Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Tue May 24, 2005 11:45 am

I heard ex-red David Fairclough the other day on a well known national radio station previewing tomorrow's Champions League Final in Istanbul and he made some interesting comments. I just wondered what you thought about the main topic of discussion that he raised.

Fairclough claimed that if we bring home the trophy tomorrow, it will be Liverpool's GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT EVER. :oh:

The best people to comment on this are probably the likes of Supersub, Woof Woof, and other "older" members who have been to European Cup Finals before and witnessed the great teams of the seventies and eighties. However what can certainly be said is when you look at some of the players we have now compared to the teams of 77, 78, 81 and 84, the comparison is remarkable. At the start of the season, if you told me we would be in with a great chance of winning the European Cup with the likes of Djimi Traore and Igor Biscan playing such pivotal roles, I'd have laughed my a$$ off.

What Benitez has managed to achieve in Europe, despite the biggest bout of injuries since the civil war and having to play the champions of Italy and England, is nothing short of remarkable.

But the main point is, I don't think we can necessarily call it the greatest achievement ever and this is why. Back in the days when we were winning European Cups, we were expected to win. We were by far the best team in Europe at the time. All the pressure and expectation was on us. To continually live up to the hype and produce what was expected of us with such regularity was what made us so great. This year, nobody expected us to really do anything and the tag of underdogs has worked to our advantage.

All the pressure is on Milan tomorrow. The scary thing is though, I'm actually expecting us to win. Against Juventus and Chelsea I had my doubts, but tomorrow morning when I fly out there, I will be full of expectation.

So I just wondered what you all think. Will this be our greatest achievemant ever if we win it?

by **dawson99** » Tue May 24, 2005 11:48 am

it will be the greatest acheivement of this generation. As a 28 yr old i didnt really understand football until 89,90 when we lost to the gooners in the cup final to that goal.

Since gthen its all been spits and spats of trophies with good performances but if we win this cup on wednesday it will be the greatest achievment ivce seen in my days as a fan. Anything pre 89 doesnt count as i didnt really understand the occasion like i do now.

My mates cant stand me, all i do is talk about the final, everyone wants us to win but i am becoming more and more anoying and fidgety (as those in general chat will see by the pointless posts im writing)

by **Big Niall** » Tue May 24, 2005 11:50 am

We'd be ecstatic about winning the cup but nobody really believes that we are the best team in Europe. Read about the 1978 team went out to improve the Euro cup winning team by buying 3 players - Hanson, Souness, Dalglish.

I don't think they make managers as good as Paisley any more, I mean those 3 signings were amazing.

That team (1977-84) ruled Europe and that is the greatest achievement.

by **Roger Red Hat** » Tue May 24, 2005 12:22 pm

Liverpool's greatest acheivement ever of recent times - appointing Rafa as the manager. Genius stroke that will prove even more fruitful next year.

by **Woollyback** » Tue May 24, 2005 12:30 pm

I would say our greatest ever achievement would be winning then retaining the trophy in 77 & 78 proving we were the undoubted Kings of Europe. I don't remember the games in any detail cos I was only 6 or 7 but vividly remember my parents & brother listening on the radio. We were the first people I knew who had a tape recorder and my dad taped the radio commentary, he's still got it now :cool:

I don't know why we didn't watch in on tv, maybe it wasn't broadcast live back in those days

If we win tomorrow it goes without saying that it will be a sensational achievement but I don't think it will be quite as big as 77/78

by **taff** » Tue May 24, 2005 12:36 pm

Good debate considering the comparisons of the squads and the fact its the managers first season.

But for me 1984. Fagan in his first season albeit with Paisleys squad but we won the league and the league cup and went to Rome to play them in their own stadium.

And we won on penalties which they practised :buttrock

by **Ola Mr Benitez** » Tue May 24, 2005 12:38 pm

I think it would be our greatest acheivement as the current squad has no right really to be mentioned in the same breath as the ones who won the earlier cups. They where all championship winning teams, where as the current LFC only managed to finifh 4th last year and 5th, so it is amazing we have gone on to beat the likes of Juve and Chelsea, both champions of there leagues.

In 2 seasons I think we will be stonger and therefore it might not be such a huge surprise to be playing in Europena Cup finals.. I hope so, anyway!!

by **hawkmoon269** » Tue May 24, 2005 1:03 pm

Remember too, you actually had to win your league to qualify.

by **laza** » Tue May 24, 2005 2:22 pm

I have to say 1984 as well for reasons Taff gave and besides im still think the European Cup format back then truly was a Champions league unlike now

by **XSD** » Tue May 24, 2005 3:44 pm

I think it might be. The competition is harder now, how many times in the past did we have to beat the amount of quality opposition we have to get to the final, and if we win it we must beat AC Milan!
Also the timing of this is a factor, at the end of last season people were talking about the next Tottenham Hotspurs, our manager had been sacked, our best striker is gone and Steven Gerrard has been flirting with Chelsea.
Just think of what a victory in Istanbul would mean to our club, a club that was stagnating and sliding downhill a year ago could receive a huge boost that launches us towards the very top again.

by **woof woof !** » Tue May 24, 2005 4:52 pm

XSD wrote:I think it might be. The competition is harder now, how many times in the past did we have to beat the amount of quality opposition

HOLD UP SUNSHINE !

There was a time when in order just to be in the competition you had to first win your domestic league ! The CL nowadays is more like the old uefa cup competition ,I:E full of teams that weren't good enough to win their domestic league.

Look at it again and tell me it's harder now

Our first victory in the European Cup (The original champions league ) was imo our greatest triumph .

by **andy_g** » Tue May 24, 2005 4:57 pm

seems like a major influence on the answer is wether you were around to remember the old glory days or not. i was only 11 years old at the time but i'd have to say that the 78 one gets it for me, not only because we'd retained the cup but because we'd also retained the league title. a double double that involves the european cup - thats going to take some beating.

by **crazyhorse** » Tue May 24, 2005 7:20 pm

Sorry - if we win it will be truly fantastic but for me it will not live up to the Double year.

Liverpool were the best footballing side ever seen in British football back then - King Kenny got everything perfect for that season and it was poetry.

by **welsh_kopite** » Tue May 24, 2005 8:21 pm

of recent times, (i.e last couple of decades), but not greatest ever. however, greatest of my life, so lookin forward to it (but bloody shittin myself

) bugger thinkin bout exams 2mrw, too nervous bout this. cumon u reds!!!

by **XSD** » Tue May 24, 2005 8:34 pm

woof woof ! wrote:
XSD wrote:I think it might be. The competition is harder now, how many times in the past did we have to beat the amount of quality opposition

HOLD UP SUNSHINE !

There was a time when in order just to be in the competition you had to first win your domestic league ! The CL nowadays is more like the old uefa cup competition ,I:E full of teams that weren't good enough to win their domestic league.

Look at it again and tell me it's harder now

Our first victory in the European Cup (The original champions league ) was imo our greatest triumph .

It is harder. For a start we have to play Juventus AND AC Milan, before there would only be one of them and we would have some Belgian champions or whatever to face instead.
Also on the same format we wouldn't have had Chelsea, we'd be more likely to get Arsenal. I know which I'd rather have played.

We have beaten a lot more quality teams in getting to the final than it was previously neccesary, forget how the teams got to the competition.

What you guys aren't remembering is when we won in 77 and 78 we were the strongest team, we were among the favourites because Shankly had made us into a great side. We were in the ascendency.
Can anyone say we have not been declining in the last 2 years?
If we win this year it will not be an extension of our dominance, it will be a revolution and could spark something massive!

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