Houllier Goes Nuts: part 124

[Dicko]

Which player was this?

 

Ferri.

[RafaLaBamba]

I like Houllier, but judging from that article he is well and truly in denial. After he had his heart attack he was never the same manager and the football we played was abismal at best. Rafa deserves alot more praise from Houllier than that. As for the text - well, it was probably from Salif Diao!

[FortressAnfield]

Many of the CL-winning side were Houllier's signings. But not Alonso or Garcia, who were key players. Also, didn't Rafa shift Carra to CB? Carra, of course, came into the side when Evans was boss.

 

Houllier's team was dreadful in 2002-4, but the time I really lost any sympathy for him was just before the last home match of 2002-3 season, I think. We played City, and it was Robbie's first match back at Anfield since leaving. The back page of the Echo had an interview with Houllier headlined 'Robbie need not have left'.

 

Twat.

[Benitaur]

Him and Benitez are cast from the same block. Same mentality, same behavioural traits, same characteristics. Thank fuck they're both out of the club.

 

Thats rubbish

 

Houllier was exactly the arm around the shoulder type man manager that everyone is saying Rafa isn't.

 

Rafa is a tactician, and every player is merely a chess piece on the board. Ged on the other hand isn't, although that is not to say he is tactically naive.

 

Complete opposites.

 

BTW, a comparison between the teams. Houllier's best team with a fully fit Michael Owen, would be out passed and out classed by a fully fit Rafa's team of 2 years ago that twatted the Mancs 4-1 and Real 4-0 and scared the hell out of Chelsea and Hiddink in that 4-4 draw.

 

The reason, as Ged pointed out, we finished 7th place with a team comprising players such as Gerrard and Torres is that both these players were injured most of the season (while playing for their national teams no less). Not only those two, the two signings that were supposed to be the difference and maybe improvement ie Aquilani and Johnson were injured most of the season too.

[Redexile]

Thats rubbish

 

Houllier was exactly the arm around the shoulder type man manager that everyone is saying Rafa isn't.

 

Rafa is a tactician, and every player is merely a chess piece on the board. Ged on the other hand isn't, although that is not to say he is tactically naive.

 

Complete opposites.

 

BTW, a comparison between the teams. Houllier's best team with a fully fit Michael Owen, would be out passed and out classed by a fully fit Rafa's team of 2 years ago that twatted the Mancs 4-1 and Real 4-0 and scared the hell out of Chelsea and Hiddink in that 4-4 draw.

 

The reason, as Ged pointed out, we finished 7th place with a team comprising players such as Gerrard and Torres is that both these players were injured most of the season (while playing for their national teams no less). Not only those two, the two signings that were supposed to be the difference and maybe improvement ie Aquilani and Johnson were injured most of the season too.

 

No he wasn't really. Suggest you read Robbies and Carra's books to gain some insight.

[hamstrung]

No he wasn't really. Suggest you read Robbies and Carra's books to gain some insight.

 

Doesn't mean he couldn't be a cunt. The two aren't mutually exclusive. He was certainly more prone to praising and protecting players and being a "fatherly" figure toward them than Rafa.

[longtimered]

The main issue was that he thought everything was about Gerrard Houlier first -humility wasn't in his dictionary.The latest outburst illustrates the same issue I think.

 

He wasn't a disaster as manager but didnt leave a good legacy with the strength of squad.

[gkmacca]

For me, the big contrast is in the potential long-term legacy. Houllier left a mediocre first team squad and...that's it. Benitez left a better first team squad and a revivified reserve and academy set-up, which I feel sure will pay dividends in a few years time. The way Ged - for all his reputation as a mastermind of youth development - neglected the system for our young players was little short of scandalous.

[Trumo]

Both Houllier and Benitez were appointed by Parry to fulfil the role of club builders. They were there to create a new legacy when it became apparent the old Boot Room tradition had long gone. Both went about the role in different ways. Both had considerable success and outright failure. Both had a strong ego and didn't take kindly to those not following their mantra. Both, whilst having money to spend, had to spread it across many areas rather than little tweaks.

 

It remains to be seen whether Benitez will spout off to the media about how any future Liverpool success is solely down to his own input.

[El Rojo]

 

“After Rafa Benitez left this summer, one of the players sent me a message,” Houllier tells me. “He said, Boss, he hasn't beaten you.'”

 

 

Houllier takes up the story. “When I came into the changing room in Istanbul some of the players said: Boss it's your team.'

 

“Twelve out of 14 in Istanbul were players I had signed or developed. I left Liverpool with a team and in the Champions League. But when you finish seventh with Torres and Gerrard . . .”

 

“I was coming from outside and thought that it was good to work together. It didn't work for many reasons. Roy was too soft, nice but weak and, when there was a decision to take he would, well, Peter Robinson will tell you, leave me with a hot potato.

 

 

Hard not to cringe reading those quotes. He's like an older, Gallic David Brent.

[Guest TK-421]

I gave him the benefit of the doubt and just remembered the good times until this interview. Now I think he's a bitter, bog-eyed cunt and I hope Ginola, Fowler and Benitez gang sue him.

[goatboy59]

Roy was too soft, nice but weak and, when there was a decision to take he would, well, Peter Robinson will tell you, leave me with a hot potato.

 

We might hear a bit more about this, I'd sue if I were Roy Evans because that is contradicting what he says in Ghost On The Wall eg dropping Riedle for the West Ham game after we'd made a good start.

 

Someone should certainly ask Robinson that.

[Guest TK-421]

It is jealousy, pure and simple.

 

When Houllier was asked which trophy meant the most out of the cup treble, he pointed to the UEFA Cup. He said European competitions meant more to him than the others.

 

To see Rafa lead us to no.5 in such amazing circumstances, well it was clearly far too much for poor old Ged to take.

[The Dude Abides]

Houllier is a sad bitter spiteful little man. People wanted him out far more than they wanted Rafa out, and at least Rafa left us with some fine fucking footballers and not the sea of shite Houllier left. Rafa has also had to put up with far more than Houllier ever had to. You wonder how different it might have been had we Rafa as manager a few years earlier before the Chelsea money came into the Premiership.

[WaltonRed]

Just keep it shut Ged for fucks sake.

[gkmacca]

Roy was too soft, nice but weak and, when there was a decision to take he would, well, Peter Robinson will tell you, leave me with a hot potato.

 

We might hear a bit more about this, I'd sue if I were Roy Evans because that is contradicting what he says in Ghost On The Wall eg dropping Riedle for the West Ham game after we'd made a good start.

 

Someone should certainly ask Robinson that.

 

Yes. That's the aspect that really maddens me. Claim credit if he must, but why sneer at Evans, who behaved with great dignity and made a difficult transition far easier because of his willingness to put the club before himself?

[stringvest]

In some respects yes but how much of Houlliers fuck ups did Rafa have to sort out especially when it came to transfer, scouting and the youth system on top of the first team?

How much of the annual budget did Rafa have to dedicate to modernise it and also eject the fraff Houllier brought in? Christ at least the equivalent of a marquee player a season was spent sorting that lot out.

Now ask yourself how much of that has Hodgson got to do?

We've had 4 players join us already but 3 of them were done and dusted before Rafa left, now another (Wilson) is going to join, a Rafa deal the board stalled on once they decided to get shot of him.

It will be some time before Roy brings in a player he's scouted himself, especially with out money situation.

 

Our scouting system is dogshit. We shall be shipping out most of the staff Benitez brought in - certainly once Hodgson discovers how shit they are he will. Hodgson is busy ejecting the fraff from Rafa's transfer policy as we speak.

 

They're more similar than you think.

[stringvest]

It remains to be seen whether Benitez will spout off to the media about how any future Liverpool success is solely down to his own input.

 

He will, but in the true Benitez manner, it will be implied.

[stringvest]

Thats rubbish

 

Houllier was exactly the arm around the shoulder type man manager that everyone is saying Rafa isn't.

 

Rafa is a tactician, and every player is merely a chess piece on the board. Ged on the other hand isn't, although that is not to say he is tactically naive.

 

Complete opposites.

 

BTW, a comparison between the teams. Houllier's best team with a fully fit Michael Owen, would be out passed and out classed by a fully fit Rafa's team of 2 years ago that twatted the Mancs 4-1 and Real 4-0 and scared the hell out of Chelsea and Hiddink in that 4-4 draw.

 

The reason, as Ged pointed out, we finished 7th place with a team comprising players such as Gerrard and Torres is that both these players were injured most of the season (while playing for their national teams no less). Not only those two, the two signings that were supposed to be the difference and maybe improvement ie Aquilani and Johnson were injured most of the season too.

 

Their one-on-one treatment of certain individuals apart, they are quite similar. They share the same desperate paranoia. I think Houllier is unhinged, actually, whereas I think Benitez is just not a very nice piece of work.

[goatboy59]

Yes. That's the aspect that really maddens me. Claim credit if he must, but why sneer at Evans, who behaved with great dignity and made a difficult transition far easier because of his willingness to put the club before himself?

 

Especially when it was Houllier who went missing when something unpleasant had to be done.

 

As if anyone's going to check with Robinson, and as if anyone will check with all the players under Gerard's command to see who was the one who said "he never beat you boss".

[diego]

whereas I think Benitez is just not a very nice piece of work.

 

It takes one to know one.

[Delmar]

The team Benitez left behind is easily better than Houllier's, Hodgson has a good chance to build something if he can keep Torres. The rest of the story is just sad to read, a man who clearly cared about the club reducing himself to a pathetic, pitiful figure.

[Whelan]

Evans was exactly the right man at the right time, the club was in a mess in 94 and Evans brought the soul back to the club, sadly he was too close to the players and lacked the instinct to make tough decisions that Bob had (who had Shankly turning up at training).

 

Ged again, was the right man at the right time, he was more of an administrator and perfect for setting up the club as a modern football club, with a modern outlook, no more boozers etc, but he didn't look as though he understood the small details, the little changes that can bring you success, he reminds me of Martin O'Neil in a sense of having a team play one way, which is effective at doing what it does, but will never be good enough.

 

Rafa developed the club again, as each and every manager has done since Kenny, but probably didn't have the personal skills that Liverpool in particularly need! By that I mean, Gerrard probably does need a bit of warmth and a good relationship, whereas someone like Keane probably couldn't give a fuck, add in, non stop arguing and you end up where we are!

 

The bonus is that the team is still there, it just needs tweaking! Unlike Ged and Evans who left a team bereft of star quality.

[diego]

They share the same desperate paranoia. I think Houllier is unhinged, actually, whereas I think Benitez is just not a very nice piece of work.

 

It takes one to know one. I can't believe your daily dripping of bile and bitchy gossip is limited to this web site.

[diego]

Gerrard probably does need a bit of warmth and a good relationship, whereas someone like Keane probably couldn't give a fuck, add in, non stop arguing and you end up where we are!

 

The bonus is that the team is still there, it just needs tweaking! Unlike Ged and Evans who left a team bereft of star quality.

 

Gerrard is a fundamentally insecure personality who can never get enough pampering. In retrospect Rafa's biggest mistake when he took over was flying out to the England camp to persuade him to stay, although I fully realise the politics involved. It would have done Gerrard good to have gone to Chelsea and LFC would be a stronger club for it now.

 

I don't think LFC will ever win the league with Gerald as the lynch-pin, let alone captain . One of the "small details" of success is having a consistent engine room - Gerrard is too moody, too given to special friendships and aversions in the LFC and England squad and, in general, too much of a wet blanket.