Liverpool are champions of everything. They are reigning European champions. They are reigning world club champions. And, most recently, they became English champions again. They achieved our holy grail after a long and, at times, painful 30-year wait. Reds all over the world rejoiced and celebrated this achievement. However, Liverpool’s success has exposed deep psychological issues within fans of our most bitter rivals Man Utd. Man Utd is not my concern. I really don’t give two hoots about them. But some of their fan’s comments on social media have got me thinking, “what is wrong with them”?
I admit there was a time when I despised them. During the Alex Fergusson era, I hated them and not just because they were more successful than Liverpool over that period. It was everything about the club that I didn’t like: the money they had and how they could buy whoever they wanted. The way Fergie bullied officials and the notorious Fergie Time added on at the end of games. The soft penalities. The ill-discipline of their players {Cantona Kung Fu kicking a supporter, Keane ending a player’s career with a horrendous tackle and numerous other red cards, Rio missing his drug test, the list goes on). The thing that annoyed me most, though, was their fans. Their arrogance and cockiness grated with many, although for me, it was their utter inane and boorish chants. Despite all their success and the great players they have had, their anthem at Old Trafford was “Who the fuck are Man Utd”? Their fans are still singing about Gerrard’s slip, which cost Liverpool the League, more than five years after he left the club. They sing this song even when they are not playing Liverpool. Gobshites.
Despite all this, I had no problem acknowledging that the night they won their first title in 26 years was an emotional night for their fans. Even though I did not want them to win, I genuinely did not begrudge them their night. Since Fergie retired, I have no substantial negative feelings toward them. I now only see Utd as a source of amusement or as an occasional hashtag. #MoyesOut #MoyesIn #ParkTheBusManUtd are just three of my favorite hashtags. I enjoy the banter of laughing at Ole too. But I much prefer to sing about our team and honor our great players. We have some terrific songs about our current players to add to the vast repertoire of songs that our fans blast around Anfield.
So why do Utd fans begrudge Liverpool their success so much? When they were winning, part of their joy was that Liverpool were not. They were getting closer to our number of titles before they eventually passed us, but their goal was to “knock the Scousers off their effing perch” and then keep them off. Even when they went into decline after the Fergie era, the one thing they could hold on to was that the Scousers hadn’t won it. They were worried in 13/14 until Gerrard slipped. The sad cases were so made up that Liverpool’s leader and legend had made the mistake that cost Liverpool the Championship. They reveled in that song but now that has been taken from them. Now they have nothing. Liverpool won the league. Liverpool are back on their perch. The thing that sustained Utd fans has been taken away. The psychological damage to Utd fans is real. They are facing a bleak period. They know their club is a mess. The know Ole is not the man for the job. They can see years of rebuilding ahead of them. They know Liverpool have an excellent structure, a fantastic manager and a team young enough to dominate for the next four or five years. They know only Man City can compete with the Reds. They know all this, and their brains are exploding. They look for excuses. They blame VAR. They even wanted football scrapped rather than see Liverpool win the title. It was all they had. Now they have nothing except deep psychological scars.
Liverpool champions of everything. With Liverpool, “You Will Never Walk Alone.” Remind me again, “Who da fuck are Man Utd?’
The Irish Guy 