Claudius wrote:
Big Willie wrote:
Too much is made of this to be honest. If they were the ones losing, or if they were playing some other shitty (no pun intended) team I doubt the atmosphere would have been anywhere near the level last night. I certainly don't think it was a red hot atmosphere when they were regularly getting knocked out in the group stages by no name teams.
Most of our CL games against the big teams had an amazing atmosphere at the start or when we were winning, it just dies out soon afterwards when we eventually start conceding. That game against United in the CL where Almunia fucked up that log range free kick had possibly the biggest buzz in the stadium I'd heard but we all know how that ended. Fans get up for big games against the big teams and usually need the team to get them up for games against teams they feel they should be beating comfortably.
I was speaking generally. Not specific to yesterday's game. Anfield on a Champions League night is remarkable. I enjoy the pre-game. It's one of the most satisfying things as a neutral, no matter what I think about the club. When they faced Dortmund in Europa League and all the fans in the stadium sang in unison: beautiful!
I know, all I am saying is that I don't think it's abnormal for a club's fans to be up for a big night against another big team with the resulting atmosphere being electric on the night (at least as long as there is something still left to play for). We have seen it many times in our big games in Europe before the days fans knew we were only good enough to be knocked out in the last 16. Our home games against Milan and Liverpool in 2007-08, the first few minutes if the United game in 2009 as well as both home legs against Barca in 2010 and 2011 all had electric atmospheres.
It's only when playing shit teams, or when your team has proven themselves to be shit by being battered or having nothing to play for that the crowd becomes dead. Granted Liverpool might be slightly louder when they are on one of their big game nights but let's not pretend like their fans are generally like this, even in the CL. I remember the days in late 2000's early 2010's when they were being knocked out at the group stages of the CL and early on in the EL with barely a win under their belts. There is no way their fans were pushing their teams during those games.
You hardly ever see fans pumped up and pushing their team on unless it is a big game. And big game can mean the club is playing against a quality opponent, having a local rivalry or a competitive rivalry with the opponent, or because there is a lot left at stake coming into the tail end of the season. It's probably why you see these kinds of atmospheres later on in the season when there is something to fight for and not in the early stages of a season. I think this is a normal behaviour of fans from almost any big club.
