The rough journey of a Liverpool fan

If memory serves me right, I became an ardent follower of the beautiful game at the tender age of 12, when I was hypnotized by the glitz and glamour of the spell-binding 2006 World Cup held in Germany. Till then, cricket was the only religion for me, never having given an inkling of thought to any other game. I would literally burst into fits of inexplicable rage if anybody tried to get me to watch or play another sport, such as football or tennis. I hated football, more than any other sport. I cannot quite put my finger on it now, but I would cringe whenever I saw football on TV.

That was pre-2006 and after that summer, my head was filled with the most iniquitous thoughts a 12-year old could think of for Marco Materazzi. I had fallen in love with Zizou, Henry, Ribery et al. There was no turning back now. Cricket had taken a permanent backseat. After the World Cup, I would wallow away hours together glued to the television, watching whatever obscure match they decided to air.

I begged, pleaded, pestered and adjured, till my parents finally got me my first football. Glorious memories, stretched over several exceptional years, the ball had become a part of me. Every single scratch represented an exhilarating experience, something that will be cherished forever and always. Coincidentally it was a Liverpool football.

Around this time, I finally began to come around to the English Premier League. For some reason I can’t explain, I began to cheer raucously for Liverpool. The year was 2006, and the Merseysiders were drudging towards mid-table obscurity. The underdog factor played its part, and after a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa at Anfield, my heart swayed towards Anfield permanently. Or so, I thought.

The next few years got rosier especially after the arrival of one of Liverpool’s most celebrated sons, Fernando Torres. Despite the rumbling behind the scenes, Liverpool played beautiful football, football that was only bettered by a certain Catalonian side in 2008-09. For some arcane reason, Liverpool let United waltz away with the title, despite hammering them into a meek submission in March.

Critics, fans and rivals alike, expected the Reds to finally unseat United the following season, but thanks to the departure of Xabi Alonso, injuries to Gerrard, Torres, and an unsuitable replacement to the exceptional Spaniard in the form of Alberto Aquilani, Liverpool’s well-documented woes started.

Liverpool would plummet to the Europa League after being tossed out of the Champions League by Lyon and Fiorentina the following season. Aquilani was nowhere to be seen, Rafa became increasingly erratic and the partnership of Lucas and Mascherano was destined to fail from the start. Who in their right mind starts with two defensive midfielders against the likes of Portsmouth and Birmingham? 7th place was well deserved, but the sacking of Benitez due to petty issues made the season a truly forgettable one for the red side of Merseyside.

Roy Hodgson’s appointment never seemed to inspire faith in the Kop, with the over-hyped Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen and second-rate Paul Konchesky now counted among the worst signings in Liverpool history. Raul Meireles, the lone spark in the disastrous reign went on to have an incredible season, and was named the FWA Footballer of The Year before being inexplicably dumped by Kenny Dalglish.

Dalglish, who had taken over earlier in the season, dragged the Merseysiders to 6th after having a remarkable second-half of the season, during which only Chelsea recorded more points than them. Missing out on the Europa League would be a boon, they said.

The future seemed brighter than ever before. A new hero existed in the form of Luis Suarez, replacing the now vilified Torres. Carroll too had been earmarked for the future, despite a poor run-in.

The summer of 2011 saw unprecedented activity, with a total outlay of about 60 million pounds on the likes of Downing and Henderson. Great things were expected. Liverpool would challenge for the league, they said.

Starting brightly enough, it soon turned into a nightmare when the new year came around. Lucas was gone, Suarez was suspended and Craig Bellamy was the only bright spark in a disheveled Liverpool line-up.

Reaching the zenith this season, under Dalglish of all people, the Merseysiders recorded their lowest points tally in Premier League history. Poor signings, outdated tactics, injuries to Gerrard and Carroll, and Suarez’s suspension has led to demise of the King.

The journey of the last few seasons has been agonizing, none more so than the 4-0 hammering at White Hart Lane this past season. As the club continues to tumble through the bowels of mid-table wilderness, the passion that reeked ever so bright on July 9^th, 2006, has been fading into a distant ship smoke on the horizon. Melancholy had set in a long time back for Liverpool fans. It is the common state of mind now.

At least the Euros are here now. Seeing Steven Gerrard roll back the years and Andy Carroll living up to his untapped potential, puts a smile back on the face of a long-suffering fan. Watching Henderson at times can be dangerous to the naked eye. Watching Fernando Torres score in red, brings nostalgia to the fore.

Brendan Rodgers has been appointed. Having seen Swansea out-pass Arsenal at times, great things are expected from Rodgers. The completion of Gylfi Sigurdsson’s transfer seems to be edging closer.

Step one completed.

The impeding acquisition would not even begin to solve all the problems. A versatile defensive midfielder is a must. Without Lucas, teams ran the Reds ragged. Obviously, a poacher is required too despite the improvement of the No. 9.

Can Brendan Rodgers accomplish something that Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish failed to do? Can he take Liverpool back to the Promised Land? One can only hope so, as the fallen giants will embark upon the long road to redemption starting August 18^th at the Hawthorns.