European nights to European Knights… some notes for our owners
owners, who by the way, it should be said, most of us welcomed, and welcomed warmly when they made the right noises as they popped up at ours for tea..
But now there is a rift with Rafa, bother with Benitez, and make no mistake, if Messrs G n H thought we could make a noise at Anfield on a European night, wait til you hear us over our European Knight… Talk about making the right noise..
If proof were needed that Liverpool have the right man for the job, Rushian’s piece on Houllier’s team v Newcastle 2 stories down, is by far the most eloquent way to show how far we have come as a team. It encapsulates where we were and how we feel about being here now.
The USA (us at Anfield that is) have long memories and like all fans, have a simple alleigence - the club. If the manager is making the club progress, he gets our support. Especially at Liverpool where we are patient and know our football.
And whether Rafa knows that or not, ( he must know he has our backing), he is right in saying look this is how it works in Europe.
I hope for once there is contact with Manchester Utd. Contact between our owners and theirs.
Because I think that the Glaziers may point out a couple of things:
Don’t cross a successful manager
Don’t underestimate the fans
Don’t take the piss.
You wanted our club Gillette and Hicks, well you can’t just cherrypick the best of it - the big games, the Euro nights and the great feelings, supporting Liverpool, any club, you take the rough and the smooth.
It’s the shite that makes the good times so sweet. So let’s not overworry but lets be clear, don’t make us point out our support for our own European Knight.
November 26th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I totally agree with that assessment. If the manager is doing a fantastic job - not losing a single game in the league - why should his position be threaten? He should be fully supported all the way! Let the management do their job, as owners - all you need to do is to show us the money!
November 26th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” famous quote from John Maynard Keynes economist - both Rafa and our American owners have plenty to think about. Rafa has the fans support and has great plans - the owners are obviously under the cosh on the money side and want value for money as well as buying into our pride and great traditions - now is not the time to rock the boat - we have to go forward together - the fans should cut the owners some slack and the owners should give Rafa the chance to complete the job with the support he needs.
Lets not divide up into pro and anti camps - talk and listen guys.
YNWA
November 26th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
I can remember in one of the interviews after Messrs Gillet and Hicks took over, Mr. Hicks’ outlined that part of the plan was to surpass “the club down the road”- as he put it.
Basically any club that has been successful- for an extended period, not just 1 or 2 seasons- had the balls to give their manager free reign to do his job and by doing so, he did it well. You must trust your manager greatly and Benitez has absolutely, certainly earned that trust and he deserves it. The examples of not doing so are there for all to see- just look beyond the top-4(and maybe Everton) and you’ll see them- Perennial Failures. I had my share and I put up with it, now I want to enjoy what is definitely a certainty of success for us.
If you want to be successful Messrs. Gillet and Hicks, you’d better learn this free-reign idea soon, else we’re not going to go ahead. Either we’ll stay where we are(unlikely) or go down until the manager gets his way- sooner or later. I’d like to think that it’ll be sooner than later. How you can try to sabotage your own success and not being able to see it, is beyond my comprehension. If you give Benitez more freedom than he has now- including power in transfer negotiations and decisions, we will reach that pinnacle sooner than later. Yes, Benitez REALLY is the perfect man for liverpool and we’ve searched and waited long and hard. I wish you had endured what we had to understand what we’re trying to tell you. He’s one-in-a-million.