The least enjoyable win I can ever remember. This was a horrible night, and coming out of Anfield I felt a range of emotions, from disappointment to anger. The performance of the team was bad enough, the cowardice from the manager no more than I have come to expect, but the most depressing thing was the Kop. Tonight was the night when the myth about 'most knowledgeable fans in the game' was well and truly exploded.
I'm sure I'll get stick for what I'm about to say, but to be honest I'm so angry right now I don't really give a shit. Liverpool fans have always prided themselves on being superior to everyone else. We often look down our noses at supporters of other clubs, and we've had every right to in the past. No more.
We were the most original, the most witty, the most sporting. In short, we WERE the most knowledgeable. But somewhere along the line we've lost all of that. The atmosphere at Anfield has been getting steadily worse, but I can understand the noise levels dropping, because let's face it, most home games are about as interesting as watching the Salon live on E4.
So there's an excuse for the lack of atmosphere, but there's absolutely no excuse for the treatment handed out to Steve McManaman. It was pathetic, embarrassing and totally unnecessary. More than that, it was fucking shameful, smalltime behaviour which we would expect from the likes of Villa or the Blueshite.
Whatever your view on how McManaman left the club, there is no excuse for booing a player who cost us nothing, gave us six years great service, carried the team almost single handedly for about three seasons (I say almost only because of Fowler's massive contribution in that period), and was man of the match in two cup final successes.
Tonight showed once and for all that we can no longer claim to be different to other football supporters. We still have our moments of great sportsmanship of course, but the sad truth is that the Kop has been diluted to such an extent that morons now feel comfortable in expressing their smalltime views safe in the knowledge that there are plenty of like minded individuals in the vicinity.
It was a minority booing, but it was a significant minority. And whatsmore, it's a minority which is growing each season. There's still Kopites with that wit, originality and humour, but they're a diminishing number.
When was the last time you heard anything original emanating from the Kop? Anytime there is something original, no-one joins in. Tonight being a prime example. Robbie takes a tumble in the box after an innocuous collision with Carra, and a few Kopites started singing "Same old Scousers, always cheating" No-one wanted to know. Someone boos Macca, and a couple of thousand join in.
The booing was bad enough, but even worse was the banner displayed at the start of the second half at the front of the Kop. "Sub at Real, Sub at City - Judas" Nice eh? I don't know if Steve saw it, but his dad certainly did, as he sits right in front of me in the Main Stand. I was talking to him at half time, and he just shrugged off the booing, as I'm sure his laid back son will too.
Steve's dad was there supporting Liverpool - as he is every home game - and was on his feet after both goals. He's a bigger man than I am. If my son had been treated like that I'd say 'fuck the lot of you' and I'd be tearing up my season ticket and going to watch my lad play every week. The booing wasn't universal, but it wasn't just a handful of people either. It's not often I feel ashamed to be a Liverpool fan, but tonight I did.
The evening had started off so well too, with Owen ending his drought with a brilliantly taken goal just a few minutes in. It was all downhill from there though, as we sat back and settled for the one goal lead, as we so often do.
One current player (who wasn't involved tonight) told a friend of mine last season that the team constantly have it drummed into them that when they go in front, 80% of their concentration should be on defence. Frankly it shows, as time and again we've tried to sit on one goal leads, and often we've failed.
City were poor, but still they merited a point tonight. They got a deserved equaliser when Macca burst through the middle and fed the impressive Wright-Phillips who found the bottom corner with a low shot. Wright-Phillips is a player I really like. He's class every time I see him play, and is someone I'd love to see in a red shirt. I'd take him over Cheyrou and Diouf anyday of the week.
At this point, the game could have gone either way, but thankfully David James (a man who's slack attitude cost us dearly whilst he was here, but who was rightly given a fantastic ovation from the very same people who booed Macca) produced a trademark fumble to allow the magnificent Gerrard to score the winner. The skipper was once again inspirational, as was Owen, but other than those two there was nothing to be positive about other than the resilience of Hamann, Henchoz and Hyypia.
Kewell was awful once again, and nothing he is trying is coming off at the moment. There's been suggestions he's still suffering from his ankle problem, and if that is the case he should be rested to allow it to clear up. It's not like he's irreplaceable on current form, so let the lad get himself right.
But having gone in front again, once more we just sat back and protected what we had. It's fucking pathetic, it really is, and can't be enjoyable for the players. But that's how Houllier sees the game, he always has and always will. Anyone who thinks he'll change is kidding themselves.
Pongolle had been warming up since the start of the second half, and was obviously told he was going on as he removed his tracky bottoms and was just waiting for the signal to go on. Houllier must have changed his mind though, as instead he threw on H*skey for Kewell.
He'll tell you that was an attacking substitution, a striker for a midfielder and all the usual spin. In fact, it was nothing of the sort. H*skey was brought on simply to help us defend set pieces, I'll argue that with anyone. He didn't go up front, he went into midfield, and Michael was again left isolated.
So Flo continued to warm up, and we hoped he'd come on to give Michael some support. But we're winning, so there's no way Houllier is going to put a forward on. Cue Danny Murphy to emerge from the dugout to replace Le Tallec. Another change with defence first in mind, as Danny is the most tactically aware player in the squad, and someone who Houllier trusts to carry out his instructions to the letter.
So Flo continued to warm up, still with no tracky bottoms on, and still clearly expecting to go on. All this time, the team were going steadily backwards. When players got the ball, their first move was to look backwards for a pass.
Despite being on an awful run, City started to believe in themselves and accepted the reds' invitation for them to apply the pressure. It was fucking shocking to see. Had we played like we did in our last home game with the blues, we'd have battered City. But that performance was the exception, not the rule.
THIS IS THE REAL LIVERPOOL. It's how Houllier wants it. As the crowd chanted "Attack, Attack, Attack, Attack, Attack" Houllier prepared to send on Igor Biscan. Such was the irony that I had to laugh. Not many others were laughing however. The boos reverberated round the ground, only this time I couldn't blame anyone for it.
"What is their problem?" asked Houllier afterwards. You're our fucking problem, if only you could see it. "My players deserved better than that" he added. Newsflash, it wasn't the fuckiing players people were booing, it was your shithouse negative tactics. If you want to keep up with this bullshit "catenaccio" approach, take it somewhere it will be appreciated, because we're sick of it.
Poor old Igor clearly thought the booing was personally directed at him. Looking like he'd just got out of bed, he turned round to look at the Main Stand with a bewildered expression as if to say "what the fuck have I done?" Nothing lad, it wasn't anything to do with you, it was the fact that we all knew the intent behind the change.
There was also no doubt that Cheyrou would be the man to go off. He was fortunate that he survived as long as he did really, and it was only the fact that Le Tallec and Kewell were just as ineffective that saved him. So on comes Igor - who Houllier keeps telling us is now a central defender lets not forget - to play on the right wing. Cowardice, pure and simple.
Such negativity deserves to be punished, and had City managed to sneak an equaliser there'd have been mass revolt inside Anfield last night. Houllier tried to justify his approach with the usual shite about "we were up against a good team" despite the fact that City haven't won in 13 league games. He also pointed out that after throwing points away against Wolves, Bolton and Everton his team needed to hang onto the result.
It could also be argued that had we been more positive against Bolton and Wolves we wouldn't have thrown points away, and that had we gone after a City side low on confidence, we could have had the game won by half time. But this is Houllier we're talking about, and I've come to expect nothing less.
I could go on all day, but I'd only be repeating myself and the more I write the angrier I'm feeling. All in all, it was a fucking miserable night, which I'd love to just forget, but sadly I fear will stay with me for a long time.
