Comparisons to a season 20 years ago...

[MarkD]

For some weeks now I've been feeling that this season (for us) has, to date, had similarities to the 1988/89 season - not withstanding nor having less respect for that awful incident in April 1989.

 

I wonder what the internet forums of the day (had they existed) would have made of our form upto Christmas (P18, W7, D7, L4) and the fact that we could not put teams away and were often fortunately drawing against lesser teams (Millwall 1-1 at Anfield, for example). I recall we beat Man United in the second game of the season and then seemed to stop playing for the remainder of the calendar year - or so it felt! We just trudged on aimlessly at times.

 

The team (despite the household names and experienced title winners) looked lethargic, slow in comparison to others and at no time displayed the necessary engery/desire to be Champions.

 

By the end of the season, and we all know both the Hillsbrough and Michael Thomas stories, our strong 2nd half of the campaign had made us all but one goal away from being Champions again.

 

The second part of the season (P20, W15, D3, L2) involved a collective recognition that consistency and improvement were needed if we were to be successful - plus a re-awakening of the crowd's acceptance of their part in the drive to the line.

 

I recall that we had been so successful for many years it was taken for granted and people expected glorious victories as the norm and during the September/December period we did not deliver.

Our crowd mumbled and shook their heads but forgot to support. We got beat 3-1 to United at OT on New Year's Day but that defeat seemed to galavnise everybody - maybe we need that now, eh? (Kidding!).

 

As Arsenal ended up Champions - by that one goal - our final record of (P38, W22, D10, L6) yielded the same points at them - 76. This again feels like a season were a figure not disimilar might be sufficient.

 

The history of all teams that have multiple trophies are littered with glorious victories and a degree of 'winning ugly' - to date we are doing the latter. And, as like Arsenal's 1989 success, should we manage to win the thing, the history books do not have an asterisk depicting artistic beauty.

 

I know Rafa is a stubborn so and so, player X or Y are not good enough on occasion, those who travel least might be deemed by some as more of a supporter than those who travel furthest but all of these things make up (internet) life's rich tapestery.

 

Remember, best wishes to you all. We are the team to be shot at going into the new year - let's make sure it's not us providing the ammunition for others to fire!!

[Molby]

I remember that season like yesterday

 

but like the 1982 season we came roaring back after a bad start

the run in was sensational - I remember going to loads of aways that year

 

but we knew we had it in us to make that run - we had that championship winning know how and the required backbone - and we were proven champions

 

but having said that, I'm enjoying this season hugely (whilst being one more home draw on Boxing day away from a nervous breakdown)

[fitzy]

Being too young to remember that season properly and season reviews always quite rightly focusing on Hillsborough I've always wondered what happened to us in the first half of that season; how did the magnificent team of 87-88 make such a bad start to the following season?

[MarkD]

Being too young to remember that season properly and season reviews always quite rightly focusing on Hillsborough I've always wondered what happened to us in the first half of that season; how did the magnificent team of 87-88 make such a bad start to the following season?

 

They seemed lethargic from the off - plus we did have very recent previous of slow starting and then really turning on the style post Christmas. I recall a later interview with Alan Hansen who talked about the period (September/December) as a sleepwalk for himself and that the feeling in the dressing room was one that they were as good as they were ever going to be the previous season. So much so, they were nervous as they felt that they could never achieve those standards again.