Many reasons DF. As Tobes said it's partly the people who go but it's also the gulf between us and the players now. Even the local players go and hide up in Formby behind electronic gates never to be seen other than at club functions or charity golf days. Add to that the transient nature of players, the team is totally different every year whereas when I started going you could name next seasons starting XI nevermind next weeksYou felt like you knew the players, their strengths, weaknesses and characters too. The biggest difference for me though is the effect sitting at the game has on you....it simply isn't conducive to making lots of noise. If you had the same 45000 and half of them were standing there would be a hell of a lot more noise than with the same people all sitting down.
The original point (made by JB and Saint) is still valid though. You can see players who make the effort more when you are at the ground and yes it does give a certain affinity to those you know give their all game after game after game, Skrtel is without doubt in that mould of player. He's battled on surrounded by ****e for the past few years, Johnson/Lovren/Toure/Sakho flapping around next to him (and Ming flapping behind him) plus no protection from the midfield whatsoever. Remember back to us having an in form Johnson and Dagger though and Skrtel rarely put a foot wrong. He ain't a world beater but he IS the best we have right now (by quite a margin).
I have to add that in fairness to all our defenders they have a lot to deal with in a Rodgers team. Our defence is attacked far too often because of the terribly porous midfield and the full backs bombing forward. All of our centre backs (and the keeper) are given far too much to do game after game. It amplifies their weaknesses ten fold when compared to how they would play in a Rafa or Kenny style set up (or dare I say a Jose style set up).
Good lyricsWhat's the tune like though?
YMCA
What the,
**** Rodgers we concede
an av-erage of
2point 25 goals per game
with Skrtel
in the league and
1 - point - 5 - 4 with - out - him
dum dum dum dum dum
that means we improve
OUR PERFORMANCE
0.71 goaaaaals per gameeeeee
without Skrtel
why the **** are we play
ing himmmmmmmmm
Just listened to YMCA and can confirm this is the tune that will be used. Good work, IBWT
He also played 1500 more minutes this season 
The problem is neither AVB nor Pep style defenders will win a massive amount in England (unless they adapt). Jose style on the other hand......well we all know how that ends up don't we and that's the whole point for me. Defending is a simple thing, there's nothing complicated about setting up a decent back four for English football...unless you're trying to reinvent the wheel Rodgers style.
Just for the record the Sakho vs Skrtel stats:
Key passes per game...Sakho 0.3, Skrtel 0.2 (both piss poor but then they are centre backs)
Pass complete %....Sakho 89.4, Skrtel 90.1 (nothing in it really)
Long balls...Sakho 2.8 per game, Skrtel 2 (so neither play too many)
Sakho makes more tackles (by a small margin),
Skrtel makes more interceptions (by a tiny margin),
Skrtel more blocks (by a large margin)
Skrtel more clearances (by a massive margin).
Skrtel also wins the most headers by a fair margin
Add to all that the extra "giving a ****" factor and that's why I don't get the Skrtel bashing from some on here that's all
Slightly worried you've only just listened to it.. Did you not know what it sounded like before
Haven't heard it for a long time so couldn't remember how the start of the song went. Its not a weekly thing in other parts of the country you know [HASHTAG]#Brighton[/HASHTAG]
Who backs off and off and off and off until they get to their 18 yard box before stopping, but by that point it's too late and the forward has acres of space to either have a free shot from 20 yards or play a key pass though
you know....like a proper defensive position that works as well now in England as it's done for the past few decades
If you start in a proper position you don't need to back off at all
[HASHTAG]#joseknowsit[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#wengerforgotit[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#baconfaceknewit[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#rafaknewit[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#kennyknewit[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#Paisleyknewit[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#Shanksknewit[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#eventonyfuckingpullisknowsit[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#etcetc[/HASHTAG]
