Wait until next year

I am perhaps the worst sort of armchair supporter – one who cannot even manage to catch every game shown on television. Last night, just before heading to one pub to watch the game I ended up diverted to another, as a friend who is a father-to-be was in town. So, instead of watching what appears to have been a poor display, I just had that sinking feeling each time someones phone lit up with another Villa goal. And then home to the even more unsatisfying conclusion of reading the match report online. Just reading a report isn’t that wonderful anyway, unless you are lucky enough to encounter a really skilled journalist. Football just doesn’t lend itself to poetic writing in the way other sports do, such as cricket, baseball, boxing. There’s often no overarching narrative, just a sequence of random events. And when your team has lost you don’t even get the joy of revelling in reading their exploits.

Liverpool have now lost as many games this season as they lost in the whole of last season. It’s going to be a long one. Still, I had a lovely evening all the same.