We're not perfect but our heart's in the right placeI often hear Liverpool fans bang on about how we have the best supporters in the land. I used to nod at that statement without even thinking about it but as I've grown older I started to ask myself if it was true. You hear commentators and pundits say things like "Liverpool fans love their special club" ... right, so supporters of other clubs don't love theirs or consider their club special? I used to think it was a stupid thing to say but the last few days have reminded me just how special our club is and how intelligent the majority of our fans are.
Now of course every football club has a number of tools who follow it. That's a society thing, we all know there's good and bad people attached to every school, college and workplace so when it comes to football clubs it's obviously no different. Not every Manchester United fan chants about Hillsborough and not every Liverpool fan responds with airplane gestures. If you're a good person on a day to day basis then I'm sure that carries over into football the majority of the time.
In recent years Liverpool fans have battled amongst themselves within online football communities with regards various subjects relating to the club. I don't remember seeing many heated debates during Roy Evans' reign but I do recall people starting to clash towards the end of the Houllier era. Since then people have argued over Rafa, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, Christian Purslow, Martin Broughton, Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish, FSG, Brendan Rodgers and a number of LFC players from Tallec and Pongolle to Aquilani and Lucas. Such levels of bickering is a huge turn off for me today as we just seem to go round and round in circles with neither camp of any particular topic refusing to move an inch. It's pointless. People should turn their attentions to FSG. Only they can lift the mood.
Let's take a look at Rafa Benitez, this is a hot topic of debate that won't go away for years. One side idolises him and would take him back in a heartbeat, the other just doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. Following his recent appointment at Chelsea, there has been a lot of emotions expressed. I for one am glad to see him back in the game but it kills me that he's at Chelsea. Why? Because I just don't think Chelsea fans deserve him.
I was saddened to see 'RAFA OUT' banners at Stamford Bridge yesterday and the sounds of boos ringing out from the stands when his name was announced. It truly shocked me and hurt me. Whether you're a fan of Rafa's or not, he is one of us. He would have dropped everything for Liverpool Football Club had they gone calling. I will never forget the way he took on the owners for us and made it publicly known that they couldn't be trusted. Seeing him cry sat on the Kop at the Hillsborough Memorial Service, destroyed me. I can't help it, I just think he's genuine and like Gerard Houllier, I think he bleeds Liverpool - both the club and the city. I love and respect them both equally.
It is understandable that some Chelsea fans wouldn't fancy his appointment. I expected this and so did Rafa. I thought younger fans and those who know little about professional football, would be the ones crying and sulking. I didn't expect so called grown ups to stand there holding up cards with 'YOU'LL NEVER BE ACCEPTED' to the TV cameras.
The media have been banging on about the 'great rivalry' between Liverpool and Chelsea but this is nonsense. I have never deemed Chelsea the enemy. I've never had time for them as I thought Roman Abramovich ruined the game with the way he started buying titles. When he first arrived, not only did they start buying the best players but they then started buying players to deny other clubs from buying them. Am I jealous? Well I think it's human nature to be a bit jealous but I'm certainly not jealous of Chelsea as a club.
I class only Manchester United and Everton as our rivals. We'll always want to compete with United and while we have fallen even further away from them under FSG, we're still Liverpool Football Club, we're massive, we're a global identity and we will return. When that will be I don't know, not any time soon by the looks of things, but we will be back. As for Everton, even at worst they still can't compete with us which is hilarious, but I absolutely love it when we face off against them. For me it's about United and Everton. They're the biggest games of the year to me. Of course I always want us to smash clubs like Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Spurs etc but I don't lose much sleep over a defeat to them. Lose to Manchester United, the real enemy, or Everton, I'm not a happy bunny.
Many people label Chelsea a plastic club with plastic fans. I'd never really latched on to that because I try not to concern myself too much with other clubs. I interact with a lot of Chelsea fans on my YouTube channel KOPTALK.TV even though it's all about Liverpool FC matters. There's some decent lads that contribute from Chelsea and other clubs. I like that. I enjoy talking to other fans that don't want to throw insults around and who can debate sensibly. Some times you need to take on board the view of other supporters providing they don't just want to tell you how sh*t our club is and how they're the greatest. I held such conversations when I was 10-years-old at Junior School, I don't need to partake in them at my age.
I've never really 'hated' Chelsea and I haven't taken part in bashing them at every opportunity. In doing so would be a compliment. I don't respect them like I do Manchester United for example. I'm sorry but as much as I hate United and Sir Alex Ferguson I cannot ignore the fact that they have dominated English football for decades. I do see Chelsea as a force in the Premier League, I can't deny that, but 'great rivals'.... nah. I consider Leeds United more of a rival.
I watched the Chelsea vs Man City game as I wanted to see what reception Rafa would get and I'll hold my hands up, I wanted him to win, not Chelsea, but him. I even wanted Torres to score. Anything to p*ss off the people that do nothing but slate Rafa. I really want Rafa to smash it down the throats of those that state he's nothing special and I want FSG to see how stupid they were to overlook a man who was available (no compensation), living in the area, who knew the club inside out and would have taken the job without reading the contract. However after seeing the behaviour of the Chelsea fans on Sunday, I was left feeling so angry and upset that I wanted to throttle Rafa myself. Why had he done this to me? He'd put me in a position where I wanted to support him but at the same time I was seeing this man who I have so much respect for, getting hammered by a set of inbreds. It hadn't sat right with me since he was appointed yet after Sunday I was left even more confused by it all.
Nobody wanted Roy Hodgson as manager of Liverpool Football Club but not a single Liverpool fan would ever stoop so low as to hold 'HODGSON OUT' banners at Anfield at his first game. Not only that, but if a single Liverpool fan had done that I can absolutely guarantee that another fan would have walked up to him, even if it meant walking through row upon row to get to him, to tell him to remove it. This is the difference between class and crass. In private fans will also express concerns about managers and players but you would never see that behaviour at Anfield and that's a Rafa fact.
What if David Moyes was appointed or Sir Alex Ferguson? While it would be controversial, nobody would resort to the public immaturity that was displayed at Stamford Bridge. You would not see that behaviour at Anfield.
Liverpool fans aren't perfect but I can honestly say that I am proud that we express our opposition to particular signings and managerial appointments within our online communities or down the pub but from day 1 we offer our support. It's just the right thing to do.
If there are any genuine, mature Chelsea fans out there, my message to them would be to haul in your muppet fans. You need to cut out the immaturity relating to Benitez and you also need to keep your mouths shut when observing the occasional minute's silence when it relates to matters outside Stamford Bridge. If Benitez lets you down then give him both barrels but at least give the man a chance you morons.
As for Rafa I think he's made a terrible mistake. I think he will fail miserably and that this will just give more people fuel to criticise him when he leaves the Bridge. Mark my words, that section of Chelsea fans aren't the only tools that want to see him fail.
DUNCAN OLDHAM
KOPTALK.COM EDITORhttp://twitter.com/KopTalkhttp://twitter.com/DuncanOldhamhttp://www.facebook.com/KopTalk
