With the new season coming up, RAWK asked several of the sites’ notable writers to send in a shortish piece that could be anything they liked so long as it vaguely adhered to the words “My Club - My View”. We’ve asked opinionated voices and representitives from the SOS and so on to contribute. Here are their thoughts:

My Club-My View

1. royhendo

Next season? On the one hand, if Lady Luck’s on our side, we’ll win silverware, and maybe even the league. On the other hand, who knows? Mass wailing and gnashing of teeth, pundits calling for heads on platters, and endemic insanity? Either way, it’s going to be another emotional rollercoaster.

Off the field, I’d like to see the American owners ousted from the club, and a truly ‘worthy’ custodian installed in their place (with a minimum of fuss, and evidence that we’re planning for the long-term with genuine investment). I don’t see it happening though - I have a horrible ’sinking feeling’ about it.

On the field, other than hoping we win every trophy we enter, I hope this season brings a more consistent shift to dominant play-making football - something we’ve seen glimpses of in recent months.

More specifically, I want to see us imposing our football on teams in the final third, and evidence of true ‘pass and move’ to break down sides that park the bus. I feel Rafa’s recruited with that in mind this summer.

It’s time to see a new ‘crushing machine’ emerge from the strong foundations we’ve laid - not necessarily all season long (I don’t think we quite have the quality-in-depth for that yet) - but in a consistent way, and certainly against the sides we ought to dominate.

We’ll see the odd blip here and there… so with that in mind I’d hope our fans can see the bigger picture, recognise the improvement in the quality in our play, and see where it’ll take us in the seasons to come.

Having said that, the media will ramp up the pressure on Rafa if things don’t run on rails - journos and pundits both. Net spending will be ignored and perspective will be set to one side. We’ll hear how our owners have lavished cash on the squad, and how it’s this season or bust for Rafa. Why bother with facts? They’ll do everything they can to derail our progress - even the ones who profess to love the club.

We’ll also see hysteria take hold if Man United find a strong position in the league come the Autumn, and I’ve a bad feeling people will lose the plot. There’s a danger we’ll forget it’s our own progress we need to concentrate on, and the fact we’re tantalisingly close to something special.

Liverpool FC have again announced their annual friendly with Vladikavkaz - its a great trip with friendly fans, rough goats and dynamite wheat vodka. RAWK has details of the trip on its site.

So Roman’s russian off to Moscow in his yacht whilst most UK fans now try and get out their mastercard to pay for the Visa to get into Red Square.

 The most depressing, well one of the most, things about us not getting to the final this year is that Man Utd will get all the Red Square shit in the headlines, as if they have the best away fans and so forth.

Well here are my colours nailed to the mast, I really hope Chelsea win it.  But I’m gutted that we didn’t get through. And yet part of me is relieved. For losing to Utd and worse, getting to Moscow and back safely, with some money left and all my limbs, was too much to bear.

But to be honest of course I wanted us to win. And we nearly did, Babel’s late goal giving rise to another possible glorious night in Europe, but of course, it was Riise’s dive that did the damage…

For us, losing Skrtel so early was a hammer blow, and who’d a thought that would be have been said when the Czech killer arrived this year? But Gerrard looked out of it, and Fernando’s knackered and we couldn’t quite push it. But I’ll tell you one thing, even on the radio, you could hear our fans at their small shed, singing louder than the Chelsea fans with their plastic flags…

So now we have to get on with the rest of the season, I bet we suddenly look very tired indeed.. well done lads but I’m sad and red and tired

He’s been to spec-savers surely, because Arsene Noel Wenger has actually seen some on field action. After many years of (put on your best deep and grumpy French accent) “I cannot zay about ze penalty as I deed not zee the incidont you are talkeeng about” he somehow manages to see 47 penalty incidents in the triology known as Arsenal v Liverpool v Arsenal v Liverpool.

Yes Dirk’s manhandling of some Arsenal player was as bad as the one that got Babel a penalty yesterday but do you know what… IT WASN’T GIVEN, (thought what the Newcastle goalie has to do with it is beyond me).

However our’s was and happy days all round as we are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League to play a small team from London called Chelsea.

Well after much analysis and post match thought, I have summed up our game last night very simply, and perhaps its a useful message to

Mr R. Abramovich,

42 Big House,

London,

postcode WE5 times, UZer0.

And it’s this:

BOUNCE!!!

Its sunny and we won the derby. Oh, yeah we won both.  Imagine (put on husky female voice) taking six points in an away controversial match and a home match where Everton never really got going… imagine taking six points from the second ugliest team in the league( Utd have that distinction), imagine seeing Gollum gulp as once again the team in blue are singing the blues…

This isn’t any old gloating, this is derby gloating…

People say that derbies aren’t for the football purist. Well damn right they’re not, they shouldn’t be. They should be attritional warfare, of interest only to the fans of the teams involved. Liverpool v Everton is for the fans of the teams, the build up, the game the pub after, not your artisan analysis.

And personally I only like these matches if we win. Which we did. And almost as sweet as the 3-0 earlier this season (didn’t think I wasn’t going to mention it do you?). Because yesterday Everton were beaten fair and square. Yakubu (84 points on a scrabble board) looked less likely to track back and get back towards the Everton goal than Reina did..

In fact the only time he got the ball he fell towards it tumbling, diving, falling like the death of a tree in a forest. Sami meanwhile had arrived half way through the fall, cleared the ball and headed off for a cup of Finnish tea, in fact he’d washed up and had a sauna by the time Yakky landed.

Torres scored, Everton bored, their fans ignored, the Kop roared.

Say all you like, but its not about 4th, its about pride in the city, pride of the derby and we won. Both. Did I mention that already?

Apparently all the lions were vegetarians and I had nothing to worry about.

Torres’ goal reminded me of Drogba’s v us, when he turned past Carra on a sixpence and scored, it was just beautiful and out of nothing. We’ve not had for a long time, it puts the wind up defenders as they really don’t know what’s going to happen.

Happy days and onto the last eight of the Champions League. Get in.

 I’m a nervous as a lion tamer covered in BBQ sauce in a cage full of lions who like BBQs and its the first day of the Lion’s BBQ Season…

Keegan, Owen, two names who have served Liverpool well in the past. One more welcome than the other on their return to Anfield, you choose.

Personally I don’t think any ex-player should be booed, Diouf included, they just shouldn’t get a welcome name chant. Save that for those who we still adore.

Keegan was a hero of mine when I was kid, and his partnership with Toshack was a wonder to behold. And now we have Torres and his favourite strike partner… Gerrard. Yep, not Kuyt, Crouch or Voronin (remember him).

In Rafa’s new toy formation, 4-2-3-1, Gerrard has his licence to roam that he’s always wanted and several other bit part players try to cross the ball with varying success to Torres (BOUNCE!). nb to any journalists watching. HE DIDN’T COST £26M!!!! But even if he did, he’s proving his worth.

For two points.

firstly, with him in the team, Rafa stops shaping Liverpool’s tatics to match other teams, and we play our own way, and let them deal with us,

secondly, he terrifies defenders into making mistakes and trying to handle him, leaving gaps for Gerrard etc.

I only wish we would get more players in the box in the vague hope that Pennant/Kuyt/Benayoun/Babel/Riise/Arbeloa/Aurelilililelaolia will cross it in to them.

Anyway Kevin looks less like the messiah and more like Herod as he continues to kill off Newcastle’s hopes of actually staying in the PL, never mind marching to Europe. the nearest he may get will be a booze cruise to Calais to drown his sorrows.

However they nearly scored with goal of the season, with a 45yrd shot that hit the crossbar. I was that bothered, I forgot who did it.

But we scored 3 and then Rafa decided to pack early for his city break to Milan, and took all us lot off, leaving Pepe and Lucas on to stop Michael.

So the Messiah and St Michael found no sanctuary in the Catholic halls of Benitez, I guess that makes Terry Mac, John the Baptist and Alan Smith a dirty cunt.

So for the first time in 60 years, a Liverpool player has scored back to back hattricks at Anfield.

And Gerrard not wanting to be left out pops up with a 4th.

Fancy that, a settled side, playing well and gelling.. hmmm, best not say anything starting with the letter R and finishing with ‘otation’

Skretel impressed, and hopefully looks good for the future and I just hope Masch isn’t too injured for next week.

meantime the Messiah returns. I remember when Keegan was the lord at Anfield, when I were but a nipper. Bet he isn’t looking forward to his second coming on Saturday.

Speaking of 2nd comings, Torres has now turned 43% of male Liverpool fans gay.

In other news, some DIC tries Dubai us.

Yesterday my final thought was “1-3 to the tricky reds”. Well it came true, but I did hope we’d keep a clean sheet.

Never mind, 3-1 at the Reebok v Bernard Bresslaw’s team, who played well in the first 10 mins is a very good score when other smaller clubs like one from Manchester lost there not that long ago.

Babel looked great until he scored, then he looked bored, Gerrard looked tired at the end and my main worry about the 4-2-3-1 formation is that there are times when we don’t have enough players getting into the box, and also Dirk Fairclough isn’t a right winger. At all.

However, a couple of things of note.

1) we beat Portsmouth 4-1 at home after they’d won 8 games on the trot and Harry was unlucky according to the press, some smaller club in Liverpool beat them 3-1 and that’s because they’re a great team managed by a great manager

and

2) Liverpool sign a top striker, the club’s most expensive signing, and he scores, the fans erupt in noise and glee and sing “Torres Torres”

Everton sign a top striker, the club’s most expensive signing, and he scores, the fans erupt in noise and glee and sing…

a song about Steven Gerrard.

Bet Yakubu’s thrilled at his new club. Well I feel sorry for you tiny penis’ed petty small boys and your tiny shit club. Bless you all and may you one day grow up and support your own team. Bless.