NEIL ATKINSON is back for the first podcast of the new season and is joined by Andy Heaton, Nick O’Prey, Dan Fitz and Sean Rogers as they look forward to the US tour and Brendan Rodgers’ first season in charge.
Direct link PODCAST: A NEW HOPE podcast download
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Palpatin makes a comeback after new hope!
You guys can slag off the USA tour, but it means a lot to us fans over here, Americans & ex-pats. You take it for granted because you can to to Anfield every other week. There are many fans here who have followed the club for years, even decades, who have never seen the team in person once. I’ve been to Anfield, but I certainly couldn’t afford to go every year. Yes, it disrupts the pre-season, but it’s essential for growing the club and reconnecting with the American fan base. Plus Rodgers will get a chance to see the players up against strong teams in Roma and Spurs. And there certainly are fans from the west coast flying in to see the tour.
Did anyone actually slag it off? Pretty sure that a couple of the lads expressed concern about the benefits conditioning and fitness wise, but that was about it.
Maybe ‘slag off’ was a bit strong, apologies. But it really is something special for us USA fans. The fan clubs in Boston & Baltimore have done excellent jobs promoting and organizing events around the games. For example, here’s a fun little video the lads in Baltimore put together to introduce LFC fans to the city http://youtu.be/SYl7bEMVWt4. Boston has an even bigger LFC fan base and sold out quickly.
Interesting video mate. Enjoyed watching it. Certainly puts Baltimore in a better light than The Wire did. Looks a really good place.
I personally didn’t see a problem today with the tour, others as Andy pointed out worried about conditioning. LFC arrive in Boston today, first game Saturday, no problem in my mind. Hope you guys have a great time at the game!
Good to have the podcast back talking about LFC.
Listening to your opening topic on where LFC might finish this coming season has made me realise how difficult it’s going to be to sit through a rebuilding process.
All sensible Liverpool fans will accept the club needs to rebuild with more solid foundations and Brendan Rodgers seems as good a man as any to lead that. I certainly accept that and in the week of the appointment of Rodgers was telling anyone who’d listen that we need to give him time and forget about setting goals for the season providing there are signs of some progress.
Having heard Rodgers over the past month I still accept this is a rebuilding process but I’m so optimistic about what I’ve heard that the reality is I secretly expect us to make the top 4. It’s just that eternal optimism a lot of Liverpool fans share. It reminds me of the start of last season. Again, we had to build but we had Kenny back uniting the players and fans. Downing was finally at a big club and would be providing assists left right and centre. Charlie Adam had single handedly made Blackpool able to compete with anyone and in a Liverpool team with better players around him was going to be a world beater scoring free kicks for fun. Carroll was going to link up with Suarez and make them the most prolific partnership in the league. Those points combined with our solid defense which now had a decent left back amongst it meant I accepted we were rebuilding but secretly I thought we could challenge for the title.
The point being, it’s a difficult balance between being sensible and being a passionate Liverpool fan. Apologies for dragging up the past but I’ve never bought into this theory that Kenny had to get top 4 to keep his job despite what John W Henry said at the start of the season about expecting 4th place. I think the metric was always ‘progress’ and if the league form under Kenny was broken up into 3 half seasons then in the 3rd half season one could argue we were going backwards. The lack of progress was the deciding factor.
So, reading between the lines Rodgers is clearly under no pressure this season from the owners. His progress will be judged at a later date. My worry comes more from the new breed of keyboard warriors and, in some ways, the Anfield crowd. Last season I remember Skrtel, under pressure, had no ball on and so rather than lump it he played it back to Reina from 10 yards inside our half. The groans that rang out around the ground were pathetic and make me worried for Rodgers patient style.
My hope is that we can all secretly have ambitions as to where we will finish but regardless of our position we can all accept that there is no magic wand to restore LFC to where we once were. It’s gonna take time and patience. I believe the owners are behind him and so it would be nice if ALL the fans were behind him regardless of what happens. That said, I think most are.
One hope I do have though is a trip to Amsterdam in May to fill my boots.
BTW, you guys are doing an awesome job. Keep up the good work.
Interesting thoughts about the North American tour… I’m in Montreal (Canada). The first game in Toronto is actually viewed as a bit of pain from the Toronto fans. Its mid season in MLS and they feel they have to drop everything for the Brits to come and play for fun!!! As MLS get stronger more european players and the standard rises its trying to be taken more seriously on the world stage and the Tours like this dont go down as well as we are told by the media.
Having said all that I’d love to go see me boys in T. but its 7 hours away and as mentioned at least $140…
I go see Montreal Impact for as cheap as $20. Not the same standard but its coming…
Great P.cast. Listen soon,
M
The one thing I have trouble agreeing with is the willingness of the club to spend upwards of 25-30 million pounds on a player of Suarez’ caliber. If FSG were willing to do this, as was mentioned briefly in this podcast, why has no progress been made with Gaston Ramirez? As Man United chases Sao Paulo’s Lucas and Chelsea follows Hulk (and signed Hazard), who is Liverpool looking for? I think we can all agree Borini is not the attacking answer that will see us to the top four, and there are players out there who can certainly do that.
That said, amazing podcast. Keep up the great work– it’s a pleasure to listen.
Great podcast as usual. Despite being a Liverpool fan in the U.S., I definitely see why this is not the best year for the Reds to be making an international tour. Hopefully it won’t hinder the lads too much. That said, I’m selfishly glad they’re over here as I am flying from Colorado to Baltimore just to see the game! Hoping in a few years I can save enough to make it across the pond and see em in Anfield, but this summer is definitely a big deal for U.S. Reds…even in Colorado. Thanks again for the great podcast!
Ben
Dude, Ben, I totally agree with you: this tour means so much to USA Liverpool fans– like soooo much. I’m flying in from Texas to watch the Baltimore game. And oh yah, thanks for the podcast guys, I’m so glad y’all keep on giving us Liverpool insight even through the Summer. I was actually blown when I heard Liverpool were going to hold a pre-season game days before the Europa match? Didn’t make much sense, but made me glad to realize I’d see Liverpool in the flesh. Looking forward to it.
Even if you think that maybe this particular year isn’t the best possible time for the tour, the problem is, the tour was booked long before anybody knew it was going to be such a turbulent off-season. The Boston match was officially announced in March, and there were rumblings weeks earlier that they were coming. We probably still had an outside shot at 4th when they started working on this tour.
I live in LA and got to watch the Galaxy play both City and Real Madrid last year….didn’t work out too badly for them. Yes, I know apples and oranges, but the point is every big team goes on tour now, it’s a fact of life. Hell, Swansea are playing a 3rd division team 2 hours up the road from LA at the end of July.
I would agree with Ben that it’s not great timing but selfishly I’m OK with it as I’ve been living in New York for almost 7 years now from Liverpool and I feel proud to see the team here after all this time.
Heading up to Boston for the game then down to Baltimore, building up to it almost seems like a Europe away game which just shows how long I’ve been away.
I head home twice a year so I do see them 2 or 3 games but happy all the supporters here have chance to see them live. I will admit I came here with a chip on my shoulder about people not from Liverpool having a clue about the club but I’m glad to say I’ve been proven wrong by a lot of the people I watch the games with who know their stuff.
We’ve got a group coming down from Philly (to Baltimore) for the game. http://www.facebook.com/lfcphiladelphia. I’m an ex-pat, who used to be a member of the traveling kop, before moving stateside in 2006. Like Chris C, I still get to 2-3 home games a season, but I’m excited to bring some friends to their first Liverpool game. We are section 140 right behind the goal in the Liverpool end. Tailgating in Lot O. Swing by and say Hi. MJ