Life. Travel. Food. - A Visit to Anfield

Anfield is the Home of Liverpool Football Club. To many fans, this place is more than a stadium to many Liverpool fan. It is the Shrine of Football and, literally, shrine to many LFC fans and their family. Many LFC fans had spread their ashes on the pitch making it more spiritual than any other football field in the world. 

Statue of Bill Shankly Outside Anfield

The Kop is the 12th player on the field. As Liverpool's legend, Kevin Keegan, put it,"When they sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone', my eyes start to water. There have been times when I've actually been crying while I've been playing." That's the connection between the players and their fan making this football club so special.

The day was 23rd September 2012 and Liverpool played Manchester United at home. It was a match that appealed to even the neutral. The match was scheduled to kick-off at 1.30pm. We had a stadium and museum tour booking at 10.30am.

We planned for an early breakfast and met other Liverpool fans who were also going for the match. We decided to go early and share a cab with a Hong Kong fan living in Shanghai. We left the hotel at around 9am and Anfield was just a 15 minutes drive away. The cab driver was an Evertonia and took us on a tour to Goodison Park before arriving at Anfield.

Paisley's Gate and Match day.

We were not the earliest. We met and interacted with many fans who also traveled long distance from their home in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, China and East Europe. It was already an experience meeting fellow Kopites and seeing the passion for a common institution come together.

There were plenty of photo takings both before, during and after the stadium and museum tours. The match day package came with a buffet lunch either at Shankly or Paisley suites. Both suites were packed with people but the buffet spread was good.

Liverpool have a new manager in Brendan Rodgers who came from Swansea City to replace Liverpool's legend Kenny Dalglish. Dalglish and his assistant, Steve Clarke, were sacked by the owner, Fenway Sports Group, after only one full season in-charge. They led Liverpool to a League Cup triumph, FA Cup final but an unacceptable seven in the league missing out on the Champions' League qualification.

Brendan Rodgers came with a big reputation of leading Swansea City to 11th place in their first season in the Premier League and beating teams like Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City along the way. He promised to bring the "tiki-taka" style to Anfield. 

As a Liverpool fan, I do not want Liverpool to emulate the way Barcelona play. Liverpool FC is bigger than any club on earth and will play in our own style - the Liverpool way. It is a club with 5 European Champions title and 18 English League titles. Mid-table mediocrity should not be tolerated under any condition. 

His only other managerial experiences were with Watford and Reading since 2008 and 2009. He left Watford on mutual consent due to poor result. His career win average was around 41%. He has better his career average at Anfield with 42% win. In my opinion, still mediocre! However, if he works hard and remains humble, he will be successful with the support of the management as all the players and fans will be behind him.

Several high profiles Liverpool players like Dirk Kyut and Craig Bellamy, opted to leave the club at the end of season of 2011/2012. Others senior players like Charlie Adams, Andy Carroll and Alberto Aquilani were also allowed to leave to trim the wage bill and align with FSG's objective of bringing in young players with potential re-sale value.

Brendan Rodgers signed Fabio Borini and Joe Allen for nearly 19 million English pounds. Both used to play for him at Swansea Ciy. He also signed  Moroccan winger Oussama Assaidi for around 3 million pounds and Nuri Sahin on loan from Real Madrid. None of the signing have made any significant impact yet. Joe Allen was the only one who has shown some potential of a worthy Red. Assaidi did not even featured in any league game - I wondered why? Liverpool chased openly for Clint Dempsey but failed to raise fund to close the deal. Then there was "complaints" of lacked of striking options which I felt was not justifiable.

Liverpool's result leading to the Man Utd game was bad and was at the bottom of the table. They lost 3-0 on the opening day to WBA, coached by Steve Clarke. Then drew 2-2 with Manchester City followed by a 0-2 lost to Arsenal at Anfield. Then a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Lights collecting only 2 points from 4 games. The worst start since the 70s. Thus, a win over Manchester United was not a confident possibility while it was still the hope of every fans.

Status of Bill Shankly outside Anfield Stadium & Shankly's Gate

Food court village and family village for family of fans

Memorial of Hillborough outside Shankly Gate along Anfield Road

Anfield: Kop End taken from Centenary Stand

Anfield Road. Liverpool fan displaying 96 in
tribute to the Hillborough victims

Kop end - The Truth in Support of the Hillborough victims

Liverpool team line-up:
Pepe Reina (Goalkeeper), M. Kelly, G. Johnson, M. Skrtel, Dan Agger, J. Shelvey, J. Allen, S. Gerrard, L. Saurez, R. Steering, F. Borini

Manchester United team line- up:
A. Lindegaard, Rafael, R. Ferdinand, J. Evans, P. Evra, R. Giggs, M. Carrick, A. Valencia, S. Kagawa, Nani, R. Van Persie

The game may have ended 1-2 in favour of the visitors but it was nevertheless an experience for any Liverpool fan going to Anfield for the first time. This game, like any Liverpool-Man Utd encounter, had all the ingredients that signified of the rivalry of the two team.

Shelvey was sent off. Gerrard scored at the beginning of the second half. Rafael snatched an equaliser 6 minutes and Manchester United came from behind to win with a Robin Van Persie goal during the 81st minutes. A controversial penalty. There was a penalty call for Liverpool disallowed.

The timing of this game also coincided with the release of the Hillsborough disaster's report making the environment more tense than usual. Fans holding up placards forming "The Truth", "Justice" and "96" was displayed at the Kop end, Main stand and Anfield Road stand respectively. There were more securities and United fans were held for more than 20 minutes after the game to avoid any crashes.

Liverpool needs time to transform themselves into the force that can challenge for the title. The question is how long? Brendan Rodgers should be credited for bring players like Raheem Stirling, Andre Wisdom, Suso and Jonjo Shelvey to the fore but they are still learning their trade and not really for top 4 challenge, let alone winning the league. Enrique, Downing, Saurez, Johnson, Agger and Skrtel have all performed well during the later part of the season but would all leave if Liverpool lacks the ambition to win the League and Champions League.

With due respect to the players that Brendan's signed, Borini and Sturridge are not in the same class as Van Persie, Torres or Aguero. Allen, Sahin or Ince is not in the league of David Silva, Eden Hazard or Juan Mata. Not that they cannot grow into that league but whether they would still be playing for Liverpool when they reached their potential and would Liverpool have any chance of winning the league title in the next few years with them. In addition, why try to sign Butland if you have Pepe Reina and the priority is a have an established striker?

Liverpool needs players who WANT to play for this club. We need some men of steel in the middle of the park and people with the hunger and determination to win. Hope they will bring in some good signings in the January transfer window.

Nevertheless, the manager may have his difficulties and I hope Liverpool will have a Rodgers' gate in a decade's time to commemorate the success - many many titles - that Brendan Rodgers bring back to this club.

Despite the performance, I am still a Liverpool fan and will stick by the club. It was an amazing experience for me. The atmosphere at Anfield was electrifying and the passion of the Kop have to be experienced first hand being there during the game and not from watching them on television or internet. I argue all the fans to make the trip, at least once in their life time.

You'll Never Walk Alone