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There is a running joke on how Liverpool fans know their history really well. The reason for it partly is the unprecedented success the club enjoyed in the 70s and 80s while struggling to do the same in recent decades in the Premier League era.
The Merseyside club have however won trophies in the past two decades which still rank them among the top. However, a rich and successful history dwarfs their current achievements.
There have been big moments for the fans in almost every decade since the club's inception, with the best ones occurring in the past 50 years. Out of countless moments that fans have enjoyed and would love to relive, here are the five most special ones.
#1 THAT League Title
When Liverpool last won the league title, in 1990, little did anyone related to the club think that the wait for the next title would stretch 27 years and more. Several new generations of fans have cropped up who do not even know what winning the league feels like. Instead, the club and their fans are the butts of jokes from rival clubs and their fans.
Looking at the lineup that day in 1990, several club legends were a part of that side. Several more came into the club who tried to lead the team to a title win and failed. Steven Gerrard is one of the greatest Liverpool players of all time, if not the greatest ever.
Also Read:5 reasons why Liverpool will win the Premier League this year
The local lad won every trophy at club level barring the Premier League. He came tantalizingly close a few times, with the most recent ones being in 2009 and 2014. Thus, as the wait grows longer, if there is one moment every Liverpool fan would love to relive, then it has to be celebrating that league win.
#2 Istanbul, 2005
25th May 2005 was the day Istanbul etched itself into Liverpool's history permanently. Trailing by three goals at half-time to one of the greatest ever club sides in AC Milan, Liverpool went on to pull off the greatest-ever comeback in a Champions League final.
After needing a Gerrard special against Olympiakos to get out of the group stage, Rafa Benitez's side fought their way to the final with wins over Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, and Chelsea.
However, the gulf in quality proved a little too much in the final's first 45 minutes against a Milan side boasting of the likes of Maldini, Nesta, Pirlo, Cafu, Kaka, Seedorf, Shevchenko, and Crespo.
As a humiliating defeat loomed on the horizon, the team regrouped at half-time with the fans singing the club's famous anthem, "You"ll Never Walk Alone" in the stadium. What followed was legendary, to say the least.
In six unbelievable minutes, the Reds scored thrice with Steven Gerrard leading the comeback. Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek was unbreachable from then on and starred in the penalty shoot-out to complete the greatest ever comeback in a European Cup final.
This is a moment near and dear to every Liverpool fan, something every Reds fan and would love to relive.
#3 Bruce Grobbelaar's antics, Rome, 1984
Before Jerzy Dudek enthralled all with his antics in the 2005 Champions League final shootout, there existed a certain Bruce Grobbelaar. Playing against AS Roma in their home stadium, Liverpool had their task cut out in the European Cup final in 1994.
Joe Fagan, in his first year in charge, was aiming for a treble, having won the league and League Cup already that year. After an evenly-contested match which ended 1-1, penalties were going to be the deciding factor.
Liverpool did not have a particularly good history in shootouts while the Italian side welcomed it. Things took a turn for the worse as Steve Nicol's spot-kick sailed over the bar. Agostino Di Bartolomei scored before Phil Neal broke the duck for the Reds.
As Roma's next penalty-taker Bruno Conti walked to the spot, Liverpool keeper Grobbelaar started wobbling his legs in a bizarre manner, a maneuver which has now become the stuff of legends. The distraction worked as Conti missed and so did Francesco Graziani a few minutes later, allowing Liverpool to win their 4th European trophy in just seven years.
Dudek's antics in the 2005 Champions League final were inspired from Grobbelaar and every Liverpool fan would love to revisit that moment in 1984 again.
#4 That week in March 2009
In this instance, it was not a single moment, instead, it was brilliant and unforgettable performances over a week that are noteworthy. The high-stakes on offer and the quality of the oppositions make this moment all the more sweet.
It was March 11 and Liverpool brought a one-goal lead to Anfield, having won 1-0 in Spain. Liverpool started with Fernando Torres up front while Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, and Javier Mascherano started in midfield. Juande Ramos' Real Madrid were filled with quality as Iker Casillas, Raul, Sergio Ramos, Fabio Cannavaro, Arjen Robben, and Gonzalo Higuain all started.
Lifted by fan support, Liverpool underlined their class as Torres opened the scoring before Gerrard added one more from the spot. The Reds captain scored again in the second-half before substitute Andrea Dossena made it four towards the end to cap off a stunning display for the English side. The fact that the scoreline would have been six or seven if not for Real's keeper Casillas showcased the quality of Rafa Benitez's side.
Four days later, Liverpool travelled to Old Trafford in a must-win match to keep their title hopes alive. On the other hand, a United win would have taken Sir Alex Ferguson's side one step closer to the title. Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the spot to ensure everything went according to plan.
However, Torres pouncing on a rare Nemanja Vidic error and Gerrard scoring from the spot later turned the match around. Vidic got sent off in the second-half and Fabio Aurelio curled a beauty past Edwin Van der Sar. Dossena once again scored the fourth towards the end to cap off a fine performance sparking massive celebrations at the away end.
(Video courtesy - Syahideiru YouTube Channel)
The two matches were performances of world-class proportions by Liverpool and the fact they happened under a week highlighted the quality and consistency of Rafa Benitez's side. Unfortunately, Liverpool failed to win the Premier League or the Champions League this season.
This is Rafa Benitez's second entry on the list after Istanbul 2005 and shows why he is highly-regarded by the Liverpool fans despite failing to deliver the league title.
#5 April 2016
Despite failing to win a trophy until that point in time, Jurgen Klopp was already involved in a huge Anfield moment to cherish in his first season as Liverpool manager. The Reds faced Klopp's previous team, Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League quarterfinals.
The teams drew the first leg in Germany 1-1 and Dortmund started strongly at Anfield. Their quick start was rewarded as Thomas Tuchel's side put Liverpool to the sword. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored in the opening 10 minutes, meaning Liverpool needed to score three goals without reply to progress.
Divock Origi scored early in the second-half to get things rolling for the Reds. However, it was short-lived as Marco Reus scored what looked like the killer goal on the hour mark. However, Liverpool, who needed three goals in half an hour to win the tie, had other ideas.
The comeback was started by Philippe Coutinho after a fine passing move, before Mamadou Sakho scored with 13 minutes remaining to level the tie 4-4. Dortmund were still ahead on away goals until James Milner produced a brilliant cross in the last few seconds of the game for Dejan Lovren to head home.
Anfield erupted along with Klopp as Liverpool staged one of the greatest ever comebacks in Europe. That moment is very likely to be pivotal in Klopp's reign at Liverpool as it was the first big instance of collective team spirit and never-say-die attitude coming to the fore.
Nothing excites fans more than an underdog victory and Liverpool provided their loyal fanbase with one such moment in this decade.
