Twin Peaks: Two Incredible Liverpool FC Victories Over Time

Life. Death. The rise and fall of an empire. Just as the day has dawned, so shall the night come.

t’s only a matter of time. All which has begun will at some point come to an end. Things can change in a heartbeat. In life sometimes those alterations can be irrevocable but in sport every moment that passes arrives a new opportunity.

A shot at making it right.

The first half an hour of Liverpool’s 5-1 demolition of Arsenal may have only been a few short weeks ago but the sounds and sights of it will burn long into the memory. A performance which be put upon the mental mantelpiece of those that were able to witness it (although Gunners may be hard pressed to ever dwell on it again).

In recent history, there have been very few like it. But there was one that sprang immediately to mind. It was the time Real Madrid came to Anfield and were blown away.

Together they are arguably the two best opening halves for Liverpool Football Club in the last 20 years. When reminded of that incredible early spring annihilation of Juande Ramos’ side in the warm afterglow of that victory over Arsenal, it’s worth noting the differences between the two. Like twins that do not share each others looks, though they may share the same DNA; it is what separates them that makes them important.

Pre match tension comes in many forms for many different people but in the big games it grips us all. A thousand different football matches play out in the mind simultaneously, trying to gain some sort of credible insight as to what is about to unfold. The naturally positive will look at certain areas with an attempted rationalised hope while others will dive head first into superstition or something a little stronger in an attempt to avoid the possible worst case scenarios.

In the lead up to facing Arsene Wenger’s men, there was an air of natural trepidation given the disappointing draw at the Hawthorns a week prior and the finely balanced way the season was going. Given Arsenal’s record at Anfield as of late, it only added weight to what was already a must-win game.

Compare that to Real’s first ever competitive visit to Anfield and there wasn’t quite the same level of tension. Of course there are a multitude of reasons for this. It’s much easier to approach a one-off tie—especially one in which you already hold the lead—than that which is part of a campaign and the club’s specially affinity for the European Cup meant that it was going to be much more of a spectacle regardless. Still, there would have been few anticipating quite what happened in either encounter.

Any direct comparison between the two games is what this is about.

The merits of one team, player or even manager over another is an irrelevant discussion. What it illustrates however—in big broad red letters —is how far Liverpool have come. There were 561 days in between the aforementioned triumph over Real Madrid and – on that very same turf – losing to Northampton.

On Sunday, Swansea came to Liverpool. They have their own incredible story, book-ended by two victories. Last September when they traveled to Valencia and stunned them by three goals to nil, it was exactly ten years to the day that they defeated Huddersfield at Vetch Field. Having been a part of that journey, Brendan Rodgers and his team appear not only driven to get Liverpool Football Club back to where they once were but adequately equipped to get there.

Because of it’s competitive nature, there is no guarantee that a fall from grace will be followed by a return to glory. While Southampton and also Manchester City have been able to find a way back from having been down in League Two—the latter having had immeasurably financial aid since their return to the Premier League—there are still also tales of those who haven’t quite been able to find a way.

Nottingham Forest and Leeds have done well in terms of stabilisation following turmoil but still find themselves on the outside looking in. Just when it appeared that Wolves had gained some stability, they themselves fell backward two divisions in successive years.

Then there is the case of Portsmouth, who in five years went from winning the FA Cup to being relegated to League Two. A fan base made to suffer because of off-the-field decisions and a football club crippled by poor management and ownership.

Sounds very familiar.

There was a point where it looked like Liverpool were destined for administration. Perhaps even the beginning of a slide that could take decades to erase. Stade de Reims are the sixth most successful side in France in terms of league titles, despite having won their last of six Lique 1 titles in 1962.

It mattered not that they were heavily involved in the infancy of the European Cup (runners-up in the first two tournaments) when they were liquidated in 1993 and had to auction off their assets. After a remarkable rise from the ashes, going into this weekend they sit eighth in the French top flight.

It feels as though it’s taken forever simply to get to this part, where there is but a chance of something special. The goal from the outset this season has been to get back into the top four but it is only a subplot in a much longer quest. There is still the 23-year search for a title, a generational gap that could potentially be bridged by the end of this season.

As unlikely as it sounds, while it remains even but the faintest of possibilities, the aim should be to finish as high as possible. With 11 huge games of the season left to go and two of the top three still to play at home, it isn’t a question as to whether Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers can go all the way but whether they will.

Only time will tell.

The Perfect Storm: Why Defeat Matters More

A word that means everything. An entirely unattainable concept, yet one that people strive for every day. To actively chase it would be to forever be tailing the impossible. An existence founded upon perilous fragility; for one mistake would erase all that had gone before.

Still we frivolously attach it to many different aspects of our lives as well as ourselves. The world itself, a single day and even in relationships. Constructing them in our minds as ideals while knowing that they can never exist because of that one quality which can never be obtained.

Perfection.

In the face of the recent happenings at the Hawthorns, with Kolo Toure central to a rather crucial error, such an all-encompassing

In whatever facet of reality, there is usually a margin for error; some much larger than others. Ideally you would stay away from these lines, sailing as far away from the edge as much as possible. For Liverpool, the waters are not quite so tranquil however.

Looming has been the prospect of being shut out of Europe’s elite…but there is now a path to safety.

Following the game against Aston Villa at Anfield, it was clear that a mistake had been made. The uproar that followed and subsequent fears, while having legitimate grounds ran away with itself. What it did bring up however is that in spite of everything, that setback meant more than all of the victories before it.

The pain from even the smallest of cuts causes concern.

So far there is enough evidence to suggest that the wound caused at Anfield some eleven days ago is hardly life threatening but the way in which Liverpool were exposed and then inflicted cannot be allowed to happen too often. Both in terms of set up and performance, everything went wrong but even having said that and with all the frustration and anger that came along, it was still a point gained on last year.

To stand around and simply focus on the situation would not be indicative of moving on from it. There is no one entity who should shoulder the entirety of the blame, especially given that more or less the same side played so magnificently against Everton.

Portions of it have been dished out and Rodgers himself has publicly taken some culpability. While a line does need to be drawn under that game, it should not be forgotten entirely. If it is to serve as a reminder of what can go wrong and a motivational tool for the remaining fixtures then at the very least it will have served a purpose.

Acknowledging shortcomings is the first step toward being able to counteract them. They are the fuel which lights the fire within. A perfect world is one within there is no room for improvement, which in itself is a fallacy. Without being empowered to strive for something better, complacency will poison the mind; turning dreams into nightmares. In the Premier League the threat of failure lurks around every corner. So long as we can feel it breathing down on us, the need to get away and move forward will be ever present.

Football as played by human beings and not numbers in a formula—a la Football Manager—will forever be ruled by those who make the fewest missteps. The reason why Guardiola’s tactics at Barcelona were copied so frequently is not because of their esthetic value but that they won games; and subsequently trophies. Methods work over a period of time due to a lack of cohesion on the part of the opponent or due to the personnel within. Once a side knows how to negate tactics or to prevent a special player from getting the ball, it all falls down.

At the highest level, making correct decisions is not enough. In order to usurp and take over, mistakes have to be made.

The sale of Liverpool Football Club to George Gillett and Tom Hicks was so substantial that the effects are still around today. It was only after Rafa Benitez left that the sheer level of damage could be seen. Even after they had gone and Kenny Dalglish had stabilised things, it wasn’t that long ago that Liverpool dominated games and did seemingly everything in their power to gain victory, only for one errant back pass or a lapse in concentration and how well things were going before became an irrelevance.

That was how it went under Kenny. The cost was dear.

Things have changed for the better. Rodgers and his team have built an aura around themselves that no matter what the opposition, they cannot keep Liverpool out. Having swept aside most of the league so far, it is the frequency of those combined poor performances and results which could ultimately define the season. On only two occasions have the club been beaten whilst playing badly; with the point away to Newcastle looking less and less calamitous in spite of it being an opportunity missed.

There is still far too much time left in the campaign to say one way or another whether anything of the mistakes of the past will become costly. So then it is up to everyone involved to make sure that standards are maintained from here on out. Added up, small errors become a big problem.

However if the timing is right, it will only take one.

Despite the emphatic derby victory, Everton will keep chasing. Juan Mata will spur on United and so long as Tottenham themselves continue to win then they cannot be ignored.

Looking upward, a double header with Arsenal could at least put the breaks on their momentum, who will be desperate to push on from their magnificent start. Chelsea and Manchester City will remain as they are but it would be reassuring to even attempt at bearing down on them and the title as opposed to being worried about being caught out in the race for fourth.

Despite having been been able to ride out the Christmas fixture list with only minimal damage, tougher times no doubt lay ahead. There will be moments when even the brilliance of Sturridge and Suarez won’t be enough.

When that happens, Liverpool must make sure that they are able to ride it out. Brendan Rodgers cannot allow one or two cracks to sink his ship. For the rest of the season the club may have to weather a storm. At the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky…

Unfinished Symphony

Destiny is a tool of the inactive. Fate a driving force for those who are uncomfortable in taking a central role, even during events in which they are the star. There are certain situations that arise that – once taken advantage of – appear almost preordained; but it is the active process of grasping that opportunity which will eventually determine success and failure.

In a team setting, where a collection of people must pool their talents together in order to achieve a common goal, there will always be a disparity between how much each individual can contribute. Those that are truly gifted can appear to defy any number of fates. No matter how dire the circumstances, they act as a balancing force. Their role is to be that initial platform. To establish a base and make sure that at the very least, there will be a chance to accomplish whatever objectives had already been set out. Some don’t even stop there.

No single contribution matters more than the next. Ultimately, in spite of how small or large they may be, so long as there is an active addition toward the end result, every effort counts. The talented, by their very definition, give more in any kind of collaborative project but the outcome would vary dramatically with no other input at all. The best conductor in the world can do nothing with those that do not know how to play instruments. Luis Suarez is right now playing beautiful music whenever he steps out onto the pitch. To play on the biggest stage however, this virtuoso is going to need some help.

Football isn’t as simple as being able to split the team into four separate groups like you would an orchestra, because certain personnel have to perform dual roles. Imagine asking someone to play two different things at any given time during a performance and that’s the equivalent of someone like Henderson having to deliver on both ends of the pitch. Instead of focusing on the instrument itself, focus on their contribution to the overall sound. Something like an violin or piano is going to add more than say a triangle.

Within that depiction there are a few distinct categories. Those whose sound will feature prominently; the aforementioned Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, whose movements on the pitch it can be said are of the effortless glide with which a pianist will slide his fingers along the keys and Steven Gerrard, still leading the horn section despite claims that he’s too old to do it. Whatever type of song it is that these players play will be the overall theme of the season. It’s possible that they alone could be enough to earn Liverpool a standing ovation at the end of the season but it’s incredibly unlikely.

At the other end of the scale there are touches of subtlety. Depth to a piece as it moves through its peaks and troughs. They are bridges; and though they will never grab the same attention as their more grandiose partners still there is a purpose – however deceptively tiny – to be served. Brad Smith and Jordan Ibe fit into this category perfectly. Though there aren’t as many opportunities for them to play as perhaps they’d like, nobody expects them to be the star of the show. At the moment they’re just getting used to their seats in the main amphitheater. Raheem Sterling and Jon Flanagan have shown what can happen once you become comfortable.

Lastly a group who appear throughout and are necessary to complete the composition. The drum beat that sets the rhythm while all around there are fantastical solo performances. It is how this group performs that will ultimately decide how far Liverpool can go this season. Within this cross section there is a handful of players who have make a step up. If they continue in this manner then anything is possible.

It matters that within the team, the best players reach their potential. They are the ones who set the ceiling for which everyone else can aim for. But the likes of Gerrard and Suarez were always going to have a large say in proceedings. It’s when the progression of someone such as Jordan Henderson propels him from background noise to front and center that the whole unit becomes elevated. In such an open season where anything seems possible, it’s within these outsiders that lies the key to a top four finish; or even more.

Beyond simply those that will play a regular part, there are others that will be looked upon to make a contribution. Understudies that have a chance and every right to make a name for themselves. Everyone that arrived in the summer barring Simon Mignolet – arguably Mamadou Sakho – and all those who will be acquired over this coming window; it could very well be down to one of them to make the difference. On a day when one of the headliners cannot reach a high note, it will be down to everyone else to make sure it goes unheard.

The difference can be summed up in two players. While Victor Moses appears to have the blues and is forever blowing raspberries into his own trumpet, Iago Aspas has suddenly made some noise of his own. Nobody has any clue what kind of instrument he’s playing (perhaps it’s Dion Dublin’s dube) or even whether it will ever mesh with the rest of the team but at least he’s making himself heard right now for the right reasons.

At some point in the season there will be a crescendo. A moment – or series of – which cannot be allowed to pass by quietly. If there are only a few able to reach the level of performance required, everything else that has gone before will fall flat. Brendan Rodgers has conducted things wonderfully so far but the tempo and intensity is about to rise inexorably. Perhaps at the end of it all, his Liverpool philharmonic will be touring the bright spots of Europe next season.

Summer Of Love

Trying to stay in the moment is difficult. Because of the constant advancing of time, before anything really has the chance to be savoured it is gone. It’s why we cherish photographs so much. They are a visual representation of a place in time.

Another effect of this is the constant progression of hypothetical actions. This is especially true in a professional sense, for those that do not look ahead are forever at risk of being left behind. Because we don’t know what will happen, based on probability and the information at hand it then becomes nigh on impossible for our brains not to run off into the distance and not seek out a single solution but to travel down the road of any number of multiple destinations.

Every year there are days on the calendar we look forward to purely on the basis of what happened before. The idea of attaching any extra significance to an event or period of time that hasn’t happened yet is established firmly in either reliving old glories or an attempt at correcting the mistakes of our past. Most of these situations are personal, but there is one that appears universal.

While there will always be certain exceptions; everybody looks forward to the summer.

Like most things that are deep rooted within us, the love of this time of year stems from childhood. School holidays – in addition to actual ones – led to seemingly infinite possibilities. It was our best chance to get out and explore the world at large, whether it was a case of having and endless playtime or being taken away to some far flung land by our parents. This is before you factor in the sunshine, although that’s not so much of an issue in England.

As May turns to June and spring to summer, a seed of hope is planted. The football season has only been away for a few weeks but – in the absence of a major tournament – it’s sometimes two weeks too long. As players begin to be added to the squad, that hope should begin to bloom but all too often as of late, Liverpool Football Club have had some pretty bad harvests.

He may be the default position for misery around Anfield but it begins with Roy Hodgson. It’s the LFC equivalent of the word schadenfreude; there really is no other way to evoke such despair, which is somewhat symbolic given how everyone else would have reacted to us at the time.

With each passing year, the picture of a smiling Hodge as he unveiled Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic and Danny Wilson becomes even more incredulous and this is even before you get to Paul Konchesky.

That’s not to say that things then were anti Hodgson or even Pro Rafa, at the time everyone was desperate for it to happen. Much in the same way that if you close your eyes and flap your arms in an attempt to fly kind of fashion, but still it wasn’t exactly a exciting start to the campaign that was to come.

Flash forward a year and the enthusiasm could not be faulted. Everything on that front had been completely reversed. King Kenny was back in charge, there were new owners at the helm and with a large influx of cash and signings made over the summer maybe now things could start going in the right direction.

Game one of 38, a Seb Larsson sucker punch drained it away in a single blow. A win at Arsenal the following week did counter that nicely, but at home certainly, a tone had been set and an oppurtunity missed.

By the time summer came around again, there was another regime change that would come with it. It was Brendan Rodgers who would be tasked with getting Liverpool back up the table and who promptly had the rug pulled from underneath him in the form of two massive obstacles.

The first; having to play both Manchester clubs and Arsenal in quick succession so early on meant that there was no chance for any momentum in terms of points to build and secondly perhaps the most calamitous end to a transfer window since its inception.

For the first time in a long time, Liverpool aren’t playing catch up; they’re setting the pace. It’s a speed nobody should expect to maintain throughout the season, and the last two games have already proven that won’t be the case, but is one that could certainly carry the team through to the end of the year.

Barely before the dust had begun to settle on Carra’s boots than all the talk was of the manner in which business was being done. Toure, Aspas, Alberto, Mignolet; all sorted in quick succession. Then the fixture list was actually kind to the club for a change and allowed for a chance to really fly out of the blocks. In years past it’s been easier said than done for Liverpool to take such an opportunity but that they have done. Three played, three wins, three clean sheets. If there was any room for negativity to climb in through the window, the arrivals of Victor Moses, Tiago Ilori and Mamadou Sakho helped slam it shut.

A home defeat to Southampton takes some of the gloss off the start, but Liverpool were never going through the entire season unbeaten anyway.

So now here we are. The sun has quite literally shone on Liverpool during the close season. A good start does nothing but build a platform to push onward and it is still going to take a lot of hard work and effort to continue that narrative. In the meantime however, it feels good to simply sit down and enjoy the moment.

To watch Steven Gerrard imperiously guide his national team while Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge blossom before our very eyes. The smiles are there and whether that be due to the good start or simply because Kolo Toure has become the ultimate cult hero in the blink of an eye.

Even when the sun goes down and the seasons change, there’s a real impetus there now that Liverpool will not go with it.

The Duality Of Fan

Fandom is a very difficult thing to nail down. Primarily because it revolves around the reaction of a single individual to something and the collating of said individuals into a group, bound by a common bond.

Human beings are complex and contradictory by nature, so the idea that even those who share similar interests will have similar personalities is not so much a fallacy as it is impossible.

Some connections resonate stronger than others, which complicate things even further. Pointless competition arises, whereby devotion to something is measured in a points system. Two people can be connected by one thing and yet at odds with each other by how much it means to them.

Glen Johnson, why…Joe Allen, can’t…Luis Alberto, no!

All these and more, readily and repeatedly within earshot. This was even before half time, when the Liverpool team had a two goal lead against Notts County. I should say that saying these things were mostly the rantings of one bitter, bitter man—but those that share his attitude and how it completely contradicts with mine is what I need to get off my chest.

Not one ounce of encouragement uttered within the entire game. He even had an extra half an hour to find it within him. I’m not asking anyone to blindly praise anybody, but to stop and think about things for a second.

Shouting “OH YOU…!” several times at a 17 year old lad who’s not having the best of times on a football pitch, what is that meant to achieve?

The important thing is not even how good or how bad his individual performance was, nor how it fitted in line with the team. Jordon Ibe’s progress will not hinge on one League Cup game; win, lose or draw. What he can learn from his game against Notts County is, and I’m certain that the coaching staff and Jordon himself will take something and move forward.

The last thing we want is that the next time he gets an opportunity he is afraid. That he would play anything other than his own, natural game, for fear of being derided.

Daniel Sturridge had been put through on goal. His shot hit the keeper and then bounced over the line and Anfield celebrates a goal like with the kind of joy and relief you wouldn’t associate with a second round League Cup tie against Notts County. It should have been—at the very least—the instant where red blushes were almost certainly spared. What had been a collective show of emotion gave way to something different entirely.

Chants of “You’re not singing anymore” directed from the Kop toward the Anfield Road end at the deflated Notts County fans were drowned out by boos.

As a precursor, I would like to point out that I was part of them, so I am not trying to condemn them. But did get me thinking. These were jeers not aimed at an opposition player or trying to intimidate the referee, but at a section of our own fan base.

Who needs enemies?

Football has often been likened to religion and the comparison is somewhat understandable given its emotional power with the masses. Emotion and rejoicing go hand in hand. Volume doesn’t matter because it comes from the heart more-so than the vocal chords. Especially at a football ground, where you’re very unlikely to hear anything pitch perfect. One voice can stand out and make a difference; for both the good and the bad.

Anytime you’ve ever really tried to sing—and even those of us without any real vocal talent have tried—you feel something deep down, that’s what it’s about.

I’d heard it all before.

The lone gunman, intent on picking apart every little thing about a certain player, or the manager. It’s happened before and it will happen again.

Being at Anfield is something I have always taken as a responsibility. You’re there as a supporter, to be there for when they need you. However, having listened to such vitriol—and become increasingly irate—with the mindless criticism around, in particular a complete assassination of Luis Alberto, came a realisation. I had been so worked up and deflated with what was being said, my voice had been missing as a counterpoint and so I was as much to blame as he.

Chances are, if Alberto heard one voice that night, it was mine. It wasn’t a great performance by any stretch of the imagination, but boy do I want him to succeed.

For that last half an hour when things went wrong on Tuesday, there was a sense of inevitability and that it had all been seen before. That mass acceptance shouldn’t even be contemplated let alone tolerated.

This isn’t to let any of the players off the hook, as there was a drop off which Notts County took full advantage of, but the idea, the very birth of that capitulation, came from doubt.

It spread like a disease and quickly led to frustration, which in turn led to uncertainty. As such, mind and body were out of synch. They didn’t regain much of that until Toure’s injury, and out of it rose a cloud of defiance. That doubt needs to be exorcised.

Opinions are not all equal. All that is valid is that you possess one, but that doesn’t prevent them from being superior or inferior. Everyone has their own personal bias one way or another.

It matters little how they arrived at such a conclusion.

Past judgements inform, but rarely illuminate. If anything they blind us to things as we are determined to see through our own eyes no matter how narrow the vision may be. Some would rather something goes wrong, or a particular player messes up, just for the sake of validation.

Being there isn’t just a badge of honor you wear for the sake of it. It’s part of a coming together. At the heart of it is a community. Football is, after all, so incredibly—feel it deep down in your bones—tribal and, perhaps more than most, the identity of what makes Liverpool Football Club is reflected in the people of the city.

This isn’t to invalidate anything or anyone outside of the city limits. That debate is tiresome and nonsensical, so long as you feel. You don’t have to embrace it (some of the people I know don’t like the city they were born in) but you do have to understand it and respect it. If you have it in you, nobody can take it away.

Come for the love of that team and leave your preconceptions at the turnstile.

Afterward, we can give an honest account of ourselves. Leave it to the opposition to undermine us.

Brendan Rodgers’ job is hard enough.

Terry McDermott Interview

The UEFA Cup. A European Super Cup. Four Charity Shields. Three League Cups. Six-time champion of England. And three European Cups.

It’s a trophy haul that dwarfs many entire football clubs, let alone one that an individual player would be proud of. Then again, there is nothing diminutive about Terry McDermott; his presence lights up a room just like he would a football pitch and when he talks, it’s always worth listening too.

This is what he had to say.

KTTK: Firstly, how’s life with Birmingham City?

Terry Mac: Yeah, very good. Could be better I suppose but it’s been a difficult season for everybody. I feel like up until a week ago, ten days ago we had a chance of getting into the playoffs. You never say never but it’ll be very difficult to get there.

So what we’re trying to do is get as high up in the league as we can. Because there’s been a lot of changing over the last year and we just want to finish off with a little bit of a bang. We’ve got four games left; two away, two at home. If we can get maximum points from there you never know where it leads too. People say it’s mission impossible to get into the playoffs – it probably is – but you never give up hope and we just want to finish as high as we can which is hopefully round about the seventh/eigth/ninth, if we can finish around there we’ve had a great season.

KTTK: What did it feel like to sign for Liverpool and to play for someone like Bob Paisley?

Bob only took the job in – I think it was the – June, or July. He took the job when Bill Shankly retired. Though I didn’t know too much about Bob Paisley; I knew who he was obviously because I was a Liverpool supporter as a kid.

It was a big job for him to do, to take over from Bill Shankly. We played them in the FA Cup final in May and I played alright and I’ve sinced found out that they had me watched a few times during the next season. I think it was about the October that I got a phone call of Phil Thompson saying “how do you fancy coming to Liverpool?”

I thought he was winding me up. He wasn’t.

Before I know it I’m in a car, driving down there by meself with an envelope that they had sealed so I couldn’t look at it. The intrigue was “shall I open the letter” as I’m driving down the A1. Shall I open it or shall I not?, because it was sat on my passenger seat.

I thought bollocks, I’m gonna open it, I wanna know what it’s about. It was a fee. I didn’t know nothing about it [prior], I just had to go to Liverpool. It was £166,000. So I got down there, went straight down to my mother and father’s, who lived in Kirkby, and me dad came and met me.

I just remember going there, didn’t even ask about wages. Like there is now, negotiating all the time, sometimes it takes a day or two to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and it took me about thirty seconds to sign.

They just give us it “there’s your contract” and it was 55 – whatever it was I can’t remember now – 55/100 quid a week. “Thank you… that’s it. Finished! Thanks very much I’ll see you tomorrow.” So it was done that quick, we just done a few photos. It was never about money, there was never any negotiating, there was never an agent.

I never ever had an agent, there wasn’t really such things as agents only Kevin Keegan had one when I was at Liverpool. So there was no negotiating it was “that’s your contract, do you want to come?” I’m not gonna say no, am I? So I just signed. It took me two years to get into the team.

KTTK: Which brings us neatly onto the next question. It took you a while to become a regular fixture in the Liverpool first team, do you have sympathy for players who don’t hit the ground running (like Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Lucas etc.)?

No, I don’t have sympathy for them. I wish I was them, I wish I was in their shoes now. Playing for Liverpool in front of them fans. I don’t feel sorry for them at all but I think they’ve – and I’m sure they do – I remember talking to Henderson at a Bonfire night party.

I remember talking to him and saying “just dig in” because he was going through a bit of a rough time. I actually said to him what I had to do for two years. Two and a bit years when I wasn’t in the team, in and out the team, more out than in. He was going through that similar thing and I said “just keep going, it’ll turn because you’re a good player” and he is a good player. It’ll turn and he’s playing a lot of games now but it’s took him the best part of a season.

KTTK: With there being very little patience in the game these days, how much harder do you think it is now for someone to break through after they have been written off?

I think it depends on the character of the player. I mean when you’ve got the abilities like he [Henderson] has, you should never doubt them because you’ve had a bad game or two, three or you’re not in the team. You know that you’re a good player so you’ve just got to persevere. You can’t just say I’ve had two bad games and I’ve been left out for six weeks.

That’s what happens.

It takes time to blend in the way he wants you to play, that the club – Liverpool – wants to play. I thought I’d probably made it when I played for Newcastle before I went to for Liverpool. I was a big fish in a big sea but when I went to Liverpool I was a little fish in a big sea. You have to come to terms with that.

I got to realise what football’s really all about. When I was at Newcastle, it was fantastic for me. I was playing every week, loved living there. Loved being round the place but when Liverpool come I didn’t really know what football was really all about and what you have to do in terms of the way you play.

I could probably play two or three bad games at Newcastle and probably still play whereas at Liverpool if I had a bad game I knew I was in trouble or that I might be out of the team. I quickly… I say quickly, it took me two years to realise it.. but then I did. Even when I was player of the year, even then I never felt I was secure in my place. That’s ridiculous to say but that’s how it was at the time. I knew that you’re only a game or two from being left out again.

I realised then that you’ve got to do it every single game whereas maybe at the other clubs I’d been at – Bury and Newcastle – I could have two good games and three bad games or something like that and still play but at Liverpool I had one bad game and I might not be in the team for two or three months, so I realised you’ve got to really do it every single game. You’re not going to play well every single game but you’ve got to put the effort in every single game and that’s what my game was based on; giving one hundred percent, every game.

KTTK: The goal you scored against Tottenham in 1978 at Anfield…

Don’t know what I was doing there.

Don’t know what I was doing on the post for their corner. I was leaning against it because we were 6-0 up and then I don’t know what possessed me to do it. That’s what happens in football. I’ve gone from their corner – from being on the post – to heading the ball ten yards from their goal.

I just kept running. Why? No idea. I just done it.

The build up to it was just, well… Bob Paisley said at the time it’s the best goal he’s ever seen at Anfield. Now I don’t think it’s the best goal in terms of me because I finished it off, I think in terms of the build up to it. Where it come from, from their corner. From going out to Kenny gave it to Dave Johnson, he gave it to Steve Heighway, all more or less one and two touch. Heighway’s was certainly one touch. I don’t know what possessed him to cross it. I mean he was so far wide and there was acres of space for him to run into but he crossed it straight away. At the time I didn’t know it but having watched it since on television I couldn’t help but think “why did he cross it the way he did; so far out?” It was still an unbelivable ball. I just had to put my head on it.

KTTK: If that’s not your favourite goal for Liverpool, what is?

It’s got to be up there because if Bob Paisley says it’s one of the best goals for Liverpool, you’ve got to listen to him. Over the years I was very lucky to score a few top goals. Spurs away in the FA Cup, that was an unbelievable goal. I scored a goal against Aberdeen in the European Cup, away, we won 1-0. I chipped the goalie from the byline. That was special.

KTTK: chipped Everton…

I’ve scored a few goals haven’t I? Don’t know how but I did it. Yeah, Everton obviously because of the importance of the game; semi final of the FA Cup.

I’ve been very very lucky, I’ve scored a lot of good goals. I remember scoring a goal, I think we were playing Mönchengladbach in a friendly. It’s never been shown since, there might not even have been cameras there. The ball come over me shoulder from a long distance and as it’s coming down and I’m running onto it and just volleyed it and it flew into the top corner. I remember that one but because no-ones ever seen it… I’d probably rate that one as one of me better goals than the ones that are on television.

Because it was a team goal, probably the one against Spurs at Anfield.

KTTK: Is there a goal you’ve witnessed that you’d rate as on par with it?

I don’t know why but I always remember a goal that Alan Mullery scored. I think he was playing for Fulham at the time. It was a volley, the ball was coming across – he was outside the box – it came across him rather than at him. It absolutely flew into the net. Probably one of the best goals I’ve ever seen. That one was on televison a few times and I have seen it. That one sticks out but I don’t know why.

KTTK: You’ve been a coach now for some time, how has the game changed?

Funnily enough, I was asking [Birmingham manager] Lee Clark about this the other day. He’s only finished playing about five/six years and I asked him if he thinks the game is faster than it was six years ago. Because when I’m out there it watching them and they’re flying past, I’m thinking “did we used to run that fast?”

He said it’s not much different than when he was playing but that’s like six years ago and obviously mine’s 26 years ago. It seems quicker and it probably is slightly quicker but they’re more protected now; players. In our day anything went, they’d snap you in half soon as look at you and that was the more difficult part of it.

Now they’re so protected, it’s certainly a lot easier being a striker. We had people coming through the back of you and they wouldn’t get booked – they wouldn’t even get a telling off. You’d probably get away with three of them and get a warning.

Now an eyelash falls on the floor and they get booked.

It’s crazy, they’ve just took the art of tackling out of the game. I mean I was never a tackler so it probably would have suited me but the people make a living of winning balls and making tackles, they’re gonna be extinct because they’re just gonna stop them. A lot of the players who are playing now, it takes away from most of their game. Their game is winning the ball, tackling and giving the ball to the more skillful players but they can’t do that now because they’re frightened to death of getting sent off.

KTTK: As someone with European pedigree, bearing in mind that Champions League football is out of the picture for next season, should Liverpool be looking for a Europa League spot this season or would it actually benefit them to have a clean slate next year?

Garbage. Absolute garbage. If they don’t think playing in Europe is high on their agenda there’s a problem because Liverpool traditionally…like Newcastle now, we see it against Benfica the other day… the fans just love being in Europe, it’s a big thing for them. For anyone to say that it’s not a priority to be in Europe… they’ve got enough players to do what other teams do, not play the players every week…rest them or whatever, to say that they don’t want to be in Europe…I find that astounding really and I’m sure that Liverpool fans will as well.

I heard Phil Thompson on Sky Sports the other day saying exactly same thing and he’s right. They wanna be in Europe. As a player you want to play every game, you want to better yourself, to pit your wits against European opposition. That’s what it has been at Liverpool for donkey’s years. For someone to come out and say that they’ll have a better go at the league next year if they didn’t have to play in Europe, I don’t buy into that.

Of course they want to be in the top four, we all want them to be in the top four; I’d love Newcastle to be in the top four. It is very, very difficult but it’s doable because they’ve got enough good players to do it. There’s no reason why they can’t get in the top four.

Even if he has to or if he wants to rest one or two of them, there’s fringe players who are not playing every week that would love to do it. Chop their bloody finger off to play in the Europa League every Thursday, so I don’t buy into that at all. I think players, fans definitely want to be in Europe.

Maybe the sports science people don’t.

KTTK: Lastly, do you have any advice for Brendan Rodgers?

No.

No advice whatsoever because he’s a lot more of a manager than I’ll ever be. But what I will say is that he’s bought well. I think he’s got a few good players there. They still need strengthening and I think they’ll have a real, real go next year to get into that top four.

It’s been a tough season, they’ve done well in a lot of games but obviously like with Kenny they couldn’t get results at home – lost a lot of points at home – Kenny was exactly the same. If they can put that right well there’s no reason why not. It will be difficult. No reason why they can’t be in the top four, they’ve got enough good players to do it. They’ve proved that when they play against the likes of Chelsea and Man Uniteds and Arsenals. They’ve proved that they’re a match for them, they’ve just got to get that consistency.

(H) West Ham - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                             Sunday 7th April 2013
                                                Anfield

                                  Liverpool VS West Ham

Another Sunday afternoon kick off, another encounter with a team that plays in claret and blue.  Following up on victory over Aston Villa last week, this one doesn't have quite the same edge.  For starters there is no need to look for any immediate redemption in that Villa may have beaten us at Anfield but our record against the Hammers makes much more pleasant reading.  Secondly, with the fact that they're perched in a relatively safe midtable slot there is no real danger of them coming to Anfield desperate for a point.  That's not to say they won't make it hard for us.  We only have to look to their manager for proof of that.

It would take a miracle or some other unforseen sign of the apocalypse, but I sense that we'll have a lot of the ball this afternoon.  Allardyce's men tend to take a hot potato approach to the game of football and if any of them hold onto it any period of time it will inevitably be followed by a demand to kick it high and long.  The middle of the park will need to be claimed as quickly as possible and I would be shocked if Henderson wasn't included to assist with that.  We saw in the game at Upton Park earlier on in the season how they can over run us if we back off, Diame in particular was spectacular that day and part of the reason why we got back into it was that he was forced off via injury.

More than anything we need to keep West Ham on the back foot as the precise thing they're very good at is our Achilles heel right now.  Defending set plays will be key and Carlton Cole will no doubt be looking to rough up our centre halves much as he did in the reverse fixture.  Hopefully Jamie Carragher's calming influence as of late will limit these moments to an absolute minimum.  Looking out alongside Carra in defence, it could be a good day for Glen Johnson to find some form again.  He was almost on a par with Luis Suarez in terms of effectiveness at one point - and let's be fair, no-one was ever really going to get close to him so that's a compliment in itself - but has cooled off as of late.  Johnson has scored against West Ham in our last three encounters with them.  Hopefully that's a trend which will continue today.

In terms of shape, because we're almost certain to be afforded a lot more space, I'm wondering whether Rodgers will opt to put Sturridge in there and go with the two in midfield.  If that were the case, it would require one of Coutinho or Downing to be benched to work properly - Lucas and Gerrard in a flat midfield could get outmanoeuvred very quickly - and it would be unfortunate if either one had to miss out.  Certainly the temptation would be there to go with the same team that won at Villa Park last week and given that I'm not sure how well Sturridge's injury is coming along then it's tough to gage.  I can certainly see the need for added attacking threat given how they'll sit deep and require a lot of work to break down but would hate to see it come at the expense of our shape in the middle of the park.

The temptation is there to say that with Everton playing Spurs, there are points to be dropped for those above us.  Truth is, that doesn't matter any more.  We simply have to get as many points as possible and whatever wants to align in front of us we will have to accept.  Even though this is likely to be a very attritional game of football and at times very uneasy on the eye - Allardyce will do that to you - I think we're doubly fortunate in that West Ham don't have that much to play for either and Andy Carroll isn't playing.  He would have something to prove and has been in decent form for them as of late.  Joe Cole meanwhile will try to come back and haunt us but I have a feeling this may be just one in a catalogue of limp performances at Anfield for him.  Some games have a lot riding on them or a multitude of angles that at any time could spark the match into life.  This isn't one of them.  Get the points and move on.