Ruddock interview in the Grauniad

[dylstar]

22 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

These men are the same age.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

4 hours ago, Section_31 said:

These men are the same age.

The fact that we signed one and failed to sign the other goes a long way to explaining why we had so few trophies to show for the 90s.

[easytoslip]

I wonder if anyone found that training anecdote funny? No doubt some will, on TV AM or something, just having to look at the gobshite whilst a Liverpool player is on my mind. 

 

[El Dangerous]

Anne Diamond loves the banter.

[Paulie Dangerously]

2 hours ago, easytoslip said:

I wonder if anyone found that training anecdote funny? No doubt some will, on TV AM or something, just having to look at the gobshite whilst a Liverpool player is on my mind. 

 

Tim Lovejoy will be buzzing. 

[easytoslip]

1 hour ago, Paulie Dangerously said:

Tim Lovejoy will be buzzing. 

Yes I can imagine. 

[Total Longo]

Houllier binning him and Ince off quite unceremoniously was indicative of what a pair of disruptive whoppers they both were.

[Curly]

Was it Houllier who asked him who he was when he first met him or something? Then Ruddock was fuming and started gobbing off to all his little bum boys around him? It was in the “oh aye yeah, of course you don’t know who I am” line of shite talking. Sure I’ve heard that somewhere.

[manwiththestick]

2 hours ago, belarus said:

Was it Houllier who asked him who he was when he first met him or something? Then Ruddock was fuming and started gobbing off to all his little bum boys around him? It was in the “oh aye yeah, of course you don’t know who I am” line of shite talking. Sure I’ve heard that somewhere.

He probably took one look at the fat blert and thought that he couldn't possibly be a top level footballer.

[Harry Squatter]

Just a pity the older pros like Barnes, Rush and Whelan put up with his antics like pass the pound. Passing a pound coin around the pitch all game and whoever had it last had to buy all the drinks on a night out. 

 

We had quite a lot of knobheads playing for us around that time who were probably either scared of him or were gullible to go along with him. 

 

He reminds me of the fat twat off the football factory who everyone was scared off because they all thought he was a hard case but would probably have a fire engine red face and be sweating buckets if he had to fight for more than 30 seconds. 

[Curly]

15 minutes ago, Doctor Troy said:

Just a pity the older pros like Barnes, Rush and Whelan put up with his antics like pass the pound. Passing a pound coin around the pitch all game and whoever had it last had to buy all the drinks on a night out. 

 

We had quite a lot of knobheads playing for us around that time who were probably either scared of him or were gullible to go along with him. 

 

He reminds me of the fat twat off the football factory who everyone was scared off because they all thought he was a hard case but would probably have a fire engine red face and be sweating buckets if he had to fight for more than 30 seconds. 

Yeah - Dom Matteo was on that undr the cosh podcast saying how much he buzzed off Ruddock and was really close with him - probably didn’t help his development at all!

[Harry Squatter]

4 minutes ago, belarus said:

Yeah - Dom Matteo was on that undr the cosh podcast saying how much he buzzed off Ruddock and was really close with him - probably didn’t help his development at all!

Think Dominic Matteo was from Formby as I saw him out with Ruddock a few times there. Shearer lived next door to Ruddock when he played for Blackburn, obviously he had the sense not to go out to the Grapes or Shorrocks Hill every other night with him.

[Curly]

2 hours ago, Doctor Troy said:

Think Dominic Matteo was from Formby as I saw him out with Ruddock a few times there. Shearer lived next door to Ruddock when he played for Blackburn, obviously he had the sense not to go out to the Grapes or Shorrocks Hill every other night with him.

Matteo is a Southport lad mate.

 

Did a couple of New Years dos in shorrocks - were pretty good to be fair.

 

Took the mrs and the mutt for a walk round there not long ago and it’s still just a disused shell next to the paintball thingy. You’d think with all the money in Formby someone should get hold of that and turn it into a nice little VIP hangout for all the footballers and millionaires round there.

[Section_31]

3 hours ago, Doctor Troy said:

Just a pity the older pros like Barnes, Rush and Whelan put up with his antics like pass the pound. Passing a pound coin around the pitch all game and whoever had it last had to buy all the drinks on a night out. 

 

We had quite a lot of knobheads playing for us around that time who were probably either scared of him or were gullible to go along with him. 

 

He reminds me of the fat twat off the football factory who everyone was scared off because they all thought he was a hard case but would probably have a fire engine red face and be sweating buckets if he had to fight for more than 30 seconds. 

Imagine Ruddock trying to hit you? You'd be like Neo from the Matrix.

[Crazy Dave]

3 hours ago, Doctor Troy said:

Just a pity the older pros like Barnes, Rush and Whelan put up with his antics like pass the pound. Passing a pound coin around the pitch all game and whoever had it last had to buy all the drinks on a night out. 

 

We had quite a lot of knobheads playing for us around that time who were probably either scared of him or were gullible to go along with him. 

 

He reminds me of the fat twat off the football factory who everyone was scared off because they all thought he was a hard case but would probably have a fire engine red face and be sweating buckets if he had to fight for more than 30 seconds. 

 

Barnes and Rushy escape a lot of the flak from this period.  A lot of the shit going on with the likes of Ruddock, Matteo etc was on their watch and very rarely do you read stories of the senior lads intervening in all these shenanigans. 

 

In fairness they came from the boozy eighties era, which probably explains a lot. 

[Harry Squatter]

20 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

Imagine Ruddock trying to hit you? You'd be like Neo from the Matrix.

One lad I used to hang around with used to be a bouncer in the early 90s now he is the same size as Neil Ruddock. Always tells people he used to be a bouncer as well to make everyone think he is hard.  He came with me to the boxing gym I used to go to and I was surprised how shit his punches were but not how easily he was goosed after about 10 seconds.

 

I'd imagine it would be the same as fighting Neil Ruddock.

[Harry Squatter]

1 hour ago, belarus said:

Matteo is a Southport lad mate.

 

Did a couple of New Years dos in shorrocks - were pretty good to be fair.

 

Took the mrs and the mutt for a walk round there not long ago and it’s still just a disused shell next to the paintball thingy. You’d think with all the money in Formby someone should get hold of that and turn it into a nice little VIP hangout for all the footballers and millionaires round there.

Yeah, I think I was up there earlier on on the year and it just looked derelict. Would be a good members only type gaff for them.

 

I used to go a lot when I lived in Crosby, then onto some random place in Ainsdale that stayed open til about 3am. 

[Leyton388]

If anyone looks up where it all went wrong for Liverpool in the 90's there will be a picture of this blurt. Sums up the entire era for our club. 

[Harry Squatter]

Some of the European performances in the 90s were pathetic and embarrassing.

 

PSG away

Strasbourg away

Brondby home

Celta Vigo both legs

Spartak Moscow both legs

Genoa both legs 

 

Probably more that I have forgot.

 

None who you would call european heavyweights back then or now. PSg would still be average if they didnt get taken over by an oil state. 

[VladimirIlyich]

3 minutes ago, Doctor Troy said:

Some of the European performances in the 90s were pathetic and embarrassing.

 

PSG away

Strasbourg away

Brondby home

Celta Vigo both legs

Spartak Moscow both legs

Genoa both legs 

 

Probably more that I have forgot.

 

None who you would call european heavyweights back then or now. PSg would still be average if they didnt get taken over by an oil state. 

Both Souness and Evans have to take the blame for those performances. Houllier was like a breath of fresh air in Europe compared to those two. Despite not much love for Ged on here he was exactly what the doctor ordered at the time and really should be cut some slack because of what went before him. Rafa took it to the next level before we lurched back but what we have now is a result of previous mistakes on and off the pitch.

[Section_31]

2 hours ago, Leyton388 said:

If anyone looks up where it all went wrong for Liverpool in the 90's there will be a picture of this blurt. Sums up the entire era for our club. 

Would pay good money to hear what Roy Keane thinks of him.

[Bobby Hundreds]

2 hours ago, Doctor Troy said:

One lad I used to hang around with used to be a bouncer in the early 90s now he is the same size as Neil Ruddock. Always tells people he used to be a bouncer as well to make everyone think he is hard.  He came with me to the boxing gym I used to go to and I was surprised how shit his punches were but not how easily he was goosed after about 10 seconds.

 

I'd imagine it would be the same as fighting Neil Ruddock.

A lot of bouncers were just sober men beating on young drunk lads.

[Ronnie Whelan]

5 hours ago, Doctor Troy said:

Just a pity the older pros like Barnes, Rush and Whelan put up with his antics like pass the pound. Passing a pound coin around the pitch all game and whoever had it last had to buy all the drinks on a night out. 

 

We had quite a lot of knobheads playing for us around that time who were probably either scared of him or were gullible to go along with him. 

 

He reminds me of the fat twat off the football factory who everyone was scared off because they all thought he was a hard case but would probably have a fire engine red face and be sweating buckets if he had to fight for more than 30 seconds. 

I heard a rumour that is likely true from a mate that Rushie and Ronnie Whelan kicked off at Souey after training one day at the antics at the club around that time and he told them that they were past it and they could find a new club if they weren't happy. Apparently Souey was very defensive over his signings. 

 

I heard him on sky a few times and he acknowledged that some of the older pros were his friends as team mates and he wanted to drive a wedge between that and let them know he was their boss now. Ironically, it wasn't an issue for Kenny. He seems to have recognised the mistakes that he made and has a lot of regrets. It's almost sad because you can tell how much he loves the club.

 

Rightly or wrongly, the players you mentioned and  Big Jan,  Stevie Nicol and Brucie probably realised that they weren't going to influence management and knew that there was a big drop off from Liverpool even if they were legends of the game. They also played in an era when football made someone very comfortable but not eccessively wealthy like now. 

 

 

[Curly]

2 hours ago, Doctor Troy said:

Some of the European performances in the 90s were pathetic and embarrassing.

 

PSG away

Strasbourg away

Brondby home

Celta Vigo both legs

Spartak Moscow both legs

Genoa both legs 

 

Probably more that I have forgot.

 

None who you would call european heavyweights back then or now. PSg would still be average if they didnt get taken over by an oil state. 

PSG had recently been a big European heavyweight at that point. They were similar to us as I remember, suffering a lull in their usual successes.

 

That second leg was fucking brilliant as well. Absolutely bouncing.

[Harry Squatter]

I'll fackin open you up ya caaaaaannnt!