Gerard Houllier

[VladimirIlyich]

Around 20 years seems to be the average time major heart bypass surgeries prolong life for based on having family members who had similar surgery as Gerard Houllier did. I am delighted he got that extra almost 20 years after his surgery as it gave the world at least one more decent human being the chance to exist withi it. I'm so glad he has been given the plaudits he has and I hope his family take comfort in how highly respected he was.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

4 hours ago, Section_31 said:

I'm actually surprised by how much this has shook me up, I wasn't expecting it to do so to this extent. Maybe because he's the fist Liverpool manager whose tenure I remember who's died, I dunno.

 

But also I think it's because he was the manager that made me believe again, an outsider who changed the culture of the club and set it on a new course towards success. Our Shankly in a sense.

Unlike you, I wasn't surprised it hit me hard today. Wasn't expecting it at all. Had a couple of dust in eye moments.

 

Loved the guy and felt for him what he went through nearly giving his life for the club. His tenure was just like our club, filled with amazing moments, but also with a tradegy to boot you in the stomach. Was sad to see how bad he looked in the recent documentaries.

 

I actually found on here as wasn't really checking social media this morning. it didn't even enter my mind when I saw the thread title. My heart sunk when I saw the first post.

 

Such a sad day. Great tributes though across the whole footballing community to show how much he was loved and respected.

 

Wednesday was already going to be a challenge in terms of the game. Will be even harder with all the emotions running wild pre-game.

[Curly]

That treble season was immense and a great team and squad he assembled for that year.

 

RIP Gerard. YNWA

[s(k)aturation]

A good guy.

Some fantastic memories and successes.

RIP.

 

[Harry Squatter]

I hope the club can name something after him n the stadium. 

[skend04]

Only just read the news and same as a few others it's really shocked me. The treble season was amazing including the run in the league that got us back into the Champions League. He did turn the club around and although it ended on somewhat of a sour note he was a huge influence on where we are now.

 

RIP YNWA.

[stringvest]

10 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

There was obviously two sides to his career,the pre operation and the post operation. The pre operation person should be remembered best.

Exactly.  The illness took a lot away from him, and occasionally was painful to witness on a human level, but it never made him anything less than a thoroughly decent man.

[Bjornebye]

They were showing footage of him all day on SSN and there was a clip of him sat in the main stand ready to watch us and his eyes are beaming wide like a kid at his first match. He loved us. 

[Section_31]

It's only at times like this that you realise what these people give to us. Like anyone, I'll moan about a Klopp substitution or a shit Henderson performance, but one day these guys will be retired or gone altogether and we'll look back at some or the greatest memories of our lives and know that people like this gave them to us. What a gift to give, what a power to have and what a legacy to leave behind you.

[Harry Squatter]

 

Someone posted this on Twatter before.

[rubble-rouser]

The Jesse March thing just finished me 

[JagSquared]

3 hours ago, Section_31 said:

I always presumed it was because he hadn't won big ears. 

Wasn’t the reason that it’s CL or league title to get on the flag?

 

id have him on there he restored our pride got us a winning habit again and transformed us. 

[VladimirIlyich]

51 minutes ago, rubble-rouser said:

The Jesse March thing just finished me 

He's a decent coach and good fella too. Houllier spotted a good one there.

[littletedwest]

7 hours ago, Section_31 said:

I'm actually surprised by how much this has shook me up, I wasn't expecting it to do so to this extent. Maybe because he's the fist Liverpool manager whose tenure I remember who's died, I dunno.

 

But also I think it's because he was the manager that made me believe again, an outsider who changed the culture of the club and set it on a new course towards success. Our Shankly in a sense.

This. Bob and Joe managed in my lifetime but kenny was the first manager I remember. 

I really liked Gerard and it seems he was highly thought of by so many people who knew him and loved by fans, RIP

[littletedwest]

May have been posted earlier but a nice tribute from Phil Thompson 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/14/phil-thompson-tribute-gerard-houllier-liverpool-togetherness

[andyj]

genuinely shed a few tears so gutted to hear that this morning ...still lost for words 

[nimrod]

3 hours ago, Karl_b said:

Absolutely gutted to hear the news but seeing some of the reaction, photos and clips today has been heart warming. Like many, he gave me my first tastes of success as a young red and helped instill in me a passion that I'll never be without. 

 

A great man, seemingly universally loved and respected who had a huge influence. Yeah, that's a way to make your impact on the world. 

 

Allez.

That's a great tribute.  I've pinched that last para, I hope you don't mind.

[dockers_strike]

It good that tributes have been paid to Ged and I wanted to wait a little while to write more of my thoughts about him after paying respect.

 

I liked Ged, I just took to him. He was the right manager for Liverpool at the right time. No disrespect to Roy either. He'd come in, tried his best and won a trophy. But Ged struck me as a man who was taking no prisioners with the great crop pf young players we had coming through. It was too late for him to stop Mcmanaman leaving but the others like Jamie C, Robbie, Jamie R he could get them to come to heel else their Liverpool career was in jeopardy.

 

The whole 'Spice Boys' thing pissed me off and Ged was keen to bin it off even if the media would continue to use it for sometime.

 

He set about revitalising the team. I'll never forget hearing his interview when he said David James knows he'll be playing football elsewhere next season. Many of his players improved the team, a few did not.

 

Sami will always be his stand out signing to me. The big man was a snip but didnt he serve us proud? I was actually gutted he took the captaincy off Sami to give it to Stevie. But it was a shrewd move and at the time, we didnt know what was going on behind the scenes and noises being made by other clubs to turn his head. Gary Macca was another. How we loved his baldy head!

 

2001 was the high point. The treble, denegrated by the mancs was an awesome feat and some of the performance we put in are seemingly forgotten mainly due to the Cup Final itself.

 

But Ged's health issues had taken their toll. I remember the away game against levekusen. Trailing, we got our noses in front. Then Ged took off Didi and suddenly a game we were winning 3-2 with about 15 to go we are losing 4-3. Out we went.

 

The Anelka loan that didnt turn into a signing baffled me. The boy clearly lapped it up here and yes, there's all the stories about why it didnt happen but, instead we signed a couple of players who'd had noted world cup displays. And slowly it started to go downhill.

 

Even my mate who was a staunch fan of Ged said he had to go when we lost one game too many with another poor show.

 

I remember the press conference well. Ged had gone and he hadnt brought us the title. Like those before and after him until Jurgen, it was the one trophy we wanted that eluded us.

 

When Im at my seat in the Upper SKD pre game and we sing our songs and wave our flags, I still think Ged doesnt quite get the recognition he deserves. His 2001 treble is overshadowed by 2005's number 5. He didnt win the Champions League or the title but he gave us hope while he was the manager and he stopped the club from sinking deep into obscurity.

 

Thanks for the memories, Ged. Rest in peace.

 

 

[DalyanPete]

5 hours ago, Doctor Troy said:

 

Someone posted this on Twatter before.

Beautiful! That just about says everything about the man.

RIP and thanks for the great days out.

[Davelfc]

An emotional Danny Murphy told talkSPORT on Monday: 'This sums up Houllier. The first trophy we won, I played every round in the League Cup and scored two in the semi at home - and then I did my medial ligament. I only tweaked it but I couldn't play in the final. 

 

'And then there were only medals for the lads who got stripped. We won on penalties, luckily. We shouldn't have won but we did and you're celebrating without really being too involved because you haven't played.

'I didn't get a medal and I thought, "you know what it's not the end of the world, I'm not that big on medals anyway."

 

He (Houllier) said, "you haven't got a medal haven't you?" And I said, "No." So he took his off and gave me his. There and then.

'Now he (could have) done that as an afterthought a day or two later, but to actually acknowledge it there and then - he had that touch of class. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[easytoslip]

11 hours ago, Bjornebye said:

They were showing footage of him all day on SSN and there was a clip of him sat in the main stand ready to watch us and his eyes are beaming wide like a kid at his first match. He loved us. 

He did, he knew and felt something was special here, from a time prior to joining us. 

I'd of liked to have seen that clip, but the one someone posted after we scored, with Dalglish and Rush is like that, made up like a kid. 

Hopefully he will get on a flag or something in his name, as he has earned it. 

[magicrat]

Can’t add anything to the great posts in the thread . Fitting tributes from everyone.

Ged was a fine , decent man that was universally respected. RIP

[Scott_M]

Sometimes it just feels like things snowball for us and we seem unbeatable - the below being my first memory of such an event.
 

Doesn’t always work out (08/09 & 13/14) but it’s literally incredible when it does. 

 

[manwiththestick]

12 hours ago, rubble-rouser said:

The Jesse March thing just finished me 

Just watched that clip, not the best time to get some dust in my eye.

[m0e]

He loved us so much, he couldn't stop going in about us even when he was manager of Villa!

 

I know it wound a fair few of them up.