On the Tuesday morning after our match against Crystal Palace, I awoke wondering, ‘is this how AC Milan fans felt the morning after in 2005?’ It was certainly one of the worst feelings I have ever experienced.
I resisted switching on the television and going onto the internet that morning as the last thing I wanted to see was a reminder of Liverpool losing a 3-0 lead inside 10 minutes. The devastation, anger and wounds were still too raw.
But by 13:00, I could not resist it any longer. I opened Google and went onto the EPL website. And that’s when I saw it. Liverpool, with one game left in the season, on top of the log. This made me take a step back and reconsider my feelings.
Let’s be honest with ourselves my fellow Redmen and Redwomen, when the league began 9 months ago, how would we have defined a successful season? A proper challenge for that coveted fourth spot? Or perhaps getting that fourth spot or even third spot if we were ambitious?
I do not doubt for a second that most Liverpool fans did not foresee the massive title challenge we put together this season. A league title win that was 100% in our hands two weeks ago, until we slipped (pun intended). But we need to remember one thing. Our team has exceeded almost everyones’ expectations this season by going into the final match with a chance of still winning the title.
Perhaps the anger and pain is so acute because we, as fans, were overly confident that the league was wrapped up? In which case, the fury we feel towards our team and our players should be redirected at ourselves.
It is easy to pick out players who have underperformed against Palace and Chelsea. It is easy to pick out poor decisions made by our management the day after the match. It is easy to blame the referee, which I admit is always the first person I analyse after we get a bad result.
These are all easy to do, which is why fans of other teams do it. But we are not fans of other teams. We are Liverpool fans, and we are above such pettiness. We have the Liverpool way. And that way is that any player who pulls on that red shirt gets our 100% support. Irrelevant of whether you consider him to be a good player or not, the moment he wears that Liverbird on his chest, he is the world's greatest, and it is our responsibility to make sure he feels that way.
My fellow soldiers in the Red Army, we are 90 minutes away from finishing second in the league. Potentially, we are 90 minutes away from even winning the league. Why do we shed tears? Why have we given up hope? Why do we believe this season is a disappointment?
Do you remember how you felt in 1989/1990 season when Michael Thomas got that late winner costing us the league title? Well I don’t. That is my point.
I became a Liverpool supporter in 1991 after watching John Barnes tearing up a Tottenham team, and since then (apart from a small glimmer in 2008), I have never seen my team so close to the league title before. Yes, we let it slip, but we must celebrate the fact that we put ourselves in that position in the first place.
I do not doubt that Rodgers, the team and the backroom staff have all learnt from this experience and will be better for it. And I know many are saying Liverpool will not get a better chance of winning league as we had this season. To these people, I say two things. The first, you are the same people that did not have Liverpool finishing in the top four at the start of the season. And two, there is no doubt Rodgers will strengthen the squad during the off season.
Sure, you might say that other clubs have more money and will spend more, and you are right. They will. SO WHAT! They have already spent more money than us this season, and look at where they finished.
Liverpool spent approx. 48.8 million this season. Man City spent 103.2 million to finish 2 points ahead of us. Chelsea spent approx. 110 million and are behind us on the table. Spurs spent 103 million to finish 6th and Man United spent 67.7 million to finish 7th.
These teams will probably spend more money than Liverpool again before next season, but that does not always equal success. They can spend all the money they like, but they will never be Liverpool.
So on Sunday, regardless of the results, I am celebrating a fantastic season by Liverpool. Please join me. YNWA
Follow Kurt Ellis on Twitter @kurtellis2
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