Saturday, October 14 – 1899
Once more am I compelled to continue my tale of woe. I had hoped that Liverpool would chaw up those brothers in distress, Derby County, but it was not to be, and I must perforce continue my lamentations yet a little longer.
How much longer is the mourning process to continue?
We are sick unto death of this perpetual wearing of sackloth and ashes and cannot possibly keep it up much longer.
Week after week hope that Liverpool would do something in keeping with last season’s form has revived, but disappointment after disappointment has been our lot, and I really dread to think what will occur if the present state of affairs continue much longer.
We Liverpudlians will probably rise in our might and demand that the present crowd be given a long holiday, and who knows but what we may demand that young blood like Tom Watson, McKenna, &c., be given an opportunity of displaying their agility to the football public.
They could not possibly perform worse than several of the present so-called cracks, pronouced “crocks” in Liverpool, and there is some consolation in that, at all events.
To account satisfactorily for the recent displays of the team would be to all intents and purposes impossible, and I have given up all hopes of doing so.
We know that many players, if not all of them, are capable, clever fellows, fit, in fact, to make a great fight for championship honours, and yet —! Those seven defeats! They will haunt us evermore! The downfall of the team has apparently afforded great satisfaction to many people, and given them innumerable opportunities of firing off their little jokes.
Tom Watson has been the recipient of shoals of presents, and so many “wooden spoons” has he now in stock that he is seriously thinking of starting in the timber trade and giving football a final adieu.
To Archie Goodall, more than to any other member of the Derby team, are Liverpool indebted for their last defest.
He was leader through and through and manipulated the Derby craft in a manner that would have put Captain Hogarth, of Shamrock fame, to the blush.
He appeared to strike awe into the very hearts, or rather feet, of the Liverpool crew, and infuse a corresponding amount of confidence into his own men.
What the Anfielders want is such a man as Goodall. The players have lost a lot of their confidence, and it will take something of a more than ordinary order to restore it.
The absence of Walker has dountless had a bad effect upon the team, and with his return was may hope for better things.
He is the best forward in the team, and with him as leader the forwards should find the net a little oftener than has been the case of late.
He was discharged from the Manchester home for broken down, or rather broken up footballers, last week, and certified fit to play against Derby, but the Liverpool directors decided to run no risks, and so the old Hearts of Midlothian champion was to make his bow to the Liverpool football public to-day.
The half-back line also stand much in need of improvement. Raisbeck is the only representative of that division who can be said to have played consistently this season, and it was not a successful move on the part of the directors to put him in the front rank against Derby.
He is a wretched centre forward, but a brilliant half back; and that is where he should he kept.
The directors, however, cannot reasonably be blamed for indulging in experiments, but rather sympathised with.
They are determined to remedy the existing state of affairs, and unless things improve, and that very quickly, drastic changes will be made in the personell of the team.
(Lancashire Evening Post, 14-10-1899)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 