Barely a fixture has passed by at Anfield this season without the patrons of one of the most famous venues in world football being subjected to the same tired chant.
“Where’s your famous atmosphere?” has come the howl, in a variety of dialects, from whoever has been stationed in the away seats down the Anfield Road.
Be it West Ham United, Nottingham Forest or Bournemouth, those of a Liverpool faith have been made to listen to the same ditty almost weekly this term. Even Bologna fans, over for the Champions League fixture in early October, might have dusted off a similar trope in Italian given the consistency of what is supposed to be a cutting taunt.
In truth, the belting out of that particular terrace anthem reveals more about how Reds supporters view their opposition more than it speaks to the Anfield din being an apparent myth. Either way, it’s a chant that has been aired regularly this term from visitors hoping for something akin to Chelsea 2005 or Barcelona 2019.
More seasoned match-goers will counter the point that the ground hasn’t always been the red-hot cauldron it is broadly painted to be. The “famous atmosphere” – to quote the critics – has rather been reserved for when it is needed, on the biggest nights and for the biggest moments.
Expecting the stadium to be shaking to its core for a sleepy 3pm kick-off against teams further down the division is unrealistic, even if there is a wider debate to be had about the noise generated inside the ground itself on any given match-day.
Had Brighton fans opted to sing something similar during a dominant first half for their team on Saturday, they might have been within their rights. Passes were sloppy, touches were loose and Fabian Hurzeler’s team were sharper, faster and stronger throughout. The 1-0 advantage the Seagulls took into half time was the least their efforts deserved as the home support grew restless, frustrated by what was being served on the pitch itself.
The debates will no doubt continue to rage, of course. The battle lines are drawn between fans waiting to be inspired and those on the other end of the spectrum who feel more can be done to foster the sort of match-day racket that the stadium has clearly become renowned for more regularly. It’s a healthy topic for discussion, but wherever you land on such a loaded and thorny issue, few will argue that Anfield doesn’t have the power to change a game or alter a season.
Where’s the famous atmosphere? It was fully on show in the second half on Saturday and it will be required in spades the longer this intriguing campaign goes on for the new leaders of the Premier League.
