Wednesday, 8 June 2011

The season of two halves

Football is as a game of two halves. This seemingly simple statement of fact has long been used by commentators and supporters alike to succinctly summarise the exhilaratingly unpredictable way in which the momentum in football matches often swings in favour of either side throughout the duration of a game.

Never has this truth been more apparent than in Istanbul, when the Reds rescued a penalty shootout victory from the jaws of devastating defeat to secure their fifth European Cup and a place in history as winners of probably the best European Cup final in history.

However, this season has provided perhaps the starkest demonstration of this principle, with Liverpool supporters experiencing a wide range of emotions, from utter despair to unadulterated joy, uniquely not just during a single match but throughout the entire course of a turbulent yet undeniably fascinating campaign.

From warring owners to boardroom stability, from the brink of financial oblivion to the haven of fiscal security, from the much maligned Roy Hodgson to fans’ favourite Kenny Dalglish and from humiliating defeats to celebrated victories, the Anfield faithful have certainly witnessed one of the most eventful seasons in my living memory, unfortunately regularly for the wrong reasons.


The club has been put through the destructive minefields of the British and, bizarrely, Texan legal systems while suffering the indignity of floundering near the relegation zone following home defeats to the lowly Blackpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and even League Two side Northampton Town in front of a disbelieving Kop.

After a disappointing 2009/2010 campaign, Roy Hodgson was appointed in the summer to steady the ship and put smiles on the fans' faces following the departure of the much loved yet unsurprisingly sacked Spaniard Rafael Benitez. The former Fulham manager's arrival was greeted with a stifling indifference from many supporters. Most were willing to give him a chance, but few fully believed he was capable of being successful in the Anfield dugout and surviving beyond the end of the Hicks and Gillett era.

Summer signings Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen and Brad Jones didn't inspire much confidence in the manager from the Kop, however the captures of Joe Cole and Raul Meireles proved promising, although neither player performed anywhere near their potential until Hodgson had left Merseyside with his reputation tarnished but his wallet bulging.

Hodgson received a reported pay off of just over £7 million after he had overseen the Reds' worst start to a season in 57 years. The football was intolerable, the results were indefensible, his away record was inexcusable and his comments in the media were inexplicable.

Describing our dreary 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park as our best performance during his reign was laughable, but nobody was amused when he criticised the Kop after a 1-0 reversal at home to Mick McCarthy's Wolves. That suicidal move exposed his fatal failure to develop a rapport with the fans and virtually guaranteed his swift departure, with the 63-year old finally shown the door after yet another abysmal away defeat at Ewood Park.

Unfortunately, the chaos on the field was reflected and even exaggerated in the boardroom, as a nasty yet necessary civil war unfolded, with Martin Broughton, Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre taking on Hicks and Gillett, who stubbornly refused to sell the club to Boston Red Sox owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and instead hung onto the club, desperate to find a bank willing to re-finance their loans and extend their miserable reign at Anfield.

With the club on the brink of entering administration and consequently incurring a 10-point penalty, the matter went to the High Court. Thankfully, Mr Justice Floyd held that Hicks and Gillett acted contrary to the terms of their agreement with RBS when they attempted to sack Ian Ayre from the board in order to block the completion of the sale of the club, and therefore the board had the right to sell the club to FSG without the approval of the despised American duo.

Despite numerous protestations, appeals across the Atlantic and Tom Hicks ridiculously declaring that he had been the victim of an "epic swindle" the sale of the club was eventually completed and FSG arrived, crucially paying off the vast majority of the debt that the previous pair of Americans had piled on the club. Since purchasing the club FSG's style has been incredibly encouraging, with principal owners John Henry and Tom Werner sensibly promising little yet delivering much.


Unlike Hicks and Gillett, they have taken a keen interest in the footballing side of the club, with both regularly attending Anfield. Moreover, they have made some superb appointments, bringing in the experienced and knowledgeable Damien Comolli as Director of Football, who proved instrumental in signing Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January.

Of course, most importantly FSG intelligently replaced Roy Hodgson with Kenny Dalglish, originally on a temporary basis although the Scot has since been rewarded with a permanent contract after the massive improvement his appointment inspired. After cutting short his holiday cruise early to return to the Anfield dugout, the King has sensationally turned the Liverpool ship around, away from the looming iceberg of a relegation dogfight and towards the sunny shores of success.

A return to the tried and tested values of the Liverpool Way has fittingly accompanied Dalglish's return to the club he loves, with an emphasis on unity, collective effort and whole-hearted commitment proving invaluable in reversing our on-field fortunes and quickly pushing the Reds back up the Premier League table.

The passion and expertise of Dalglish and his well-respected assistant Steve Clarke have translated onto the pitch, as the Anfield faithful have enjoyed the entertaining, free flowing brand of football now utilised. This refreshing style of play has proved successful, with wins over both Manchester sides as well as a thrilling victory at Stamford Bridge and hard-fought point at the Emirates leading some to claim that a title challenge is not beyond the Reds next season.

Although caution must be taken before making bold predictions, a top four finish certainly seems eminently possible next season, particularly as Kenny, Comolli and co seek to add further to the squad, following the instant impact Luis Suarez and, to a lesser extent, Andy Carroll have had on the team's performance.


Following the untimely departure of Fernando Torres, Suarez and Carroll have filled his boots fantastically, linking up promisingly and thrilling the Kop with tricky skill, footwork to frighten any defence and a rugged determination characteristic of all Anfield heroes.

With many new arrivals expected at Anfield during the summer, it is undoubtedly an exciting time to be a Liverpool fan. Considering the depression, anxiety and anger surrounding the club amidst on-field embarrassment and off-field turmoil at the start of the season, the new optimistic mood engulfing the red half of Merseyside is extremely welcome.

In fact, this season can be summed up with this line from the club's famous anthem that I will end with:

"At the end of a storm there is a golden sky."

You'll Never Walk Alone

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