I remember during the Brendan 'We are Liverpool tra la la la la' league run, our lead at the top was minuscule and we were all WE'RE GOING TO FUCKING DO THIS and STOP BEING A BEDWETTER and WHERE'S YOUR BELIEF YOU SACK OF UNWASHED WOOL.
I was all in for it.
But now we have a lead of like 73 points or something (haven't checked) and the consensus is "Careful everyone, it's not over until it's mathematically impossible."
Which is true, and I wonder what's changed psychologically.
The nature of the title race in 2014. Gerrard's speech after City, the Chelsea game, the Palace game. I mean, it genuinely couldn't have been scripted any crueler. It's the sort of string of events that rival fans dream up on their own forums, but it actually happened. Gerrard's departure the season after was a really downbeat affair too. Got beaten at his last game at Anfield, got annhilated in his last ever game at Stoke. Those sorts of things can change the mindset of a fanbase.
Things were different from day one under Klopp of course. He was always the perfect fit for Liverpool. Yet even under him there were heartbreaks in three cup finals and another title lost despite an unbelievably strong domestic campaign. Again, these things add up. I genuinely believe losing another Champions League final would have been very hard to recover from, even for this side.
After Madrid though, we now play with the confidence of winners. Unlike 2005, we look like Europe's best. I think our collective fanbase are being very astute about our chances. On the whole there's no panic that we'll throw it away in some heartbreaking manner, nor is there any overconfidence about the gap to City. If we manage to get to a stage where a couple of wins will guarantee the title, things will kick up several gears. For now I think our fans actually mirror the businesslike psyche of the team, and that's a good thing.