Haukur Gudnason
::President Scouser::
When Michael Owen missed the penalty and buried his head in his hands, it hit me. When he took away his hands, I could see his face. If you saw it and could still say that Michael Owen doesn't care, I wonder if you're blind. Or if you have no feelings, no heart. Or perhaps you just hate Michael Owen too much. What I saw on Michael Owen's face, the sadness and frustration vividly etched on his face, perfectly captures the state we are now in, the embodiment of the throes of our season.
And I feel that I have seen enough, I don't want to see us struggle like that any longer. You can laugh all you want about Manchester United, but the truth is, we are far worse. And at the moment, even getting a UEFA cup place seems like a tough prospect.
I've said it before and I shall say it again: Hope is infinite, but when there is nothing to fuel it, nothing to inspire it, it does become finite. And sadly for most of us, hope is wearing thin. Sadly for most of us, we dread it when our team has to play. Sadly for a lot of us, we fail to grasp and understand the situation and blame everyone we possibly can.
I hate to say this, but I get a bad feeling every time we play nowadays. I no longer look forward to our games. Why? Because I always get the feeling that it'll crush my hopes even more. I know that I'll feel worse than I already did. It's really sad when all we can do is hope for the next season, and when the next season comes, we wait for the coming of the next season again.
I don't understand this, but I know and am confused about it. Why do we always fail to take advantange when other teams slip? When it was announced that Newcastle lost, I thought to myself, "I doubt we'll win." I'm not usually very pessimistic, but its because I've seen it so many times, I know in my heart of hearts, that it'll happen. Everytime a team slips up, we can never do ourselves a favour. Everytime we have a game in hand and can get one step closer to the promised land, somehow or other, we will fail. I don't know why this is so, but I am truly sick of it.
For the first time in a long long time, I feel like crying. What has happened to us? I don't blame Owen, maybe I should, but I'm not going to blame anyone. It wasn't his fault Niemi is on fire, it wasn't his fault he's crap at penalties. It wasn't his fault that his form has deserted him the whole season, it isn't his fault that he is a different player altogether from the one we know and love. I think none of our players actually performed as expected. Even Gerrard who is normally so dynamic, didn't look very bright today.
I didn't believe it when Murphy said that the death threats have brought them closer, I don't see any reason why I should either. Our team lacks team spirit. I don't see the players looking 'close'. I don't see them fighting for the team and for themselves like what Murphy's comments suggested. But I don't blame him for something so abstract, unity is not that easy to detect. But he does sound like he's fed to recite cliches to the media, to make them believe we are one happy family.
My very close friend said that day, "I don't care about the EPL anymore, we have no chance. I only care about the UEFA Cup, at least it gives me some hope." I told her that we should never give up, we still have a chance, we can do it! I don't think she has ever watched another EPL game of ours ever since. I'm sick of drawing, but I'm sicker of losing. It really sucks out all the enthusiasm in me, I never knew I could get so depressed over something like this. And I can tell you that I can be even more lively than Steven Gerrard at times.
I feel awed over the power football and Liverpool has over me. I am stunned by the way it can control me, the way it can dictate my mood, the way it makes such a big difference to my day, my life. And sometimes I wish that it isn't so. Sometimes I wish, more than ever today, that I don't support Liverpool. But somehow, I can never stop. I can never stop loving Liverpool, I can never stop supporting Liverpool. And it really really hurts.
Owen's face said it all- for me, for him and for everyone associated with Liverpool.
You might call for his head today, tommorow or whenever he misses another penalty. You can blame him all you want, you can curse him if you like, even. I don't think I want to care anymore. I don't think I want to defend him, or any other player anymore. It's not worth it. I know, and this is what I believe in, that I should give 100% support to my team.
It's just that sometimes, in times like this, it's just so hard. I couldn't help but think to myself while watching this game, "Why can't we be more like Arsenal?" Why can't we? Why is it that scoring seems impossible for us when other teams can do it so effectively and easily? Why is it that we our defence performs brightly for some time, and then lets the rest of us down. Why is it that we can never finish our chances? Why are we always so unlucky? Why why why?
There are so many questions in my head, all of which are in need of answering. But I don't think anyone can answer them, and sometimes I wish I could quit thinking about them, quit letting them take up so much of me, of my mind. I wonder and wonder, and dream and dream, of so many possibilities, of us winning, of us enjoying success.
But you know, and I know that in the end, its only just a dream. And that second goal just brought me back to earth.
And I feel that I have seen enough, I don't want to see us struggle like that any longer. You can laugh all you want about Manchester United, but the truth is, we are far worse. And at the moment, even getting a UEFA cup place seems like a tough prospect.
I've said it before and I shall say it again: Hope is infinite, but when there is nothing to fuel it, nothing to inspire it, it does become finite. And sadly for most of us, hope is wearing thin. Sadly for most of us, we dread it when our team has to play. Sadly for a lot of us, we fail to grasp and understand the situation and blame everyone we possibly can.
I hate to say this, but I get a bad feeling every time we play nowadays. I no longer look forward to our games. Why? Because I always get the feeling that it'll crush my hopes even more. I know that I'll feel worse than I already did. It's really sad when all we can do is hope for the next season, and when the next season comes, we wait for the coming of the next season again.
I don't understand this, but I know and am confused about it. Why do we always fail to take advantange when other teams slip? When it was announced that Newcastle lost, I thought to myself, "I doubt we'll win." I'm not usually very pessimistic, but its because I've seen it so many times, I know in my heart of hearts, that it'll happen. Everytime a team slips up, we can never do ourselves a favour. Everytime we have a game in hand and can get one step closer to the promised land, somehow or other, we will fail. I don't know why this is so, but I am truly sick of it.
For the first time in a long long time, I feel like crying. What has happened to us? I don't blame Owen, maybe I should, but I'm not going to blame anyone. It wasn't his fault Niemi is on fire, it wasn't his fault he's crap at penalties. It wasn't his fault that his form has deserted him the whole season, it isn't his fault that he is a different player altogether from the one we know and love. I think none of our players actually performed as expected. Even Gerrard who is normally so dynamic, didn't look very bright today.
I didn't believe it when Murphy said that the death threats have brought them closer, I don't see any reason why I should either. Our team lacks team spirit. I don't see the players looking 'close'. I don't see them fighting for the team and for themselves like what Murphy's comments suggested. But I don't blame him for something so abstract, unity is not that easy to detect. But he does sound like he's fed to recite cliches to the media, to make them believe we are one happy family.
My very close friend said that day, "I don't care about the EPL anymore, we have no chance. I only care about the UEFA Cup, at least it gives me some hope." I told her that we should never give up, we still have a chance, we can do it! I don't think she has ever watched another EPL game of ours ever since. I'm sick of drawing, but I'm sicker of losing. It really sucks out all the enthusiasm in me, I never knew I could get so depressed over something like this. And I can tell you that I can be even more lively than Steven Gerrard at times.
I feel awed over the power football and Liverpool has over me. I am stunned by the way it can control me, the way it can dictate my mood, the way it makes such a big difference to my day, my life. And sometimes I wish that it isn't so. Sometimes I wish, more than ever today, that I don't support Liverpool. But somehow, I can never stop. I can never stop loving Liverpool, I can never stop supporting Liverpool. And it really really hurts.
Owen's face said it all- for me, for him and for everyone associated with Liverpool.
You might call for his head today, tommorow or whenever he misses another penalty. You can blame him all you want, you can curse him if you like, even. I don't think I want to care anymore. I don't think I want to defend him, or any other player anymore. It's not worth it. I know, and this is what I believe in, that I should give 100% support to my team.
It's just that sometimes, in times like this, it's just so hard. I couldn't help but think to myself while watching this game, "Why can't we be more like Arsenal?" Why can't we? Why is it that scoring seems impossible for us when other teams can do it so effectively and easily? Why is it that we our defence performs brightly for some time, and then lets the rest of us down. Why is it that we can never finish our chances? Why are we always so unlucky? Why why why?
There are so many questions in my head, all of which are in need of answering. But I don't think anyone can answer them, and sometimes I wish I could quit thinking about them, quit letting them take up so much of me, of my mind. I wonder and wonder, and dream and dream, of so many possibilities, of us winning, of us enjoying success.
But you know, and I know that in the end, its only just a dream. And that second goal just brought me back to earth.
