Ratcliffe and Boehly ‘f***ing’ up our clubs; don’t get distracted by Trent

We have some more Trent Alexander-Arnold reaction, but the real anger should be directed towards the old, rich, white men.

Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com; maybe tell us about your perfect end to the season.

Remember the real enemies
We have all fallen for it.

Let us remember who the true enemy of football is. Football owners. Specifically old, rich, white men.

They’re fu*king up my club, they’re fu*king up your club.

The true dangers are morons like Ratcliffe and his bbq, Clearlake and their immense incompetence.

It’s not your teams’ players. It’s not even the manger. Angle your displeasure to the rich men who will never give the slightest damn about you or the team you support.
Will

Would Everton fans really choose relegation?
On my lunch break today I’d thought I’d scan the hallowed pages of F365 and was reading the article by Super Dave (Tickner) about fans loving to hate and scoff etc.. and it immediately made me think of Everton fans.

Let me explain. I’m a Liverpool fan from Liverpool and I’m constantly arguing with the bitters, whether they’re my friends, family or lads in work. I work on the railway, there’s lads from all over the country supporting all different teams and the day consists of building railways and talking football.

The majority are Liverpool, United and Everton fans and while the Liverpool/United banter is mainly about who’s more successful (Liverpool are) or who’s the bigger club (Liverpool again) etc.. the Liverpool/Everton banter is mainly us laughing at the cobwebs in Everton’s trophy cabinet and their absolute hatred of anything Liverpool and it is pure unbridled hatred.

Now to get to the point that made me think of Everton fans while reading the article, when asked whether they’d rather Liverpool lose or Everton win the majority would get more pleasure from a Liverpool loss and when asked whether they would rather Liverpool win the league or Everton get relegated every one said they’d rather see their team in the Championship than see us lift another title.

I can’t imagine thinking like that but maybe I’d think different if my team was in the massive shadow of my neighbour and the boot was on the other foot. So a question for the mailbox, do any other set of fans think as bitterly as the Evertonians? Are there other people out there who would rather see the demise of their more illustrious neighbours than the success of their own team?
Mick T, Liverpool

To boo or not to boo, that is the question
I won’t get into the whole “they were right” / “they were wrong” argument of Liverpool fans booing Trent Alexander-Arnold because (a) it’s none of my beeswax and (b) it’s been done to death in the mailbox already with opinion followed by counter opinion followed by counter counter opinion, etc. Instead, I’d rather give my own thought process on whether I give a player a bit of grief or not and it boils down to a very simple question:

“Did they badmouth or wrong my club on the way out?”

Any player that leaves the club on good terms is alright in my book and I’ll always welcome them back with applause because I remember the good times they gave us and the effort they put in. On the other hand, if they bang on about “joining a bigger club” (whether it’s true or not, NO fan ever wants to hear this), joins a hated rival or screws us over in any way then they can do one – loyalty lost and they won’t ever be welcome back again.

Hands down the worst example of this I ever saw was Mark Bosnich after he left us to go to Manchester United back in the 99-00 season. 90 minutes of pure booing, whistling and jeering which is no exaggeration – from the moment he took to the pitch to the moment he left it, it was relentless. The Holte End gave him absolute pelters that day and whilst we still lost 1-0, he had a couple of very shaky moments where you could tell the crowd were in his head.

Special mentions go to Fabian Delph for changing “I’m staying here” to “I’m signing for Man Citeh” in the space of 5 days and Gareth Barry who, despite giving us some of the best years of his career, will be fondly despised for making noise about moving to Liverpool before instead chasing the filthy lucre under Man Citeh instead.

Jack Grealish is a strange one, he gets jeered and applauded equally when he returns to Villa Park, I’m in the latter camp as I still remember everything he did for us in getting us back to the top flight and a few dodgy decisions aside, he comes across as a pretty decent kid. Not to mention the fact that he’s a “dyed in the wool” Villa fan like the rest of us and I like to think that he secretly pumps a fist when he sees a Villa win. For the record, I’d welcome him back if Pep ever decides he’s bored of ruining Super Jack by shackling him. Unless he joins the knuckle draggers over at Small Heath, which is a bit unlikely.
Jeff G, West Brom Villan

We need Klopp to sort out Liverpool
I haven’t emailed the mailbox since 2005. That was after the Istanbul final when (some) people were getting upset that Liverpool would not qualify for the CL the next season due to being outside the top 4 and the winners not being guaranteed a place. No one at UEFA foresaw someone winning it and being outside the top places. Times have changed…

I said at the time “who cares about next season, we just won it you fools. Enjoy the moment”.

I’m writing today as I was at Anfield on Sunday. Main stand, quite near the Kop.

The first half had an absolutely cracking atmosphere. Electric and joyful.

The second half started flat. Lots of fans late back to their seats. Arsenal caught us napping and fans were – dare I say it – complacent and maybe a bit sleepy what with the sunshine, beer and “we won the league” smugness.

But then it went full on weird when it was clear Trent was coming on.

Everyone could see the subs trio getting ready and that TAA was part of the group. It got jittery. People clearly didn’t know what to do. The “One Conor Bradley” chants and “Steve G” song were a hint. But when the boos started (from the Kop BTW) most of the crowd weren’t sure what to do. Some remonstrated. Some clapped support (lamely). Lots sat in silence. You realised that we were not united as one as we’d been for the whole first half. In a world which is divided and where you are “with us or against us”, there was no reaction.

It was a pretty vocal group booing and not small. Many many thousands. Far from the whole Kop and definitely not the whole ground. A minority. But. BUT. We (the rest) didn’t get behind TAA or drown out the boos. We were a bit pathetic. And that is what is so sad. We had the chance to speak up, be counted, support Trent and remember his years of service. But we sat and watched him take it (and the rest of the team look confused and disappointed).

We need a group therapy session vs Palace. I think Kloppo is coming. He needs to get on the mike and tell everyone to sort our sh*t out.

Thanks and sorry for the ramble.
Confused Scouser Pete

Trent reaction is ludicrous
I mean, I realise that Alexander-Arnold getting booed is newsworthy (Thomas Partey less so, go figure) but the response is ridiculously over the top.

Obviously, I would expect all the faux outrage from those-who-live-to-slag-off-Liverpool – this is the kind of thing that gets them out of bed in the morning – but that a minority of football fans decided to give a high-profile player leaving against the wishes of the club in a dead rubber a hard time is hardly much of a surprise, is it?

No, he doesn’t deserve it, yes, it’s his life and he can do what he wants with it, and yes, Liverpool knowingly took a risk to get an extra year out of him, but those booing are obviously childish idiots, and tell me a club that doesn’t have them.

Andy, ex-Liverpool fan, fair enough, but you can’t really think this is a Liverpool problem, it’s clearly a football fan one. Ask Joshua Zirkzee, Harry Maguire, Emmanual Eboue, Granit Xhaka and Rio Ferdinand if you don’t believe me. Football, for some reason, attracts a certain type of person, something we see every single day on this website.

If you’re a football fan, especially the football fan of a high profile club, well, you’ve already entered into a Faustian pact, turning a blind eye towards all sorts of incidents and circumstances because of the excitement of spherical object gymnastics.

By all means, be appalled that Trent was booed, I know I am, but if this is really outraging you then you should see what Trump and Putin are up to. If your ire is kept for naughty football fans then you probably need to do a little reading around. And if you are truly troubled by a few scousers booing at a multi-millionaire, then maybe you should follow Andy and stop supporting any of the feckers.
Mat (it’s just a stupid game, watched by many stupid people)

…Smart move from Matt Stead not putting Liverpool fans in the Losers column. And thanks to Mike Williams for perfectly articulating why most fans wouldn’t boo Trent, but why we simply can’t call the ones who care enough to boo whatever names Football365 is dishing out.

I remember working on a political campaign once where prominent Democrats were saying it was not becoming of the activists to boo Dick Cheney when he came to events. And like politics, you can’t just boo the soulless corporate front that drives change in directions nobody wants. Sometimes you have to boo the bloody person to his face. If there are no consequences and no passion, we will all just slide down the toilet together.

Your website is really consistent when you criticize brown people having money to spend in the Middle East, so I don’t understand your inability to apply that to European elites. I suspect FatManScouse could explain it better than me, but suffice it to say it’s no wonder the right wing is so easily able to beat the moderate middle when we can’t even understand people caring about things that matter to their lives.
Niall, Annapolis

…Let’s just be real for a second. Arsenal and Man Utd fans SHOCKED that fans could boo their own conveniently forget when they booed:

OGS
Fernandes
Rio Ferdinand
Mustafi
Eboue
Xhaka
Wenger

So you lot can properly tuck it all back in your pants. You think we are deplorable fans for booing one of our own? Well guess what? We think you’re deplorable for tragedy chants; always the victim has been chanted at nearly every away game this season (Newcastle, I think, was an exception and one other I forget now)…you’re all lucky that Sky turn down the mics when all your c**t fans decide to chant about 97 dead boys who just went to watch a game of football. God forbid it’s ever your kid who you spend 40 years fighting corrupt police and politicians just to have their names honoured. If it ever happens you won’t hear our “deplorable” fans chant about it despite the shit we have listened to from every stadium in the country.

Since half of you mindless twats probably only watch on TV you’re wondering why Sky wouldn’t have the balls to grow a pair of ears and call it out. It’s the product guys; look how well all that racism has worked out for Italian football as it got left behind the premier league. Generally revelling in the joy that 97 mothers have spent 40 f**king years wondering what their poor sons went through as they took their final breaths isn’t a great look.

Hang your heads in shame you f**king idiots. We boo’d one of our own. He spent two years refusing to do basic club stuff like visiting the kids hospital and doing interviews for the club channel, pretended he wanted to be captain, did his nonsense will he/wont he for press/clicks or whatever suited him and so he can take his big pay cheque but don’t expect us to kiss his feet. He didn’t win it all for the club; the club won it all and he was blessed to be a part of it. Let’s hope those fans in Spain will cheer him on when he has his brain fart games, or when he can’t find a pass to save his life.
Minty, LFC

Trent mixed reaction was perfect from Liverpool fans
I have more to say about this and various other topics, but in the meantime, I just wanted to point out that “Trent Alexander-Arnold booed at Anfield” is misleading, even if it’s technically 100% true. Trent was also applauded/cheered by plenty of fans at Anfield yesterday (as could be clearly heard/seen on TV); the headline “Trent Alexander-Arnold applauded/cheered at Anfield” would also be misleading despite being technically true.

The most accurate/clear description of what happened at Anfield yesterday is “Trent Alexander-Arnold got a mixed reaction at Anfield”. Is that not a fair reaction, given the circumstances? Do the media, rival fans and non-matchgoing-LFC fans really think Trent deserves unanimous applause/cheers from the crowd (considering everything Rob Marrs highlighted in Monday morning’s Mailbox)?

I was very happy with exactly the way it played out. I would have been sad and embarrassed if Trent had been unanimously and vociferously booed. I would have also been frustrated if everyone had just pretended like there was no element of betrayal. This compromise was perfect and deserved.
Oliver Dziggel, Geneva Switzerland

…The reception Trent received from the Anfield faithful was expected. Football is not just a job. Trent joining Madrid is not just a change of jobs. Football is passion, emotion and love. It’s a relationship. If your partner after 20 years of good times turns to you and tells you they no longer want to be with you, they want to be with someone else, are you going to wish them well and send them off with a hug and a thanks?

Like hell you are, you are going to tell them to ‘do one’ and give them some verbal.
Paul, London Red

(This analogy only works if you pay your partner – Ed)

YNWA is not for everybody
The demonstrated misunderstanding of what “You’ll Never Walk Alone” means to Liverpool supporters (and one Andy who calls themself a Liverpool supporter) is baffling!

It isn’t some socialist trope of solidarity between competitors of different clubs, their supporters and allegiances…

It is – and has been since its adoption – a way for Liverpool FC supporters to identify, recognise and support their own; those of the same and unwavering allegiance!

When a player, local or foreign, chooses to nullify that allegiance – as is their right; and I’m against booing by the way – it does not nullify the intent of any Liverpool Football Club supporter who has sung “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

It’s a Liverpool FC anthem FFS – not a pledge to world peace!

Warm regards. YNWA.
Dene McLeod

Bore off Johnny
My God Johnny please bore off. Can someone please explain that football transfers don’t take place in a regulated market! Price discrimination is alive and well in football and that is fine, so long as you acknowledge it, accept it and move on with your life.

Relatively unknown flying winger, Bob McTurdpants might cost Sturm Graz £5million but if a prem team comes in he is £30million. Yes they are richer, yes United and Spurs suck but my god you have become the most boring writer in the world! Once fin , twice erm ok, but every f***ing day with the same shit, Jesus Christ. You have become the problem, a whiny, self-obsessed, dogmatic bore. The childlike words you use in every article as well, time to ditch writing and just go cry on tiktok or some shit.

Also, those other teams don’t play in the prem, they primarily play against garbage most weeks in their own leagues, so they don’t need as good players and can focus on Europa, yet still can’t beat the 12 shite senior players United have and whatever Spurs are these days.

I surely can’t be the only one who sees ‘Johnny Nic’ below the always overly dramatic headline and just thinks eugh. Really looking forward to your sob piece after whoever wins the final, no doubt we’ll be told how embarrassed we should be for even entering the tournament.

You used to be great, no longer.

Time for the glue factory, Johnny.
Moses