Liverpool FC Forum

[Rastalovich]

Think u may be going over the top a bit tbh.

Some of his opinions are quite valid there.

It`d be quite refreshing for some other legends to speak thier minds from time to time.

To qualify something a little maybe:

SM comes from an era @ Liverpool that alot of us remember where we`d enter a game and boss it.

I don`t mean sloppy possesion at around 52% or so. I mean 60+%, passing the ball to each other and not too many h-oofs upfield unless u were `qualified` to do so.

U generally used 18 or so players a season MAX, no less games, often more. U weren`t dropped to be rested all the time, u weren`t out of the game coz it`s only the 4th rnd of the cup, and maybe slightly before his time, u never had 5/7 subs to choose from. U were dropped if u were , not long after that u`d be reserved and then not known in football again as u had sinned! LOL

.. and yes he crapped out against Vinny >.< lol

[red_guy]

If i'm not mistaken, Steve McMahon critisised zonal markings last night on ESPN. Talked about how he prefers man marking after watching Chelsea scored the first goal......huuuuuhhh....

[LiverpoolMadman]

If i'm not mistaken, Steve McMahon critisised zonal markings last night on ESPN. Talked about how he prefers man marking after watching Chelsea scored the first goal......huuuuuhhh....

It's good that someone critisised the way we play because they want us to "grow" better. Hope that the boys will learn from this game.

[Paul C]

I don't normally start new threads but I wish to share something with you people.

Here in Asia (or South East Asia at least), we get some regional based shows on ESPN with 2 alternating hosts who have a couple of former English based players (who are now either coaches or full time pundits) as the guest pundits. From time to time, we get former players from the English league (old First division, I mean) or EPL, as a guest pundit for a spell. For instance, we had Les Ferdinand and Ian Rush being one guest pundit for each live telecast and featured EPL football talk shows for the duration they stayed - 1 week or 2.

Today, one of them is none other than Steve McMahon and his "expertise" analysis was on the gamed for this weekend. Obviously, he had a lot to say on the Chelsea-Liverpool EPL match. Obviously, for their "appeal" and "longevity" to become regular pundits, they have to stay somewhat neutral in their comments on their former clubs. Rushie was very neutral when he was asked about Liverpool and gave factual comments every time.

What about McMahon?

Some of his comments:

"Liverpool can't try to take the game to Chelsea because when they open-up the game, Chelsea murdered them like at Anfield"
"If they try to take the game to Chelsea, they'll get murdered again"

"I'm surprised they signed Fowler again, the words 'washed-up' springs to mind..." "At his age, Liverpool should not start Fowler, because I wouldn't"

"Carragher and Gerrard has been Liverpool's dominant players over the past 2 seasons, and resting Carragher in the Birmingham game would have made him distraught - I know I would be". With so many games, we can't rest the man?

"Why take off Gerrard in the last 20 minutes of the game?" when it was suggested that Rafa decided to substitute Alonso for Gerrard "to keep possession as we were leading 1-0 against 10 men, he went on to imply that Liverpool should, for example, sub Sissoko because "he gives the ball away for fun"

His best one was to suggest that Kewell is playing well only "for himself because Australia had qualified for the World Cup and he wants to make sure he makes the squad"

Obviously he had only good words to say about Chelsea and went on to predict a 2-0 win over Liverpool with Lampard opening the scoring. There was no mention that Liverpool have improved this season, just that Chelsea this, Chelsea that...bla bla bla.


I can take constructive critism but I really can't stand this over-the-top bashing of Liverpool just because they were past legends and now that they are media pundits (I heard McMahon is in between jobs, having left a coaching job in Australia), they have to show that they are neutral towards Liverpool by unnecessarily and unfairly bashing us at every opportunity. WTF?

I read Phil Thompson's book "Stand up Pinoccio" and not once did he went over to top about his sacking or about Rafa or about Rick Parry and David Moores. You can really tell that he loves Liverpool FC and doesn not hold any grudge over his recent termination as the Assistant Manager. Even his feud with Souness was not filled with any malicious stories about Souness, just how he felt.

Steve McMahon, Liverpool FC legend with 3 league championships and 1 FA Cup medals - what a way to leave an unfavourable impression on you as a person on a life long Liverpool fan. He's now put himself in the same category as the likes of Lawrenson etc. as pundit scum! Shocking for a legend...

Steve McMahon and all his family are Evertonians, can't you tell 

[onizukaeikichi]

yea i dont really like his comments, bad thing in asia i only got espn to watch

[Paul C]

yea i dont really like his comments, bad thing in asia i only got espn to watch

Pitty we can't get ESPN over here, I love watching it when we go to NYC 

[Keris]

if you think his comments were bad, notice how he conviniently cuts in while the others was giving comments,

best still, i think he's on espn books for another 1 1/2 years..

[Boocity]

I met him once in the Baby elephant in Woolton when he was at Everton and he was an arrogant pr1ck then

[Big Niall]

I read the opening pages as Steve McManamann and was stunned when he slagged Fowler, LOL!

He was hard though!

[Paul C]

I read the opening pages as Steve McManamann and was stunned when he slagged Fowler, LOL!

He was hard though!

To be fair lads I roughly know Steve McMahon and he's not a bad bloke, his comments should taken with a pinch of salt and maybe thats why he isn't the best manager in the world.

[azriahmad]

Anfield Adorer, Steve McMahon won 3 First Division championship titles - 1985/86 (Kenny's first season as player-manager), 1987/88 and 1989/90 (our last championship).

He was one of King Kenny's first signings (from Villa, if I am not mistaken) and Kenny had always rated him, I read one short interview where Kenny pointed Steve McMahon as a player for the future back when he was a ypoungster playing for Everton.

[anfieldadorer]

Anfield Adorer, Steve McMahon won 3 First Division championship titles - 1985/86 (Kenny's first season as player-manager), 1987/88 and 1989/90 (our last championship).

He was one of King Kenny's first signings (from Villa, if I am not mistaken) and Kenny had always rated him, I read one short interview where Kenny pointed Steve McMahon as a player for the future back when he was a ypoungster playing for Everton.

you got the point, i thought you were referring to champions league

[azriahmad]

Anfieldadorer, McMahon joined us after Kenny became the gaffer and by then, English clubs and Liverpool were banned indefinitely from Europe. For us, the ban only got lifted by the time Souness became manager and 1 season after the other English clubs were let in into Europe.

We got in the Cup Winners' Cup after winning the FA Cup in 1991/1992. I can't remember if McMahon played in the team then but I remembered McManaman having a stonking game after we beat Auxerre 3-0 at Anfield to overturn a 0-2 deficit from the first leg.

So, Steve McMahon, former Liverpool midgield general and a legend, does not have a European Cup medal which due to the money and glamour, have become THE club trophy in world club football. He must be so jealous of the likes of Traore, Biscan, Smicer (the average joes who are not fit to lace his boots) but have a CL medal and the massive (compared to his era) win bonus. This must be an extra motivation for him when giving his 2 cents worth of "expert" view on Liverpool that he'd unfairly let rip each and every time.

I initially can't stomach his over the top criticism, hence the thread, but now, I just switch channels when he's on the air. Simple solution...