Souness likes to peddle the narrative he tried to change too much to quick at Liverpool but he sold players back then I’m convinced could have given a proper lash at the league that season. Some of them nearly won it with Villa…
Three of them, and they stuck four past us.
It's been said many times before, but we got badly burnt by thinking what he did at Rangers (where he also had massive spending to make it even easier) meant he could do that where it was hard.
I know hes a club legend for his playing days (seen plenty of footage of full games of him and do concur he would be the captain in an all time club XI), but nobody in my lifetime supporting the club did more damage on the field.
McManaman, who after a very promising first full season which culminated in the cup win, went missing for the next 18 months as his confidence was shot. He was one of the players who suffered badly under him. When mr toxicity left, the cloud lifted, and McManaman started to flourish again. Mark Wright was the other major player who was rejuvenated when he left.
Souness was Moyes before Moyes (at United). Destroyed the aura the club had built up, two decade long plus records came tumbling ("first loss to X at home since man set foot on the moon"). We went into games like QPR away as underdogs, and an away win (a whole 3 in his last full season) was a major achievement. Beating Liverpool, while still a big scalp due to the name, was no longer what it was (likewise United under Moysie).
What Souness really highlighted is the personality of a coach is massive, in that can he connect with the players? Is he loved (or respected) by the players? He failed on that score.