Author Topic: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?  (Read 33274 times)

Offline rossipersempre

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #120 on: May 24, 2012, 11:49:24 am »
And his brand of football was pulled from the Roy Hodgson football acadamy. 2003-2005 was some of the worst football I've have the misfortune of watching, under Ged.
You do realise Rafa took over in the summer of 2004 I hope. Not that I'm suggesting you're trying to paint one shocking last season as two.
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Offline Guz-kop

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #121 on: May 24, 2012, 11:50:09 am »
I remember us going out of an FA Cup reply at Anfield to a 10 man Crystal Palace team and have Houllier claim in the post match interview that it was a "blessing in disguise". His interviews towards the end became cringe worthy and it started to effect his grasp on reality. He lost a lot of respect with some Liverpool fans towards the end through his stubbornness to admit mistakes and adapt.

The last 2 seasons were some of the most depressing football i've ever witnessed from a Liverpool team. We genuinely seemed to be on the brink on something special in the summer of 2002 and instead of signing Duff and Anelka, he opted for Diouf, Cheyrou and Diao. We could have taken that next step and become champions, but like Kenny to some degree he made the wrong transfer choices and spent the next 2 seasons trying to rebuild the confidence and desire that was very prevalent in his teams from 2000-2002.

Plus i appreciate there being 2 sides to every story but as said before, the image painted of him by Fowler is not pretty. Plus his vicious vendetta against Ginola all these years is bizarre.

We owe him the respect of 2001 but he'll never be held by me in the same regard as Benitez as a manager.

Houllier was desperate to sign Duff but the club were never going to let him spend that much money on one player. Even Rafa didn't get that under Moores and Parry.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #122 on: May 24, 2012, 11:54:52 am »
Houllier was desperate to sign Duff but the club were never going to let him spend that much money on one player. Even Rafa didn't get that under Moores and Parry.
I don't know about the Duff situation, but ironic then the sole reason Rafa was prevented from signing Dani Alves that summer of 2006, is because the board placed a cap of <10m on any single player signing, directly as a result of Ged's overspending.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #123 on: May 24, 2012, 12:01:41 pm »
He has always had my respect and I wish him well.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #124 on: May 24, 2012, 12:16:34 pm »
I think Houllier got us back on the right track but I just never really liked his brand of football. I think some of his comments since leaving have made him less well thought of. Personally I don't have anything against him and I thoroughly enjoyed the Carling cup and especially the FA Cup victory over arsenal which if we are honest was one of the best smash n grab jobs ever. I guess with houllier I saw us as a team often get outplayed and more so towards the end of his reign. I think his career naturally finished with us and it wasn't really on high. Like I said though there are a lot of fond memories in there as well.

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #125 on: May 24, 2012, 12:19:09 pm »
The last 2 seasons were some of the most depressing football i've ever witnessed from a Liverpool team. We genuinely seemed to be on the brink on something special in the summer of 2002 and instead of signing Duff and Anelka, he opted for Diouf, Cheyrou and Diao. We could have taken that next step and become champions, but like Kenny to some degree he made the wrong transfer choices and spent the next 2 seasons trying to rebuild the confidence and desire that was very prevalent in his teams from 2000-2002.

We owe him the respect of 2001 but he'll never be held by me in the same regard as Benitez as a manager.

In one. That summer was a slow motion collapse of judgement and faith. Still don't understand the Anelka decision, remember watching him play at Anfield (might have been Blackburn in a cup game) and he was a total demon of a player for us, wanted to play for us, etc. Big mistake, especially when you look at who we bought instead. I think Ged had his clique and if you weren't in it you were as good as dead to him.

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #126 on: May 24, 2012, 12:28:37 pm »
I think he was good up until his heart surgery. He played counter-attacking football with Owen and Heskey, but he properly messed up after his heart.

Le Tallec, Pongolle, Cheyrou, Salif Daio, Diouf, Traore and Biscan were all players who really werent good enough, and they cost us a lot of money at the time.

He got in Anelka, who played really well, but went for Diouf. He lost his judgement of players.

Signing Didi and Hyypia were probably the best thing he did for the club.

Disagree on Biscan. He was one of the hottest properties in football at the time and we beat off serious competition for him. The problem was that Ged destroyed him by taking a promising central attacking midfielder and playing him at center half and right back, meaning our fans got on his back and his confidence plummeted. Always felt for the guy , as you could clearly see when rafa played him properly in 2005 that he was a top player. One of our best actually in the run up to istanbul.
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Offline ricflairandy

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #127 on: May 24, 2012, 12:30:28 pm »
I think Houllier got us back on the right track but I just never really liked his brand of football. I think some of his comments since leaving have made him less well thought of. Personally I don't have anything against him and I thoroughly enjoyed the Carling cup and especially the FA Cup victory over arsenal which if we are honest was one of the best smash n grab jobs ever. I guess with houllier I saw us as a team often get outplayed and more so towards the end of his reign. I think his career naturally finished with us and it wasn't really on high. Like I said though there are a lot of fond memories in there as well.



I always hate this argument. I like winning football, and we did at the time. Win at all costs. Hence why i dont want martinez, he might play pretty football but we wouldnt win much.

Id take hodgsons brand of football if it actually won games.
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Offline Discipline

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #128 on: May 24, 2012, 12:32:12 pm »
He's respected with a lot of people who I've spoken too. They get annoyed at the way he takes credit for the CL win in Istanbul though.

I'm just personally pissed off how he froze out Fowler.

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #129 on: May 24, 2012, 12:37:18 pm »
I always hate this argument. I like winning football, and we did at the time. Win at all costs. Hence why i dont want martinez, he might play pretty football but we wouldnt win much.

Id take hodgsons brand of football if it actually won games.

The football in his last season was shocking. But we played decent footy until 2002. We got labelled as a counter attacking and got a lot of unfair criticism I think. We had some exciting players to watch and they gelled together well. There was an over reliance on Owen and his pace though but in fairness it got the best out of him.

He tried to add some guile from a central position with the likes of Jari, Macca, Murphy and then Kewell but we never committed to it and stuck with the Heskey/Owen partnership for too long.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2012, 12:39:00 pm by Guz-kop »
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #130 on: May 24, 2012, 12:41:26 pm »
Loved him, thought he was your quintessential LFC manager but showed a lot of classlessness in his days after leaving Liverpool, especially towards Benitez. Loved the photos of him and Rafa at John Lennon when Rafa arrived, was like a passing of the torch but has since showed massive two-facedness. Leaking the text from a senior player saying he hasn't beat you boss was small, very small. Claiming it was his players that won the Champions League, when I'm pretty sure Xabi and LG had some small hand in that (I will give him that we likely wouldn't have had the European experience without him to win it but that's not what he said).

Ged was very necessary to this club to get our house back in order as much as anything, and I appreciate the wins, and what he started but really really disappointed me with his lack of humility, then again should have got that was in him from the Ginola incident and the way his whole demeanour with the fans changed when it started to go tits up at Liverpool.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #131 on: May 24, 2012, 01:14:24 pm »
He's respected with a lot of people who I've spoken too. They get annoyed at the way he takes credit for the CL win in Istanbul though.

I'm just personally pissed off how he froze out Fowler.



Thommo, ged and robbie will all tell you a different story about that. I dont know who to belive.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #132 on: May 24, 2012, 01:28:05 pm »
You do realise Rafa took over in the summer of 2004 I hope. Not that I'm suggesting you're trying to paint one shocking last season as two.

You're right, my mistake.

Geds last two years, in standard of football terms, were abysmal.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #133 on: May 24, 2012, 01:31:47 pm »
Geds last two years, in standard of football terms, were abysmal.

Especially that winning against Man U in teh league cup final and qualifying for the Champions league, which gave us the platform to, er........Win it!
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #134 on: May 24, 2012, 01:33:15 pm »
Losing at Bradford? A nightmare, but still it got us in the UEFA. Think they're still celebrating in some cloves in Yorkshire.

2001 was a boss season from Bucharest to Woolwich Arsenal absolute ball, by any standards. The Sunday in town, one of the best ever. Barcalona, Roma, Porto & Dortmund, it don't come much better.

2002 was not much lower, first genuine run at Europe's top competition since the ban and as close as we have come in the league.
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Offline rednich85

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #135 on: May 24, 2012, 01:33:22 pm »
Especially that winning against Man U in teh league cup final and qualifying for the Champions league, which gave us the platform to, er........Win it!

Ah yes, you're right, we were brilliant.

Wonder why we got rid.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #136 on: May 24, 2012, 01:34:33 pm »
Ah yes, you're right, we were brilliant.

Wonder why we got rid.

Maybe not brilliant, but abysmal? Hardly
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Offline rednich85

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #137 on: May 24, 2012, 01:41:00 pm »
Maybe not brilliant, but abysmal? Hardly

Nah, I stand by my opinion that we were abysmal.

It might have been effective but it was poor.

We played like a newly promoted side, hoping to hit sides on the counter. While it was great going to the Nou Camp an nicking one, it didn't always work against actual newly promoted sides.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #138 on: May 24, 2012, 01:45:21 pm »
We played like a newly promoted side, hoping to hit sides on the counter. While it was great going to the Nou Camp an nicking one, it didn't always work against actual newly promoted sides.

Would have been if we had of, of course, but we never. Played there twice under Houllier, both in 2001, both 0-0, but still it seems like you've got him there an extra year, got his team scoring goals they never scored, maybe your recollection isn't that clear, all around, after all.

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #139 on: May 24, 2012, 01:53:28 pm »
In one. That summer was a slow motion collapse of judgement and faith. Still don't understand the Anelka decision, remember watching him play at Anfield (might have been Blackburn in a cup game) and he was a total demon of a player for us, wanted to play for us, etc. Big mistake, especially when you look at who we bought instead. I think Ged had his clique and if you weren't in it you were as good as dead to him.

Thought it was the Newcastle game when the floodlights went out, he was fucking incredible that night.

Offline Ikki.Fenikkusu

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #140 on: May 24, 2012, 01:54:57 pm »
He was good initially, then his transfers were woeful and it was his own doing that got us from potential winners of the league and winning in Europe to battling for top 4.

His taking credit for our CL victory under Rafa was also shameless.

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #141 on: May 24, 2012, 02:00:55 pm »
Would have been if we had of, of course, but we never. Played there twice under Houllier, both in 2001, both 0-0, but still it seems like you've got him there an extra year, got his team scoring goals they never scored, maybe your recollection isn't that clear, all around, after all.

I forgot a few things. G-wiz.

Doesn't change the fact the football under Houllier was shit.

You have great recollection skills. Well in.
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Offline john_mac

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #142 on: May 24, 2012, 02:02:07 pm »
Thought it was the Newcastle game when the floodlights went out, he was fucking incredible that night.

He was, so were Owen and Heskey in a front 3 that worked. It is so difficult to say with Anelka though, he was told to leave his brothers at home, what did he do? Turned up with them for negotiations. As good a player as he was, he pissed people off wherever he went and while he claims he may have settled on Merseyside, who knows. He had plenty of other good opportunities and only succeeded in pissing people off (maybe Chelsea in the twilight apart). In hindsight Diouf was a mistake but there were few saying it at the time, even if some were disappointed to see Anelka go, we got a player who'd had a top world cup, was African footballer of the year and looked the part. Pity he turned out to be a right c*nt.

His taking credit for our CL victory under Rafa was also shameless.

Funny maybe, he had qualified us for the CL and brought a large number of the players either through or in, still, can't see Kenny in the dressing room in Amsterdam myself.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #143 on: May 24, 2012, 02:07:02 pm »
I forgot a few things. G-wiz.

Doesn't change the fact the football under Houllier was shit.

You have great recollection skills. Well in.

Thanks, needed that.

Quite ironic that we lose a manager whose team play good football for not qualifying for the champions league, while your analysis of a team that did qualify and went on to win it- 'shit'.

Thought we had a ball under Houllier myself, as I said, not teh best we've ever played but better than anything we had seen in the 10 years prior to it, gave us trips all over the gaff, a couple of trophies here and there and a bit of pride in the team, plus one of the best homecoming parties I can ever remember.

My idea of what being a footy fan is all about, still I'm sure I've been mistaken, and its really more about logging in and telling everyone how much you know.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #144 on: May 24, 2012, 02:08:08 pm »
I always hate this argument. I like winning football, and we did at the time. Win at all costs. Hence why i dont want martinez, he might play pretty football but we wouldnt win much.

Id take hodgsons brand of football if it actually won games.

I'd rather both if possible. And I guess I have seen plenty of liverpool teams produce both. Infact the team of Barnes, Beardsley and rush was the ultimate of both. The fact is in his last season the football was bad and the results weren't much better.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #145 on: May 24, 2012, 02:13:09 pm »
Infact the team of Barnes, Beardsley and rush was the ultimate of both.

Maybe we should get the fella who managed that team in then?
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Offline ricflairandy

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #146 on: May 24, 2012, 02:16:20 pm »
I'd rather both if possible. And I guess I have seen plenty of liverpool teams produce both. Infact the team of Barnes, Beardsley and rush was the ultimate of both. The fact is in his last season the football was bad and the results weren't much better.

I wouldnt argue with that, hence why i think before heart problem it was great football. Afterwards, not so much.

A game against newcastle sticks out to me as being one of the worst ive ever seen, in the rain at night and salif diao was sent off for being a stupid idiot and sliding through someone. That was the point when you kind of new. Either that or the boro game when we where top.
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Offline Ikki.Fenikkusu

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #147 on: May 24, 2012, 02:16:26 pm »
Funny maybe, he had qualified us for the CL and brought a large number of the players either through or in, still, can't see Kenny in the dressing room in Amsterdam myself.

If it wasn't for a superhuman run by Gerrard towards the end dragging the club into the top 4 we wouldn't have been in it - wouldn't have deserved to either.

People always get it the wrong way round. Houllier doesn't deserve credit for CL05. It just means Rafa deserves even more credit for the mediocrity he had to deal with, and win with.

Offline ricflairandy

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #148 on: May 24, 2012, 02:17:32 pm »
A more important topic should be why doesnt rafa get the credit or aclaim he deserves-.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #149 on: May 24, 2012, 02:18:39 pm »
A more important topic should be why doesnt rafa get the credit or aclaim he deserves-.

He does? Maybe not to those outside of Liverpool, but I'm pretty sure he's a legend to most reds.

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #150 on: May 24, 2012, 02:19:53 pm »
I thank him for Sami and henchoz finally sorting out a lifetime of shite centre backs. He also managed to bring a more professional attitude to the players. Yes we did win cups which brought some great times.
 But I predicted after his first three years that we'd never win the league under him despite it being  a period in our history when we matched the spending of our rivals. I think it was in either 2 or three years before Rafa took over[stat heads feel free to correct] that we hadn't come from being behind at half time, to win a game in the league. We were that ridgid a side. As far as I can remember we did it three times in Rafas first season.
 He left Rafa with an atrocious squad and then had the nerve to claim credit for Istanbul. We werent capable of putting more than eight quality players on the field at the same time that year. Alonso,garcia,Gerrard and Carra were four that he didnt buy so realistically he left about four quality players he had signed at the club. And I think thats being kind. Most of these were also pushing on age wise. Funnily enough he didnt take credit for us failing to qualifly for the CL through the league that year. Also he failed to get a great France team to qualify for the world cup and claimed credit when France won it. Convieniently blames Ginola for his failings with France which is extreemly small time.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #151 on: May 24, 2012, 02:20:16 pm »
People always get it the wrong way round. Houllier doesn't deserve credit for CL05. It just means Rafa deserves even more credit for the mediocrity he had to deal with, and win with.

.... or maybe the both did a decent job, both gave us great away days, boss trips and both actually gave us a good crack at the league as well domestic and European trophies.

Rafa deserves all the credit in the world but Ged also did things that maybe deserve some.
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Offline Old No7

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #152 on: May 24, 2012, 02:24:45 pm »
I think Ged had his clique and if you weren't in it you were as good as dead to him.

Possibly a touch strong but I don't disagree with the principal. Think Ged had a very strict idea of what sort of personalities he wanted at the club, and he didn't want anyone who wouldn't fall in line

Offline paulrazor

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #153 on: May 24, 2012, 02:24:49 pm »
for taking us forward, for the treble season, for all he won, for buying hyypia and henchoz, for almost dying for us i will always love and respect what he did for the club.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #154 on: May 24, 2012, 02:28:15 pm »
.... or maybe the both did a decent job, both gave us great away days, boss trips and both actually gave us a good crack at the league as well domestic and European trophies.

Rafa deserves all the credit in the world but Ged also did things that maybe deserve some.

Would have to agree Ged getting rid of the Spice boy culture set us on our way to becoming a genuine contender at home and abroad. What did Ince say Houllier would take us nowhere, that must be right up there with Merson telling Wenger that he would win nothing without players pissheads like him as one of the most stupid prophecies ever.
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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #155 on: May 24, 2012, 02:35:10 pm »
Would have to agree Ged getting rid of the Spice boy culture set us on our way to becoming a genuine contender at home and abroad. What did Ince say Houllier would take us nowhere, that must be right up there with Merson telling Wenger that he would win nothing without players pissheads like him as one of the most stupid prophecies ever.

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Offline hitman89762000

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #156 on: May 24, 2012, 02:36:44 pm »
I don't know about the Duff situation, but ironic then the sole reason Rafa was prevented from signing Dani Alves that summer of 2006, is because the board placed a cap of <10m on any single player signing, directly as a result of Ged's overspending.

Pretty sure we paid more tan £10m for alonso?....
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Offline 1021

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #157 on: May 24, 2012, 02:37:13 pm »
I loved Houllier,

Though I wish he'd kept some of his more bitter comments to himself since leaving the Club, the text message and the references to Istanbul being his achievement were distasteful but he was the first Liverpool manager I properly knew and I experienced some great memories with him.

Sometimes it's time for managers to go and he and his side were starting to unravel towards the end, and it was time for a change at the Club but he dragged us kicking and screaming into the modern game, had that incredible season in 2001, and had Liverpool in his heart.

Don't understand how anyone has any bitterness with regards to seeling Fowler. In fact his autobiography in relation to their feud reflects poorly on Robbie, not Gerard. We got a good amount of money for a player who was not as effective as he had once been.

Allez, Allez.


I got the Lucas thing wrong. Will be right on Henderson though. Play him RM, play him CM - Not good enough and never will be.

Offline Ikki.Fenikkusu

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #158 on: May 24, 2012, 02:37:59 pm »
.... or maybe the both did a decent job, both gave us great away days, boss trips and both actually gave us a good crack at the league as well domestic and European trophies.

Rafa deserves all the credit in the world but Ged also did things that maybe deserve some.

He deserves credit for what he did - largely 2001 - but not something he didn't do, like CL05.

You can assemble a squad worth half a billion dollars and still not win the CL - City, Madrid, and until recently Chelsea, are examples. Getting a team together, in the right frame of mind, with the right tactics, etc, is the doing of the coach who won - not the coach who got replaced.

It becomes even more clearer when Rafa went to another CL final in 07. Rafa is clearly a superior coach to GED and did far better with GED's players than GED did. GED was shameless insinuating he wasn't surpassed or that it was his team that won it.

I don't dislike GED at all. He was not only a good coach he was the necessary coach when he came. But I did lose a lot of respect for him towards the end of his tenure and towards the end of Rafa's.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2012, 02:41:09 pm by Ikki.Fenikkusu »

Offline placidcasual

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Re: Why doesn't Gerard Houllier get more respect/acclaim?
« Reply #159 on: May 24, 2012, 02:39:32 pm »
Respect his overall impact on the club and he was a positive influence.

For me his time at Liverpool was like the Grand old Duke of York. He marched us up to the top of the league but marched us down again. I have huge sympathy for his medical problems during that time but he is a bit of an egomaniac and his bitterness towards Benitez was quite telling.

One thing that I never could figure out was given that he was the expert on French football and he managed Liverpool during a golden era of French Football is why all of his French signings fell well short of the mark.