somewhat of a breather on paper, with Cardiff City sitting in 19th in the Premier League table, taking 25 points from 30 games; however, it would be imprudent for Rodgers to take his once-rivals lightly.
Cardiff – Threats:
The Defensive Stalwart
Steven Caulker in action against Swansea City. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Unfortunate to concede a last-minute winner in their last match, a 2-1 loss away to Everton, Cardiff would have been looking to build on an impressive win against their relegation rivals Fulham the previous weekend; the main man in that contest was centre-back Steven Caulker.
An adept defender, Squawka attributes Caulker with a 55 percent success rate in the tackle, 60 percent of headed duels won, and an average of 12 defensive actions per game; the Englishman is also yet to make a defensive error this term.
The main threat caused by Caulker in the Fulham game however, was his ability to get on the end of crosses. Finishing the game with two goals, an impressive feat for a centre-back, Caulker could well pose a threat to a Liverpool defence which often baulks when it comes to defending crosses.
The Midfield Dynamos
In the Welsh side’s last five games, two midfielders have stood out in particular: ex-Birmingham City man Jordon Mutch, and Solskjaer’s compatriot Magnus Wolff Eikrem.
According to Squawka, in the last five games Mutch and Eikrem have created 11 and 10 chances respectively, a statistic made even more impressive considering neither have featured consistently during that period – Mutch missed one game, whilst Eikrem has featured in three.
To put things into perspective, only Liverpool’s Luis Suarez (14) has created more than Mutch in the same period, whereas Eikrem is joint with Daniel Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho.
With Cardiff likely to look to get the ball down and play, Rodgers will be astute to take care of these two playmakers.
Liverpool – Key Areas:
Daniel Agger celebrates scoring the first goal against Hull City. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Hugely impressive in the last two games as part of a consistent back-four, Liverpool’s Danish warrior could be considered key once more in this fixture.
As mentioned in my Manchester United post-game piece here, the Reds are now benefiting from keeping the same back-four in games, having kept consecutive clean sheets now for the first time since the beginning of the season.
Agger is Liverpool’s best defender in terms of aerial duels – as per Squawka, winning 71 percent – and Rodgers would be wise to utilise his vice-captain to counter the threat posed by Steven Caulker.
However, with Cardiff City a less-imposing fixture on paper than in recent weeks, the Northern-Irishman may look to reintroduce his most prodigious of defensive talents, the now-fit Mamadou Sakho, as a means of easing the Frenchman back into competition.
Joe Allen
Joe Allen could return for Liverpool (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Rodgers’ trusted midfield signing Allen continued his resurgence in form when included as part of a midfield diamond against Manchester United.
Utilised to flood the midfield and break up play, Rodgers may consider continuing the Welshman’s run in the first-team to counter the creative threat of Mutch, Eikrem, and another midfielder, Peter Whittingham.
According to Squawka, Allen is Liverpool’s most effective midfielder when it comes to defensive situations – often in a positive sense further up the pitch – having won 56 percent of tackles attempted; the diminutive charge also boasts a 74 take-on success rate.
Jon Flanagan
Jon Flanagan in action against Arsenal. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Whilst they haven’t proven to be the most effective so far this season, Cardiff City do possess a selection of mercurial talents on the flanks with the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Craig Noone and Kim Bo-Kyung.
To counter this projected threat, Liverpool’s local-lad Jon Flanagan may once again prove key as the Reds plot another win.
Again, as per Squawka, Flanagan was in imperious defensive form against Manchester United: the full-back won eight tackles and was second only to Martin Skrtel with eight defensive actions.
Liverpool great Robbie Fowler says his old team are capable of ending their long wait for a Premier League title in May.
Fowler in action for Steven Gerrard’s testimonial last summer. Pic: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda
Fowler, who scored 183 times for the club, says Brendan Rodgers‘ men are now “nailed on” for a return to the Champions League – but believes they can achieve even more this season.
Fowler admits bringing the championship trophy back to Anfield for the first time since 1990 will be tough but says there is no reason Liverpool cannot do it.
“At the start of the season Liverpool’s aim was to get into the top four,” Fowler told RTE’s Soccer Republic.
“That was always going to be tough because the squad’s not as [deep] as a lot of the teams in the Premier League.
“Look, I hope, I’m right in saying this but I think they’re nailed on for a Champions League [spot].
“They deserve to be there. At the time now, they are second in the league, they are not lucky, they are there on merit and they’ve been exciting and they’re good to watch this year.”
Fowler added: “It’s going to be tough because Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal are all good sides and potentially got bigger and better squads but Liverpool are there on merit and I don’t see any reason why they can’t win it.
“It will be tough but they have as good a chance as anyone else.”
NEW 5TIMES EVENTS ANNOUNCED TODAY – DUBLIN AND BELFAST
Liverpool great Robbie Fowler says his old team are capable of ending their long wait for a Premier League title in May.
Fowler in action for Steven Gerrard’s testimonial last summer. Pic: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda
Fowler, who scored 183 times for the club, says Brendan Rodgers‘ men are now “nailed on” for a return to the Champions League – but believes they can achieve even more this season.
Fowler admits bringing the championship trophy back to Anfield for the first time since 1990 will be tough but says there is no reason Liverpool cannot do it.
“At the start of the season Liverpool’s aim was to get into the top four,” Fowler told RTE’s Soccer Republic.
“That was always going to be tough because the squad’s not as [deep] as a lot of the teams in the Premier League.
“Look, I hope, I’m right in saying this but I think they’re nailed on for a Champions League [spot].
“They deserve to be there. At the time now, they are second in the league, they are not lucky, they are there on merit and they’ve been exciting and they’re good to watch this year.”
Fowler added: “It’s going to be tough because Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal are all good sides and potentially got bigger and better squads but Liverpool are there on merit and I don’t see any reason why they can’t win it.
“It will be tough but they have as good a chance as anyone else.”
NEW 5TIMES EVENTS ANNOUNCED TODAY – DUBLIN AND BELFAST
The latest 5Times podcast sees host Jason McAteer joined by FA Cup winning captain Mark Wright and three times league title winner Jan Molby.
The trio of former players discuss the Reds’ current form, title hopes and look ahead to Saturday’s trip to Cardiff.
After the 3-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday, the trio inevitably gave their thoughts on the situation at Old Trafford, with Wright questioning the champions seeming lack of belief.
“You’ve never seen a a Man United side so lacking of aggression and desire to play,” said Wright.
“There was no pace in their team,” added McAteer.
“They’ve got too many similar players, they’ve got five number 10s; Rooney, Mata, Welbeck, van Persie – is he an out and out striker? – and then you’ve got Kagawa,” said Wright. “They all want to play in that position.”
“His [Moyes'] Everton team was never built around a playmaker,” explained Molby.
As ever, it’s essential listening as three former players, who accumulated more than 1,000 professional games between them, candidly chew the fat over the latest events at Liverpool and in the Premier League.
Listen below or subscribe via iTunes.
NEW 5TIMES EVENTS ANNOUNCED TODAY – DUBLIN AND BELFAST
The latest 5Times podcast sees host Jason McAteer joined by FA Cup winning captain Mark Wright and three times league title winner Jan Molby.
The trio of former players discuss the Reds’ current form, title hopes and look ahead to Saturday’s trip to Cardiff.
After the 3-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday, the trio inevitably gave their thoughts on the situation at Old Trafford, with Wright questioning the champions seeming lack of belief.
“You’ve never seen a a Man United side so lacking of aggression and desire to play,” said Wright.
“There was no pace in their team,” added McAteer.
“They’ve got too many similar players, they’ve got five number 10s; Rooney, Mata, Welbeck, van Persie – is he an out and out striker? – and then you’ve got Kagawa,” said Wright. “They all want to play in that position.”
“His [Moyes'] Everton team was never built around a playmaker,” explained Molby.
As ever, it’s essential listening as three former players, who accumulated more than 1,000 professional games between them, candidly chew the fat over the latest events at Liverpool and in the Premier League.
Listen below or subscribe via iTunes.
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