Liverpool FC Forum

by **Big Niall** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 2:46 pm

I stumbled across this website and after reading all the "Houllier has turned this club around" stuff I just had to join in. How has he turned Liverpool around? when Roy Evans was there the club never finished outside the top four, last year we came fifth and whoever comes fourth this year does not deserve a place in CL, they'll probably be 40 points behind Arsenal.

Even in the so called treble year- they won the worthless cup, UEFA cup for teams not good enough for CL and the luckiest FA cup win I've ever seen. In the league they were miles away.

The only good season they has was the year before last when they finished second and still had a chance at this stage of the season.

Its not loyalty to the club to stick with the wrong man, I wish Ron Atkinson was still Man U manager but he had to go, same with GH, Souness had a heart attack and won the FA cup but does anybody regret him going?

GH has to go- anybody will do, even Phil Thompson did well in his time in charge.

by **Fowler_E7** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 10:11 pm

apart from the stuff about the treble i coudnt agree more! most people on this site think Houllier was better than Evans but i think thats crazy. Under evans we were never quite as good as Man U but we played some of the best football ive ever watched, anyone remember the 95/96 season when fowler, mcmanaman and redknapp where all at there best, if that team had Houlliers defence or a few years ago they could have destroyed anybody

by **Scottbot** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 11:26 pm

[quote] most people on this site think Houllier was better than Evans but i think thats crazy.

I am one of the many who believe that Houllier has had his time at the club. But still believe Houllier edges out Evans.

Under Evans - We won a League Cup + made it to an FA Cup final. Failed in Europe (one Cup-winners semi loss to Paris) Never got a real sniff of winning the championship. Played very attacking football but defence was absolutely shocking when Mark Wrights body could no longer cope.

Under Houllier - We have won an FA Cup, UEFA Cup and 2 League Cups, Some success in the Champs League, similar form in the championship - never really getting a genuine sniff of the title. A great defence but not so great on the eye going forward. I had a real belief that Houllier was taking us places, i was never quite so convinced during Evans reign.

Of course the big difference between the 2 is Evans didn't spend the kinda money GH has had. Who nows how things would have turned out if he had.

by **daddyo** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 12:44 am

Yeh but who remembers the complaints we recieved about our style of playing under Roy Evans? No..me neither.We dissect Houlliers way and sometimes we look for one thing that makes him the wrong man for the job, but its so many things as far as i can see. I watched video of the 2, 4-3 Newcastle games. We played some GREAT football. It was fluent and cohesive.Defence was ***** mind you, but we carried a real threat going forward(from more than just one person). GH has instilled discipline,but he seems to have destroyed our soul.

by **115-1073096938** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 12:58 am

yeah an what under Houllier when we destroyed Ipswich and Leeds away? two games running. We looked seriously dominant in those games and created loads of chances.

What you have to remember is that the teams under Evans often lost 1-0 at home to sides we simply werent good enough to break down. Evan's team was also feeble with no physical pressence at all, hence the reason Wimbledon kicked the s##t out of us every time we played them.

Some of the fotball under Evans was pretty but more often that not, it wasn't effective.

Houllier hasn't yet taken us as far as he can. If we are still in the same position and so far behind Arsenal and Chelsea next season then i may start to agree, but i firmly believe he is looking at the right players to improve our team next season and take us up a few levels. It wouldn't suprise me if we were GENUINE challengers again next season with the talent we have and the imminent arrival of Cisse.

by **greenred** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:26 am

stu_the_red wrote:yeah an what under Houllier when we destroyed Ipswich and Leeds away? two games running. We looked seriously dominant in those games and created loads of chances.

Please,please,tell me you are joking.We looked shi.te in at least one of those games.I dont understand your confidence.

by **115-1073096938** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 2:44 am

I was making a point you can be selective. You are having a laugh though aren't you?

Those were two of the best performances by LFC since the premiership started.

by **Fowler_E7** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 9:30 am

my point is that under houllier we have lost probably all our respect as a club. Under evans we wernt the best, but no one could criticise our style of play and i beleive everyone was entertained. WIth houllier we have the same lack of success with boring, ineffective football. Lets face it for the past two seasons we have been awful, i just cant see how he turn around this decline

by **Big Niall** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 9:41 am

I wasn't saying Evans was great (I don't think we've had a good manager since Fagan, Dalglish started well but Arsenal were top dogs when he left, start of decline) but I was saying two things.

(1) The league is all that counts and under Evans we were never outside the top 4 and never finished 40 points behind the leaders.

(2) GH and people in the media often say "he has turned the club around" does spending €100m on sh##e turn a club around (maybe the Leeds way).

Besides Fowler (who was a good sale-passed it), all his sales have been at a loss e.g buy Barmby for £6m, play him a bit and sell him for £3m. I think £3m is a hell of a big loss. It seems the norm under GH. I'd forgotten about half the players he sold (some of, I still can't remember).

Some people say "blame the players not the manager" but he buys/sells, selects and motivates the players.

I really hate him now especially his lame excuses, he doesn't remember decisions that went for us, Yeovil, the Ref in the Roma game that gave them a penalty and after complaings by Pool players said "ok, a corner then".

by **redandblue** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 12:09 pm

Stu. You are hilarious. We destroyed Ipswich and Leeds away!! ## ## ##. Ipswich! Bloody hilarious. Oh, we also put a few against West Brom and we put 8 against Stoke City away as well. What a team we are.

At least Roy Evans was honest in his assessments after matches. If we deservedly lost, he would say so. If we were unlucky, he would say so. What does idiot Houllier say? Well everyone on this board knows all the excuses by now.

by **JBG** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 2:58 pm

stu_the_red wrote:I was making a point you can be selective. You are having a laugh though aren't you?

Those were two of the best performances by LFC since the premiership started.

You obviously aren't following Liverpool that long Stu if you're memory only goes back to the Houllier days.

Roy Evans was a weak manager and we had an inconsistant and soft centred team, but when things did gel, we were absolutely superb at times.

Does anyone remember the 6-0 win over Man City in the 1995/1996 season? It was one of the best performances I have ever seen any Liverpool side put in.

by **Fowler_E7** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 3:12 pm

yeah, what a match we beat them 4-0 a few days later as well in the coca cola cup. that season we also beat man u 2-0 at home and arsenal home and away and of course Newcastle 4-3. In the summer england actually did well in an international tournament, 95/96 probably the most entertaining season ever

by **Stackman** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 1:01 pm

I think Houllier has turned this club around. Since winning 3 trophies, followed by runners up in the Premiership and a Champions League quarter final, we are now miles behind the top 3 and battling with Charlton, Villa and Fulham for 4th spot.

by **owen26** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 2:24 pm

I'm sick of people having a go at GH he's doing the best with what he has on offer. Yes with Evans we wasn't for behind Man U but that was before Arsenal found the tremendous form they are showing and before chelsea became someone to worry about and now we are in 4th because of that!!!! GH brought us more cups or sheilds than we've won since before premiership so be gratefullook at blackburn on of the few twams that have won the premiership oh how far down have they fell it certainly isn't 2 places!!!

by **owen26** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 2:29 pm

talking of history we haven't been the outstanding team we was since KENNY the king left but we are still up there we still have got to give GH support cos he hasn't got ranieri's or wengers or fergys financial support

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