Duncan Oldham: Just bring on next season already!

I never expected us to turn the Champions League tie around when we came face-to-face with Real Madrid in the 2nd leg of the Quarter Final earlier this week. Now that we’re out of the competition, I already have one eye on the new campaign already and the latest football Welcome Offer for 2021. I’m tired of this season. I’m tired of no fans being at the games and I’m tired of VAR. I just want it all to end as soon as possible.

The media had been banging on about the famous European nights at Anfield but those were only ever made possible due to fans actually been inside the stadium. The loudest thing that would have been heard on Wednesday evening was the window being put in on the visitors’ bus. How shameful and how embarrassing for Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp and the rest of the club’s officials and even fans such as you and I. You aren’t a Liverpool supporter if you behave like that, you can’t even call yourself a fan of the game. People who behave like that just aren’t welcome. They are the absolute dregs of society.

Long-time followers of my content know that I’m not enjoying the football without fans in the stadiums. I’ve tried everything but I just can’t get into it. When we were still in the Champions League I had to try and maintain some interest but now that we’ve finally crashed out, I’m already starting to think about next season. Obviously we need to do our best to finish in the Top 4 and not just for reasons of pride; it’s really important to us in terms of potential recruitment this summer.

As well as it being a miserable season in terms of our hit-and-miss form and the failure to secure any silverware, it’s also being miserable having to endure all the speculation surrounding the likes of Mo Salah and Gini Wijnaldum. Both players continue to be linked with exits and there’s even question marks over the likes of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. Will this summer finally be when that front 3 will be broken up? The once-feared attacking trio of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane is no longer working. Jürgen Klopp’s players and tactics have been found out and I think many supporters would agree that something needs to change.

Obviously many fans will expect (and hope) to see the likes of Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri moved out. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may also be another departee and few will shed a tear if Joël Matip is moved out too. Question marks remain over Naby Keita while Thiago Alcântara is also failing to make a significant impact despite the obvious class that he possesses. We say it every year but we really do need to shake things up when the season concludes. But to enable us to bring in some real quality, a Top 4 finish is essential.

Whether we secure Champions League football or not next season, I just desperately want to see the fans back in Anfield. I can’t explain how much I miss the game I know and love and I know I’m not alone.

Hopefully the boss will move out the deadwood and bring in some new blood. He shouldn’t be exempt from criticism either. I hope Jürgen kicks back over the summer and has a good think about what he got wrong so that we can hopefully go into a new campaign feeling refreshed and excited.

Duncan Oldham
KopTalk Editor