I found I could not post on this last night, felt quite emotional on the subject of Gerard Houllier. Part of me wanted to see what Steven Gerrard had to say first because, although I know many of the players were close to him, it felt like Gerard (and others, especially Hughie McAuley) had made Steven as a player and as a captain. I remember seeing the gangly lad coming on for a reserve game at Blackburn, how raw he was and how he was managed through his early years both in terms of game time but also behaviour. Without his thoughts (and I am sure he needed to digest the news as well) it somehow seemed incomplete.
There is a dynamic behind every football club, I don’t really understand the dynamics behind other clubs but I have a reasonable idea of how Liverpool’s works having observed over 50 years and talking to one or two people who have worked for the club. This dynamic is one of the reasons behind our success but also the longevity of (relative) success in the last 60 years. It is something that grows and evolves, can be threatened or eroded and is the core of what is essentially a groups of humans working together under the scrutiny of thousands of fans, many of whom are part of that dynamic, especially on match days.
A large part of this dynamic was developed by Bill Shankly, although he would not have been able to do this without the conditions (especially the fans and club) in which he did it (otherwise he would have done it Huddersfield instead). He left a precious legacy that was continued by those who followed until it started to erode after Dalglish left in 1991.
I always regarded Roy Evan’s period as vital in restoring what Liverpool was all about (in much the same as Dalglish did in 2012), he re-made that connection with the past but was unable to connect fully with the future and was hampered by his inability to deal with some of the players (I would personally say especially the presence of Neil Ruddock whose influence I think was destabilising). Even so 4th, 3rd, 4th, 3rd was not too shabby for Roy, albeit it was by the previous standards, the competition and the CL qualification gates.
Into that mix in 1998 came Gerard Houllier. He inherited a decent set of players and some potential as well. Gerrard, Carragher, Owen, Fowler, McManaman, Redknapp, Berger, Murphy, James, Jones, Harkness, Mcateer, Leonhardson, Ince, Bjornebe, Matteo, Reidle, Babb, Kvarme. Not a bad legacy from Roy and others really especially in terms of improvement from what had previously been inherited.
Year 1 (7th) was a mess, all round, including the purchases (which I assume were mainly Gerard's), Dundee, Song, Ferri, Staunton v2, Heggem, although seeing the back of Ruddock was good.
Year 2 (1999-00,4th) was a different matter, Camara, Hypia, Henchoz, Westerweld, Smicer, Meijer, Hamman, Heskey followed thereafter by Hamman, Babbel and others. 3rd place and 2nd place followed but not the top prize.
2000/01 was special for me, one of the last conversations I had with my father was whilst players were interviewed before the Roma UEFA game (which we lost but won the tie) and games that season were the only ones I went to with both my son and my father. I have also got a picture of me and my son standing next to 5 trophies and I don't think that is a common opportunity.
I doubt anyone will ever win three cups in a season (5 if you are picky), Houllier actually went 25 cup ties and one off games unbeaten before his heart attack and, actually that is 27 if you count the next two games after he returned.
(It was Phil Thompson in charge of the last minute Grimsby defeat and I don't really count that one after the events of the days before it). I doubt anyone will touch that record and it put Liverpool back on the map, thrillingly as well.
Football aside it is the man we will remember, his love of the city, the club and the people. The genuine warmth he exuded and the legacies, multiple, that he left.
You will be missed by everyone Gerard, thank you