Hi there folks,
I'm a Liverpool supporter and a member of the independent LFC fansite Red and white kop (http://www.redandwhitekop.com). In the buildup to the match we run a feature called 'Spyin Kop' in which we ask an opposition fans' site for their thoughts on the game and the respective teams.
As well as providing an alternative viewpoint on the upcoming match we hope to bring in some opposition fans to our site for friendly banter and discussion pre and post game. It also gives us the chance to swap information about good pubs, bad burger vans etc.
I've put some questions below, if you could answer them we'd be very grateful.
Cheers and regards,
Raul
ps. When the article is complete I'd be happy to post a link and you'd be welcome to come along to the site and see the reaction. if you wanted to run a similar piece we'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about Anfield etc.
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It's been a bit of a turbulent season for the Addicks so far and the league position and Dowie's departure must have affectied the spirits of Charlton fans. How would you say the season has been shaping up so far?
What are your expectations for this season? Have they changed from day one?
Who do you think is your most important player(s)?
Your worst player(s)?
What are your views on two players who were at Anfield last season - Scotty Carson and Champions League Winner Djimi Traore?
Do you have a particular memory of any previous meeting between our clubs? Something that happened to you that day or a decision you disagreed with?
Any young up and coming players in the squad that we might not know about?
What sort of line-up will be put out against us?
Do you have any favourite/best chant(s and perhaps any that require an explanation?
What do you think of Liverpool's performance thus far this season? Where do you expect Charlton and Liverpool to finish in the Premier League?
Which Liverpool player will you fear the most?
Care to predict the score - go on then!?
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Comments
Who do you think is your most important player(s)? Andy Reid and Scott Carson
Your worst player(s)? Take your pick
What are your views on two players who were at Anfield last season - Scotty Carson and Champions League Winner Djimi Traore? Scott Carson has been excellant. Traore been out injured waste of 2 million.
Do you have a particular memory of any previous meeting between our clubs? Something that happened to you that day or a decision you disagreed with? Remember Ronnie Rosentals hat trick at Selhurst on 1st game of the season.
Any young up and coming players in the squad that we might not know about? Harry Arter price tag 10 million if you are a scout for LFC.
What sort of line-up will be put out against us? 4 5 1 same side against Spurs
Do you have any favourite/best chant(s and perhaps any that require an explanation? Nope we are not origainal song writers like you lot have must be the city of culture tag that has rubbed off on you guys
What do you think of Liverpool's performance thus far this season? Where do you expect Charlton and Liverpool to finish in the Premier League? Charlton 3rd bottom Liverpool 4th - The pundits saying the Liverppool winning the league this season was laughable no offence.
Which Liverpool player will you fear the most? Gerrard.
Care to predict the score - go on then!? 1-2
the usual crap 4-5-1 line up
valley floyd road the mist rolling in from the thames................
liverpool have underperformed as well this season but will get 4th due to lack of competition and we'll finish 2nd bottom
gerrard
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I appreciate being a Liverpool fan you rarely if ever have to look in the lower half of the division let alone the relegation places to find your team. If just this once you scan below Reading...and even Sheffield United and Middlesboro and keep scanning down you'll find Charlton more or less propping up the table - that alone should tell you exactly how the season has been shaping up to date. Ultimately Football is a results driven business and while Charlton have had trouble with Iain Dowie coming and going and Les Reed taking over plus an injury crisis that would stretch clubs with a longer playing roster than ours we are there because we haven't scored enough goals, have let in too many, we haven't grafted for the points hard enough or simply wanted "it" enough. Eventually the table doesn't lie and the bits of bad and good luck balance out, the best teams though create their luck. For all the playing and coaching/managerial changes that Charlton have undergone this year one thing stands out: that we've lost a bit of team ethos that previous Charlton sides have had and other teams with weaker squads have, there appear to be too many individuals out there and not enough players grafting for the team. It doesn't help that we haven't been able to field the same starting 11 for a consistent run of games, more worrying is the constant switching of players and tactics - to date we've played 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-5-1, 4-4-1-1 and just about every combination and permutation possible, sometimes one winger, sometimes two, occasionally and recently no wingers at all, allowing the full-backs to get forward. None have to date worked.
Our best player...undoubtedly Simon Walton, strong in the tackle, unlimited energy, young, fearless, etc reports have been glowing, unfortunately he's been doing all this on-loan at Ipswich. Andy Reid has played well, and hearteningly never goes awol on the pitch, he's getting better as the season progresses, Diawara in defence has had some good games, Darren Bent started well but hasn't scored recently and has looked a tad off-form and perhaps is carrying a knock. That leaves Scott Carson who has played consistently well, more below...
Scott Carson & Djimi Traore...well the latter can't control his hamstring, has picked up one red and cracked a bone in his leg and consequently has only played a handful of games so passing judgement is difficult and unfair. Scott Carson on the other hand other than being rested for a League Cup game has been an ever present. At 21 he looks to manner born, good on crosses, fast reactions, good handling skills etc I think he'll go on to become a great keeper and a future England player. He needs to improve his positioning and his command of the area but that will come in time. One irony of our lowly position is that he's probably getting the best practice possible, not just in picking the ball out of the net, but in playing under pressure. Doubtless if he was at Anfield he wouldn't be getting that much experience of either, hopefully for him he's learning from the experience and will become a better keeper. On the whole he has acquitted himself well and if his move were made permanent I think it would be a popular move inside the club.
Previous meetings: those I remember fondly have generally resulted in Charlton wins, but I remember one great performance in defeat around 1987 time - Liverpool went on to win the championship that year and beat Charlton 3-2, if my memory is right Colin Walsh scored a blinder and I think Charlton even took the lead. A Liverppol supporting friend told me at the time that most teams would defend at Anfield and try and snatch a goal on the break - pretty much as teams did at Old Trafford in the 90s when Man U were strong, but a weak Charlton team took the match to Liverpool. As for controvery..I'm certain that game included the usual dodgy Anfield penalty...
Young players you should watch out for...well there's always Kevin Lisbie.
Predicted line-up...as above who knows, I'd say Myhre in goal (Carson can't play), Young, El Karkouri, Diawara, and Herman the puffin eater at left back. Midfield: Kishishev, Faye, Reid, Sam, Hughes, up front Darren Bent.
Favourite chants: the hilarious 'do the social know you are here' will doubtless get an airing, which as I'm sure you know is a play on the unemployment sitation on Merseyside, however the ruinous and socially divisive economic policies of Thatcherism are thankfully long behind us but old habits die hard. Elsewhere expect Valley Floyd Road and some gallows humour, if things don't improve results wise this could be your last trip to the Valley for a while, so enjoy it.
Where do I think Liverpool and Charlton will finish this season...for us Addicks things look dire, a team is often psychologically relegated long before they are mathematically relegated and I'm wondering where the fight is and where the points will come from, if we beat the drop it won't be by much. Where Liverpool will finish, no offence but I don't care, Liverpool won't win the EPL this year and won't finish runners-up either. They will though quite likely win the real prize - a ticket into next season's Champion League that along with the wealth of the Maktoums will allow them access to even greater wealth, better players with the consequence that the Premiership will get even more unbalanced between the haves and have nots. Sadly winning the Premiership counts for little these days - bragging rights for the fans, the real prize is a place in the CL. If Liverpool don't make it to next year's CL that will be a failure for them.
Which Liverpool player will you fear the most? - Right now even your tea lady could play well against us.
Predict the score - I always get these things wrong, just don't turn up late, make sure you're in your seat for the start of the second half, don't leave early and don't blink.
'It's been a bit of a turbulent season for the Addicks so far and the league position and Dowie's departure must have affectied the spirits of Charlton fans. How would you say the season has been shaping up so far?'
There's no way of disguising it, its the worst season the majority of us have ever known, and certainly the worst since we returned to the Valley in 92. Everything we have worked so hard for appears to have fallen a part within the past 12 months. The slide started mid last season, but has accelerated at a rate that even the most pessimistic of us would never of predicted. As supporters, i think we have been fantastic so far, we have been upbeat and encouraging during games which is all the club could ask for. Some questionable board decisions have been allowed to pass realitively lightly as well. But confidence on and off the pitch at the moment is at an all-time low.
What are your expectations for this season? Have they changed from day one?
Our collective expectations are that we will be relegated. This has only occured in the past few weeks. The game after Dowie left, Reading away, had most of us there accepting for the first time we will be in trouble for the whole season. It was the most gutless display i've ever seen i think.
Who do you think is your most important player(s)?
We have one at present, Andy Reid. Bit of a joke figure at first, overweight and unfit, he has worked and shown himself in every game, gradually improving. 90% of our attacking creativity will come through him. Two months ago we would of seen Darren Bent, but he is not the player he was two months ago. Looks like he is carrying an injury, and a depserate lack of confidence.
Your worst player(s)?
Hard to know where to start. Back four is simply not solid enough, cannot cope with movement, but the midfield, particularly the centre area has been a weakness for about 12 months, and continues to be.
What are your views on two players who were at Anfield last season - Scotty Carson and Champions League Winner Djimi Traore?
Carson has been excellent despite a couple of rickets, benefitting from playing every week. You will get a mixed view on Traore, some thing he is useless, i think he is desperately unlucky in getting a harsh sending off and then breaking his leg. Has been fast-tracked back, and has got injured again. Jury still out.
Do you have a particular memory of any previous meeting between our clubs? Something that happened to you that day or a decision you disagreed with?
In recent years, Fowler scoring a great overhead kick at the Valley. Always liked Fowler, normal lad with a cracking eye for goal, really enjoyed his book. We had a couple of good nights up at Anfield in the cups when we were in the league below, always a good atmosphere. Love going to Anfield, possibly my favourite other ground and will despair if they leave there. The Hillsborough tribute plaque gets me every time.
Any young up and coming players in the squad that we might not know about?
None. We've had a dearth of any talent coming through since Parker and Konchesky
What sort of line-up will be put out against us?
A crap one. Sadly we can only use 11 players. Most likely to be a flat four back, a square 4 across midfield playing deep, and one in the hole off Bent.
Do you have any favourite/best chant(s and perhaps any that require an explanation?
We're not exactly having much to sing about at the moment, though you may notice a fair bit of clapping in time, but no words coming out the month. If by some miracle we win, expect the roof to come off. And on that subject, i'll give you the day Fowler scored that overhead, our stand was being rebuilt and had uncovered seating, and the crowd were singing 'scousers, nicked our roof, scousers scousers nicked our roof'
What do you think of Liverpool's performance thus far this season? Where do you expect Charlton and Liverpool to finish in the Premier League?
Disappointing. If they don't pick up in the league by the end of the season, really need to start questioning Rafa. Can't say that he hasn't had money to spend over the years. After a run of foreign managers, it would be nice to see Liverpool returning to a British core.
Which Liverpool player will you fear the most?
Anyone that hasn't got a blindfold on. If Traore is not back, expect Pennant to give Herieidderson the run around.
Care to predict the score - go on then!?
1-0 Charlton, deluded fool.
Cheers for the welcome as well, especially AFKA Bartram.
Incidentally, we play you at Anfield on the last day of the season and I might just be back here for that.
Finally, and most importantly, we would be very grateful if you could take a moment and sign this online petition - it is to prevent that liar Kelvin MacKenzie from getting airtime with the BBC.
http://www.petitiononline.com/rawk1/petition.html
Further information and explanation here:
http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=155686.0
Thank you.
Cheers
What are Liverpool's expectations for the rest of the season ? Are you all happy with the job Rafa is doing ?
Our expectations: While some of us will point out that mathematically we still ahve a chance to win the title, most of us believe that that is realistically out of reach. CL football for us is always the bare minimum but most of us will be disappointed at where we are at the moment and the prostpects for the remainder of the season compared to what we thought our chances were in August. I think we will finish third again and for those of us who look for improvement every season, if we can cut the difference with the ultimate winners to less than 9 (what it was last season) than progress will have been made. We will also expect at least one cup - Rafa has won us 4 so far.
Rafa: It has been a slow process of rebuilding our way to the top over the past many years and one that has been made more difficult in the recent past with Man U and Chelsea's riches. Things had seemed to be looking up with Houllier when we won three titles in 2000-2001 but that proved to be a false dawn because Ged's tactics proved to be insufficient for the next step up and counterattacking was never the LFC style. You could argue that Rafa is at the same stage in his career but the man seems to be tactically that much more astute and has the steel that Houllier (who I still love) did not have. He is definitely the man for us and with the cash for a couple more top players, as now seems likely, can take us to the title in the next couple of years. You will find that most Reds believe the same thing, the odd sceptic aside.
From the outside, i can't see you're any nearer to closing the gap than you were 3 years ago, and you're next 3-4 purchases have got to all make a real improvement to try and close that. I like the look of Kuyt though.
that's the trouble with those yanks, still fighting the cold war...
I think he is a funny looking focker! but then again i do have a giant ginger beard!
Whoops.