Liverpool supporters turned out in force before last night's Barclays Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur to fire their team to victory with an intense show of support.
Legendary Reds manager Bill Shankly once paid tribute to the club's followers after the 1971 FA Cup final defeat by proclaiming, "Chairman Mao has never seen the greatest show of red strength", and last night the current generation of fans aimed to revive that spirit.
Manager Rafael Benitez been under intense pressure from the media and a small section of the club's support to be sacked following a disappointing series of results this season, the most recent being last week's humiliating FA Cup exit to Championship outfit Reading.
However the club's world-famous support helped fire the team to a 2-0 victory over Harry Redknapp's side with a strong show of loyalty and support for the players inside and outside of Anfield.
Approximately 200 passionate fans lined the pavements of Anfield Road just after 6pm with a vast array of flags and banners, normally seen on the Kop before games, to provide vocal and visual backing as the team coach drove through the stadium's gates with Benitez and assistant manager Sammy Lee saluting the tribute from the front of the bus.
Shortly after the home team arrived, Tottenham's coach arrived and was given a vocally hostile welcome from the supporters who were still waving flags and in strong voice.
Paul Gardner from Kirkby was one of the fans forming the guard of honour with his flag and hoped that the gesture from the fans would act as a morale-boosting exercise for the players.
He said: "Basically tonight was just a show of support for the team and the manager. It just showed that we can get behind them.
"We're still behind the team 100% and we came down here tonight to show that we're behind the lads.
"We keep being told that our fans are the 12th man and tonight we're going to prove it.
"Hopefully it gave them that little boost and made them come off that coach feeling ten feet tall and hoping they went onto the pitch, firing on all cyliners to try and make a difference."
A brace from Dirk Kuyt saw Liverpool take home maximum points and, speaking after the game, Tottenham manager Redknapp paid tribute to the support shown by the home fans throughout the match, saying: "You come here to Anfield, you stand there and listen to that crowd, and it's the greatest sight in football."
Assistant manager Lee paid tribute to the show of support from the fans which he admits left the players and staff feeling emotional as they arrived at Anfield.
He said: "There is not enough praise for our supporters. To see them showing their support when we arrived was massive. We try to integrate our supporters into everything we do because they are part of what we are doing.
"It was really emotional for us to see them singing and supporting us as always. The players certainly appreciated it.
"Pepe Reina came up to me in the dressing room and he was very emotional. He said this wouldn't happen at any other football club and it meant a lot to everybody."
Mwamlangala, Denis B, TANZANIA around 7 months, 3 weeks ago