Oh, ye of little faith ... let’s stay united
IT’S tough being a Liverpool supporter these days.
The moment there’s a blip in the team’s form and results start to go south, you can start to hear murmurs of discontent from a section of the fans.
You can never please them. I’ll bet that even if Liverpool were to win the English Premier League title this season, they will still grumble.
Look, the Reds are second in the standings and still in with a shout for a spot in the English League Cup final.
Things aren’t really that bad you know?
Yet, I know of many so-called diehard Liverpool fans already starting to doubt Juergen Klopp’s management and coaching skills.
Come on guys! How many times must you be told that Rome wasn’t built in a day?
Give him time. He is trying to build something that will last.
He took us to two finals last season. Okay, we lost both. So what?
If he wanted instant success, he would have splashed the cash like those moneybags – Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea – right?
So cut him some slack, will you? That brings me to today’s showdown with arch-rivals Manchester United.
Are we going to throw in the towel if we lose? Are we going to start screaming from the rooftop if we win?
Let’s keep things in perspective here.
Whatever happens today at Old Trafford, Liverpool FC will continue to prosper under the astute leadership of Klopp.
If anyone can help us bring back the glory years, it’s him.
It looks like the pessimists among the Liverpool ranks are already dreading today’s game.
They think that this is a bad time for Liverpool to be facing United. Why?
For one, the Reds are going through a rough patch while the Devils are enjoying a purple patch.
Yes, Liverpool are struggling. We seem to have lost the dash, verve and panache of the early season.
We are also missing our bright spark in attack – Sadio Mane, who is with Senegal for the African Nations Cup Finals in Gabon.
Add to that our most creative player – Philippe Coutinho – is just returning from an ankle injury. Then, there are doubts over the availability of skipper Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip.
And don’t forget, our strikers Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi have been a little off key of late.
United, however, are going great guns.
Nine straight matches unbeaten and scoring goals for fun.
Their players are firing on all cylinders, especially since Jose Mourinho restored Michael Carrick into the team.
His presence has allowed Paul Pogba to run riot. Carrick’s creativity and composure has seen the whole team transformed from a bunch of misfits into a bunch of perfectionists.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic can’t stop scoring. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is beginning to show his class. The rest – Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and even Wayne Rooney – are all thriving. But you know what?
This is one match where you can tear the formbook to shreds.
Klopp’s men need no bigger motivation than to go to Old Trafford, beat the daylights out of the Devils and steal all three points from under their noses!
It can be done and it will be done. So, come on you Reds. YNWA!