I saw recently on a certain social networking site a posting concerning our current plight, and I thought it made interesting reading… it was drawing on the movie ‘Any Given Sunday’ and seeking inspiration in the words: words which should resonate around the dressing room of VP before matches.
It goes ‘All comes down to today, and either, we heal as a team, or we’re gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play. Until we’re finished. We’re in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me. And, we can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light….I’ll tell you this, in any fight it’s the guy whose willing to die whose gonna win that inch. And I know, if I’m gonna have any life any more it’s because I’m still willing to fight and die for that inch, because that’s what living is, the six inches in front of your face. Now I can’t make you do it. You’ve got to look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think ya going to see a guy who will go that inch with you. Your gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team, because he knows when it comes down to it your gonna do the same for him. That’s a team gentlemen, and either, we heal as a team, or we will die as individuals. That’s football guys, that’s all it is. Now what are you gonna do? ‘
Now comes the time for action
All stirring stuff for sure but do we have the characters in our team to fight us out of our current predicament or, to steal another quote (this time from Jerry Maguire), have we got a dressing room full of players thinking ‘Show me the money’? I say this as it is reported (could just be lazy journalism) that Ash has turned down 80,000K a week to sign a new deal with us. The same Ash who we have developed into a regular England international, the same Ash who is our team captain – the lad has ambition and i understand he wants to play for a top club but if this is true then his timing could not be worse and sends a pretty grim message to the rest of the dressing room and to us fans.
Add to this that the majority of the players we are expecting to fight us out of trouble are the very same players who have caused the trouble both on and off the field. Most of them know they wont be at VP next season, so do we really believe (or is it more hope) they are going to fight tooth and nail for the next 7/8 games? will they risk those 50/50’s when they are probably eyeing up moves in the summer. Will they scrap for each other as they need to? I’m not convinced – I hope so, but then they say its the hope that kills you.
Everyone has to support the club – forget our differences for now
So on to Mr. Houllier – who I happen to have confidence in – i really think we will be a very different proposition next season – he will weed out the players he doesn’t want (and the trouble makers in the summer), and im fully convinced we’ll be stronger for it – I genuinely think he will improve us vastly in the next couple of years – if given the time. But I digress – Mr. Houllier is often acused of lacking passion and the belly for the fight – his demeanour is a world away from the Tasmainian devil exploits of O’Neill but this does not mean he lacks passion – it shows a quiet, thoughtful and more controlled approach. Yes, mistakes have been made, but who hasnt made mistakes in their work life?
We as fans also have our role to play – I know individually we pay our entrance fee and ‘have the right’ to vent our spleens at every loose pass, every missed tackle and every chance we miss, but is this negativity creating an environment which inspires the players? Or does it mean they are becoming more nervous, more fearful and also pointedly will they want to put in that 10% extra on our behalf, when they have the echo’s of 40,000 boos in their eyes? So this week and every week until the seasons end, please, lets get behind the team, the manager, the board, and everyone at OUR football club. We can regroup and take stock at the end of the season, and let our feelings be known if need be, but as the title states it’s a time for heroes and we too can be heroes in this battle – we need everyone on board and on the same page.
The Author
