My First Liverpool Idols
I was born 12th November, 1981. My very first array of visible LFC memories probably started in the early 90’s. There are a few snippets here and there prior to that, but the problematic period between Graham Souness leaving & Roy Evans taking over, is probably my first absolute batch of memories.
I recall my brother and I had a 1992/93 squad photo in our room, the one with the manager front and centre. The most notable players (to me …
Michael Owen - What Could Have Been
To say that Michael Owen creates controversy throughout the Reds' fanbase would be an understatement. The BT pundit is now as famous for his obvious analysis as his on field exploits. Given the talent, promise and initial impact of this former Liverpool man, that is an utter tragedy.
The former red is the absolute prototype of players that fade away over time, and end up a complete shadow of their former prime. At just 17 years old, Owen broke onto …
Stan Collymore - What Could Have Been
When Ian Rush was past his prime as a Liverpool starter, it coincided with the emergence of the brilliant Robbie Fowler. The young striker (Fowler) exploded onto the scene with a flurry of goals. In the era of Roy Evans, it was still common place for teams to operate with two main strikers. Where the duo of Ian Rush and Peter Beardsley had been devastating, there became an urgent need to find the perfect partner for Robbie Fowler.
At Nottingham …
The World Class Upgrade
Under the Roy Evans regime, Neil Ruddock, John Scales, Phil Babb & Mark Wright were the options in defence. They were the central defenders in the mid nineties that saw a period of great attacking football from the reds. The likes of Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman were part of an exciting line up that fell short of major honours, often let down by the sides defensive deficiencies. Robbie Fowler certainly underachieved (in terms of silverware) in his career, despite …
The Evolution of Liverpool FC’s Forward Line in The Premier League Era
In these unprecedented times of lockdown, sanitizer, empty stadiums and the Netflix / Amazon Prime binge, I’ve found myself often searching for new ways to occupy both my mind as well as my body. With the remarkable closure to a triumphant league campaign by the reds, the common football fan was greeted by the unique climax to the 2019/20 Champions League. For me, this end period of the European Cup began as a slow burn that ever so gradually sparked …
Losing Phil Coutinho is Inevitable
“Liverpool will never progress if they keep selling their best players”.We’ve all heard this argument before. And on many levels, it has merit. How could you possibly hope to improve if you are forever losing your best player? How can you be strong when you are continually weakening your team? And what a weakening it would be, because to lose Phil Coutinho is to lose arguably the most gifted player in the Premier League. Sure, there will …
The Souness Years - In Their Own Words (Part 8) - Thank Evans, it's over!
This is the eighth and final instalment of our Souness Years series, looking behind-the-scenes of what went on at Liverpool during the Souness era of the early 90s.
You can find the first seven parts here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7
STEVE NICOL: On a positive note, he did introduce two of Liverpool’s greatest players in the modern era into the first team – Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman.
ROBBIE FOWLER: Macca, Rob Jones, Mike …
The Souness Years - In Their Own Words (Part 7) - Temper, Temper
This is the seventh instalment of our Souness Years series, looking behind-the-scenes of what went on at Liverpool during the Souness era of the early 90s.
You can find the first six parts here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
IAN RUSH: He had learned a lot from his time in Italy, and was introducing ideas and methods that just about every manager since has adopted. Wenger changed the training, diet and lifestyle of Arsenal when he …
The Souness Years - In Their Own Words (Part 6) - Ahead of his Time?
This is the sixth instalment of our Souness Years series, looking behind-the-scenes of what went on at Liverpool during the Souness era of the early 90s.
You can find the first five parts here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
ROY EVANS: I tried to talk Graeme out of sacking Thommo. I told him to get him in the office, sit him down and have the whole thing out, face to face. Both of them could have got …
The Souness Years - In Their Own Words (Part 5) - The Unforgivable Interview
This is the fifth instalment of our Souness Years series, looking behind-the-scenes of what went on at Liverpool during the Souness era of the early 90s.
You can find the first four parts here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
RONNIE WHELAN: Dicks and Ruddock were bought because Souey wanted strong, hard men in his team. And that’s fine – Souey was a strong, hard man too. But he was a top-class ball-player as well.
JAN MOLBY: As a …