TRENT Alexander-Arnold (TAA) is entitled to his opinion about the meaning and fabric of success in football, but his comments are no more valid than myopic fan lit claiming their club is more special than others. Since Nick Hornby’s excellent Fever Pitch, we have been inundated with books and articles where “the fan” believes his or her relationship is somehow different and oh so meaningful. The fact is, nothing could be further from the truth; fanatic supporters are all irrational, over-dependent and blindly loyal to their clubs, which are – whether they like it or not – businesses with customers who buy into their product. While some believe football and their club are a form of religion, it is a faith that charges its disciples a huge sum of money to “believe”.
All clubs crave success, so TAA’s view that success at Liverpool “means more” than a club with vast sums of money is ludicrous. Liverpool are not a poor club, they are one of the world’s top 10 wealthiest football institutions. They were, at one time, far wealthier than many of their domestic rivals, in the days when they won lots of trophies and left the opposition way behind. The big three that were, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, were richer than most clubs but this trio has been more vocal about the “new order” that has made their life more difficult.
Liverpool’s resurgence under the chariasmatic Jürgen Klopp has not been a case of the club shopping in poor street and discovering bargains, although they have not spent as much as Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea in this era. They have, largely, bought very well and they have one of the top two coaches in the world. They are exciting to watch and the connection between club, support and manager has been revived and is much-envied. Like every club, they make a lot of noise when they win something.
Success on an annual basis does make the lifting of silverware almost routine. Liverpool should know this only too well because between 1972-73 and 1989-90, they won 11 league titles, four FA Cups, four FL Cups, two UEFA Cups and four European Cups. In 18 years, 25 cups. In that period, Liverpool were the fourth biggest spenders on a gross basis but on a net basis, their £ 10 million outlay was only beaten by Manchester United who had spent around £ 16 million. Liverpool’s record was outstanding, but United, who were desperate for success, won only a handful of cups.
When United did finally win the title, they were ecstatic. They had, after all, ended a 26-year period without a league triumph. Manchester City, when they won their first Abu Dhabi-era league championship in 2012, were equally hysterical. The decisive game has lived on in broadcasting folklore, statues of heroes have been erected and a springboard was put in place. City’s current situation is such they are becoming as dominant as Real Madrid in the 1950s, Ajax in the 1970s and Liverpool in their pomp. Each piece of silverware is greeted in the same way that a new bauble is welcomed at Anfield, Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge.
It is not for TAA to claim it means more at Liverpool – he cannot possibly know that. The only people that will believe that are Liverpool’s fans. Manchester City may be the latest new kid in town, representing football capitalism at its most extreme, but in all probability, Liverpool’s next owners will be from the middle east or another US owner steeped in the culture of Wall Street. As this footballing business paradigm further develops, if a club does not have an owner/investor from these sources, they will not be able to compete in the future. That’s not to say this is the right way, but it is surely the new reality.
When Chelsea won the FA Cup in 1997, the pent-up frustration of 26 years without a major trophy was very obvious and when the Premier was secured in 2005, it was hard to believe for so many fans who had never seen the club fly so high. West Ham won the Conference League in 2023 and although it may be a relatively modest competition, the Hammers’ fans have only just stopped celebrating. Fans want success and more often than not, they don’t care how it is achieved. Spending money doesn’t always guarantee positive outcomes, as Chelsea are discovering in the 2023-24 season.
It is all relative, of course – promotion from League Two means as much to the fans of the successful clubs as a Champions League win means to Liverpool or Chelsea. Furthermore, a non-league club winning their county cup celebrates as if they have just won at Wembley (well, perhaps not quite…). For all fans, success for their club is often years in the making. Manchester City, for example, won the Football League Cup in 1976 and followed that up with the FA Cup – 43 years later. Surely, such a period of underperformance gives them the right to enjoy their success?
Trying to take the moral high ground is all very well, but most clubs live behind a glass screen that can easily be shattered. Implying that financial backing creates a club that lacks credibility is a fragile position to take because one day, your club may actually be benefitting from the type of ownership that Manchester City currently enjoys. And if you’re an excellent player like Trent, you might just be criticising a future employer.
GAME OF THE PEOPLE 
I take anything said by TAA with a pinch of salt. He’s got a very high opinion of himself and I fail to understand how he gets picked by Southgate when he spouts out the “Scouse, not English” claptrap. Okay going forward but can’t defend to save his life.
The Liverpool fans, much like United seem to feel they have the right to win the title and if the attempt fails it’s down to outside influences. They also have short memories when they accuse clubs like Chelsea of buying the title, especially as they had the backing of Littlewoods for many years.
Appalled by everything, ashamed of nothing.