Liverpool FC Forum

Its a common fault to get dazzled by the glory players, those who score the goals or are the media's darlings but some Liverpool players played beautiful football. Ray Kennedy danced around and over defenders, what a man, what a player. Souness's domination of the centre circle, threatening tackles, spraying the ball out wide without even needing to look where the player was. Terry Mac's deft touches and runs, all arms and legs. Hansen and Lawro sticking legs out that stretched at a mile to nick the ball as the forward faced only the goalie. Phil Neal always getting back to cover then darting forward again then taking outrageous shots on goal from 30 yards out. Keegan scampering. Emlyn screaming at the team, urging them, always  leading by example.  Cally, what a workhorse..... Sammy Lee, never in the spotlight but ran more than everyone put together. Fowler and Owen.... what talent. A hattrick against Arsenal in 5 minutes speaks for itself. Lawler, Lindsey, Thommo. The great goalies, the great games, the great nights. Fairclough on the cross. Every Liverpool players was my favourite player from 1971 to 1990... yeah... about the time Houllier arrived. And then there was the Babb era.......

Reg » Tue Nov 18, 2014 4:38 am wrote:Its a common fault to get dazzled by the glory players, those who score the goals or are the media's darlings but some Liverpool players played beautiful football. Ray Kennedy danced around and over defenders, what a man, what a player. Souness's domination of the centre circle, threatening tackles, spraying the ball out wide without even needing to look where the player was. Terry Mac's deft touches and runs, all arms and legs. Hansen and Lawro sticking legs out that stretched at a mile to nick the ball as the forward faced only the goalie. Phil Neal always getting back to cover then darting forward again then taking outrageous shots on goal from 30 yards out. Keegan scampering. Emlyn screaming at the team, urging them, always  leading by example.  Cally, what a workhorse..... Sammy Lee, never in the spotlight but ran more than everyone put together. Fowler and Owen.... what talent. A hattrick against Arsenal in 5 minutes speaks for itself. Lawler, Lindsey, Thommo. The great goalies, the great games, the great nights. Fairclough on the cross. Every Liverpool players was my favourite player from 1991 to 1990... yeah... about the time Houllier arrived. And then there was the Babb era.......

You got me tearing up here Reg ,brought back some great memories ,and Ray Kennedy was some player.

Some cracking goals there Red, either side of 2:30.

Ray Kennedy is my favourite player of all time, a talented, humble man. Sterling, Macmanaman etc.. are/were no better.

Reg » Wed Nov 19, 2014 6:40 am wrote:Some cracking goals there Red, either side of 2:30.

Ray Kennedy is my favourite player of all time, a talented, humble man. Sterling, Macmanaman etc.. are/were no better.

and he never had the luxury of playing on a snooker table pitch or the modern day balls that can make my little sister score from 30 yards. Those balls they played with doubled in weight whenever they got wet. Those that are convinced that Suarez is the best ever player only started supporting Liverpool since the "spice boys" era, in which case i agree. We had some great players in the 70's 80's and deserved to be the best team in the world. Picking Suarez as the best does not do them justice even though they dominated for so long.

kazza » Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:37 am wrote:

Reg » Wed Nov 19, 2014 6:40 am wrote:Some cracking goals there Red, either side of 2:30.

Ray Kennedy is my favourite player of all time, a talented, humble man. Sterling, Macmanaman etc.. are/were no better.

and he never had the luxury of playing on a snooker table pitch or the modern day balls that can make my little sister score from 30 yards. Those balls they played with doubled in weight whenever they got wet. Those that are convinced that Suarez is the best ever player only started supporting Liverpool since the "spice boys" era, in which case i agree. We had some great players in the 70's 80's and deserved to be the best team in the world. Picking Suarez as the best does not do them justice even though they dominated for so long.

Exactly ,you would think the way some posters bum Suarez he was the only 'world class' player that ever graced Anfield  Frankly ,it does the many legends that we
were blessed with a huge disservice.

Probably Gerrard if I was forced to make a decision.

I do have a swathe of favourites though, my era was that of the very late 80s - 90s onwards, so apologies for not name checking the old fogie's favourites.

I was going to list them but I think they're varied enough to make a best XI. Apologies for the odd out of position player.

Here goes

                                   Reina

                   Hyypia     Carragher     Agger

   Alonso      Mascherano     Gerrard     Redknapp

                     Torres      Suarez     Owen

Obviously devoid of any width but in reality since Barnes, have we ever had a world class winger?

I think Sterling has the potential to push him into my favourites list (probably at the expense of Mascherano) but too early at the moment.

As a goalkeeper myself, my favourite player is Jerzy Dudek in that position.

Easy to say Steven Gerrard, but I will be embarrassed and admit I own more Glen Johnson jerseys than his, Glen is my all time favourite player...

Right now, in the current squad it is Daniel Sturridge, and recent years Torres and Suarez, but I also appreciated Yossi Benayoun.

All time though, Dudek/Johnson.

In terms of skill level and ability Suarez would be up there but in terms of my favourite Liverpool player  would need more loyalty

Gerrard
Alonso
Carragher
Hamman
Hyypia
Kuyt

those kind of players are what every side needs players who will leave nothing behind in terms of a favourite 11

                                                                     Reina
       Finann                               Carragher                        Hyypia              Riise

                                                    Alonso                  Hamman

                                                                 Gerrard

           Suarez                                             Torres                    Kuyt

This is a very difficult question to answer along with What is your Fav LFC line-up!!

I was lucky enough to see the King score his last goal and so saw him in the twilight of his career, so I really have to go with players who I have seen on a regular basis and that could be God, Alonso, Macca, Owen, Didi and Barnsey etc but I have to go with Stevie. He has played in some bad teams and single handedly pulled them through tricky situations.

His goals, his energy, his commitment to the cause, his longevity, his passing, his enthusiasm, the pure joy on his face when he and WE score(D). All of them reasons.

LFC is in his heart and you just feel he will STILL have one more last hurrah (hopefully!!!).

He will be our manager one day and boy look out those players who don't give 110% to the reds cause, especially as Carra will end-up as his version of Ronnie Moran!!!

I admire your passion but I wouldn't trust Carra to manage an ice cream shop.

Clemence ,Finnan ,Hyypia ,Hansen A.Kennedy, McMahon,Molby,Gerrard ,Barnes,Dalglish,Fowler

There's my favourite eleven ,every player included would willingly bleed for the shirt.

IMO It's almost impossible to pick an all time XI, we've just had so many great players over the years.
One of our most under rated players has to be Kevin Keegan, he arguably contributed more to the success of this club than any other player in our history but his profile amongst our fan base doesn't seem to reflect that fact.

I'm restricting myself to the last 15 years and 7 substitutes. All players assumed to be at their respective peaks:

                   Dudek

Finnan   Hyppia  Carragher  Riise

               Mascherano
Kuyt                              Berger   
                 Gerrard
       
          Suarez         Torres

Subs:
GK: Reina
FW: Owen
FW: Sterling
MF: Alonso
MF: Hamann
DF: Babbel
DF: Agger

I can't believe that in the last 15 years we have been lacking in both right and left wings and the left back positions. For LW, after Berger, I'm left with Riera and Sterling. Riera always had very solid performances but Sterling provides more mobility and threat. For RW, what am I left with? Kuyt gets the nod for his all round play, after that maybe Sterling again? We were so thin for right wingers in the past 15 years. Maybe Gerrard needs to play there and put Mascherano and Alonso in the centre. For LB, after Riise, it's Enrique. I don't want to put Moreno yet even though he has alot of potential because he's just started his career at liverpool and has much to prove. Similar for all the relative new players this season like Ibe, Lallana, Can, etc. Sterling is the only exception.

Whereas in defense and midfield, we had so many great players. Gerrard, Alonso, Masch and Hamann could easily interchange. Similarly for Defenders and Strikers. Even though I wanted to add Fowler, the need for a flexible winger/ forward (sterling) was greater and Owen was at his peak in 2000's and Fowler was not.

Choosing Dudek over Reina surely must raise eyebrows but I believe Dudek at his peak (without his mistakes) is a better all-round keeper. More agile and had very few weaknesses.

My Liverpool Team

This is going to be a difficult task. Firstly I don’t know if I should include players I’ve not really seen (Dalglish for example) or players from our distant (Albert Stubbins, Billy Liddell, Elisha Scott, Alex Raisbeck etc) and not so distant past (Souness, Alan & Ray Kennedy, Phil Neal, Keegan St. John, Yeats etc) who I did not have the privilege of seeing live.
Thinking about it I’m really going to have to go for players I’ve seen so here goes:-

Reina
Finnan Carragher Hansen Riise

McManaman% McMahon Gerrard£ Barnes

Rush Fowler *
*There’s absolutely no way can I eave Robbie out of any LFC team I pick and as for ‘our Ian’ – there’s never been a more clinical, razor sharp finisher in my time following the reds.
% Macca could run all day for you, with purpose and terrorize any defence on his own. Taggart has been quoted as saying that of all the reds players ManUre used to face they made special plans to try and cope with him. He scored spectacular goals too as we all know. Imagine him and Barnsey on either wing, the guys in the Centenary would be constantly on their feet watching them..
£Who would get past a middle duo like that?? They would run through brick walls for the reds and I firmly believe that it was a huge mistake to have let McMahon go to Man City in 1991.


Subs:-
Grobbelaar (it was a close run thing between him and Pepe but I feel Pepe is more consistant but I’ve nothing at all against Brucie and he’s a nice chap)
Hamann (got to have him as a sub and can play in front of the back ¾ or in the middle or at a push I bet he’d have made a competent centre-half)
Molby (85/86 – enough said! He couldn’t have ping the ball about and pick out a pass and was strong in the tackle too. A legend and a thoroughly approachable man too)
Hyypia (Mr Reliable. He showed us loyalty even before he came by giving-up the chance to play CL footie and coming to us. Correct decision in the end, over and over – a steal)
Suarez (Of all the forwards we’ve had, I could not leave him out of  a possible squad. I’d squeeze him between God/Rush if I could get away with it and play 12 men. Loved him. Have him back in a shot)
Berger (One of my favourites. That fantastic thunder-bolt of a left peg. All running too. Shame that injury curtailed his reds career. Everton H, 3-2, 98/99 – what a winner!!
Alonso (My have we been blessed with ball players. I was toying with the idea of him and Molby in the same team. The opposition would kick off and that’s the last they’d see of the ball)

I always like 4-4-2 and with those players it would not matter what system that team played as I’m sure they would have the ball most of the time anyway!!
Though I did not see Jocky very much I’m still going to put him in. Carra could do his running for him or he could sit in front of a back 3 of JAR, Fin and Carra and play as a sweeper then if need be we could bring sami on and take both wing backs off and bring Molby on so the team could then change to:-

Reina
Carragher Hansen Sami
Molby
Macca McMahon Gerrard Barnes
Rush Fowler   
Then if we really were in the mire we could bring Luis on and take McMahon off and play 3 up front:-
Reina
Carragher Hansen Sami
Molby
Macca Gerrard Barnes
Suarez Rush Fowler
Or we could even start with that side!!! That’s mouth- watering to me to see those three up front.

Mohamed Salah Salah is full of tricks and has pace to burn, the Egyptian is one of the best footballers in the world.