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Souness


Guest Andy gray
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Guest Andy gray

I have just read an article in October’s “The Kop” (yes, it takes a little time to get here to Malaysia), and the great Souness debate is in it (Kopite????). I thought it time I aired my thoughts on the matter. I would like to stress, for liable reasons, that the following opinions solely mine and not those of The Liverpool Way. I would also like to stress that any legal proceedings should be addressed to The Liverpool Way since they gave me the facility to post the above (and below) mentioned views. And you can’t get me in Malaysia anyway!!

 

I hope?

 

In my humble opinion, Souness was undoubtedly the finest central midfield player that Liverpool have had to date (ask me again in 5 years and I might tell you different). This is high praise indeed when you consider his competition, the likes of Whelan, Hamman, McDermott, McMahon and Molby, to name but a few. And now to my point (in a while).

 

My first season ticket was 1976/77 season, so I was lucky to see his whole Liverpool career as both player and manager. His vision, strength in the tackle, passing and basic domination of every game, I don’t believe has ever been seen in the whole of Britain (perhaps Europe) before or since, never mind just (just?) in a Liverpool shirt (again, my opinion is potentially going to change on this – Stevie G, the ball is in your court, it’s your call, there’s potentially not a dry seat in the house).

 

So there you have it. I am one of the old bastards who has a love for Souness as a player, so his form as manager probably gets a slight red tint to it as far as I am concerned, however, I am trying to be objective with my summation, based on what I know (although I could be wrong on some issues….paper talk and rumour and all that. But what information are you basing it all on?).

 

Souness gave up a Team manager’s position and a directorship with Rangers to come to Liverpool. After a few weeks of persuasion too. (is that good or bad? Shankly didn’t come for years after the first approach, and Paisley didn’t want the job anyway). Souness said at the time there was no other club he would have moved to, and why should he move at all? He didn’t need to, but he still came to us!

 

This was real money he was giving up… and a successful club (albeit in Scotland)– and a directorship worth a fortune, He had already won the scottish premier league (deliberate capitals – or lack of) 3 times on the trot, after rescuing Rangers from the equivalent of obscurity due to Celtics domination at the time he took over, he was a God at Rangers. This was not the deed of a man who did not have complete and utter love of our club.

 

Souness was (and is), by nature, a strong character on and off the field. His determined success in making the Rangers board and supporters, not only sign Catholics, but Englishmen too, was, nothing short of miraculous. So, when the Liverpool board decided he was the right appointment, they and everyone else knew what type of manager he was. His record was proven. Everyone was in agreement…this was an excellent appointment. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. And so are blow jobs. (apparently).

 

So, perhaps Souness was not as bad a manager as people would portrait, perhaps he did have Liverpool’s best interest at heart. In hindsight it is easy to slag someone off. Anyone can do the manger’s job from the terrace (or stands). Do we love this club more than Souness did? Mmm.

 

The next excerpts of history comes in three parts. Firstly there is the team that we love more than anything else in the world, then (but more importantly), the selling of “THAT story to THAT paper” as the person in The Kop out it (was that you Kopite?). Then Souness now. I will deal with them in the order I listed them above.

 

Well, I might take the East Lancs road instead of the M62, but I will get there.

 

Dalglish is the greatest player I have ever seen (unless you count seeing Best for Fulham v Forest in the second division when George was well past his best, but at his best, he must have been some fuckin’ player if he was better than Kenny). I love the Dalglish both as player and manager. I don’t need to state his ability as a footballer, nor probably as a manager, however, when he resigned he left a team that were getting older, a few dodgy signings (Speedie, Carter and all that) but Kenny was under severe stress. We all know why. No-one can tell me he was not a great manager, the double team may have been inherited, but you still have to make it click. Then there was the 1988 side, which was totally his construction. The greatest footballing side in history (in my opinion – as this whole article is) – it would have been great to win the European Cup Final against Everton in ’86, along with the League and FA Cup. And they’re upset??????. I might loose my thought process a little now as I am going to have a quick wank just thinking of that ’88 side.

 

Some time later…

 

OK, where was I coming from. None of your business. Anyway, Dalglish did leave a side that left a little to be desired when the future was considered. Young blood was not coming through, and although there were many promising youngsters yet to be discovered, they were a little while from being ready, The team itself was on its last legs. Yes we were top of the league when he left. Yes we were still in the cup, but let’s face facts. Barnes would never be at his brilliant best again, Speedie wasn’t good enough (even with the United and Everton goals) and much as I love Ronnie Rosenthal (remember Charlton in ’90), he was no Anfield great. There were others too. I am not slagging King Kenny off in any way here, Shanks had a total re-vamp in an extremely short space of time during his career too, as did Slur Alex after his first championship (Hansen’s “you don’t win anything with Kids” comment grinds me to this day – his fuckin’ fault), and based on Kenny’s time with Blackburn, he certainly had it (still has it?) in him. For the purposes of clarification, I would like to state that Alan Hansen is the best centre half EVER (including Sammi, but it’s close), and makes a great TV pundit – the only one that talks any sense. Anyway, I digress. Or grammatically that should probably read “I digressed”. I did it whatever it should be.

 

Souness therefore, took over a side that needed change. What better man? He had proved his worth as a manager (albeit in Scotland) and he IS truly a Liverpool great. He did change things. He adopted the sort of diet and lifestyle that he found so beneficial in Italy, a lifestyle that is encouraged by all clubs today. He knocked down the “old-fashioned” bootroom, and for this he is a bastard, but he was also forced to bring in new talent. The selling of Beardsley was a crime though. The likes of Fowler, Rednapp and McMannaman drew first blood early on in the Souness regime. Even if he never spoke to them (copyright – rumour down the Stuart Pub, Stuart Road, Walton).

 

I agree that our football was not what we were accustomed to, and he made some bad signings. But Mark Wright was pure class and no-one would have predicted Saunders or Clough not “fitting in” . Of course there were bad ones too, but (except for Paisley), who hasn’t made a few bad signings. Even Shanks, Kenny and GH have made some (although in GH’s defense, times are different with such big squad’s…there are only so many great players you can keep happy in the reserves). Can’t think of any bad signings that Joe Fagan made, but he was only manager for two years.

 

Who can say that if Souness had stayed another few years, his management skills, doubled with the players that were coming through, (that Evans took to League Cup glory and third in the league), wouldn’t have paid dividends. Remember us chanting “Fergie must stay” at OT early in the whisky drinking, too far down the road, manc bastard’s career? Perhaps that should have taught us a lesson or two. OK, perhaps you can say that another few years of Souness would have been terrible, but can you say it with 100% certainty? Were we expecting too much under the circumstances? Would more time have made the difference. Bolton and Bristol were not the first time we’d lost to lower class opposition. Everton had beaten us before, and less embarrassingly, Worcester City too. Our expectations were higher than at any club in Europe, that could have effected the decision.

 

We were crap though – by our standards!

 

The next thing to consider is his story to a national newspaper. I, as many of us were, was directly involved in the events of ’89. It still hurts all of us to this day, of that I am sure, especially with the unbelievable miscarriage of justice and cover up that has gone on for over 13 years now. So what was Souness’ roll? I have no doubt that he was fully aware of the deep hurt that would be caused writing for that paper. I hated him afterwards. Every bit as much as anyone at the time. However, and I am sure you will jog my memory on this, I can’t even remember what the article was about – there was no way I was reading that paper. I just remember my anger.

 

If you all remember, he had heart problems. We were in the semi final of the Cup and apparently, the s*n had wind of the health problems Souness was facing. They made a deal with him that they would get an exclusive with him (perhaps knowing then what the issue was), and they didn’t reveal his heart problems in exchange. Unfortunately, because of his deteriorating health, it came to light anyway; however, the deal was already done. Souness had no control over when the article was published, and the s*n being like they are, printed it on 15th April. They knew it would cause hurt, another reason why the “we only printed what the police told us.” bollocks is, well, bollocks. If what I remember from the time is true, and I am sure that people with better memories may state other things, which I would be interested to hear, but, I think. the lad may have been stitched up.

 

If what I heard remember is true, then Souness did not have any control, he tried to keep the heart problems quiet – perhaps for the benefit of the team and/or supporters, perhaps for himself, but as such, should not be criticised as he is. He should have resigned the following day regardless though.

 

Next we have his post Liverpool whinings. He is an opposition manager, doing his best to put his rivals off? Bollocks! I think he is bitter and twisted about how he was treated by us. In light of the above, he may or may not have reason. How many of us slag off previous companies we’ve worked for? How many of us wouldn’t give our right arm to have a go at previous employers who have shit on us (as we see it), no matter how good things were in the past. Can you blame the man? The fact that it is against our club obviously makes a difference, but surely seven years of great service as a player cannot be overlooked, especially when that this player has been instrumental in 3 European Cups, 5 League Titles and 4 league cups, including a treble and two doubles. After his quoted aspersions at Liverpool, to which so many of us took offense, including me, he came out the next day to say he was miss-quoted. Could this be true? Who has faith in the press and their headline-seeking attitude? If you do have such faith in them, then why the (correct) boycott of the S*n? They’re all the same, headline seekers, vultures. Did the Mirror not play up on this? Did they not go so pro-Justice campaign that you questioned their motives? Do all papers feed us bullshit, including the so called broardsheets. Is broadsheet an anagram of bullshit? Is Tabloid an anagram of cheap cunt’s who will do anything for a story. Is it their belief or just a sales ploy? A bit of one-upmanship? An attempt to give them something over the opposition – perhaps like Slur Alex does, or Wenger does, or Souness did – against us.

 

In summary, does Souness really deserve the abuse that we have been giving him? Were his actions those of a man with no love for the club, no respect for the supporters? Surely not. Was he a victim of circumstance and naivete? Perhaps. Is he a man of malice? Never. Is he a Liverpool Great? Definitely. Does he deserve such unadulterated hatred? No.

 

And here endeth the case for the defense.

 

To sleep….perchance to dream……….zzzzzzzzzz

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