There are some things in football that live somewhere between truth and folklore. Anfield atmosphere sits firmly in that category. It has broken teams, lifted Liverpool sides that looked beaten, and turned ordinary moments into something bigger. That is why Tom Cairney’s latest verdict lands with a bit of force.

Speaking on Marc White Fixes Football , Cairney gave credit to the old reputation while questioning the current reality. Asked whether Anfield’s atmosphere was underrated or overrated, White said, “Underrated, it’s f___ing like the one.” Cairney replied, “Years ago, it was underrated. But now, overrated.”

That is the sort of line that will get a reaction because Anfield has long been sold as English football’s great emotional arena. Under the lights, especially in Europe, it has earned that billing often enough. Visiting sides have felt the weight of the place, and Liverpool have fed off it for decades.

Yet Cairney is entitled to his view. He has experienced the ground as an opponent, and footballers notice shifts in intensity quicker than those in the stands care to admit. The noise can still rise, but there have been more than a few league games in recent seasons when the mood has felt expectant rather than feral. That happens when excellence becomes routine. Crowds get used to winning, and edge can soften.

What makes this interesting is that Cairney has not always sounded so dismissive. His memory of that extraordinary 4-3 defeat to Liverpool in 2023-24 painted a very different picture. Fulham led 3-2 late on, only for the match to turn in a blur of pressure and emotion. Afterwards, he said, “We were like 3-2 up with like eight minutes left. Honestly, you could just tell. The noise was like. We lost 4-3. If I win the toss again, I am not going to let them kick to the Kop in the second half.”

That was not mythology talking. That was a player describing a stadium closing in around him. It is why the new judgement feels less like a settled truth and more like a comment on recent experiences. Fulham’s more recent trips have not carried the same drama, and perhaps the temperature has dropped with it.

For Liverpool, this is really about standards. Anfield does not need protecting by sentiment. If the atmosphere has dipped, supporters know it before pundits do. The ground is still one of the game’s iconic venues, but reputation needs renewing. It cannot run forever on old European nights, old managers, and old stories.

And that is the point. Anfield atmosphere is not a museum piece. It is a living thing. When the crowd and team move together, there are few places louder or more oppressive. Cairney has questioned whether that level is still constant. Fair enough. Liverpool’s task is to make him look wrong the next time he walks in there.