Last season we lost two matches in 38 attempts. In four matches, we have already equalled our loss total and are not exactly giving our already persistant critics reason to leave us alone. But does this mean that we are ALREADY a failure this season? Some would argue that you don’t win titles in August and September but that you certainly lose them. In our case, I think we have proven that our finish to the season is usually quite impressive, and that we make up for slow starts. But we ALSO have proven that our slow starts tend to muck up our chances at the title. Or we blow it in January if we start strong, like last season. Regardless of how we start, finish, or perform, though, failure is something that is decided by too many people out there, something that the media lately is taking into a world that is way out of control.
If you view the “transfer spending” table, you’ll find that we are in second. The critics will say, “Liverpool aren’t poor, what are they on about!?” How quickly, then, that they forget we had to sell Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa for a combined 30-33 mil. With Johnson and Aquilani at a combined 38 mil, you can see that we only spent a net total of around 5-8 million pounds, which would put us in the bottom five of the spending table. With these sort of financial insecurities and a lack of ability to hit the market due to doubt in our owners, I would venture to say that the title can’t genuinely be EXPECTED. Not with United and Chelsea able to spend freely, and with City pushing to be the next Chelsea. We should be thankful, and so should the public actually, that Liverpool are challenging as well as we are. People are always on about how the monopoly at the top is boring. What is MORE boring is that the same two clubs are winning titles all of the time. Liverpool at least are there to possibly disrupt this trend, and we should be encouraged… not discouraged… in this attempt.
Rafa’s uncanny ability to take a perennial 4th-5th place team so deep into Europe and to catapult us to 2nd last season is testament to the ability he has as a manager. To sack him, make claims that he is losing the plot, or to claim that he doesn’t know how to win the league is ridiculous. We aren’t nearly 1/2 of the economic force that United, Chelsea and City are, and we won’t be anytime soon. In other words… failure? Not so much. Do you say your 10 year old child fails when they don’t win a game of basketball with 12 year olds, yet almost plays at their level? Or do you say that they performed well despite the loss and that you are proud of them? Naysayers should view this situation from this sort of lens… not the sensationalized media’s lens that portrays Rafa as a wasteful spender, a rotating clown, and a cold individual. Under him, and with our current players, we have accomplished a great deal.
KEEP THE FAITH.
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