Well, it's been a very tough last few months for the majority of Liverpool supporters, especially those like me, the older ones. Even tougher for those fans even older than ourselves as we've seen change at the Club, some change viewed as good and some change viewed as treacherous. NESV have come into the Club and saved us, for that i'm eternally grateful.
They've done some great things, securing sponsorship deals that outweigh our major rivals and it's fair to say they have spent money on players. They've also removed several players that just weren't cutting it here.
They've done some bad things too, ruthlessly disposing of Kenny Dalglish, the man who put us back on an even keel and saved us from embarassment after the tenure of Project Owl. Their lack of backing to Suarez over the Evra affair was disgusting and when you see a player and manager left to walk alone by the owners then it sticks like a knife into the hearts of the Liverpool family.
Then there's things they haven't done, like the proposed new stadium or re-development of Anfield, their ignorance in not offering an apology to Kenny Dalglish over the way they handled the whole debacle.
We've seen the installation of a new manager, Brendan Rodgers. I've been very happy with the way he's settled in and he seems to be cut from the same cloth as Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish. A working class man from a hard working background with the same values, principles, morals and philosophy that all the aforementioned possessed in abundance.
It's taken me a while to come round since Kenny left and i don't think i'll ever recover from it. That's why it's been hard to focus on my beloved Liverpool.
This may sound stupid but i've felt like getting behind Brendan has been like betraying the King, i've felt guilty because i know Kenny should still be here, carrying on buliding on the foundations he'd laid.
Another thing that has angered me is the constant swooning over 'tiki-taka' football.
Heed this famous quotation please -
"Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple."Brendan has schooled himself well in the art of playing effective football and his philosophy is akin to that of Bill Shankly. My only reservation is that we don't seem to have the ability to mix it up but hopefully we won't require that.
All these names that get bandied about for what is in essence, ' pass and move' football do my b***ard head in.
We perfected it, others try to emulate it.
We've been arguing amongst each other this Summer but what i'm trying to say is that now is the time to put those differences aside. A new Season starts tomorrow afternoon, a new journey with new additions.
This is a battle cry to everyone that has an affiliation with Liverpool Football Club. A cry to those that Kenny brought in last Season to show the desire and gratitude they failed to show Kenny last Season. A cry to all the new signings to show they want to be here and fight for us. A cry to the owners to deliver what they have promised both on the field and off it. A cry to all the supporters to unify under one common pursuit, the pursuit of perfection.
Tomorrow afternoon a new chapter begins, a chapter i would never have envisaged just a few months ago. I don't want to turn the page but there's nothing i can do about it, it has to be done.
I'm wishing Brendan and the boys all the very best for the new Season and i'm hoping come May next year we'll be drooling at the prospect of some more silverware.
Just go out there and do your best, give your all lads, not just for Liverpool Football Club but for yourselves.
You'll Never Walk Alone.
