Every coach I ever known from being a kid learning the game to playing into my 30s taught the same basic things which boil down to.. 'Play to win for the whole 90 minutes', 'If you can't learn from and take defeat, don't play' and (as you say) 'Respect your opponents and be gracious'.The more i get to know about Frank Lampard , the more i like him. A great professional player, put in 100% when he was with us and liked by the fans of the clubs he has played for. Rare amongst footballers, he has a brain, is well educated and is honest. His father was a class player and it's obvious that he was raised well by his parents. He congratulated Liverpool but then put things into perspective, well done. He's endorsed what most feel about Liverpool and echoes what was self evident when they strutted onto the pitch at the Etihad. I don't mind losing out to other teams, it's all part of sport but you need to be gracious . This Liverpool team are coming up short . The fans, the club, player and manager .
Elsewhere, Prestwich Blue listed the negative behavioural traits exhibited by Liverpool and their supporters, all of which I suggested to him are consistent with the work done by behavioural researchers such as Jerry Harvey ('The Abilene Paradox') and Irving Janis ('Groupthink'). It's not a pretty sight seeing this lot show their true colours as a group and as individuals.
I truly hope that our club and our fans NEVER go down that route and become smug, entitled and ungracious like Liverpool, United and Arsenal have become over the past few decades as they have accreted power in English football. I'm confident that with Khaldoon et al in charge, it won't happen at club level. We as fans have to remind ourselves to be so, as Tomas Borge put it (and Jackson Browne sang it): 'My personal revenge will be the kindness in the eyes of my people/ Who have always fought relentlessly in battle/ And been generous and firm in victory..'