If they didn't win it within my period of consciousness, it doesn't matter at all.
The above sentence sums up the attitude of the modern football fan in an era when enormous cash injections have turned formerly low-key clubs into serial title winners. Indeed, nouveau-riche clubs have dominated the English and European landscape in the last decade, amassing millions of supporters as well as trophies.
However, in doing so, the sudden success that has propelled the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain to the top of the pyramid, has also created a misconception aimed largely towards serial winners of the past. Few clubs suffer from the fan and social media-driven propaganda than Liverpool.
When the conversation of English football's biggest club takes place, the Merseysiders have been overlooked for failing to win the Premier League - that is despite the same club boasting 18 league titles from the same competition, which simply underwent a brand name change.
Take former Leeds United player Danny Mills' claim that he made on BBC radio last year, saying:
Mills added: "Yes, I know they have won the Champions League in there, but teams now will be looking at Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea before they think about going (to Liverpool). And they will be looking abroad before they think about going."
Liverpool aren't the only club suffering from this view point, as three-time title winners Arsenal also find themselves in the same conversation following years of poor results under Arsène Wenger and Manchester United seem set to receive the same treatment, as their search for a 21st league title has reached a sixth season.
Since 2013 (barring that one Leicester season) the league has been won by either Man City or Chelsea. The likes of Utd and Liverpool talk about history but the fact is the two ‘money clubs’ are now the dominant forces of England. I’d rather be top now than have trophies from 1983
— Jordan “MCFC” Cooper (@BlueManc2001) October 13, 2018
When did Arsenal last win a title. Nothing to respect. They're living in the past.#hasbeens
— CFC Steve (@stevief1962) August 26, 2018
A different perspective, though, suggests that although these clubs deserve criticism for failing to repeat their glorious history in the modern day, they should still retain their respect as the game's true heavyweights. Put simple, records and silverware, no matter how old they may be, are what defines a top club, not their losses or how long it takes them to recover.
Under Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool have once again been transformed into title contenders, courtesy of the German shifting out the deadwood in the squad to bring in top class recruits in Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Alisson, to name but a few.
The changes are reaping dividends. Liverpool were the UEFA Champions League's top scoring team last season, making their way to the final, and finished second to Manchester City in the same category in the Premier League.
This season, they're one of only three teams unbeaten in England's top flight and have silenced critics of their defence by conceding five goals thus far - an impressive statistic, considering they had shipped twelve more at this stage last season.
No matter how much that points to success, however, Klopp has still had to deal with questions surrounding Liverpool's trophy-less run, while fans on social media have easily given them the irrelavant tag in the context of major title-winning clubs, often accusing them of living off their history too much to be considered a real heavyweight.
It remains a great misconception, though, that in order to truly establish themselves as one of the country's biggest clubs - which, ironically, they already are - they have to achieve this but a strong start to their current campaign suggests they could be on their way to doing just that.
Source : 90min