22 Nov 2017 11:23:07
It's been said by many that supporters can have an effect on players be it good or bad. It's obvious that a great many LFC supporters have fragile mentalities with their knee jerk reactions to poor results. The players themselves are accused of having questionable mentalities when things go wrong. So my question is this.

Is it the fans affecting the players or vice versa?

If the blame lies with the fan base then we all need to grow a massive pair and revert back to what we were once hailed for ie. "the best, knowledgeable support in the land". If its the players at fault then only recruitment can rectify the problem.

Personally, and I'm sorry if I appear to sit on the fence, I think it's both. Years of desperation to see LFC become great again have produced support that bask and crow in the light of success but then fall apart when things turn bad, spewing out abuse on social media and more importantly at the game. A nod to Ed002 for calling it.

The players themselves have shown mental weakness when under pressure. We know who they are so I won't call them out. Hopefully subsequent transfer windows will transform things.

Sorry for the long post. It's something that has plagued me for a while now and I'd love to hear the Ed's and fans views on the matter.

1.) 22 Nov 2017
22 Nov 2017 11:55:32
I wrote a post that the Eds (probably wisely) decided not to put up. Long story short - its the fans to the point where it's very difficult to blame players like can and coutinho for wanting out and frankly shocking that many others aren't trying to follow them. We have a problem with character and leadership but it's been massively exacerbated by fans so willing to destroy anyone who has any position of authority and so willing to bury anyone who struggles in any given game.

2.) 22 Nov 2017
22 Nov 2017 12:55:43
Liverpool were doing well in their previous games before they threw away a 3 goal lead last night. I fail to see how the fans could have had any effect on that.

3.) 22 Nov 2017
22 Nov 2017 13:01:33
It's the pendulum that's the problem, we over praise players that we like, we over criticize those we don't. Look at poor Moreno, he's gone from our most hated player to some calling him the best left back in the league. It then took just one game for fans to turn on him again.

Moreno is the exact same player he's always been, he wasn't as bad as people used to make out and he's not as good as some are calling him now.

4.) 22 Nov 2017
22 Nov 2017 13:45:35
Oh yes its the fans fault we haven't won the league for 26 years. The fault is the players are not good enough. I could understand the point if this collapse was the first time or it happened only once a season but it happens far too often. With the weak players we have it will continue to happen time and time again.

Fans invest money, time, energy etc into supporting the club but when its so obvious what is wrong we have to call for change. Its been said Courtino wants out because he wants to win things. If he sits in the dressing room and looks at the other players its no wonder he wants out.

5.) 22 Nov 2017
22 Nov 2017 15:32:22
We could always do a better job getting behind the team but generally it's the many years of disallusion which has made so many voices bitter. We have been mismanaged and embarrassed by our dealings time and time again and it's reached a point of almost grim acceptance of our yearly predicaments. Watching other teams rise around us has been disheartening and every time we look like we are making steps forward, fresh problems shine through. Invariably there are scapegoats which is a shame but why is it always the players whose name we chant loudest that hand in the transfer request first? And why is it we still cheer them on when they get on the ball?

6.) 22 Nov 2017
22 Nov 2017 16:14:43
Players I feel have to take most the blame, this team seems to play fine at home but as soon as we play away from home and concede a goal and the opposition crowd start making noise the team seems to folds under pressure, the team doesn't know who to take the sting out a game.

7.) 22 Nov 2017
22 Nov 2017 17:51:44
how about putting a share of the blame on those who have been making our transfers, some of the players brought in, have not been the right ones for the system we play, or in fact are not tough enough .

{Ed002's Note - So Klopp then.}