Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:19 pm**

This is NOT a thread about whether Benitez shoud stay or go. This is about how the best team from 1975(ish) to 1990 has gone nearly 20 years without a league.

It happened Manure from 1967-1993 but now it is us.

The decline had obviously before Roy Evans got the job so is it

Kenny Dalglish's reign

Souness's brief time in charge

poor boardroom

something to do with Heysel or Hillsborough?

Alex Ferguson being some kind of genius (we were already gone from top by time Wenger came to England)

Other clubs getting more money than us e.g. Blackburn back in 1990s.

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:31 pm**

i blame dirk kuyt

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:34 pm**

being barred from europe for so long cost us dear. Souness's signings were awful, Dalglish deciding against Gascoigne before Spurs got him was a shame. Its a cycle and our time will come again.

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:43 pm**

I think Heysal and the ban from Europe was a bodyblow, we had come to depend on Europe as a way of earning money every year whereas other clubs looked more to the commercial aspects etc. Then after Hillsborough came all seater stadiums with associated costs, reduction in capacity etc.

On top of all that we had Souness coming in and spending money as if it was going out of fashion, and a team that needed completely rebuilding rather than destroying.

I personally also blame Dalglish for getting rid of Geoff Twentyman, probably the best scout Liverpool ever had.

No doubt there were plenty of other reasons as well

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:50 pm**

Dalglish leaving was a travesty. I will never forget being hearing on the news that Kenny had left. Was only 9 but that 4 - 4 draw v Everton and the John Barnes goal will stay in my memory 4 ever.

Souness tried making changes to quick and his replacements for our older players were not good enough.

Evans did a smashing job. Got us playing some fantastic stuff and although we never won much it was a disgrace to see him get treated like that. Since King Kenny Evans was the only one who has really made a serious title challenge. The players know they should of won the title but they blew it.
The double management idea was a complete disaster and an absurd thing to do!!!

Houllier got us some pride back with his trophy haul but we was never going to win the league with him.

Rafa made us a force in Europe again.

Who is to blame? The club did not respond to the call to get this club the backing it needed. The amount of times it took to find serious investment was a joke. While Man Utd were growing at a such a pace and making themselves a worldwide brand we stood still. The European ban was a disaster as that side could of won at least 2 more EC.

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:57 pm**

Poor decisions in the transfer market in the early-90s as the class of 88 started to age.

Selling Beardsley in particular was an absolute howler. He was only 30 when he left, and 3 years later started a second spell at Newcastle, where he had an even better scoring record than he'd had at Anfield. Who did we get to replace him? Ronnie Rosenthal and David Speedie.

For the first half of the 90s, it was a similar tale: Barnes out, Walters in. Houghton out, Thomas in. Grobbelaar out, James in. Each signing seemed to be a step down from the player they were being bought to replace, until eventually we had a very, very average side. By the time the likes of McManaman, Fowler and Redknapp matured, they were our best players almost by default.

To go from a back 4 containing Hansen, Gillespie and Nicol to one manned by the likes of Dicks, Ruddock, Babb and Scales tells its own story. A lot of the blame inevitably goes to Souness, but the board made their own bed by appointing him in the first place, as well as sanctioning a succession of disastrous signings. How the hell Paul Stewart got anywhere near a club of our quality is an absolute disgrace.

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 5:08 pm**

its all Tony Cottees fault

I can here the smugness in his voice every time he watches one of our matches on Soccer Saturday

Cockney B@stard

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:06 pm**

Rafa, obviously.

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:12 pm**

Souness inherited a good side and wrecked it so i'd blame him

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:12 pm**

stmichael wrote:i blame dirk kuyt

He's not in the nominees so u can't give him the award

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:15 pm**

Id put it down to lack of respect and/or discipline. Kenny Dalglish had both and so the team performed but since he left we have lacked one or the other. For a short period GH had both, winning trophies helped, getting rid of players when they started to go off form seemed to instill fear as well as discipline ! But off course since he was ill he lost the dressing room, and the plot. Rafa got the respect to start off with by winning the champs league but I feel he hasnt really had the discipline there.

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:22 pm**

ivor_the_injun wrote:Poor decisions in the transfer market in the early-90s as the class of 88 started to age.

Selling Beardsley in particular was an absolute howler. He was only 30 when he left, and 3 years later started a second spell at Newcastle, where he had an even better scoring record than he'd had at Anfield. Who did we get to replace him? Ronnie Rosenthal and David Speedie.

For the first half of the 90s, it was a similar tale: Barnes out, Walters in. Houghton out, Thomas in. Grobbelaar out, James in. Each signing seemed to be a step down from the player they were being bought to replace, until eventually we had a very, very average side. By the time the likes of McManaman, Fowler and Redknapp matured, they were our best players almost by default.

To go from a back 4 containing Hansen, Gillespie and Nicol to one manned by the likes of Dicks, Ruddock, Babb and Scales tells its own story. A lot of the blame inevitably goes to Souness, but the board made their own bed by appointing him in the first place, as well as sanctioning a succession of disastrous signings. How the hell Paul Stewart got anywhere near a club of our quality is an absolute disgrace.

Have to agree with every word of that. I know Souness has claimed that the attitude and committment of the players was not what it should have been when he arrived at the club but he got it all wrong. It should have taken him 2/3 years to phase out the players you have highlighted (you forgot Steve Staunton for Stig Inge Byornibie) but he completed the overhall in little more than a season. It's unbelievable really. Like you mate, i still can't get over Beardsley, one of my all-time favourite players who should have FINISHED his career at Anfield. It's crazy really. Souness was Liverpool through and through, spent the best part of his career playing 'pass and move' and he goes out and buys brutes like Ruddock, Dicks and Paul Stewart who couldn't make a 5 yard pass let alone hit the target.

I feel a whole lot better about the way things are going this season now i've hopened the black-hole in my memory that is the 'Souness Era'!!!!

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:24 pm**

And of course, Hillsborough, Heyel and the subsequent European ban had a MASSIVE effect on the club, the manager(s), the playing staff and the fans.

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:32 pm**

While we're on the subject of Beardsley.

What a player.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvaZmQrDc4g

Posted: **Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:39 pm**

s@int wrote:I personally also blame Dalglish for getting rid of Geoff Twentyman, probably the best scout Liverpool ever had.

One of the best points ive read in a long time saint, The man was a genius

Liverpool FC Forum

Liverpool's decline - Who to blame - long term

Liverpool's decline - Who to blame - long term