Yesterday was a cold, blowy and miserable day in Merseyside. The waves crashing against the Pier Head and the City from the Mersey and the grey wind that blew at times relentlessly didn't bode well for those of us going to the ground. It was obvious from the off that the lack of traffic down the normal routes would signal a less than capacity crowd but as often happens with those affairs, many of the old timer Liverpool fans of old that have been priced out of the game and exlcuded due to capacity crowds would get their chance to shine. The sporadic rain and gusting gales continued as we walked to the ground through the rubble of the new buildings and smart new properties that had sprung up around Anfield, including a massive new building with no signs as yet as to it's function. Many of the new houses and flats sported BMWs and Audi's outside speaking of affluence coming into the area, while many families that had lived there for generations had seen their neighbourhoods torn down, bulldozed and replaced. Speaking to my mate whose family were from the area there is always good and bad, and let's hope that money and community can return to this beleagured area of the City. As we walked we noticed the strange, empty spaces where alehouses we used to drink at had long been destroyed and boggled at other areas where we would sit and talk about the game now being replaced by a modern block of flats. Must be progress. As we got to the side of Anfield, now looking strangely modern without all the houses and slate roofs and chimneys standing proudly alongside - it looked poised on a step into the future. A step where community and the City and the History have moved away from the ground and the club. This, you gather is the idea, get the ground on its own and then expand in all directions. Whether this is a good thing for the area again you have to wonder. So onward we walked. The wind dropped away and the temperature followed it with a noticeable chill in the air. There was a somber atmosphere outside the ground. People were bustling and the smiles and greeting were replaced with people hurrying across the open Walton Breck Road with cars skipping among the pedestrians and cold Policemen trying to keep people on the pavement. We went past the subdued Albert and the unusally quiet Park and bid a brief farewell at the bottom of the Kemlyn Road. Once in the ground, those visitors to the Kop - new and old alike struggled to make headway against the unsurprisingly boistrious Swansea fans - thousands of who had taken the long trip on this bleak cold, rainy night to Merseyside. I like the Swansea fans. They had spirit, loud voices, a great sense of humour and boundless energy. Pity that we as a club couldn't match them, but the ground was clearly empty. Maybe people had an idea of what was to come. I could speak about the players and the tactics and what happened, but you can get that from all the other reports. The stats, opinions, replays and glitzy graphics. But that's just one side of the game, so I'll leave it to others. The crowd were mixed and quite loud at times, unfamiliar faces surrounded my ST seat. Only I and one other with 20 yards I could see had bothered with this competition and I guess that ratio would be fairly constant around the ground - except maybe the Kop. Many faces were grim and expectations were low. And so it came to pass that we left the League Cup not with a bang or a fight or a charge. But with a whimper. After the game in our matchday pub we got into the warmth and shrugged. Not many of us had expected us to overthrow the mighty Swansea. The lads I went to the Derby with on Sunday, like me, hadn't had their hopes up. Through the letterbox view from the back of the Lower Bullens we gave it loads in the Derby and Everton returned it with gusto. Last night we just went through the motions. All of us opined that we didn't deserve to win and Swansea were the better team. We don't know where we will go with Rodgers. But the melencholy mood of those that go to the games was soon broken up and we moved to talk of lighter things. By the time we left we had surmised that we'd "Smash" Newcastle on Sunday (Although I had a personal idea that we'd score a couple and then get 'smashed' ourselves at the back given we probably have Jones in goal. We are still learning and may pay the price for a few games yet). So another day gone. Another match lost. I know I'm lucky. I didn't get to see a single media piece about the game. Too busy in work. And the pre, during and post match was spent with people that go, so you get loads of views and no media guff. No jazzy graphics. No Stats. Just people that enjoy each others company, sing a bit, clap their team off win, lose or draw and then discuss the match. Bring on Sunday. Andy@Allerton Link to the 'Red & White Cop' thread: http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum...4b6eb34133454330e84abbbdcdd025&topic=299373.0
Don't see how that can be viewed as sour grapes to be honest. Good read and interesting perspective. Cheers Phil
DG- If you dont like the content then why post ? your other comments are clearly aimed to incite derailment, i am going to delete that post as it just not needed and will only serve cause to friciton. This obviously isnt a thread that intrests you therefore i will delete further threads that arnt on topic
Personally i think its a decent read, its always intresting to get a viewpoint of how others think about our team.
A good read Phil and it's interesting to read an opposing fans viewpoint on a match which ranks as one of the greatest results in our Clubs history. What was also interesting was the social change outlined by the fan, referring to the old boozers that had closed, together with his veiled attack on the "plastics" who are taking over.
Cheers lads thought most of you would enjoy this perspective from a real Liverpool supporter, it's well written on the build up to the fixture, and confirms much of what our Chico has said of his experience of the evening, I'm going to put the link up to the forum I got this from, as there are many observations, most very positive about our game and development, which I'm sure you'll enjoy, well most except Dai of course, as we all know he's the expert on all things Liverpool. FACT!....................
What's the problem, Dai? This was an interesting and unusual perspective of one Liverpool fan's view of the game. I enjoyed it and didn't think to gloat for a second. Well done that fan for posting something different but I will concede that it made better reading knowing we had won.
I've put the link to the thread on the OP, and it's here as well, some good posts on there, I'd encourage you to read, fair play to these boys, their pure football lovers!............... Link: http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum...4b6eb34133454330e84abbbdcdd025&topic=299373.0
Clicked on the link, Phil, and totally agree about those Liverpool lads: total respect to them for their fair assessments of the game. They are obviously football lovers and discussed the game without any bias whatsoever. Top guys! I must confess to a great feeling of pride when they mentioned our fabulous Swans. There was no rancour, no bitterness and plenty of appreciation for the way we played. To a man they agreed that we were the better side, deserved to win and acknowledged that it might take a number of seasons before they can play our sort of football as well as us. I wonder whether we would be quite so magnanimous in the same circumstances? I would like to think so.
Agree with you Ivor, pure football boys aye, credit to their club, one comment that I liked was: Doesn't it make you proud to be a Swansea fan, surely we should be praising Laudrup more that we are!! Anyway that's my view, Laudrup's no fool, he's done his homework on us these last few seasons, knows we raise our game for the big occasions, and not turn up for the clubs below us, hence why I'm sure he's targeted the Southampton game as very important, and a must win, lets hope our boys go into it with the Laudrup frame of mind!..........
Yet another top thread Phil. It's clear to me no gloating here and it's nice to see the perspective from the opposition. Genuine football fans the scousers are and top posters fair play.
Thoroughly enjoyed that read. Say what you like about Liverpool as a club but in all fairness their fans are top notch. Twice in two seasons have the home crowd clapped our swans off for their efforts. Something iv never experienced before.
because when i put a thread up about liverpool i had flack and i was told to post it on the liverpool board......whats changed and different that dragon can post about liverpool and Brendan and its a good article and i do it and its not......sorry its double standards in my book......by the way i enjoyed the read but i have to make a point.....
Dai, your point was that the post was sour grapes which is clearly wrong on so many levels. I wouldn't have considered it sour grapes from any poster as it's a good piece on a opposing fan's point of view. Blaming DPJ of sour grapes when he would have been more pleased than anyone to see the back of Rodgers, is just plain ridiculous
