Time for redemption for Liverpool

Just weeks before Shankly had nearly resigned due to board interference in the transfer market, it was Matt Busby who convinced him to carry on. It was Matt Busby who carried Bill throughout his career when the going got tough and convinced him to keep moving forward, to get up and carry on.

Hope and belief is something that’s important in football as is that feeling you’ve reached your realistic objectives in the game. For us fans, we’ve been through the highs and the lows and how we desperately want highs again. History tells us it’s not overnight; history tells us there is also pain and shock along the way.

The same is true for players, especially our own captain Steven Gerrard who described watching other teams in Europe (and indeed winning domestic titles) as ‘horrible’; you can only imagine the emotions running within Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Daniel Agger who know only too well what it feels like to play on the European stage.

Players who are all capable of gracing the turf with Europe’s elite; all capable of competing with the best of the best. The list goes on and on… Skrtel, Sakho, Cissohko, Moses. All players who know what it’s like to play in the Champions League. All with massive points to prove, all players who find themselves in a similar situation

With fans and players equally feeling the tug of the Champions League, we’ve also had to deal with the madness of the summer transfer window. Many of us have cast an envious eye over to Spurs in recent weeks with the team going from strength to strength and a whole host of players joining, who many would have gladly welcomed to Liverpool.

But at what point do we start to focus on ourselves? Whilst it’s worthwhile looking over at our rivals in order to ensure we don’t fall further behind, we shouldn’t forget the club we all love. In equal measure, the players shouldn’t forget who they play for or the size of the task ahead.

Find the nearest red shirt, keep moving, keep passing the ball, and be hungry for the ball. Liverpool has shown so far this season that they have a number of ways of playing something that sorely looked to be missing last year. This Liverpool team know how to win games; they know now what to do when a match hangs in the balance.

As a squad, you can count any number of players who have all something to prove. Kolo Toure is a prime example of a onetime invincible, Premier League winner and once regarded as one of the best defenders in England. A man left on the side-lines at Manchester City, he knew he had more to offer, and in his short time at Anfield, has looked like the multi-million pound centre back we needed. The sight of him banging his fists against the pitch when Agger conceded the penalty is something I’ve not seen in a Liverpool team for a long time; it’s something I welcome!

Steven Gerrard, the man who’s rescued Liverpool time and time again, is now looking to lead his side from the middle of the pitch. Since Brendan Rodgers arrived at Melwood, there’s been a marked shift in the public persona of the Liverpool captain. The man so famous for getting forward and scoring breathtaking goals, so famous for rallying his team to that unforgettable night in Istanbul, has finally had his age catch up on one of the best midfield players Liverpool has ever seen.