Liverpool FC Forum

by **kenco** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:54 pm

Rafe Benitez last night came under a blistering attack......from Gerard houllier.
the former Liverpol boss. Replaced by Benitez in the summer, said " the club are'nt any better off now than we were then." and houllier added "when i left,liverpool was supposed to be clearly playing to win the premiership this season.I was told that was one of the reasons.
"Well at the moment.you would not think so. You can hardly say they are well set to win the league."
He said "even if Benitez is agood manager and proves to do a good job.he will still be confronted with the same problems as i was.
The first thing is that domestic competitions in England - be it the league or the F.A. cup - remain more important to the English"
Yet Houllier added: " I wish them all the best and I back the English players in the squad to get them through.
"I know these boy's and they are good trainers, they all make an effort and they are not bothered about being tired, no matter how many games they play.

by **jim_morrison_supported_liverpool** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:04 pm

thats definately sour grapes.

i was slowly building my respect back for him, remembering the positives etc, until i read that. what a tw@t. i cant even be @rsed justifyin the boards decision to recruit Benitez and sack him. gobsh*te.

by **the great one** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:04 pm

i think there's some truth in wat his saying i would like to read the article where did u get it from

by **bigmick** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:16 pm

The man is a cant (there goes micky strangely adopting a cockney accent). Always has been, always will be.

by **The_Rock** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:17 pm

i don't think GH actually said that. I don't like houllier. But can't believe he would actually say that. Maybe it was taken out of context.

Maybe this could shed some light.

http://www.koptalk.org/forums....1

Some sections of the British media today make attempts to turn the Kop against former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier and L4's Mike Jefferies.

The News Of The World runs an article titled 'You're Kop-Out: Houllier slams title-shy Rafa'. Labelled a "blistering attack from Gerard Houllier" at Rafael Benitez, the article concentrates on the following translated comments:

"The club aren't any better off now than we were then. When I left, Liverpool was supposed to be clearly playing to win the Premiership this season. I was told that was one of the reasons. Well at the moment, you would not think so. You can hardly say they are well set to win the league. Even if Benitez is a good manager and proved to do a good job, he will still be confronted with the same problems I was. The first thing is that domestic competitions in England - be it the league or the FA Cup - remain more important for the English."

Houllier was trying to say that the club is desperate to win the Premiership but because of stiff competition from Arsenal, Manchester United and now Chelsea, they will continue to find it hard to start winning the trophy that everyone wants the most.

The former Liverpool manager also said: "I wish them all the best and I back the English players in the squad to get them through. I know those boys and they are good trainers, they all make an effort and they are not bothered about being tired, no matter how many games they play."

Meanwhile, The Guardian concentrated on Mike Jefferies. Their article reads:

One of the two rival tycoons bidding for control of Liverpool launched a savage attack on the club's recent malaise last night.

Mike Jefferies, the Los Angeles-based movie mogul, said: "In Los Angeles you see Manchester United shirts but no one has heard of Liverpool."

Jefferies, who is thought to be putting together a £100 million bid to outflank rival bidder Steve Morgan, said the club "pulses through his veins" before heaping more blame upon the club chairman David Moores for Liverpool announcing a record loss of £21.9 m at their AGM on Friday.

"Liverpool is a club run as a plaything of its owner," said Jefferies. "It has had 15 years of bad management and is now valued at one-fifth of Manchester United." A former journalist who made his cash through business internet services, Jefferies is chairman of Milkshake Films and producer of Goal, a multi-million pound movie about a South American footballer who arrives in the Premiership. The film, which includes a cameo performance from David Beckham, was partly shot on location not at Jefferies' beloved Anfield but at St James's Park.

Jefferies responded to this article today in the Executive Lounge at the KopTalk Gold Club. He said: "I did not speak to him or anyone last night. Similarly, I did not use the word 'plaything' either. What this journo wrote up as a quote was actually just the title of the Soccerex panel I sat on, in Dubai on Monday."

Jefferies also insists that he has a lot of time and respect for David Moores.

by **jim_morrison_supported_liverpool** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:18 pm

are you saying that benitez was expected to win the League this season, hence his appointment?

i dont know anybody that expected him to win it this season and i can make an educated guess that the board didnt expect him to win it. Houllier's sayin that it was a bad decision as the club are no better off and not winning the League. thats bullsh*t we are on the way to playin well better footy which is capable of winnin every team in the League, and we are having to get rid of the sh*te players that Houllier left there. funny how he doesnt want to comment on the fact that Benitez is now gettin decent performances out of the likes of Traore, and Biscan, now that he's not bein played centre f*ckin half!!! he's makin more use of Houllier's very own signings!!! and he's got no Michael Owen!!!

My God thats wound me up.

by **greenred** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 7:25 pm

The fact he thinks the club hasnt moved forward since his departure, speaks volumes about the man.At least it disproves the myth that he was always a big Liverpool fan.Only a complete idiot would say the team hasnt improved under Mr Benitez.

by **parchpea** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 7:35 pm

I am not surprised by Houlliers comments. Its typical of the man. In his eyes he is never to blame for anything and never made a mistake in his life. It is so very obvious he made some catastrophic errors in the transfer market which has cumlated in the club having record debt and not a penny left to spend. He has not held his hands up once. We kept him on too long.

by **Big Niall** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 7:28 pm

i think it is funny that GH highlighted the ENGLISH players as being the back bone of the team - you know the guys he didn't buy.

GH should be in court for buying those Senegal boys.

by **kenco** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:12 am

Gerrard Houllier,should be in court for impersonating a football manager.

by **chiggz_likes_owen** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 6:59 am

whats does sour grapes mean

by **Paul C** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:30 am

Thats bad, he should accept he wasn't good enough and move on, how can he expect Beni to work miricles with only being at Anfield 6 months and with all the injuries we've had! :angry:

by **fivecups** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:55 am

chiggz_likes_owen wrote:whats does sour grapes mean

Bitter

by **azriahmad** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:25 pm

Definitely sour grapes.

benithez never complained of wasters like Diouf or having to bear with the situation that he was stuck with going ahead on the Cisse deal which blew a large chunk off his transfer budget - 14 million smackeroonies, a club record, on a limited player who only has speed but not much abilities to beat defenders, or link-up or score.

Sour grapes.

by **Roger Red Hat** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:40 pm

Complete t@sser. I used to really like him - I used to get goose bumps when we won those tropheys and I saw the smile on his face...

....what a two faced w@nker.

If I was Rafa, I would put a ban on Houllier attending ANY LFC match, for life.

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Houllier remark's - Sour grapes ?

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