Being an Unbearable Liverpool Fan
Funny how things turn around isn't it?
It wasn't that long ago that I could have made this post bemoaning yet another season of athletic ineptitude by a Liverpool team. Then Jurgen Klopp came along, tinkered with a few things and one Champions League Trophy, one UEFA Club World Cup Trophy and one European Super Cup trophy later, we are looking at arguably the greatest ever season in English football history by a single team.
At the time of writing, Liverpool have dropped 2 points out of the 72 they have had available to win. After 24 games, they have amassed 70 points. No team has ever won as many points at this stage of the competition in the history of the top division in English football. Or in European football's top divisions for that matter.
Their nearest challengers, Manchester City, have 51 points from the same number of games. In total, if Manchester City were to win every single one of their 14 games remaining in the Premier League this season, they could land 93 points as a maximum.
Last season, Liverpool took 97 to finish second. At the current rate, Liverpool look set not just to beat Manchester City's 100 point mark record in the Premier League, but obliterate it. Carry on like they have been doing and 110 or even 112 points could be possible.
It seems ridiculous to suggest that, but that is the case. Liverpool could win the Premier League, if both teams win out until that point, against Manchester City in early April. But the truth is, they could wrap it up even before then.
Here's why:
All teams in the Premier League have played 24 games and have played all opponents in the division at least once, and five teams twice.
The teams Liverpool have completed their fixtures against this season (and thus do not have to face again in the Premier League) are Leicester City (3rd), Manchester United (5th), Tottenham (6th), Wolves (7th) and Sheffield United (8th). This means that out of the top ten currently in the Premier League, Liverpool only still have to play Manchester City (away), Chelsea (at home), Southampton (at home this weekend) and Arsenal (away).
Yet two of those 'tougher' games, away to Arsenal and at home to Chelsea are amongst the three final games of the season for the Reds, by which they may have already secured the title at that point.
Even that big game away to Manchester City has an asterisk against it as if you compare the games the teams have up until then, City have by far the tougher run.
Liverpool's run of league games
v Southampton (9th) (H)
v Norwich City (20th) (A)
v West Ham (17th) (H)
v Watford (19th) (A)
v Bournemouth (18th) (H)
v Everton (12th) (A)
v Crystal Palace (11th) (H)
v Man City (2nd) (A)
Man City's run of games
v Tottenham (6th) (A)
v West Ham (17th) (H)
v Leicester City (3rd) (A)
v Manchester United (5th) (A)
v Burnley (13th) (H)
v Chelsea (4th) (A)
v Liverpool (1st) (H)
One game v Arsenal (10th) (H) is to be rearranged due to Carabao Cup Final participation.
City have four away games in succession against top six sides, Spurs, Leicester, Man Utd and Chelsea and if they drop points in one or more of them, then Liverpool could wrap the title up even sooner (depending on if Leicester City overtake Man City in the table).
It is clear that City, who have already dropped points in 33% of their league games this season, have a very tough run of games and points dropped in any of them (together with Leicester also being less than perfect) means that Liverpool would then need fewer wins to claim the title.
It is also worth remembering that Liverpool have:
Of course, it's even better being a Liverpool fan and watching it unfold. I also do like the fact that so many fans of other clubs are complaining that Liverpool fans are 'unbearable' due to the team's success over the past couple of years in particular.
These are the same fans that have taken every gleeful opportunity to laugh at the team and fans when we were poor (and there were times we were god awful), who have mocked every mistake, slip up, poor performance, misdemeanour with absolute glee for year after year, game after game. You don't have to listen to many games to hear the "Always the Victim" and "Steve Gerrard, Gerrard" chants ringing out. Or worse, sadly.
And now these fans are claiming we're unbearable! It's a bit like teasing a tied up Grizzly bear for 30 years and then moaning that now it is free, that it's going to rip your head off an eat your face.
And the best bit of it all, is despite all those haters, despite those pathetic fans who can't see past their own small-minded vitriol, we have done it the right way. We have had to sell some key players to fund this team Klopp has put together. We haven't used the wealth of an entire mega rich Arabian country and then bullied UEFA and FIFA into accepting it due to the potential cost to the organisations of taking on, not just a club, but an entire country backed by almost limitless funds. Nor have we had to bribe fans to fill the stadium for some games.
Furthermore, what really irks most fans is that despite their own support, there is something magical at Anfield that can make the impossible happen. And the vast majority of teams cannot do that.
Lastly, no other team has Jurgen Klopp either. Not only is the man a legend, he is one of the nicest and most genuine people in football. The reason Klopp is so successful at Liverpool is not that Liverpool got Klopp, it is that Klopp got Liverpool - he understood what the club means to its fans and the community. He understand the Reds fans mentality and he embodies it to perfection, better than even his team does.
We've done things the wrong way around a bit. We were best in Europe first, now we are the best in the world too. Just the best in England to go and perhaps retaining the European title too.
Unbearable? You bet your arse.
It wasn't that long ago that I could have made this post bemoaning yet another season of athletic ineptitude by a Liverpool team. Then Jurgen Klopp came along, tinkered with a few things and one Champions League Trophy, one UEFA Club World Cup Trophy and one European Super Cup trophy later, we are looking at arguably the greatest ever season in English football history by a single team.
At the time of writing, Liverpool have dropped 2 points out of the 72 they have had available to win. After 24 games, they have amassed 70 points. No team has ever won as many points at this stage of the competition in the history of the top division in English football. Or in European football's top divisions for that matter.
Their nearest challengers, Manchester City, have 51 points from the same number of games. In total, if Manchester City were to win every single one of their 14 games remaining in the Premier League this season, they could land 93 points as a maximum.
Last season, Liverpool took 97 to finish second. At the current rate, Liverpool look set not just to beat Manchester City's 100 point mark record in the Premier League, but obliterate it. Carry on like they have been doing and 110 or even 112 points could be possible.
It seems ridiculous to suggest that, but that is the case. Liverpool could win the Premier League, if both teams win out until that point, against Manchester City in early April. But the truth is, they could wrap it up even before then.
Here's why:
All teams in the Premier League have played 24 games and have played all opponents in the division at least once, and five teams twice.
The teams Liverpool have completed their fixtures against this season (and thus do not have to face again in the Premier League) are Leicester City (3rd), Manchester United (5th), Tottenham (6th), Wolves (7th) and Sheffield United (8th). This means that out of the top ten currently in the Premier League, Liverpool only still have to play Manchester City (away), Chelsea (at home), Southampton (at home this weekend) and Arsenal (away).
Yet two of those 'tougher' games, away to Arsenal and at home to Chelsea are amongst the three final games of the season for the Reds, by which they may have already secured the title at that point.
Even that big game away to Manchester City has an asterisk against it as if you compare the games the teams have up until then, City have by far the tougher run.
Liverpool's run of league games
v Southampton (9th) (H)
v Norwich City (20th) (A)
v West Ham (17th) (H)
v Watford (19th) (A)
v Bournemouth (18th) (H)
v Everton (12th) (A)
v Crystal Palace (11th) (H)
v Man City (2nd) (A)
Man City's run of games
v Tottenham (6th) (A)
v West Ham (17th) (H)
v Leicester City (3rd) (A)
v Manchester United (5th) (A)
v Burnley (13th) (H)
v Chelsea (4th) (A)
v Liverpool (1st) (H)
One game v Arsenal (10th) (H) is to be rearranged due to Carabao Cup Final participation.
City have four away games in succession against top six sides, Spurs, Leicester, Man Utd and Chelsea and if they drop points in one or more of them, then Liverpool could wrap the title up even sooner (depending on if Leicester City overtake Man City in the table).
It is clear that City, who have already dropped points in 33% of their league games this season, have a very tough run of games and points dropped in any of them (together with Leicester also being less than perfect) means that Liverpool would then need fewer wins to claim the title.
It is also worth remembering that Liverpool have:
- Conceded just one goal in their last nine Premier League games and just 15 all season (comfortably the best in the division, eight fewer than Sheffield United).
- Beaten all 19 teams in a single EPL season within 24 games (and it would have been sooner had they not had to postpone their game with West Ham due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup in Dubai)
- Need just seven more points from their remaining 14 games to assure themselves of a place in the Champions League next season, although in all likelihood, their points total should be enough now to ensure that is the case.
- Collected more points than any other team in the top leagues in Europe. (Real Madrid have 46 points from 21 games, Barcelona 43 from 21, Red Bull Leipzig 40 from 19, Bayern Munich 39 from 19, Juventus 51 from 21 games, PSG 52 from 21 games). If PSG were to win their next three games, they would have 61 points from 24 games, still nine behind Liverpool.
- Achieved this despite seeing a number of key players injured for spells including Alisson (for the first couple of months of the season), Mane, Fabinho, Shaqiri, Matip, Lovren, Milner, Lallana and Oxlade Chamberlain.
- Come back from 3-0 down against Barcelona, complete with Messi, Coutinho and Suarez, with no Salah or Firmino in the Reds side in a European Cup semifinal, to win 4-3 on aggregate. The Reds have beaten Barcelona over two legs in each of the last five times they have faced them in European competition.
- Have a +1 rating on VAR decisions in their favour. This compares to +6 for Brighton, +4 for Manchester United and Crystal Palace. Spurs and Newcastle also have +1 on VAR decisions, with Man City -1, Arsenal and Chelsea -2 and Wolves -4. The losers have been Norwich City with -6 VAR decisions.
- The capability to score a maximum of 112 points. Manchester City can get a maximum of 93 points. Leicester can get 90 and Chelsea 82. Man Utd, Tottenham and Wolves can get a maximum of 76 points, which Liverpool will hit if they win their next two games and the Reds goal difference is 34 better than United, 35 better than Spurs and 38 better than Wolves.
- After Saturday's game with Southampton, the Reds do not face a team currently in the top half of the table until the game with Manchester City in April. Before that game, City will have played the teams 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th in the table away from home.
- Gone a total of 41 League Games unbeaten since losing to Manchester City in January 2019.
- Gone a total of 52 League Games unbeaten at Anfield, since losing to Crystal Palace in April 2017.
- Lost just one of their last 63 Premier League games, stretching back to May 2018.
- Won 36 of their last 37 Premier League games.
Of course, it's even better being a Liverpool fan and watching it unfold. I also do like the fact that so many fans of other clubs are complaining that Liverpool fans are 'unbearable' due to the team's success over the past couple of years in particular.
These are the same fans that have taken every gleeful opportunity to laugh at the team and fans when we were poor (and there were times we were god awful), who have mocked every mistake, slip up, poor performance, misdemeanour with absolute glee for year after year, game after game. You don't have to listen to many games to hear the "Always the Victim" and "Steve Gerrard, Gerrard" chants ringing out. Or worse, sadly.
And now these fans are claiming we're unbearable! It's a bit like teasing a tied up Grizzly bear for 30 years and then moaning that now it is free, that it's going to rip your head off an eat your face.
And the best bit of it all, is despite all those haters, despite those pathetic fans who can't see past their own small-minded vitriol, we have done it the right way. We have had to sell some key players to fund this team Klopp has put together. We haven't used the wealth of an entire mega rich Arabian country and then bullied UEFA and FIFA into accepting it due to the potential cost to the organisations of taking on, not just a club, but an entire country backed by almost limitless funds. Nor have we had to bribe fans to fill the stadium for some games.
Furthermore, what really irks most fans is that despite their own support, there is something magical at Anfield that can make the impossible happen. And the vast majority of teams cannot do that.
Lastly, no other team has Jurgen Klopp either. Not only is the man a legend, he is one of the nicest and most genuine people in football. The reason Klopp is so successful at Liverpool is not that Liverpool got Klopp, it is that Klopp got Liverpool - he understood what the club means to its fans and the community. He understand the Reds fans mentality and he embodies it to perfection, better than even his team does.
We've done things the wrong way around a bit. We were best in Europe first, now we are the best in the world too. Just the best in England to go and perhaps retaining the European title too.
Unbearable? You bet your arse.
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