MY RAWK'S EL PRESIDENTE'S INAUGRUAL POST!

Last season’s European Cup final in Athens typified Liverpool’s season – plenty of promise, no actual Habanna. Throughout the last campaign, bar a few exceptions, Liverpool controlled many of the games but struggled to turn possession into goals – the home defeat to Man Utd is a prime (nay, painful) example.

Kopites are crying out for a natural born predator in the mould of Rush, Fowler and those old enough to remember Toshack, to prowl the penalty area and finish off the half chances that could have seen us win many an away game (e.g. Chelsea at the Bridge anyone?). Excuses included the usual injury list as well as two years of non-stop footie from Istanbul to early qualifying rounds the following season and the run towards FA Cup glory. In between, slot in the World Cup and we did indeed have a tired bunch of legs and limbs. But isn’t it the same for all the big teams across Europe?

This season, however, is the first time Kopites can actually boast of some top class signings. For once, Rafa was allowed to break the bank to bring in his top target of Fernando Torres – a finisher who we hope will end our drought up front. In addition, he was allowed some cash for an interesting supporting cast of Voronin, Benayoun and the young Babel. In all, we can actually say we have cover in every position, so the old excuses should no longer carry any weight.
But, of course, we all know winning that elusive 19th League Championship is going to be tough and I certainly hope all the new faces will bed in quickly for us to hit the ground running. Not just in the league but against Toulouse in the Champions League qualifier.

What we need to do is to get behind our team and live up to our much vaunted "You’ll Never Walk Alone" spirit. Too often, many of our brethren have crawled under a rock when the going gets tough. Remember, WE ARE KOPITES - Legendary for being among the most knowledgeable fans in footie land. We are the supporters who gave the mighty Barca a standing ovation after they beat us 3-1 in our backyard. We are not the type to send hate mail to the gaffer when things start to go wrong (although Souness and Houllier towards the end did invite some criticism to put it mildly). For now, we should have faith in the new American owners who are working with Rick Parry to try and bring some glory back to Anfield. They have put their money where their mouths are with the recent acquisitions as well as paying for a new stadium. And of course, unequivocal support for Rafa who has delivered two major trophies so far.

The future is bright and certainly Liverpool RED!

You'll Never Walk Alone,
Jonathan Lim
El Presidente
MyRAWK