For 7 days The Liver Bird is being hijacked by guest bloggers. I am delighted to be showing you some fantastic pieces from Liverpool fans who you can also follow on Twitter.
First up this week with an article on the "Boo Boys" is Ian, you can find Ian on Twitter as @Ian_LFC and you can also check out his blog here.
Lucas Has Survived the Boo Boys – Who’s Next?
“I’ve paid my money so I’m entitled to my opinion” is something I’ve heard spoken many times in The Kop over the years. In recent years, in the pubs packed on a match day, you’ll hear similar albeit with the money paid going over the bar. So what are the protestations about and who makes them?
Liverpool supporters, the “greatest fans in the world” have always had an element of the fan base that will get on a Liverpool player’s back, constantly, often ignorantly; and game in, game out.
This has always rankled with me. Yes of course we’ve had players not good enough to be in our team, you know them so I won’t name them. Oh and by the way the list we come up with will be different because, yes, we are entitled to our own opinion.
When I’ve been at the game, or watching in the pub (as I often have to these days) I’ve always been one who “suggests” to fellow supporters that they should support and not slag off players which then leaves me open to the “We’ve paid our money so we’re entitled to our opinions” brigade.
Well so have I paid, to support the eleven selected that day, and I will always encourage players having a bad game even if I do slap my hands to my face at times when I think their decision making may not be the best. A player having a poor game but trying and not hiding should be supported and applauded in my opinion.
I believe that it is often a lazy supporter, or one who doesn’t understand the game, that picks up this “slagging off” mentality. In recent years it has been Lucas who has had to endure the boo boys. In the pub, if someone got a bad pint it was Lucas’ fault!
At times in the early days I felt like I was waging a one man crusade in support of Lucas, although Twitter has taught me that there were always at least three of us standing up for the man!
Last season of course Lucas shone for the most part and now the boo boys are on the look out for a new target!
Lucas is in good company of course, Ronnie Whelan used to “get it” from the fans that just “didn’t get it”. Steve Staunton was another, so bad we signed him twice!
Does any one remember Luis Garcia (he drank Sangria)? I recall a tap in against Chelsea in 2005 that briefly shut up the boo boys who’d been on his back all season and changed our history forever.
I could go on but there’s no point in harping back.
In the future I would hope that lessons can be learned and that people will realise that the end of the game is the time to debate the merits of particular players but during the game you should get behind the team. Yes have an opinion but don’t just shout moronically for the duration!
In reality I think that I will be making the “support the team” suggestion for ever and a day, much to the delight of my daughter who is often sat by my side as my blood is boiling over and I’m “suggesting” to the “meat head” in corner to be a nice supporter.
I’ve paid my money so I’ll take my chance! YNWA