After years of living in the shadows. Licking our paws after another miserable premier league season where we've dropped out of the title race before our christmas presents have arrived, it's about time Liverpool step up and show the class and talent we've so sadly hidden for too long.

Once upon a time, Liverpool were the team to beat. Winning leagues here and there, being a force in Europe. Shankly and then Paisley made a team that the likes of Everton and Man Utd watched in awe. Other teams feared us, other teams wanted to be us, other teams are now beating us. Such a force in football, what has happened to this giant of football?

Many reason have been tossed about. Was the devestation of Hillsborough still playing heavily on the clubs mind? Are we still hungover from the shocker of the Souness Reign? or have we just laid back and thought we was comfortable enough to be a sleeping giant for a while. Well Sleeping Beauty, it's about time we woke you up, and got you going again. Time, to shake of the hungover and the bad memories and start writing history again. As many people know, and many people like to remind us off. Liverpool have not won the league since 1990. Yes a whole 18/19 years since the holy grail touched down in Anfield. We have had other success, like winning our fifth european cup, and how brilliant that was, the premiership is what we wanting the most. We know we can do it in europe. We've proved that in recent years, but we still want to win the premiership.

Now all Liverpool fans think we can do Rafa Benitez's job. Maybe some random fan could, but atm, I geniunely believe we have the right man for this job. He comes in for critism and he's made a few cock ups, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and Liverpool won't become top in a season. It will take time, patience, testing things out. We need to find the right ingredients and maybe, and this is said very quietly... maybe we've found the missing ingredient in Robbie Keane.

We tried Peter Crouch, we've tried Dirk Kuyt, Voronin and none so far as been the right man for Torres, but already in Pre-season we see a spark, and maybe that spark will fire us onto the Premiership. It will be hard to do it this season and at times, it will be frustrating... *bang the head on the walls* frustrating. However, to all you liverpool fans out there... don't give up! Don't boo, turn your backs on this club because even though we've been asleep for so long, the giant looks to be waking up and ready to show the world why the once was the biggest club.

~Danii~

After months of specualtion. Wondering who the striker will be to replace Peter Crouch, all Liverpool fan's ears pricked up when the news of Robbie Keane spread through the halls of Anfield. Established? Check... Knows how to score? Check... Can play in the premiership? Check... the three main questions all fans wanted answering. Also throw in the fact he's a boyhood red and maybe, just maybe we've found the answer to our goal problem. Of course Torres flourished last season, but the goal tally cannot rest solely on his shoulders. We needed someone who can make him even better and in the experienced feet of Keane it seems we've found the right man.

 Sporting the famous number seven shirt, Keane as some big steps to follow in. The names Dalglish and Keegan ring to mind, however, I doubt we'll be adding Kewell to that equation. Keane is well respected through out the footballing world and has a raw talent that the best strikers would be proud off. Playing at top teams, mostly famously Tottenham Hotspur, Keane comes across as a veteran of the beautiful game. However, only at the tender age of 28 and supposedly hitting his peak. Liverpool fans are wetting there lips and looking foward to the season that is crawling upon us. He might not be the answer to all of our problems, but it is certain he will make an impact at the club he has loved since childhood.

(Rafa Benitez And Robbie Keane)

 The right hand man to Torres, all Liverpool fans are hoping that the combination of Torres and Keane will be tormenting defences for many years to come, and lifting trophies for many years to come. Maybe this season isn't the season Liverpool will win the premiership. Maybe we will have to wait one or two more years till we grasp the holy grail of english football. However, with Keane joining the books and the future of Liverpool looking good. One things for certain. We might have had a golden past, but our future is looking silver... hopefully due to the trophies we will be picking up.

~Danii~

AFC Liverpool, the new kids on the block. Some call it the baby club, some the brother club... but whatever you want to call it, the club is here and ready to shine. It's had the backing from Rafa, and many more legends of Liverpool and now they need your backing too!

 http://afcliverpool.org.uk/go/

 You can check it out, learn more about this exciting and promising up coming club and see how you can help. They not trying to take over Liverpool, they are merely working with them, to expand the famous name... Liverpool!

Pressing referesh every five minutes, waiting impatiently... sat there staring at the screen just waiting for the fixtures to be released. How many more of you was like that? Dying to know who your first and last game is against. Then your team's fixtures appear and your eyes are scanning the screen. Clocking the big games, as you mentally note them down. Trying to work out if after a big euro tie if you are away or at home, seeing what your run of games is like. Hard work being a football fan don't you think?

After checking the fixtures for Liverpool, I released that we haven't had a first game at Anfield for ages. It seems the trend is carrying on with this season. I'm not complaining, but it did make me laugh that straight away Fergie was moaning over having European ties then an away game... or something like that. Every season someone as to moan and groan about their fixtures. Be it a manager, player and i think every football fan complains over there fixture list. I remember last season, Liverpool had to play, Man Utd, Everton, Arsenal (three times) all in a space of a few weeks. Also, when your team is in Europe you have to add in the european fixtures, then the FA Cup fixtures and lastly the carling cup. All in all...if you have a club fighting on all fronts, and they get far in each competition... it will be a hard season.

The fixtures always being controversy or an arguement. But it's what adds to the excitement of the up-coming season. We are welcomed with the excitement of new players coming, the disappointment of our favourite player leaving. New kit releases, new fixtures, new merchandise... everything brand spanking new. A new season welcomes us with new possibilites... new hopes of maybe this is our season, maybe this is when we will put the failures behind us and push onto glory.

Football will always be the beautiful game... so lets raise a glass to the controversy, complaints, new players, old players, new managers and of course... the new kits!

 Roll on...2008/2009 Season... lets the battle commence!

Put your hands up if you've ever thought you could do better than Rafa? Yep... i can see a few hands up at the moment... even mine is up. We all think we could do better than Rafa don't we? When he makes a stupid change we all cringe and hide behind the sofa. Remember in the Merseyside Derby he took of Gerrard for Lucas? Yeah i know... Lucas! We was 1-1 at this point... could have won the game, what the hell is this manager playing at. No idea what hes doing. Should be sacked... oh wait... Lucas as the ball... shoots.... aaaaah PENALTY! Well... you should all remember what happened then. Kuyt, in the last minute scores the penalty that wins us the game. All thanks to erm... Lucas! The player who came on for captain fantastic.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Rafa as made every decision work for him, but he has proved hes not scared of taking of the big boys to put on the small boys. Looking through previous blogs, i've noticed me standing up for this guy... Rafa! I'm not his stalker or anything but, i honestly think... and don't chase me with fire yet... that this man is the man to bring back what all us kopites crave! We all want the premiership. No kidding ourselves now. I wasn't even born when we last won the english league and it's annoying when older generations mention the good days of winning the league because i want to taste the feeling. I want to experience winning the league but it just hasn't happened for us yet. However... I do think we have the right man. We just need to get that consistancy... which we did have near the end of the season. The skeleton of the team is laid out for us, we just need to fatten that skeleton up. Feed it another winger here and a left back there.

 So with the season over, friendlies soon approaching and players coming into Anfield... we have to keep with that hope and remember that this could just be our season. It could be the year we win the premiership. It might sound crazy, but us kopites are a crazy bunch! So... instead of looking to the season saying that we will have done well if we get third... lets look to the season as been challengers! Rafa is the man... and winning the league is something that we can!

Why is it in the world of football, you are never happy with what you have? ok let me clarify. You win by 6-0, but deep down you wish it would have been 7 goals, or that you had created more chances. Ok you scrape a 1-0 win, again you wish for more goals. You don't care you have got 3 points and a clean sheet, you just wanted goals. Now, when you get a draw. Why do we always look at the negatives. Also we always ask the same questions. Why didn't we win? Why didn't we create more chances? Why am i not happy with gaining a point when last year you would have probably lost? Either way, your never happy. I would mention a loss, but don't you notice that when we lose, we always take the "positives" out of the game. What the hell? you look at negatives when we win, look at them when we draw, but we always look at positives when we lose 10-0 and only positive is that least the game is only on for 90 minutes. What is the footballing world comming too? Football, is probably the most frustrating games around. I sometimes feel sorry for the referess, because they do take blame for alot. Like, when a game has been that boring you fell asleep after the first 10 minutes. We always say, "the ref should have given a penalty". A penalty for what, the teams didn't even get into the oppositions half, and the best is when a player is looking for a penalty. "That should have been a penalty, in fell in the box", yeah, when the nearest person to him was the steward. Don't get me wrong, referees can sometimes have no clue about the game, but they do take alot of stick from us fans.

Ahhh the fans. Now this does make me chuckle. I know when i'm talking to fellow reds i'm always calling my team. "Gerrard shouldn't be captain", "Does Rafa know what he's doing", all that rubbish. But the minute that evil man in the Chelsea shirt comes over and starts joining in with the slagging of liverpool, us kopites all give him the dreaded "how dare he" eyes. Come on, we've all done it, the eyes that could kill, true footballing evils. It's like my family. I can call my family every name under the sun, but noone else can, and thats the same with liverpool. Fellow reds can call us, but noone else can, and i get feeling thats the same with alot of fans. Oh and another thing i love. How come, after a game, we all believe we could manage the team alot better. That if we was the "gaffa", we would have won the league, champions league, FA Cup, you name it, in my dreams i've won it. Also, we are so hypocritical. One week, this player is the worst player to grace for pitch. After the hat trick he scores on the saturday, he's bleeding better than Ronaldinho, and your walking around with his name on your shirt.

But throughout all the whining, the moaning, the tantrums and tiaras, can anyone honestly say they will never do it again? It's these little quirks we have that make us football fans so great. Thats why football is probably the most supported, passionate and loved game around, and even though through the years, money as ruined aspects, the fan bases are still alive and kicking. So yeah, even though at times i hate football, i would never change it for the world.

(From Previous Blog)