As well as just counting the number of LFC fans on the goat, I thought I’d use this thread to offer my view of the club past and present. Liverpool fans please feel free comment, agree or disagree.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Liverpool were the undoubted powerhouse club of English and probably European football as well. Honours came year upon year, domestic titles, European cups, FA cups and UEFA cups, in fact the only ‘major’ trophy to have eluded the club is the now defunct Cup Winners Cup. This success was built upon by a succession of managers schooled in the Anfield bootroom and the Liverpool way of doing things, Shankly was followed by Paisley, Fagan and then Dalglish. The days of the sugar-daddy owners and megabuck transfers were yet to come, and Liverpool went about their business in the transfer market in a quiet and dignified manner. And why not, there was never a shortage of top quality players eager to join the club. But all this was to change.
On February 22nd 1991, following a barking mad 4-4 FA cup draw with rivasl Everton, Kenny Dalglish handed in his resignation citing the pressures of the job as the reason for his departure. Much speculation has surrounded that fateful decision, including what appeared to outsiders to be an obvious, but inexplicable, falling out of favour of the mercurial Peter Beardsley in the latter days of Dalglish’s reign, but we’ll probably never know. Ronny Moran took over as caretaker manager until a successor was named, but Liverpool were knocked out of the FA cup by Everton in the replay and quickly dropped off the pace in the title race which was won by Arsenal.
Desperate to maintain a connection within the club Liverpool appointed Graham Souness as manager; he was an unmitigated disaster. Although Liverpool won the FA cup in 1992, Souness’s profligacy but lack of discretion in the transfer market saw the sale of solid players like Ray Houghton and Ronny Whelan, and the arrival of utterly forgettable names like Piechnik and Kozma, hardmen like Dicks and Ruddock and the purchase of the club’s nemesis from 1989 Michael Thomas, and one of Souness’s former players at Rangers, Mark Walters. However one or two promising names began to emerge, David James bought from Watford, Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman. Souness oversaw some of the clubs more embarrassing moments including a cup exit to Bristol City and an on field bust up between McManaman and Grobbelar in, of all places, the Merseyside derby.
In 1994 Souness was replaced by Roy Evans, another bootroom veteran, and under Evans Liverpool began to improve. Fowler began to flourish, McManaman sometimes flattered to deceive, Jamie Redknapp looked like a class act, a certain Michael Owen was loitering in the background and Jason Macateer arrived at the club. During the 1996/7 season Liverpool led the premier league on a number of occasions but wound up a disappointing 4th (but no Champions League slot for 4th back then) a position that now has a familiar ring to it. Evans will be remembered for hauling Liverpool out of the ashes of the Souness era, but also for lacking bite in the dressing room; during Evan’s reign the antics of some of the younger players off the field in bars (and in embarrassing TV commercials for shampoo) saw them collectively dubbed ‘The Spice Boys’, an image that was re-enforced by the horrendous white suits the team wore for the 1995 FA cup final.
In 1998 Gerard Houllier arrived to work alongside Roy Evans, but Evans was uncomfortable with the arrangement and soon left leaving Houllier in sole charge. I recall a Soccer Saturday program during which Liverpool were described by the pundits as being in safe hands under Gerard, and so it seemed as Liverpool had a highly successful season in 2000/01 finishing third in the league (only improved upon the following year by finishing runners up – the best the club have yet managed in the PL format) and winning the FA Cup, League cup and UEFA cup. Third spot in the league meant the club had its first taste of Champions League in its new format the following season. Steven Gerrard came through the ranks and the now legendary Sami Hyypia was bought for what today seems like a ridiculous £2.6 million. But Houllier was criticised for his negative tactics and in 2004 he left being replaced by Rafael Benitez.
And so we come to the present day. Rafa Benitez arrived from Valencia, a club he had guided to La Liga and a UEFA cup win the previous season. Out went Michael Owen and in came, unsurprisingly, a number of Spanish players including the classy looking Xabi Alonso and the infuriatingly inconsistent Luis Garcia. In his first season Benitez did something he would find almost impossible to surpass; the club won the Champions League in probably one of the most memorable finals ever. Although Liverpool have since reached another final and yet another semi-final of that competition demonstrating Benitez’s mastery of European football, the club have consistently failed to mount a realistic push for the Premier League, fourth place being the best it can routinely muster. So why is this?
In today’s premier league spending power counts for a lot, and nobody can compete with loadsamoney Chelsea. Even Manchester United, whose resistance from its fanbase to its sale to the Glaziers was met with much glee amongst Liverpool fans, have since been able to raise the funds to spend big in the transfer market. But its one thing finding the right player and having the money, its another conducting the deal and getting it done quickly and amicably, and its here that Liverpool have been likened to a corner shop trying to negotiate in the same market as Tesco or Asda. Whereas Man U or Chelsea identify their targets and get the deal sewn up, Liverpool dick-dance about (the most notable exception being Fernando Torres) and often lose their man, the epitome of this has been this summer’s farcical saga involving Gareth Barry, a player wanted by Benitez but eventually deemed too expensive by those denizens of soccer knowledge, Gillett and Hicks, the clubs owners since 2007. The result has been, to quote Alan Hansen, a conveyer belt of mediocrity with players such as Diouf, Diao, Cisse, Josemi, Pellugrino, Gonzalez, Lehto….well the list is endless, having come and gone. Between them Houllier and Benitez have spent a kings ransom on second rate players bought because first rate one were out of the clubs reach. Between them Ferguson and Wenger have bought one or two duds, Djemba Djemba, Klebersen and Senderos spring to mind.
And then there’s the question of coaching. When Henry arrived at Arsenal and Ronaldo at Man U, both were competent yet not world class players. Henry’s status is now unquestioned, and Ronaldo has been coached from a one trip pony into, arguably, the best player in the world today. When Pako Ayesteran departed from Liverpool in 2007 it seemed that a great void was created, and Benitez has been criticised for not being able to develop players. Ryan Babel was bought for £11 million, a talented but unfinished product, and only time will tell if Benitez can develop him into the player he could be.
By far the biggest criticism of Benitez is the way in which he tinkers with the team, and stubbornly refuses to change things even when it obviously isn't working. Points have been dropped at home to stubborn opposition like Birmingham and Wigan, and away ganes lost at premier league outposts such as Reading. Liverpool's second string sides consitently fail to achieve, Djimi Traores antics against Burnley, the embarrassment of falling behind twice to Havant and Whooareyaville an eventual cup exit to Barnsley and a horrendous night for Sissoko against Marseilles are all etched in the memory.
The 2008/9 season has started shakily with 6 points gained in unconvincing style against Sunderland and Middlesborough and a nail biting draw in the CL qualifier against Liege. I head off to the return leg at Anfield tonight with a sense of unease; fail and we’re in the wilderness of the UEFA cup but with the prospect of only having the league to concentrate on.
DT_Xtremez_09:
