Low in feeling, low in position and staring at our feet throughout.
Divided on ownership, divided on protest, divided on the pitch. Going well, isn’t it? Is Purslow a benign force helping us to get rid of the owners or Satan’s page boy? Do we boycott, march, invade, leaflet or leave it altogether lest we scare potential investors? Is Roy Hodgson the right man/wrong man/a manager? There are so many camps set up and I, like many, skip happily between them. In the past week I’ve gone from breaking into Anfield and paving over the pitch to walking away forever and taking up golf. Both are ridiculous and both seem cheer me up.
The one unifying point is the desire to rid the club of its owners until ‘the spring, the head, the fountain of your blood is stopp'd’. Surely we’re altogether on that, yes? So why were there so few members on the march? Why weren’t the stands jam-packed at the end of the match? I marched and was given a leaflet by a lad wearing the new shirt. I couldn’t even smile at the irony. At least he was doing his bit. We passed two pubs on the way both less than half a mile from the ground. Some took photographs of us. Your souvenir of the day. I took a photo of the flag with Anfield in the background and was snarled at for it. I shook my head and walked alone. You don’t get me I’m with the union. I’m not criticising SoS for that as there’s always going to be a twat in any crowd but it angered and depressed me. I still support the Union but it made me uneasy.
I’m not a fan of whacky away ends. Fill out their allocation now but don’t bother three years ago. Hmm. Two years ago at The Hawthorns West Brom sang how they would stay up and beat our United-battering team. At the final whistle they produced their ‘We’ll Be Back’ flags to show to the Match of the Day cameras. So, you made that beforehand when you were definitely going to win? I see. Blackpool were loud but the news of the Kop applauding their team that’ll make the news.
They deserve it too. They fought all over the pitch and were unlucky not to be a couple up in the first ten minutes. Carra was all over the place until he stopped altogether and the other full back looked like he could barely remember the rules. I don’t blame him for appealing against the penalty, you have to save face after all, but to continue moaning to the ref at half time is beyond the pale. He’ll still start in the Derby though. He plays for England, you know.
At the Bolton game last August there were disgruntled murmurs about the signing of Soto. Too old, not quick enough etc. Yesterday he was the only defender I could trust. Christ, once Torres went off he was the only forward too.
Hodgson’s taken the blame and Dirk’s already said that we’ll come back but when’s that going to be? These players are in the wrong position and not the slightest bit arsed against Blackpool! Gerrard has been outstanding this season and no one’s noticed because there’s no one around him. Meireles on the right wing, Kuyt up front in the first half, an aging centre back out of form on at left back, Cole underused on the left and Johnson on the pitch. This isn’t brain surgery, Roy. Dirk was woeful up front and we got going when he switched with Cole. So we changed it back. Great.
The shouts for Dalglish were surprising after seven games but they were loud enough to be heard. It’s a pipe dream as Hodgson’s there for a while yet but the fact it took seven games for the unrest to reach the terraces is surprising. It was a suggestion, a thought rather than a demand but it resonated through the ground and into the directors’ box. It’ll be heard by all but Martin Broughton as he’s hardly going to admit he was wrong (if he is wrong) (he is wrong). Hodgson can point at his thirty five years man and boy experience but we can point at the logic of not playing an anchorman at City away while having one at Blackpool home.
Come the start of the second half we applauded the opposition keeper onto the pitch and then his team. The last side we did that for? Real Madrid.
Low, low, low.