by ROBtheRED » Mon May 24, 2004 8:27 pm
Okay, his reign is over and the majority of the fans on these boards are happy to see the back of him but i think the guy deserves some positive recognition and gratitude for his spell managing the club. I agree with todays decision and am looking forward to the new appointment, hopefully taking Liverpool FC into a bright new era.
Houllier's time was up, it would've been very difficult for him next season after the media speculation and the loss of support from many fans. The board have been brave and acted upon this, they recognise we are falling further behind in the race to land the title and must be careful in deciding Gerard's successor.
I would like to wish him all the very best in whatever he chooses to do with his future and am glad the parting was amicable. I hope that other fans will wish him well also. After all when he came to the club we were in danger of becoming a sub-standard mid-table side, a side lacking in discipline and a direction. He brought in discipline and moulded his own side, losing the dead wood and making strong and brave decisions. The club has become stronger because of him and the trophy room has become fuller. The last 18 months have been frustrating as a Liverpool supporter and it was evident that we became very predictable and at times very boring to watch, a lot of his signings have been poor (step forward Biscan, Diouf, Diao, Cheyrou, Traore, Meijer et al) but then again he has signed some gems (McAllister, Hyypia, Henchoz, Dudek, Litmanen, Hamann) and also was reponsible for the emergence of arguably Englands finest player at the moment, Steven Gerrard! so there are a lot of parallels to look at - it is very easy to criticise him but deep down i believe he tried his hardest to deliver success for the good of the club, for the players, the staff and most importantly the fans (i love the quote he made about wanting to win the league title and dedicate it to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster), unfortunatley his hardest just wasn't good enough.
There are memories to cherish for the cup wins he gave us (i defy any fan who went to cardiff in 2001 and 2003 to disagree), he won a european trophy for us, something we haven't done for 17 years, the following year we were only minutes away from the champions league semi-finals, we beat Manchester utd 5 times in a row and narrowly missed out on the title in 2002 after a staggering 80 point total. But that was also his great failing, he DIDN'T win the title, although through his illness he nearly died trying.
Gerard Houllier is a decent genuine man who loves Liverpool FC, give him the respect he deserves.
"The fans here are the greatest in the land. They know the game and they know what they want to see. The people on the kop make you feel great. . .yet humble." Mr B.Shankly