“Winning formula” he says. You must be a dipper. You can’t have watched that game today and thought it was a good atmosphere unless you were a deluded dipper.
To my recollection our ground was full pre and post match at our recent derby. Different rules apply for different games.No I think he’s right. They do some things well at Liverpool.
The atmosphere wasn’t off the charts. Their fans were nervous for the most of it. But we’ll hear about how good the atmosphere was because of two things - pre match and post-match. The stadium was full either side of the game - credit where it’s due. Our fans prefer to arrive 5 mins after kick off and leave 15 mins early. I don’t see the issue in calling it out?
Very good post.Last night I took my son to see Saint Etienne (our French team, we're based in France, OK?) play Monaco. They (we, sort of) lost 1-4.
In any case, ask anyone in France to name the grounds with the best atmosphere. And Saint Etienne will be in the top five.
Thing is, their fans (incidentally, there are no away fans) do this sort of constant-jumping-up-and-down-non-stop-drone-singing-banner-waving-big-flag-revealing-loud-speaker-happy-clappy-you-will-sing-or-else thing to the extent that it's hard to know whether it's useful or counter-productive to the players.
When Watford scored yesterday, it seemed (to judge by my stream) to go silent in the stadium.
When Monaco scored yesterday... nothing changed. Those who were already 'doing the conga', just... carried on. Literally carried on. No pause. No audible intake of breath. No what-the-f**k-was-that. Just carried on. You wouldn't have known that the other team had scored.
In other words, it's a sort of 'turn-on-the-tap' kind of 'atmosphere' that I simply don't recognize. I hate it.
It's impressive if you're a first-time-visitor to the ground. First time I went to see Marseille (Drogba and Mido's debut!) was the same. OM's (home) fans behind each goal were competing with each other. It's tribal. They eventually do this sort of call-and-repeat thing. Then everyone joins in on cue. Whole place joins in and jumps up and down. But the whole thing's very choreographed. Phoney.
I would say it's not a real atmosphere if it's being piped in. It's the same thing every week. The flags that are held up are passed back down to the front where they are collected and (presumably) handed back to fans the following week.
Real atmosphere for me is about other things. It'll mean different things for everyone, of course.
Just be careful what you wish for. Just saying...
Hmmm....“Winning formula” he says. You must be a dipper. You can’t have watched that game today and thought it was a good atmosphere unless you were a deluded dipper.
I was in the Tunnel Club too, right behind you!So did I - as a guest in the Tunnel Club (check my previous posts slagging off the TC - so yes - massive hypocrite - but my god the food was nice!!)...so an interesting perspective. I was quite literally on the single row above the tunnel, a few seats behind Kyle Walker. So, as good as what the players hear from the bench. And like @Didsbury Dave says - it was utterly shite.
No excuses at all for this one, and I am out of trying to work out why.
Why is it when I go away (which I do, and have done for decades for almost every game, before I am accused of being a plastic) the pissed-up concourse is loud and proud - and for most away (Leicester, for example, very early this season in particular for some reason was fantastic - 90mins of non stop singing) we are excellent - but come back home, and despite the efforts of the SS, no one else seems to give a flying fuck?
Does it matter? The players - from watching them close up, don't seem to give a fuck. As proved playing in empty stadiums. They just want their £200K a week. Some, in fairness, make an effort to clap the 7 fans left at full time, and on away days, Pep seems to make sure they come over (although the days of players like Zaba, Vinnie and Hart, who would make a special effort, have long gone). But others just head down the tunnel - and who can blame them when there is no-one left in the stadium?
So I don't think it particularly matters for the players (expect for maybe the lift it gives the bin dippers playing into the Kop on a European night), and I do think there is a bit in every City fan of a certain age that might be more vocal when we are fighting relegation against Port Vale, or chasing an improbable Cup come back against clubs we used to think as 'giants'. For all the success, all the money, all the spectacular stars of recent years, is there a significant part of our support who are just so damaged, that what only really excites is spontaneous, unlikely, 'back against the wall' football, rather than the magnificent machine we watch weekly now?
I have had to explore pseudo-psychology, because I am out of options. What else can explain the difference between the atmosphere at Wembley in 1999 and that at the Semi-Final two weeks ago?
And finally...I think it does matter. It matters to me. I go to football as my weekly therapy, to disengage from the all the stresses and bollocks of daily life - and I like to shout and sing and feel part of a community I cherish. It's just a shame that I can now only really get that therapy at the occasional away game...