has there been a greater time to be a Liverpool Fan.
Maybe we don't realise it but these are exciting times for Liverpool FC. You just have to look at our players, our fans our fixture list and you'll see that we are in an affluent period.
Firslty look at our players. Our squad is bursting with raw young talent, to me it's one of the most exciting squads in the world. We have one of if not the best keepers in the premiership and as his understudy one of if not the best young keepers in the premiership! The present and the future Liverpool goal really is in safe hands (excuse the pun). You're probably thinking I've got my rose tinted specs on and am about to talk up every player in our squad but when looking down our squad list I see quality and a lot of it. So now look at the back line. Full of players who are perhaps seen to be more hard grafters than real quality defensive players, but I disagree. In Hyypia and Henchoz we have a central pairing who will go along side the likes of Hansen, Yeats and Thommo. Hyypia gets most of the plaudits and usually rightly so. He is technically one of the greatest defenders in Europe. He has it all, he's calm, he's strong, he is amazing in the air and above all he is reliable and passionate. You just know that he would die for the red shirt. We shouldn't forget Henchoz though, he maye be quiet and not noticed very often but I've always thought the sign of a good defender is not to notice them. He does the simple things right everytime, but he also has a knack of the doing the hard things very well as well. He's good in the air but not as accomplished as Hyypia, but I think that his real strength is his awareness and his positioning. More often than not if a shot is blocked it's Henchoz who is behind it, more often than not if a last ditch tackle is made, it's Henchoz. We've seen him pull off some amazing tackles at the last minute, most recently against Fulham. He's also a very clever defender, his positionng and awareness is first class. As individuals Hyypia and Henchoz are great defenders as a double act they are word class. Other areas of defence shouldn't be forgotten however. I'm not going to pretend that Carragher is the best player in the world but he is a fantastic defender. What he lacks in talent he makes up for in effort and at times that can be more important. Once again we have a player who would die for the red shirt, and also he's not a player to throw his money about (sorry). We're not short of young talent in defence either, I personally see Vignal and Wright as two very good fullbacks. Vignal has dropped out of the picture a little bit due to injuries etc but I was very impressed with what I saw of him. Wright too has a great future ahead of him, he's sound defensively and good going forward.
That brings us to the midfield, which holds one of the two players who I see as being two of the greatest young players in the world and quite probably future world players of the year. If I said to you I think one of our present midfielders could become the greatest player in the world I think we all know who we'd have in our head: Gerrard. There is very little that you can say about him except that he really does have everythig and that I really can see him being the best player in the world. You look at the best midfielders in the world and he compares favourably with every one of them: Keane, Viera, Figo, Zidane, Rivaldo. He still isn't quite at the same standard as some of them but he will be in a few years time. He can tackle, he can pass (shit can he pass), he can use his head, he can shoot (shit can he shoot) and most of all he can run and run and run. His engine is incredible and once again he is a Liverpool player who would die for the cause. We really are lucky to have him in our squad and I hope he stays for a long long time. I can see him doing it all, lifting the European Cup as Liverpool captain, lifting the World Cup as England captain. Gerrard obviously stands out in midfield but he is surrounded by talent. In Didi we have one fo the best in the business at playing the 'holding' role. The way he protects the back fout is outstanding, he's calm and collected and great at breaking things up. It's no surprise that without him we haven't looked half as solid. Then there is Riise, another wonder buy from Houllier. He's fine in defence but I really do think we've found his spot on the left of midfield. He can go past people well, put a good ball in, and what a shot he has. He's been the one player who has really stood out this season. I'm not sure we'd be where we are without his contribution.
Finally then the strike force. Well we lost Fowler, but it doesn't seem to have affected us too much. Upfront we have the second in that pair of world class youngsters I was talking about. I expect you're thinking what I'm thinking: Owen. We really are lucky to have not one world class young player but two! He's already become European footballer of the year and I'm sure it won't be long before he's becomes the world player of the year. I just hope we can hold on to him. He's managed to combine with his frightening pace, the clinical finishing, the awareness and the ability to score with both feet and his head that we saw in someone like Fowler. All that plus his pace makes him the most exciting and feared striker in the world. The most exciting thing is, he's ours! As well as Owen we have Heskey an England international, Anelka and undoubted talent only mared by his attitude but that is something the staff seem to have calmed down which means we have on his day one of the best strikers in Europe. Of course we mustn't forget Jari, at times a square peg but a square peg with glorious ability. How many sides can go through their squad and pick out two possible word players of the year, the best keeper in England, possibly the future best keeper in England and one or two other players at the top of their game. Not very many.
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It's not just our squad which is making me think that we've enjoying the most exciting time for LFC in years, it's the fans as well. I really do believe that we have the best fans in the world. People are constantly trying to knock us down, and we've hardly had a trouble free past but that is what makes us such a great set of supporters; we've been through bad times and we've been through good times and we've always come out supporting our club with all our hearts and having respect for others.
I know they say that the atmosphere at Anfield is dwindling and it is, but on it's day it is still the best ground in the country. No other club could have the songs we have, the history we have, the flags we have, the classic banners we've seen, the magnificant flag days and mosaics we've had. None of it could happen anywhere else but among Liverpool fans. The fans are playing a major part in the exciting times we're going through. In the face of criticism and provocation they have been impeccably behaved abroad and have even taken it one step and built bridges and we saw with the wonderful Liver-Gala project.
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If you're still in doubt that these are the best days in years, just look at our position in the league and the fixtures we have coming up. In the league we are serious challengers for the title and I mean serious. Every year for the last 10 years we've been 'up there' or 'among the top 5 who can win it' but this year it really is possible. This year we've actually got Utd on the run and this year we actually have the squad who can all the way. Even if we don't make it we will have shown that we can do it and will do it in the next couple of years. You also have to remember that in our first season in the Champion's League we are still in with a chance on making it into the final stage. To make it through the first stage was an achievement in itself but to have the chance of getting through to the knock out stages first time round is something else. That's what I mean when I said look at our fixtures. This week we have one of the top clubs in Europe coming to Anfield for one of our biggest games in the last few years.
The greatest thing is over the past two seasons we've had these 'huge' games coming all the time. Last season there was Roma away, barca away, Roma at home, barca at home. This season we've beaten Dortmund, been to Istanbul and survived, been to Rome (again) and survived been to Barca (again) and survived and now we have Roma (again) coming to Anfield. I only wish I coud be there again this time because the atmosphere is going to be out of this world. Anyone who isn't excited about what we're going through at the moment can't be a Liverpool fan. Going to places like the Nou Camp and Rome two seasons in a row and not getting played off the park is exciting stuff. We've living in history, let's enjoy it.
© Tom Johnson 2002
