The current transfer frustrations at Liverpool bring out both anger and optimism in our support. But is there another way to be a Liverpool fan?
On October 3rd 2010 I woke up like a child at Christmas. I hadn’t been to Anfield for over a year and I couldn’t wait to see the Reds.
My Reds. Our Reds.
Nothing could dampen my mood. Not our wretched form. Not the thought of our stingy grifting owners. And certainly not Roy Hodgson, the charmless plodder who fluked his way into the Liverpool dugout. I was going to Anfield. We were playing Blackpool. And we were going to win.
Ninety minutes later I had witnessed hopeless defending, impotent attacking and a Fernando Torres injury. We lost 2-1. To Blackpool. At Anfield. The mood was dark. We stayed for over an hour afterwards; singing songs to get rid of Hicks and Gillett.
Two weeks later and they were out. John Henry, Tom Werner and FSG had rescued us. By January, Hodgson was gone, Kenny was in and the universe was correcting itself.
What does any of that have to do with the current transfer window?
Because things were bad. Then they were better. They still are better. But they are not best.
Best is happy days at Wembley. Best is European nights at Anfield and two-day trips to Italy or Spain. And the absolute best is winning the league.
‘FSG outers’ & ‘Klopptimists’
The Liverpool fanbase are split into two camps: The ‘FSG out’ brigade who accuse the owners of incompetence, negligence and apathy – none of that is true. Then there are the ‘Klopptimists’. Those who feel the club is doing nothing wrong and that Klopp is working a master plan and there is nothing to worry about. That’s not true either.
Jurgen Klopp has certainly done his bit this summer. With our three main targets – Salah, Keita and van Dijk – he has persuaded them that we are going the right way and he can lead us there. Yet with Keita & van Dijk we have somehow managed to anger their clubs, drive prices and frustrate the players. That rests on FSG and senior leadership. It’s easy to say it’s not their fault or they did their best. That is all very well and nice but at some point you have to get it done. You have to make the targets, get the targets and be better than 19 other Premier League teams.
Wanting them to execute their goals does not mean you want them ‘out’. Nor does it mean that you don’t believe in Klopp or the players we already have. You don’t have to be a permanently livid ‘FSG outer’ or a blind faith ‘Klopptimist’.
There are times to be angry. Losing to Blackpool in 2010 was one of them.
There are times for wild optimism. That would be February-April 2014.
But most important is to enjoy it all for what it is and live in those moments. Every failed transfer attempt is not the end of the world. Yet every new player means doesn’t mean we will win the league at a canter.
Blindness
Blind anger and blind optimism are both blindness. They are coping mechanisms to deal with pain and disappointment.
But there is a another way of dealing with those frustrations; we do it together.
I live in America now and have watched many games these last few years without another Red with me. It’s not the same. Losing is harder and winning isn’t quite as sweet. Being a Liverpool fan is not about having a vested interest in a soccer franchise; it is about being a Red.
Frustrated together. Elated together. Winning and losing as Kopites. Alive and awake to all that it means to give your heart to Liverpool Football Club.
And whatever happens, loving the Reds. Our Reds.