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~

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!

I remember a few months back, when at the time, i hated going into school to face the dozen or so Man Utd fans when they beat us. Trust me, it was like throwing a kitten into a den of lions, they ripped me apart. It was just like a discovery channel documentary about lions. They all surrounded me and could smell the fear, and without second thought, ripped into me (not literally though). The thing was though i could hold my own. No matter how much they said to me, i could always say something back. The banter was brilliant when i look back, but at the time it was just an ordinary task, like brushing your teeth. You don't give it a second look. But what happens when you take that ordinary task for granted and it goes?

For the first time in my life, i've gone somewhere that is totally out of my comfort zone. Don't get me wrong the people here are alright, but you start to miss the "ordinary" tasks. The same old friends, the same old routine, and for me, the same old banter. You see, i've gone somewhere that football isn't major, and to the people who like football, they aren't really what i class as "fans" or "supporters", they are more "spectators". They enjoy the game and know about it, but they don't have that passion. Thats when i got thinking, what would football be like without the rivals? Just imagine the season without the Merseyside derby, or without the Manchester derby, be boring wouldn't it. I thought about the banter that was spread about, the passion and most of all the fans. It's true what is said, it really is the fans that make the beautiful game, so beautiful.

One image that springs to my mind is of an image from a few years back. I was off to a liverpool game, and Liverpudlians are so passionate about football. It's like there religion. However, i was walking to Anfield with my Grandad, and saw this everton fan. Nothing out of the ordinary eh? well, he had a dog with him, and this dog was wearing a liverpool shirt. That really amazed me. I thought it was brilliant how this everton fan was walking around with a dog with a liverpool shirt on, like the dog was a liverpool fan. It's like me putting an everton shirt on my dog. That image has stuck with me forever because it just summed up football for me. A man and his dog, whats classed as a man's best friend, with rival football shirts on. I always wish i had took a photo, because it was such a stong, bold statement.

Now back to the rivals. i could not imagine football without the banter. Yeah, at times it goes to far, say with football hooliganism, but thats a different story and i hate it when certain people tar true fans with people who use football as an excuse to fight. However, even though i am not a hooligan, i guess it's there way of expressing there support, so each to there own. I think it would be a sad day if rivalaries ever end, and trust me, we take them for granted. Aslong as football as got passionate fans, there will always been tense rivalaries. So next time your team as lost and your getting banter, embrace it because take it from me, when it's gone, you miss it like crazy.

(From Previous Blog)