Topic: Are you enjoying it?

[xbugawugax]

I enjoy watching the team, hate football.

Its hard to love it anymore with the downright corruption across all levels of the game, its shite.

very much in the same boat

i just watch for the team. the VAR's, pundits, human rights abusing takeovers are slowly making me love it less every second.  I try to stay away from the twitter and clickbaits but try to keep updated more on the tactical analysis which is way more interesting.

[Hij]

It's great - basically got my bank balance running on empty but prefer that over being knocked out of trophies!

[meady1981]

Was thinking about how much I’ve enjoyed the Milk Cup the last few years. The games have been entertaining, the added sense of pride when the kids win and the gung-ho I don’t really give a shit if we lose vibe makes me enjoy it a lot more. I’m usually so nervous. Plus the crowd usually seem made up of people that don’t usually get to go. Id take a league cup game over a FA cup one these days I think.

[reddebs]

Odd reaction to yesterday's result from a gaggle of reds.

Some not happy about our penalty...like that should really matter.

Some complaining about the midfield.

Some annoyed about the defensive issues.

Possibly all fair enough, but it's a tad glass half empty, isn't it? Of course offer critique and observations, but the constant barrage of negativity from some is a strange one given the healthy state of the season. Even more incredible given how badly we have been hit by covid, injuries and Afcon. Winning on Thursday in London and doing it again 3 days later is so impressive given the context.

Are you enjoying it? Maybe you are. Some seem to not be...

Haha I've just had a massive rant about this in the transfer thread.

Fuck sake, it's like people can't see the joy because we aren't battering all and sundry.

Does my freaking head in!!

[1892tillforever]

I enjoy watching the team, hate football.

Its hard to love it anymore with the downright corruption across all levels of the game, its shite.

What pisses me off the most is knowing that this wonderful team is being cheated out of glory. I love the fact these lads and manager keep going though and could yet upset the oil cheats' applecart. The prospect of knocking them out of the CL en route to us winning it has me giddy.

[meady1981]

Haha I've just had a massive rant about this in the transfer thread.

Fuck sake, it's like people can't see the joy because we aren't battering all and sundry.

Does my freaking head in!!

Stop reading what c*nts say.
Does wonders.

[Jake]

I enjoy watching the team, hate football.

Its hard to love it anymore with the downright corruption across all levels of the game, its shite.

This is me.

I hate football. I never watch any of it now, except our games.

City, Chelsea, Newcastle and PSG - I'd fucking love to see their stadiums get blown to bits (when empty) and their owners shot in a rocket to the moon. They destroyed something I loved and took a major passion out of my life and I want bad things for them.

[FLRed67]

Yup. Just realized how classy that away kit is.

Retro without being outdated. White without being white. Interesting without being cluttered.

I hope we wear it when we play Bayern in St. Petersburg in May.

Can we keep it for next season, also?

[Fitzy.]

Haha I've just had a massive rant about this in the transfer thread.

Fuck sake, it's like people can't see the joy because we aren't battering all and sundry.

Does my freaking head in!!

For some, a distortion has taken place for what success should look like. Absolute perfection is the requirement...but only if that perfection is reached with a handful of world-stage superstars

The fact that PSG have gone down that road and look a bit aimless isn't an important point on this, apparently.

[reddebs]

For some, a distortion has taken place for what success should look like. Absolute perfection is the requirement...but only if that perfection is reached with a handful of world-stage superstars

The fact that PSG have gone down that road and look a bit aimless isn't an important point on this, apparently.

Nothing in life is perfect so it's impossible to achieve.

[Dr Stu-Pid]

I'm definitely enjoying it!  We're seeing a side winning loads of games, scoring loads of goals, playing really entertaining football, and still challenging in all 4 major competitions.  And best of all we have fans back and a proper atmosphere in the stadiums.  If you are concentrating on what this side is doing 'badly' then you need to reassess what makes football enjoyable IMO.

But there are still many things to dislike about football in general though.  The greed of UEFA and FIFA, sportswashing, fans descending back to the bad old days of stadium invasions and throwing stuff at players, VAR still being sh*t, the incompetence of all governing bodies around Covid and postponing games, TV punditry continuing to sink to all time low standards, and of course the cesspool that is Twitter and what passes for being a football 'fan' these days.

[markedasred]

I'm definitely enjoying it!  We're seeing a side winning loads of games, scoring loads of goals, playing really entertaining football, and still challenging in all 4 major competitions.  And best of all we have fans back and a proper atmosphere in the stadiums.  If you are concentrating on what this side is doing 'badly' then you need to reassess what makes football enjoyable IMO.

But there are still many things to dislike about football in general though.  The greed of UEFA and FIFA, sportswashing, fans descending back to the bad old days of stadium invasions and throwing stuff at players, VAR still being sh*t, the incompetence of all governing bodies around Covid and postponing games, TV punditry continuing to sink to all time low standards, and of course the cesspool that is Twitter and what passes for being a football 'fan' these days.

Just think of twitter as a one armed bandit that you are putting lifecoins in to (not just you, everyone who goes in there daily). If you walk away from the machine that has a fixed payout that it always will be, you get more life back to do nicer things with.

[Charlie Adams fried egg]

I mean, it's also possibly to think it wasn't a pen, to say that without it being a moan and to be delighted that it was given. Which is pretty much where I am.

To answer the question - yes, I'm enjoying it. We're in a cup final. We're an exceptional team. The stadiums are full and our fans are in full/fine voice. There's an outside change of the title and that means every game matters. Night and day from this point a year ago when everything felt like a chore.

That's fair comment. Where I was coming from was that I think there's a section of fans that will take the commentators lead and base their opinion of what the likes of Carragher says.

I have to say though in terms of enjoying it that I'm struggling a bit.
I love the game of football, and the club will always be a big part of my life, but it's the circus that surrounds the game combined with the awful governance of it that really turns me off it. The manufactured controversy around the pen yesterday is a great example of that circus.

For me maybe it was a bit it was soft, but the refs have made their bed with some of the others that they have given, so on that basis it's a pen every time. If we just look at the ones we've suffered against us,  I'm thinking any pen won by Kane, the Brighton one, the Burnley one, the last 2 that Everton have had against us, the One against Gomez v City. If they are the threshold for penalty, I'm not having anyone that says it isn't, especially pundits that deliberately ignore the ones they've tied themselves up in knots to justify.

[FLRed67]

Enjoy the EPL while you can, because the amount of money in the game and it's global influence meant it was always going to attract the wrong type of people who took it over to pursue various agendas and interests completely unrelated to sport.

As has happened with the Olympic Games and the sports leagues across the "pond".

[Son of Spion]

Odd reaction to yesterday's result from a gaggle of reds.

Some not happy about our penalty...like that should really matter.

Some complaining about the midfield.

Some annoyed about the defensive issues.

Possibly all fair enough, but it's a tad glass half empty, isn't it? Of course offer critique and observations, but the constant barrage of negativity from some is a strange one given the healthy state of the season. Even more incredible given how badly we have been hit by covid, injuries and Afcon. Winning on Thursday in London and doing it again 3 days later is so impressive given the context.

Are you enjoying it? Maybe you are. Some seem to not be...

The no fans and shambolic VAR season was an all-time low for me. Only Klopp and LFC kept me interested in the game.

I'm enjoying this season more though, but that also has to do with the fact I've totally binned off pundits, MotD, Sky and I don't have Twitter and Facebook. It's just watch LFC then turn off. I enjoy Liverpool FC but I don't enjoy the circus that is football anymore.

[redmark]

The no fans and shambolic VAR season was an all-time low for me. Only Klopp and LFC kept me interested in the game.

I'm enjoying this season more though, but that also has to do with the fact I've totally binned off pundits, MotD, Sky and I don't have Twitter and Facebook. It's just watch LFC then turn off. I enjoy Liverpool FC but I don't enjoy the circus that is football anymore.

Skipping pre- and post-match definitely helps. I'll watch motd to keep an idea of how others are playing, but take pundits with an entire pillar of salt.

[Son of Spion]

Skipping pre- and post-match definitely helps. I'll watch motd to keep an idea of how others are playing, but take pundits with an entire pillar of salt.

Not just with the football circus, but with life in general I think it pays to learn how to filter. We are bombarded every waking hour with shite from all directions and different media. If we take it all in we get burnt out by it and overwhelmed by it. So filtering out the shite we can't be arsed with certainly helps with enjoying the stuff we do care about.

We all have varying limits, but once we recognise them and stick to them I think it leaves room for enjoyment. For me, all I care about in the game now is LFC and Klopp. I've pretty much filtered most other aspects associated with the game out now, apart from chatting in here, of course.

[timmit]

I don’t see how you can’t enjoy it right now. Two defeats all season, a chance of the title, a cup final plus Europe and FA cup too. The key is to try to stay off social media. My resolution is to spend more time on here and try to avoid the cesspit that is football twitter.

I know it’s not a “race to the bottom” but if your not enjoying this, imagine being an Evertonian right now….

[ScouserAtHeart]

I know the US version of The Office might not be all that popular here, but there's a quote from Andy that goes, "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."

That definitely applies to us know. In 2.5 years time, barring a miracle, Klopp will be gone. Who knows who'll replace him, maybe they'll be as good, if not better, but odds are there will be a downturn in our fortunes for a bit. So just enjoy the next couple years as much as you possibly can, so you don't realize too late how good you actually had it.

[bradders1011]

Loving watching us (except the 20 minutes every game where we look like Oldham) but as others have said, the rest of the sport is hollowing out.

We've done English football such a huge favour the past 5 years by challenging City and papering over the cracks that a rampant Guardiola stroll to every title by March would expose. The first half of the 2010s was decent for competitiveness with Chelsea, United, City and Leicester winning the league and a few different cup winners but the decade could have been so much more varied and interesting had City (and to an extent Chelsea) not strangled it. If we fluff Klopp's replacement and the squad overhaul, I can only see the 2020s being a string of City wins. Maybe then, when the golden goose is on life support, the PL will do something.

Of course, April 2027's Grand Slam Super Sunday Title Showdown between Newcastle and City at the Saudia Airlines Arena will show everything rosy in the garden.

[stewy17]

Loving watching us (except the 20 minutes every game where we look like Oldham) but as others have said, the rest of the sport is hollowing out.

We've done English football such a huge favour the past 5 years by challenging City and papering over the cracks that a rampant Guardiola stroll to every title by March would expose. The first half of the 2010s was decent for competitiveness with Chelsea, United, City and Leicester winning the league and a few different cup winners but the decade could have been so much more varied and interesting had City (and to an extent Chelsea) not strangled it. If we fluff Klopp's replacement and the squad overhaul, I can only see the 2020s being a string of City wins. Maybe then, when the golden goose is on life support, the PL will do something.

Of course, April 2027's Grand Slam Super Sunday Title Showdown between Newcastle and City at the Saudia Airlines Arena will show everything rosy in the garden.

By the time Klopp goes and if we do fall away badly then the Saudi project will be in full swing and I'm sure Chelsea will still be about. Liverpool Arsenal and United will still be Liverpool Arsenal and United even if neither of us can really challenge so there will be the myth of competitiveness and no other league will have so many "strong" clubs.

The PL will do fuck all about it and we'll have to listen to Sky describing the new rivalry between City and Newcastle being "born out of success" like the city chelsea game was described last weekend.

[timmit]

I think thats very much right.

If the Saudi's do get it right with Newcastle then this may be as good s it gets for us for a while. Everything is cyclical blah blah blah, but you do worry a bit once the manager here moves on. So lets just enjoy the ride now. Its really not that bad is it?

[Fitzy.]

I know it’s not a “race to the bottom” but if your not enjoying this, imagine being an Evertonian right now….

The odd thing is that there are a decent number of online fans who think that Liverpool are permanently on the cusp of disaster. By always predicting a terrible downturn you're always going to not enjoy it.

If we win the treble this season, Twitter will be filled with daft lads complaining that we did it on a shoestring and that next season will be a disaster without Haaland or <insert player X>.

Weird.

[Slippers]

I'm really enjoying the fact that the entire world has suddenly decided refereeing standards are at an all time low following our penalty on Sunday.

[Fitzy.]

I'm really enjoying the fact that the entire world has suddenly decided refereeing standards are at an all time low following our penalty on Sunday.

Well, two years ago the PL standard was at an all time low following Liverpool's procession.

Wonder what the pattern is...

[Red_Rich]

I don’t see how you can’t enjoy it right now. Two defeats all season, a chance of the title, a cup final plus Europe and FA cup too. The key is to try to stay off social media. My resolution is to spend more time on here and try to avoid the cesspit that is football twitter.

That's actually incredible when you really think about it properly.  34 games this season in league and cups .. only 2 defeats.

W24 D8 L2  *(That's counting Leicester 3-3 as a draw when really it's a win as we went through)

What with Covid disruption, AFCON and some injuries, that's an excellent record!

[Red_Rich]

Well, two years ago the PL standard was at an all time low following Liverpool's procession.

Wonder what the pattern is...

And not forgetting - matches getting cancelled for COVID reached an all-time piss-take low when we postponed the Arsenal 1st leg.

[Raid]

If you just look at our team, then yes, absolutely. Abu Dhabi distort things, a draw feels like a defeat and a defeat can feel like the end of the world.

But we've been mighty impressive at times, in a Cup final, into the last 16 of Europe again and still within sight of the top of the table. Plus we hammered both Everton and United away.

We're entering the period of the season that we all watch the sport for, Anfield European nights and a possible title race still. Bring it on.

[Son of Spion]

It wasn't that many years ago when most of us would have been happy to simply see us challenging again. Well, where we are now is light years ahead of that. What we've achieved under Klopp is simply astonishing. The football landscape has been distorted so much by the sports wash vehicles in that time too, yet here we are, still competing and still challenging. Not only that, actually reaching finals and winning trophies too. Given the circumstances, that is staggering.

We've come a long way in a short time. We've gone from being pretty much out of everything after Christmas and lamenting never really challenging, to being right in the thick of things at the sharp end of the season and lamenting little more than drawing a few games. Maybe we should be enjoying it even more than we are doing?

[Black Bull Nova]

Love watching Liverpool, as they are, but detest a lot about modern football. I am glad the Rugby League season returns in a couple of weeks because it gives me faith in how sport can be when not spoiled by idiots, egos, money and corruption.

[ToneLa]

I love this club and just last night I had a dream about going to Anfield and woke up happy

Football? corrupt sportswashed crap ruined at the top to punish the bottom

In a way that makes it more fun. In the sense being the good guy versus a dark army.

[1892tillforever]

It wasn't that many years ago when most of us would have been happy to simply see us challenging again. Well, where we are now is light years ahead of that. What we've achieved under Klopp is simply astonishing. The football landscape has been distorted so much by the sports wash vehicles in that time too, yet here we are, still competing and still challenging. Not only that, actually reaching finals and winning trophies too. Given the circumstances, that is staggering.

We've come a long way in a short time. We've gone from being pretty much out of everything after Christmas and lamenting never really challenging, to being right in the thick of things at the sharp end of the season and lamenting little more than drawing a few games. Maybe we should be enjoying it even more than we are doing?

It really wasn't so long ago that our season was effectively over in January was it? Under Klopp I think almost every single season has had something on the line for our last games.

15/16 - European final
16/17 - Last day must win for CL qualification
17/18 - Last day must win for CL plus a CL final!
18/19 - Last day title tilt plus CL final
19/20 - Rather dull last few games, can't recall why 😂
20/21 - Last day must win CL qualification

Not bad 🙂

[Macphisto80]

Was talking to my brother who's a lifetime Red the other day and he brought up Salah and the current situation regarding his contract and what he's demading. It was a surprise to hear him, of all people, say he's hardly any interest in it anymore. Football in general. It's the greed and corruption and sheer focus on money that has him feeling that way and I think I agree. I'm feeling the same, and reading some posts here, looks like I'm not alone in thinking the same way. Football is rapidly becoming hard to relate to the working classes, especially more and more these days, when footballers and agents are commanding ridiculous amounts of money every week when governments are shafting ordinary people with rising costs of living, taxes and everything else that seeks to make the greedy c*nts running the show even richer. Now, I'm perfectly aware money has always played a big role in the game, and a I'm sure some pedantic smart arse was licking their fingers, giddy to type that out in response to me, but I feel that it's never been more pertinent or obvious with the rise of the fake oil barron clubs and the hypocricy in disregarding the political stink that surrounds them in favour of TV rights and viewer numbers and the overall capitalist zeitgiest. Where the fuck does this end? When a footballer can demand a billion a week when fans are being priced out and fucked over because they cant even afford their fucking heating bill for the week? Fuck that. Something has to give.

Just to add, I still absolutely love the club and watching us. But I think thats more down to Klopp and him being absolutely old school in his approach to the game. He's a dying breed and so is our club to be honest. Im just not sure how much my heart will be in it when he eventually leaves us.

[Ghost Town]

Yeah I'm enjoying it. We're boss, with boss players and a boss boss. These are the good times for LFC and you'll miss out if you spend your time in a huff about other aspects of the game.

Yes there are bad things in and around the game and frustrating and infuriating things happen to us as well, esp regarding officiating. But you have to take it on the chin and remember that no part of life is ever perfect and the secret is to find the seams of joy within the mountain of imperfections.

[lutefish]

I love watching Liverpool, and dream of my first visit to Anfield with my son (now seven) some day.

But the rest of the league and all the awful? Not my circus, not my monkeys. Unbearable.

[Jwils21]

Klopp makes football enjoyable, as do this crop of players we currently have. Some of them we’ve seen grow from decent players to world class talents, some have grown with us from Klopps early days to become stalwarts and Champions. The romantics of football are very much still flowing through our team, however that emotion is being quickly hacked away by the soulless robotics of City, PSG and soon enough Newcastle. Then there’s the absolute shit show that surrounds the game. Circus is probably the best way to describe it. Media (both social and traditional) are all over every minute detail of the game and it’s absolutely exhausting.

“Football Twitter” is an ugly cesspit. It seems like the “cool” thing to do on there to fit in is to pick a player from the team you “support” and launch an agenda of hatred against them. Henderson seems the most common one at Liverpool at the moment. These are people who do not understand the fundamentals of being an old school football fan, however unfortunately it’s becoming more and more prevalent especially amongst the next generation of fans and you fear that this new form of whoppery will become commonplace. Shite americanisms are creeping in to the everyday discourse (you know ball bro). Opinions on players and expectations for transfers are both set by FIFA. We’re not a success unless we’re signing people, even if nobody knows who they are. It’s another person, so it’s great.

Then there’s the actual media, the standard of journalism is fully on its arse. How many times do you see news stories like “LIVERPOOL FANS FUMING AT MO SALAH FOR LATEST PERFORMANCE”, where the “Liverpool fans” don’t extend further than 3/4 attention seeking tweets from gutter reds? But that’s enough, it gets the paper their online clicks and kicks off the discussion. It’s crap and it works. Sky Sports are also broadly the same now, their pre/post match shows and even commentary is all designed to project narratives and dictate the discourse. It’s all just a race for attention, “fan TV” channels are included in that too.

Footys on its arse, but the reds are great.

[1892tillforever]

Klopp makes football enjoyable, as do this crop of players we currently have. Some of them we’ve seen grow from decent players to world class talents, some have grown with us from Klopps early days to become stalwarts and Champions. The romantics of football are very much still flowing through our team, however that emotion is being quickly hacked away by the soulless robotics of City, PSG and soon enough Newcastle. Then there’s the absolute shit show that surrounds the game. Circus is probably the best way to describe it. Media (both social and traditional) are all over every minute detail of the game and it’s absolutely exhausting.

“Football Twitter” is an ugly cesspit. It seems like the “cool” thing to do on there to fit in is to pick a player from the team you “support” and launch an agenda of hatred against them. Henderson seems the most common one at Liverpool at the moment. These are people who do not understand the fundamentals of being an old school football fan, however unfortunately it’s becoming more and more prevalent especially amongst the next generation of fans and you fear that this new form of whoppery will become commonplace. Shite americanisms are creeping in to the everyday discourse (you know ball bro). Opinions on players and expectations for transfers are both set by FIFA. We’re not a success unless we’re signing people, even if nobody knows who they are. It’s another person, so it’s great.

Then there’s the actual media, the standard of journalism is fully on its arse. How many times do you see news stories like “LIVERPOOL FANS FUMING AT MO SALAH FOR LATEST PERFORMANCE”, where the “Liverpool fans” don’t extend further than 3/4 attention seeking tweets from gutter reds? But that’s enough, it gets the paper their online clicks and kicks off the discussion. It’s crap and it works. Sky Sports are also broadly the same now, their pre/post match shows and even commentary is all designed to project narratives and dictate the discourse. It’s all just a race for attention, “fan TV” channels are included in that too.

Footys on its arse, but the reds are great.

The agenda driven nonsense is infuriating, so I'm finding that the best course of action is to ignore pre and post-match analysis and occasionally mute the commentary! It is sad that it has come to this but there you go. The fume over our penalty against Palace is yet another example of media desperately seeking a talking point; and when it comes to Liverpool FC, the point has to be hammered home again and again. City get dubious decisions on the regular and have systematically cheated for over a decade but hey, Liverpool got a penalty that turned a 92% chance of winning into a 99.9% one; FURY!

As an aside, even one of my Manc supporting mates, and an Arsenal supporting one acknowledge that there is an anti-LFC agenda now; that's how obvious it has become!

Your last sentence sums it up for me too; football as a 'product' is shit these days. Klopp and the reds are a bright spot though. I love watching Liverpool games and still look forward to seeing the team play.

[Fitzy.]

{snip}

“Football Twitter” is an ugly cesspit.

Just in case you think this is an exaggeration, there are lads on Twitter over the weekend complaining about the way the club announced Luiz.

That's an actual opinion to have.

Imagine them reading "COLLYMORE SIGNS FOR LIVERPOOL FOR £8.5m" on CEEFAX...they'd spin out of control.

[SvenJohansen]

I'm really enjoying watching us play football. There's often times when the match is barely 15 minutes old and I'm wishing it was on for longer than 90. This team is a joy to watch. Wins are great, draws are ok and losses are bearable. I love everything about this club. Whereas football in general outside of LFC is tiresome: pundits, comms, refereeing,, VAR, every other team in the PL other than Liverpool. I have only a passing interest in La Liga and Serie A. I find myself checking the top few teams in the Championship as that league looks interesting this season.

There was a time not so long ago that I'd be angry for days after a loss. Those days are gone now, and not just because we are in a better place now, but because there's really no point getting mad about it. If we lose then there's sod all I can do about it. As has been said here by other posters we really should enjoy it while it lasts. Things will change when Klopp finishes but LFC will still be here and I'll still follow and enjoy them.

This club is playing the most exciting football I've seen us play. It's fun to watch them play. I'm going to enjoy it for as long as I can. Life can throw shite at you and you have to keep going, ducking where you can. But one of the shiniest things in life is following this club. Through the ups and downs of Liverpool FC and the ups and downs in my life, we go together. I will take the advice that's been given on here and filter out all the other crap.

[SerbianScouser]

Thoroughly enjoyed today's game.

This many skillful attacking players in the same squad is slightly ridiculous.

Harvey, Diaz, Bobby, Jota, with Mo and Sadio to comeback soon...I don't remember anything like this. Next game can't come soon enough.