Gutted about that on a human level. Sounds like a proud father, caught up in the intense emotion of seeing his son score, and then perhaps had a cardiac arrest?
However it happened, RIP fella. And sad news for Nathan Ake.
As for the club itself, it’s a sham and we all know it. Pep does too. And so do their fans. Which is why they don’t want him to speak.
The Beatles said it best. Money can’t buy you love. Proper clubs like our have had to fight and endure, so there’s a real appreciation for what we have and what we are doing. When you strive for nothing, because it is all handed to you, well, it undermines whatever culture you are hoping to build. Your achievements are hollow. It’s why, even with everything in place, the fans can’t be bothered to turn up. The cold truth is they aren’t really needed.
I have a few times. Mrs CDO is a season ticket holder there. I even got tickets for me and my eldest Granson for the QF in 2018. I won’t be going to any future games though as their fans are more obsessed with us than their own team. I take Mrs C to their home games and park up and wait for her assuming our games don’t clash. Which so far this season they have so she’s gone to the game on the train.
I don’t want to start the FSG good or bad thing again (I know there’s a dedicated thread for our owners) but I would hate it if a sugar daddy type owner took us over. I’d hate to turn up each game knowing that we were almost certainly guaranteed to win. I love the way we make things hard for ourselves but have so many ‘irons from the fire’ rescue moments. Wolves in 76. Super sub in 77, Gerrard’s strike against Olympiacos and the comeback against Milan in 05. Degsy’s header against Dortmund and “corner taken quickly”. These mean so much more than steamrollering fodder in various cup competitions. Our thumping of teams have not been commonplace. They’ve just been dotted here and there. The 7-0 against Spurs in 78 still stands out for me as one of our best ever performances. Perhaps because it’s not just another in a long (well fairly recent for City) catalogue of 5, 6, or more wins to nil against teams that just fight to stay in the Prem.
See; I would love to know we’re going to win every game. As a supporter, that’s what I want: Liverpool to win every game we play.
It’s how we reach that stage that matters. As you say, being funded by a morally bankrupt, human rights abusing state is not the way to go about it; being financially prudent and painstakingly building the right teams both on and off the pitch is.
That’s what I want as well. But I also want the drama. Nothing beats hearing a song/album, or watching a play or film for the first time and not knowing how it’s going to pan out.
I’ve turned up at Anfield loads of times thinking “nailed on win” but (from experience) there’s always something that can change things. Last night for instance. I don’t know what the possession stats were for the first 40 minutes. But then in 2 minutes the game changed.
I’d much rater have that (although the stress has aged me) than just turning up and watching us routinely crush teams.
Perhaps last night’s game wasn’t a good example. Milan are European Royalty. I’m probably thinking more of when teams outside of the top six come here and make it hard for us.
Kevin Parker was using every excuse he could think of for City’s poor attendance. Difficulty getting to a 8pm kick off on a Wednesday night, childminding issues, Coronavirus, affordability of tickets (ok, I get that one). I don’t know why they need a 55,000 capacity stadium.