Money has turned most footballers soft. For most players making a fortune is now the priority. Winning is simply a bonus. During our glory days we were fortunate to have had many great players but we also had average players who had a hunger and desire to win. For example, Joey Jones, Alec Lindsay, Craig Johnston, David Johnson, Steve Nicol, Alan Kennedy, Michael Robinson, Sammy Lee etc. were average footballers but they made huge contributions during our successes through being utterly committed and hungry for winning.
In recent years we have had players with more talent than the players listed above but talent isn't just the pre-requisite for winning. Sammy Lee wasn't gifted enough to win many England caps but he understood the history and values of our club and supporters. Every time he played for Liverpool he gave everything he could for us. That was why Bob Paisley was able to trust him with the job of man marking Paul Breitner (world cup winner) in the 1981 European cup semi-final. Similarly, Jamie Carragher will never be an England regular but he is irreplaceable at Liverpool because he understands the club, it's culture and it's people and would give his all for the cause.
Apologies for ranting but St. Michael's post has got me going. Money has undoubtedly been the root of evil in football and contributed to the loss of spirit in the game.