Chapter 173 Unconditional Support

For Gerrard, the most difficult period was before he gained the support of the Liverpool fans.

Because he had to keep encouraging the team.

Sometimes, he was out of words, but he still had to say something.

Fortunately, those days didn't last too long, otherwise he would have gone crazy.

After Liverpool won six consecutive games in the league, Champions League, and domestic cup competitions, the enthusiasm of the Liverpool fans returned completely.

Those voices that thought Liverpool had to abandon Chen Hero and find another way out were also gone. Of course, it was unknown whether they thought Liverpool was already doing what they said, or whether they were too busy to care about this matter after Liverpool's results improved.

When Liverpool welcomed another home game, the Liverpool players deeply felt the torrent of enthusiasm from the Liverpool fans, like magma, instantly evaporating them.

They felt the blood in their bodies rushing with this enthusiasm, boiling in the process.

This was the love that the Liverpool fans gave them; all their efforts were worthwhile.

Now they thought of what their coach Gerrard had said.

When they performed well, they would naturally receive unconditional support from the fans!

Sure enough!

The enthusiastic support of the Liverpool fans was energy for the Liverpool players. They started absorbing a constant stream of energy from the moment they entered the stadium.

Now they were fully charged, firing on all cylinders. How could their opponents stop them?

In this game, Liverpool, still without Chen Hero, went on a rampage and defeated the visiting Sunderland 4:1.

When the game ended, the fans' chorus rang out again at Anfield, singing Liverpool's anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Although fans sang after every home game, in these few months, today's song was particularly loud.

Almost all the fans stayed, and no one left early.

The fans stood up from their seats, waving their arms and singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" in unison.

That scene made many Liverpool players' eyes moist.

It had been a long time since they had enjoyed such treatment. In the past, when Chen Hero was still in the team, after every home game, there would inevitably be a loud chorus throughout the stadium. And under the leadership of their captain, Chen Hero, they would thank the fans in this song.

This was a regular program after every home game.

At that time, most people didn't take this regular program seriously. For them, it was just a formality, just to show the world "we have a good relationship with the fans," nothing more.

So things are only valued when they are lost.

Until today, seeing this scene and personally feeling the surge of emotion in their bodies, these people realized what this "regular program" meant to Liverpool players and fans.

This was a spiritual inheritance. By participating in such activities, any Liverpool player could feel the fans' love for them and develop a sense of pride in being a Liverpool player.

There was nothing wrong with the song at first, but when their performance started to have problems, the song also changed. Looking back now, those days were really unpleasant.

They could feel the change in the fans' attitude from the song.

Now, hearing this loud song again, everyone cherished this moment from the bottom of their hearts.

They raised their heads, raised their arms, and applauded the fans in the stands. They vowed in their hearts to make this feeling appear after every home game.

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In the VIP box, Chen Hero also stood up and applauded the team's performance with the other fans.

The team's performance during this period also relieved him.

Liverpool gradually climbed in the league standings and soon returned to the top seven.

There was hope of competing for the championship again.

Then, when the team performed well, his son had no worries at school.

If any Everton fans dared to say anything, he could confidently retort—Everton's ranking is now below our Liverpool's!

Now there was only one and a half months left before his return to the team. If there were still people who were ignorant, he wouldn't mind slapping them in the face.

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Liverpool's outstanding performance, after regaining the unconditional support of the fans, also attracted the attention of the media.

This time the media could confirm that Liverpool's recovery was not a flash in the pan, nor was it a brief moment of brilliance.

Liverpool, this terrifying beast, had truly recovered!

Liverpool fans were delighted, while some began to feel scared.

Liverpool's winning streak was ended; they lost a game.

In the next league game, they lost to Chelsea.

However, this defeat had very little impact on the current Liverpool.

If it had been a month ago, this defeat might have destroyed all the confidence that the Liverpool players had managed to accumulate, and it would have made the Liverpool fans continue to doubt their team.

But now, Liverpool fans had seen the team's performance, strengthened their beliefs, and would no longer hesitate.

And Liverpool players had gained more confidence from the support of the fans than from victory. One defeat could not defeat them.

They soon won back.

Liverpool won their next Champions League game, winning very easily and without suspense, as if Chen Hero had already returned to the field.

Liverpool was using this practical action to prove that they were not really affected by a defeat.

At the same time, everyone knew the tricks behind this defeat. However, not everyone was Chen Hero, who could confront the FA so recklessly.

So everyone just despised the FA's actions in their hearts, but didn't dare to say it. The FA might not be able to do anything to Chen Hero, but they had too many ways to deal with ordinary players like them.

They couldn't directly confront the FA, but they could use another way to resist the FA, and that was to win the game.

The defeat instead motivated the entire Liverpool team and made them more motivated. Because they wanted to make those who disliked them feel uncomfortable.

The English FA would never have imagined that the stumbling block they set for Liverpool not only failed to trip Liverpool, but instead became the driving force for Liverpool to move forward, allowing Liverpool to rush faster.

In the following league games, Liverpool advanced all the way, and until before Christmas, they won four games, drew two games, and lost only one game.

Such outstanding results allowed their league ranking to directly enter the top five, and they could already see the Champions League qualification for next season.

Liverpool's rapid advance alarmed other Premier League teams.

Originally, Chen Hero's nine-month suspension and absence for half a season had made many teams eager to try, thinking that it was their turn to taste the taste of the league championship.

Just like Arsenal last season.

It had to be said that if Chen Hero really retired, the Premier League might really fall into a warring states period.

Because in today's Premier League, there really isn't a dominant team.

Last season's league champion Arsenal ranked third this season. Although they were in the leading group, it wasn't certain that they could win the championship, or that they had an advantage in the title race.

This situation gave many teams an illusion—are kings and generals born of a special kind?

Arsenal sat on the throne of the league champion. What can't we do?

As long as it's not Liverpool, anyone can do it.

So several teams with the strength to win the championship killed each other in the first half of the season.

The points difference was never widened.

But they didn't expect Liverpool's recovery to come so quickly. Their previous infighting instead gave Liverpool a chance to catch up with them.

Now, seeing that half a season was about to pass, Liverpool had instead broken out of their predicament, their ranking soaring all the way, and now they had substantially threatened the leading group.

And after Christmas, in the New Year, Chen Hero would end his suspension.

Compared to Liverpool, this was a monster that everyone feared and trembled at, a terrifying Great Demon King.

Liverpool with him and without him were definitely two teams.

It could be said that in the past six months, what other Premier League teams had been wary of was not Liverpool, but Chen Hero. Even if Liverpool rushed to fifth place, they could still be calm. What really panicked them was Chen Hero's imminent return.

Thinking of this future, they especially regretted not trying to widen their lead over Liverpool as much as possible in the first half of the season.

But now it was too late.

Liverpool was fifteen points behind Chelsea, who ranked first in the league.

In theory, this points difference could make Chelsea feel safe.

There were very few examples in the world of football of completing a逆转 (nìzhuǎn - reverse) and winning the league championship after being fifteen points behind.

Under normal circumstances, Chelsea could indeed not guard against Liverpool at all, but should guard against teams such as Arsenal, Manchester United, and Manchester City.

But with Chen Hero, that was not a normal situation, that was a special situation.

In a special situation, with Chen Hero, anything was possible. So what if they were fifteen points behind?

Those teams in the top five were all like this, as long as they thought that Chen Hero would be back after the New Year, they would be anxious and restless.

Chen Hero hadn't returned yet, and he had already stirred up the Premier League into a state of great turmoil. What would it be like when he really returned?

Some people began to look forward to that day, but others were terrified.

When the Great Demon King was reborn, what kind of dire straits would the world fall into?

Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that maybe everyone would suddenly discover that after the Great Demon King was reborn, he became an ordinary person, harmless and harmless.

But did this possibility really exist?