It's been 24 long years since Liverpool last won the league title (above). Their glorious 70's and 80's exploited are nothing but a long-distant memory to most football supporters. Liverpool supporting 90's kids long for those days to return and their are many young supporters alive today who have never seen their historic team win the league.
When the final whistle blew on Sunday, their victory over title favourites Manchester City was greeted with wild celebrations from a thunderous Anfield. "You'll Never Walk Alone" echoed around the stadium alongside chants that they were "going to win the league."
This is the one the fans want, even more than the Champions League miracle of Istanbul in 2005. Their dramatic turn around in fortunes has made this season all the more remarkable. Last season they finished seventh and looked dramatically off the pace. Even the most optimistic of Liverpool fan could not have uttered their famous mantra "This will be our year", with any genuine conviction at the start of this season. Yet here they are four games away from the first title in 24 years. The inner child in all the fans has now been released and they're loving this glorious run.
At the final whistle on Sunday Steven Gerrard Liverpool's captain and talisman began to cry. "Do not let this f*cking slip," was heard, as he hastily assembled his team-mates into a huddle, showing their togetherness and team spirit.
This title chance means as much to Gerrard as any Liverpool player or fan. He is a local lad, who has support Liverpool his whole life, played for them his whole career and won everything bar the league title. Monday was the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough, in which he lost his 10-year-old cousin and when interviewed after the game he was almost struck dumb by the precipice the team stand on.
"I'm quite a distance away from winning the league," he'd said on 1 September last year. "I think a lot of things would have to happen within the next 12 months, the next two years." Those things have started to happen and after a 10 game unbeaten run, Liverpool are top after winning every match since.
The game at Anfield on Sunday was treated as a title-decider, even though there are still four massive games to come. Every Liverpool fan is frantically studying the fixture list, looking at the permutations, filled with excitement and dread in equal parts. They pray that the days of living in the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United will be over. But there is also fear that being so close this year, missing out on the opportunity now would be the cruellest blow in that entire 24 year stretch.
The city as a whole has a lot to proud of this season, Everton are riding high in fourth and both teams play entertaining and exciting football, which are a credit to their manager and brilliant for their fans.
So with just four games to go, Liverpool fans are daring to dream. A 19th league title in May and then, finally, justice for the 96.
No comments:
Post a Comment