Liverpool FC Forum

[Fowler_E7]

Houllier was french technical director, and managed several of the youth level teams and also the full national team. So he should have known about the likes of Henry, Pires etc so why didnt we buy them! instead we get vignal, traore etc. What do you think

[JBG]

Anyone that knows anything about football would have heard about Henry and Pires before Arsenal signed them.

Henry was already an established world name, and when Houllier came to Liverpool Henry had been snatched up by Juventus. It was Arsene Wenger's gamble on Henry and his man management that turned Henry into the player he is now.

Pires was already a (smallish) star before Arsenal signed him, and he had played a lot in the Champions League before he came to Arsenal, as well as appearing in the World Cup (albeit as a bit part player).

Juventus were long favoured to sign Pires but they stalled on the deal and again Arsenal struck. Pires was an excellent player technically in France but there were serious questions even in France about his physical ability. The move to the Premiership sorted that as Pires built up his power and strength.

Cheyrou would have been in a similar bracket to Pires in French league football but his move to Liverpool happened to come in the middle (or maybe precipitated) a run of extremely poor form. Even before the 2002/03 season started new French manager Jacques Santini called Cheyrou up to the French national squad for two summer friendlies and Cheyrou had two stinkers. This was before he played a competitive game for Liverpool.

Pires was a slow starter for Arsenal so maybe the same will be true for Cheyrou. Cheyrou has a lot of talent and good technical ability, but next season he will have to be more robust and add some strength and power to his game if he is going to make an impact in England.

[Fowler_E7]

My point is that when arsenal bought Henry and Pires we could easily have competed with arsenal for their signitures. I mean arsenal wernt really going anywhere and we were a young team on the up, if houllier knew these palyer why didnt he bid i mean henry cost 10.5m that only half a mil more than diouff, pires cost 6m only 1m more than diao so you cant say we couldnt afford it

[zackboxer]

If we had signed Henry or Pires would they be as good as the are now though?
Wenger's coaching ability has had a lot to do with a number of players at Arsenal developing in world class players.
I read an article by Henry recently saying, how much of his development was down to Wenger's coaching and how much he had learn't by working with him.
That's one of the things that worries me about GH.
How many players that have been signed by GH have developed over a 2/3 year into better players than when they arrived ?
If Wenger had signed the likes of Diouff, Diao and Cheyrou, perhaps they wouldn't be world class like Henry, Pires and Viera but they would be far better players than they currently are.

[Fowler_E7]

youre probably right, if houllier bought pires and henry they probably would have been s##t and been sold to villa for 5m combined two years later

[Coley]

Can't add anything to JBG's usual comprehensive post other than to say i agree.  If those players had been coached by Houllier they would have flopped.  Maybe GH can spot a good player, but he either makes them average or sh##e, never great.  The only players we have that are great were home grown.