Liverpool FC Forum

[Leonmc0708]

Shoot me down if you must, I understand people (including me) are well and truly over the Gerard Houllier slagging rubbish that was somewhat inevitable following the poor form of the team, the loss (and almost loss) of big name players and the debacle of pay offs.

However, I write to address the situation following the settling of the proverbial dust on what was at times, (and at the beginning a heady time at Anfield), a near miss, but towards the end and ultimatley now after the event seems to be a black mark on ths history of this club.

I do not mean this post to sound like me slagging previous management teams, it is not supposed to be. I will forever love Gerard Houllier as he brought me some of the best experiences of actually going the game and following the reds, (what with me falling into the 30 and under category), and any man who puts his own life on the line for my cause, LFC, when I only hope I would have the gaul to do the same is a hero forever.

I am at this moment counting the cost of that particular period of management. As we all discuss the possobility of investment, and debate the need to get some cash in for Rafa to contine his revolution, I cant help but wonder where all the money has gone?

For years we have prided ourselves at not becoming a ltd or plc in football. But always the money has been made available for managers to buy players. Collymore £8.5 and a record, Heskey £11m and another record, Diouf £10,5m etc... It is the last one that for me is the reason we are in the predicament we are in right now.

Again I do not want to make it look like I am putting the fault for our past couple of seasons failure and current problems at the foot of one man. Not at the feet of Diouf for becoming the WORST proffesional footballer in living memory, and not Gerard Houllier for opting to buy the lad, but that particular signing was the watershed on Houlliers management.

Now, two and a bit years down the line, Diouf, who cost £10.5 million pounds has thru various guises, made that investment shrink to potentially less that 10% of that, and in some people's eyes, it is time to write the whole cost off and get rid of him without a fee to cut our losses and remove him from the wage bill.

In the same six month period, Gerard Houllier, the same man who loved the club so much he would seemingly risk his life for us, has cost just under the £10m figure in order for us to remove him and the rest of his management team from the wage bill.

£10.5m + £10m = £20.5m pounds.

In this current climate, and during this transfer window, when we are desperate to increase the quality and quantity of the present squad, and hopefully secure the services of our talismanic captain for longer than until the summer, how could we have spent that money?

What might have been........

[115-1073096938]

He lost his best player through an unfortunate illness. (Babbel).

He failed to sign Anelka (although i personally understood why).

He failed to sign Duff.

He failed to sign the right players, at the right time.

Babbel was an immense loss.

Had we signed Duff and Anelka though instead of the ****** we got, we'd have been in a much different position imo. The improvement would have continued. It didn't, we stagnated then started to fall.

Imo, we've fell a bit more this season, BUT we have taken one step backwards to go two steps forwards next season. All i can say on the matter.

[Leonmc0708]

Agree Stu, but I was not tying to pull apart the lads time in charge, just philosofically lamenting what might have been if we had not been alerted to the "serial killer" before the World Cup 2002.

[115-1073096938]

mmm.

Had we signed Anelka and Duff instead we'd have been laughin. But we didn't.

Times change, we move on, we've not got a new young manager who's won a uefa cup and two spanish league titles.

[Leonmc0708]

... we've not got a new young manager who's won a uefa cup and two spanish league titles.....

Oh yes we have.

[mistyred]

Leon no matter what is said about GH i believe his heart condition was lying under the surface along time before he came to LFC so i don't understand how he put his life on the line for the club, Do you think the same of Souness? i just don't understand the logic of these types of statement's as the club was not in mortal peril so again "life on the line" just a bit far fetched BUT, it's just IMO

[A.B.]

I think Houllier jumped the gun on the young talent from other countries. Form is temporary but class is pernament and what Houllier saw in Diouf,Diao,etc... was just good form and he thought that those players would be the next "Zidane" when in reality they had much to learn and were far away from being class players. That costed the club millions and when we could had signed Duff,Anelka we choose to spend 10 million on Diouf and 5 million for Diao, thats 15 million for waste of space on the pitch.

But we have to put this behind us for now, no need to cry over spilt milk. Hopefully Benitez will lead us to glory in the next couple of seasons.

[Paul C]

I would shake GH's hand in the street and thank him for the great times he gave me and other LFC fans but he spent too much money on average players and we ended up with a starting 11 full of squad players which wouldn't have got into Chelski, Arsenal or Man U's sides

Oh well that era is over with and Rafa is here now

[murphy0151]

Dioufs value has hit rock bottom at the minute.  I think its in the clubs best interest to keep him at the moment.  Hes done a good job at Bolton apart from that dodge rat antic.  But really I would have him back next season.  Im I the only one or is there anyonelse who would also have him back.  One last chance.  I think Rafa could make him look like a player who is actually worth ten million.

[Redrider]

Certainly wouldn't shoot you down Leon, I think your post is perceptive and I agree with your view of Houllier, I can not dislike the man either.
However, I think Rick Parry has to take some blame here for not keeping a tight enough rein on both Houllier and the Finances. I think Parry has been somewhat naive in sanctioning some of the high fees we have paid and the lucrative salary packages that went along with them. To the extent that some players are stuck to us, like dog dirt on a shoe !! We can't shake them off !!

[Santa]

Leon no matter what is said about GH i believe his heart condition was lying under the surface along time before he came to LFC so i don't understand how he put his life on the line for the club, Do you think the same of Souness? i just don't understand the logic of these types of statement's as the club was not in mortal peril so again "life on the line" just a bit far fetched BUT, it's just IMO

I agree. If someone got sick while working, is he/she putting his/her life for the company? Sorry mate, I don't understand the sentiment. It's not like he is taking the bullet to champion for our course.
For not doing proper due diligent when spending such large sum of money, anyone in the world will be sack for breach of trust or negligent. Instead he got a big pay off and have the balls to open his mouth to the press.
But I do agree with Leon on the other points..."What If" we have £30M for Rafa now?

I would shake GH's hand in the street and thank him for the great times he gave me

I would do the exact opposite. Don't ask me why...

[Paul C]

Agreed their redrider, but at the end of the day if the manager says he wants a player who are the board to question him cos otherwise they'd be managers themselve

[Redrider]

Agreed their redrider, but at the end of the day if the manager says he wants a player who are the board to question him cos otherwise they'd be managers themselve

I don't think that Parry should question the type of player or the need etc. But he should check the available funds and then arrange the fee and the salaries.
Parry and the board should also take a look at the players credentials, eg. Diouff was a known wayward playboy in France and that should have featured in an evaluation of both sutablilityfor LFc and the level of fee.

[Paul C]

Fair point mate

[ronmeister]

I agree totally ,I also think diouf should come back at the end of the season and we shoulkd make him start playing and try to recoup some market value on him if we could get a few games under him and get his value back to about 5mil i would be happy..What about his spitting though?..