OK, I've reached my breaking point. I've been very patient up until now, but after the performance today, you can chalk me up in the "ill tempered" category. I generally cut sports teams a lot of slack. I nearly never feel it is appropriate when a manager/coach gets the sack. Long losing streaks from the teams I support in other sports are accompanied by me standing with them, not howling for changes in personnel/strategy/etc. Today, we looked horrific. I can't think of a single player who distinguished himself save for Neil Mellor. That kid came on and played his heart out, and made his cohorts look substandard. For that alone I feel he should start the next match. I have gone beyond the point of expressing displeasure through suggesting alternate lineups, tactical nudges, etc. I am p!ssed. Mind you, I'm not asking for Houllier's head, but things have to change. Now. Whatever's going on, it's not working. That was not a very good side we were up against today (no offense to the Newcastle faithful), and we stunk up the joint. I don't know whether we need to bring in new players, radically change tactics (4-3-3? We played better today with Diao off, and it seems that one or two midfielders never get into the flow of the game in any given match.) I have been very patient. I have now had enough. If any of you have already reached this breaking point, feel free to vent here. If you have more patience than I, bless you, but if this goes on a few more weeks (and it seems like we have no reason to assume it won't), feel free to post and share the moment when you flipped out. Don't get me wrong - I still am backing the team 100%. I have faith they will turn it around. But they'll be no more Mr. Nice Guy from me suggesting we can just ride out the storm and everything will be super. Something needs to change.
Today was absolutely embarrassing. Our midfield was nonexistant, our strikers couldn't stand up, let alone stand up with the ball. The only bright side were Hyypia, Henchoz, and Carragher...Riise...looked like a fish out of water at LB and Diao looked like his twin sister. Diao's pass completion percentage must have been like 25% or less. Gerrard, after 30 min. finally decided he wanted to take the leadership role and start actually playing...he played many great balls through to Baros, who looked like he was running with lead weights on his legs, and Diouf was falling everytime he got near a player or the ball(is it his boots? do they not have studs on them? cause he slips and slides on dry pitches even, let alone this pig stye of a pitch.) The only thing Biscan should be playing with is himself whilst on the bench. I just don't get it. We had zero confidence today, and our players looked below average at the very best...am I the only one who can't wait for Heskey to be fit again?!?! Because he at least plays with some heart, something i can't say for 3/4 of the team that were on the pitch today. I'm not at the breaking point like you are...but I honestly can't see us doing any good with the team we put out today. The players we needto be fit again and healthy in order to mount any kind of a challenge are: Owen, Heskey, Murphy, and Hamann...let's hope they return quickly.
I've expressed my opinion about the complete debacle yesterday and about our current inadequacies but I was struck by this last part of the GH postgame email (which typically came with the explanation of how young our team is): "I am concerned but this is a time when we will find out who our true supporters are. It can be hurtful to hear what people say about us but we have to have the mental strength and togetherness to ride this out and to stay focused. That is going to be so important for us." YNWA!
I am not abandoning the team. In fact, I think I'm doing quite the opposite. I've just resolved after the latest disaster to not sit with my hands in my lap and watch my boys get creamed every week. I want to see new things. I want to try some creative formations, some different substitution patterns. I am NOT calling for anyone's head. I feel most Liverpool supporters who hit the same breaking point I did feel the same way. Those who are looking for a managerial change, or those who think we should take Stevie G behind the barn and shoot him, etc. were probably never real Liverpool supporters in the first place.
Elf, I wasn't talking about you, just noting that, like the mid 90's, this kind of disastrous run will seperate the wheat from the chaff. All over the globe it is easy to support this or that club when they win. It's quite another to stick with a team through thick and thin. For many on this side of the Pond who weren't born Scousers it is awfully easy to drift off. I say if one didn't leave after the white suits at Wembly then one can stick through this.
For all the problems we've had since the beginning of November, keep in mind that we are still involved in the League Cup and in Europe (and of course the FA Cup, which begins for us on Sunday). Plenty of honours to be had. Sure, we all want the Prem title, and it's a huge long-shot now. But it's not impossible (although I have to confess that I did not begin the year with a lot of confidence about our Prem hopes). This is an unprecedented bad run of form (well, worst in 50 years). In the long-term, we will be fine. Now, if we do not advance to the League Cup final, I'll probably sign on officially to this thread. We don't play in Europe again for more than a month. We should get things sorted out by then. This is a marathon, not a sprint. If we got shut out (no trophies) this year AND next, then I'll gladly sign on to a "draft-Thommo" petition--or something equally radical. But not yet. Not even close. ----
I think it's easy for people away from the fray (those worldwide supporters not from Liverpool) to abandon the team quickly. But I'm not among them. Yes, I am dismayed by our poor form and I understand SuperElf's call for something anything to show that they're trying to work out of this other than just wait and hope it turns around by itself. I made my decision to pour my heart and soul into the team and if that means they are underperforming, I'll still be behind them - of course hoping that things turn around sooner rather then later. Europe is still conquorable. The next round of the UEFA Cup isn't until 1st week of Feb? and if we come out of our slump, I've every confidence that we'll win that trophy again. The league cup is still attainable and I'm still of the belief that we will win that also. The FA Cup is on Sunday and unless I'm hungover from the wedding I'm going to the night before. I'll make my way into the city to see us beat City and move along on that front. 12 points in the league may be hard to overcome, but the season is not lost yet. Not by a longshot.
I'll never abandon Liverpool, never. If I was so quick to leave them, I wouldn't be so angry and confused as to how this is still happening. All is not lost...it's just gonna take a lot of graft and heart.