Liverpool’s Guard of Honor Hullabaloo…
In a corner of England where trophies rain like cats and dogs, former Liverpool striker John “The Aldridgenator” Aldridge has crashed head-on into the chatter express! Betting that the Reds shouldn’t prance through Arsenal’s guard of honor at Anfield this weekend, Aldridge suggests letting Liverpool strut their swagger with a smidgen of a pause might be in order. The football wizards already wrapped the Premier League like a Christmas present with four games still lurking, making their opponents bite the bullet of respect over multiple weeks.
Chelsea was the first to roll out the red carpet of begrudging applause at Stamford Bridge, sending their fans into a state of facepalms and groans. Next up, Mikel “Tactical Maestro” Arteta and his Arsenal band are due to begrudgingly copy Chelsea’s homework, despite a chorus of former players (who’d rather be napping) suggesting that the guard of honor tradition should kick the bucket. Everyone’s favorite snarky pundit, Rio “Voice of the People” Ferdinand, surprisingly gets a thumbs-up from the lanky legend Peter Crouch! Meanwhile, curmudgeonly Roy “Respect Everything” Keane pokes his head out of his Fortress of Grumpitude, reminding the world of the virtue of clap-o-rama.
Aldridge scribbles furiously in his Liverpool Echo column, hinting that such showiness should be reserved for the grand finale against Crystal Palace, not a weekly episode of Groundhog Day. Laughing mischievously, he announces how glee fills his lungs watching Chelsea fans endure it, with the Teletubby-like delight of awaiting Arsenal’s high-noon showdown at Anfield. Even Liverpool.com’s literary musings find it comical how this tradition only bats its lashes when Liverpool claims title glory, noting how the universe would whisper less if Man City were at the helm. Let’s not forget those wildcard refs joining the line-up like unlikely dancers at a jazz contest — what fun!
