“The goal was on 82 minutes – 12 minutes to go – and I saw many people leaving the stadium. I felt pretty alone in that moment. Between 82 and 94 minutes, you can make 8 goals if you want and we have to work for it.”
Jurgen Klopp has only been here for a month and he’s already felt it necessary to mention the elephant in the room: the atmosphere at Anfield.
It’s a big game of Cluedo when you ask anybody about the goings on at Anfield. People will look to blame everybody else before they’ll actually admit the atmosphere is non-existent because Liverpool aren’t exciting.
Of course our German mentalist didn’t come out and directly say the atmosphere is lacking at Anfield, instead he made passing comments about the fans leaving early. Make no mistake about it though, he’ll comment on the actual atmosphere sooner rather than later if things continue. He’s nice and blunt like that.
It is an issue at Anfield and has been for a while now. Those who leave early. I understand there are a variety of reasons these people may leave, if it’s a European night then they may want to leave a little earlier to miss the traffic and get their kids off to sleep before school. Others may be wanting to leave to get the earlier train so they aren’t waiting around for an hour. You may have people fed up with what they’ve seen and leave early to show this. Then you have those that scarper early just to avoid the crowds. It’s the latter that are the problem.
That’s their prerogative but personally I find it strange. You’ve paid the money and then you leave just as things get interesting. Do these people leave movies with 10 minutes left? Imagine watching Scream the movie and not knowing who the killer is because you left. Checking on Wiki doesn’t count either. Â I know, why not watch 17 episodes of an 18 episode series and leave it at that? You won’t find me leaving my nephew’s Christmas show early to avoid traffic.
It’s hardly inspiring for the team to see the stadium emptying with 10 minutes to play.
Fortress Anfield with all of its soldiers downing tools.
It gives off the message ‘we have no faith’ so why should the players? Â It’s not like Liverpool performed badly yesterday either. They created chances and just couldn’t take them, it’s nice to just see Liverpool creating chances and yet the players won’t get the approval of the fans after the game has finished because half the stadium is empty.
Something that’s often overlooked by these early leavers is the disruption they cause those who are staying to watch the match. I was at the Rubin game at Anfield, Klopp’s first home game, and yet from the 81st minute I had people on my row leaving. That means for the remaining 10 minutes or so the match didn’t have my full attention due to the fact I was having to move for people and not stand on people the row below. I’m a man, I can’t multitask that well.
I’m sure plenty have seen the Vine of Lionel Messi trying to watch the match and at the same time somebody is trying to say hello to him. That was me, I just wasn’t being as polite as Messi. I gave them the same look I give to people that walk dead slow in front of me. Bear in mind it was 1-1 and Liverpool were camped in the Rubin final third, yet my memory of this is the conveyor belt of people leaving early restricting my view.
It’s the first time I’ve sat in the Centenary Stand, I’m usually in the Kop and it’s surreal how different the experience is despite the fact I was in the same stadium a mere 100 yards away from my usual seat. In the Kop there is always a chant starting or finishing. It’s not often it’s silent yet when sat in the Centenary I heard a few detailed chats between two guys as they discussed the ‘gegenpress’ about two rows below me. By the 89th minute the row I was sat in had nobody but myself and my friend on it. Scousers, daytrippers, old and young alike had all made the move before the clock had even struck ninety minutes.
“We are responsible that nobody can leave the stadium a minute before the last whistle because everything can happen“
Jurgen Klopp is feeling responsible for something that’s been fast becoming the norm at Anfield for some time. Fans leaving early isn’t a knock on Klopp or his team but he’s not used to this because during his Dortmund games he had the famous Yellow Wall there supporting his players win, lose or draw.
Klopp the leader looking around for the cavalry and they’re all in their cars listening to the last 5 minutes on the radio.
“If everyone thinks we gave everything we have tonight then it’s wrong. Of course we could do more; maybe not running more, but to be more awake from the beginning and to be clearer and belief more”
This quote struck me as something you’d hear an innocent child say when they’re putting out a heartfelt plea to their parents. “I’ll do better next time, please don’t leave.”
Perhaps Jurgen needs to time to get used to the English way of things or perhaps Liverpool fans need to start appreciating their team more and actually showing support right up until the end? We shouldn’t try to change Jurgen, we should try to mirror his excitement. After all, you don’t know what you could miss if you leave early. Imagine leaving the game early and missing the Steven Gerrard goal against Olympiakos? I don’t think missing traffic would make up for the that feeling you’d never experience again…
“The best fans in the world”
I have recently started to ask my cousin if we can still claim that moniker. I have also asked him if we are even “good” fans. I fondly remember the crowd applauding good play by opposition sides, and even acknowledging a skilfully taken goal, but maybe that was only when we realistically expected that these were mere signs that the pitiful opponents had gained temporary relief from the inevitable battering. Perhaps it was the cheer that we collectively feel when we see a dying man make a fleeting, yet ultimately futile rally.
I fear that, over recent seasons, Brenda’s “weight of the shirt” has imposed a shroud on the massed support. The atmosphere in the hallowed ground has become near funereal — a pall on the spirit of the players rather than strident stimulus of old.
Can it be remedied? Well, if we follow JK’s advice in consigning history to the archives and simply enjoy the evident excitement of Jurgen’s whole-hearted style of football, we can reinvigorate the atmosphere by just enjoying the improved, and purposeful, footy.
Jurgen petition to LFC fans to stuck behind the team until final whistle is clear because in football game any change in terms of end results can happen in the last seconds of the game. Lfc fans remember well the ‘ Miracle of Istanbul’ in the Champions league final against AC Milan down by 3 goals to nil in the first half of the 90 minutes. Liverpool scored three quick goals in the first six minutes of the second half. Liverpool squad at present is different and not reliable hence some fans feeling disappointed and sees no changes despite new manager of their disposal.
Leaving early is bad enough, but hearing people justify leaving early is even worse. Obviously, it is a routine matter for many people and they feel entitled to do it. It’s awful; there are no other words for it.
On one or two occasions, I have left a film or a big concert early, but I hadn’t come to support the film director and the actors or the band. Support is fundamentally different from entertainment, but many fans don’t seem to understand that they have a role to play in the team’s success or failure.
The creation of an atmosphere is a two way street, too many of the players are too distant from the fans. After the Chelsea game where the atmosphere was great, our Captain came out to get on the coach some 30 minutes before the rest of the team, and rather than stop and sign some children’s autographs, smile or even chat to some fans he gets straight on the coach, clearly he was too busy with his phone to interact with the fans. Only Skrtel and Klopp bothered to meet and greet the fans. The fans where behind barriers and security guards so it was not a case of security, it was just another case of players not understanding their role. 10 minutes of their time with the young fans makes a lasting impression.
Liverpool fans love players who love LFC, we accept they may move on, but whilst they play for Liverpool we want to see some passion, those who put their heart into the game and show some personality also help create the atmosphere they want to play in…Sakho is now greeted with chants, he salutes the fans and is developing this bond, fighting with an Everton player also helps. Hopefully Klopp will speak to the players and try and get them to improve this relationship, and then the atmosphere will improve, he need to note that some of the players seem very keen to get off the pitch and away, hardly bothering to acknowledge the fans, but they have to wait til the final whistle.
I felt very worried that the FANS were no more making ANFIELD a Fortress that it used to be. I could only appeal to the Fans to be patient with the new man. Things will get better if we could stand together as one formidable Fans.
Here lie’th the problem,Over 45 years and still turning up in most seats and standing areas of the place I would not have missed above all else but today it just ain’t the same. Take the league you can pick more or less before it begins from two or three teams to be at/near the summit, going to Anfield now and thinking they may win but probably get beat but settle for a draw is draining I was at Rubin it was hard work to watch let alone raise your BP for no matter what sort of fan you are.lots of games are like this so here’s Beliving in Jurgen and hoping people are as lucky as I have been. Then maybe they won’t leave early.
The players will respond if the fans give them something to respond to, even anger is better than deflation and leaving early. Standing on the kop in the old days you could not move, let alone leave. I stayed till the end, save with dad as a kid and you merely moved no more than a minute, well into injury time, and stood at the back. We did not leave the stadium. Leaving 12 minutes before the end is ridiculous. You have to walk 10 miles to the car anyway lol. But there is a problem, you can sense it. Klopp has highlighted it. It happens at all grounds, but we have become immune to it. We have become insensitive to the negativity expressed by all Lfc fans. We don’t even know we are being negative anymore. It’s taken an outsider to point it out. The problem is we have not had much to cheer about under Rodgers in his last year. It will take a time to learn to trust and believe again. We need to become believers, Kloppites and get behind the team. Cheer, sing, scream, anything to egg them on. Klopp has lost a game. He is not a magician. We will win the next one. We will perform better and the real fans will get behind the team. Believe, keep the faith, unite. YNWA
So the fans are now being blamed for poor results and a lot of mediocre players not being good enough to wear the red shirt are they? As a season ticket holder who started going in the 70’s……now I know.
And if memory serves me right the Kop, when it was standing, wasn’t always noisy! And I used to stand in the middle.
We need better players, end of.
Maybe an updating of the songs would be in order also? King Kenny played a long time ago and Stevie Heighway has long since crossed his last ball at Anfield. I am not suggesting we forget our history, but a more modern, vibrant and LOUD chant might better inspire the current crop.