Liverpool FC Forum

by **Owzat** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:52 am

I always treat these top 50s and top 100s as they should be, something of nothing and hard to compile objectively. I'm guessing before I find out, that there will be a disproportionate number of recent and current players in there despite a history going back to 1892 and this being one of our darker eras despite a fifth European Cup

Link

50. Fernando Torres (2007-)
49. Rob Jones (1989-1995)
??. Bruce Grobbelaar (1981-1994) - think they missed a number for him!
48. Peter Thompson (1963-1974)
47. Jackie Balmer (1935-1952)
46. Sami Hyypia (1999-)
45. Matt Busby (1936-1939)
44. Peter Beardsley (1987-1991)
43. Elisha Scott (1912-1934)
42. Jerzey Dudek (2001-2007)
41. Sir Bob Paisley (1939-1954)
40. David Fairclough (1974-1983)
39. Ray Clemence (1967-1981)
38. Jan Molby (1984-1996)
37. Phil Neal (1974-1985)
36. Tommy Lawrence (1957-1971)
35. Albert Stubbins (1946-1953)
34. Chris Lawler (1960-1975)
33. Steve McMahon (1985-1991)
32. Steve Nicol (1981-1995)
31. Sammy Lee (1976-1986) - dates were all wrong, says 1976-1966!
30. Gerry Byrne (1955-1969)
29. Ronnie Whelan (1979-1994)
28. John Toshack (1970-1978)
27. John Aldridge (1987-1989)
26. Dietmar Hamann (1999-2006)
25. Steve Heighway (1970-1981)
24. Mark Lawrenson (1981-1988)
23. Joey Jones (1975-1978)
22. Ray Kennedy (1974-1982)
21. Terry McDermott (1974-1982)
20. Ian Callaghan (1960-1978)
19. Michael Owen (1996-2004)
18. Jimmy Case (1973-1981)
17. Emlyn Hughes (1967-1979)
16. Phil Thompson (1971-1985)
15. Alan Kennedy (1978-1985)
14. Robbie Fowler (1991-2001) - doesn't include his second spell
13. Ron Yeats (1961-1971)
12. Ian St John (1961-1971)
11. Ian Rush (1980-1987 & 1988-1996)
10. Roger Hunt (1958-1969)
09. Jamie Carragher (1996-)
08. Billy Liddell (1939-1961)
07. Alan Hansen (1977-1991)
06. Kevin Keegan (1971-1977)
05. Tommy Smith (1962-1978)
04. Graeme Souness (1978-1984)
03. John Barnes (1987-1997)
02. Steven Gerrard (1997-)
01. Kenny Dalglish (1977-1990)

So the top 51 and a few too many other errors in there too - oh dear!

Better than most, but to have Owen and Fowler in the top 20 and Carragher and Gerrard top 10 - Gerrard number two - doesn't look right. Very good players all four, but better than players who've won multiple league, cups and European Cups? Why have they listed Kenny as 1977-1990? He quit playing in 1986 so that is including his managerial stint which isn't what the list is reflecting

(supposedly)

Well the breakdown of eras are :

Played 1939 or before : 5
Played 1940-1949 : 4
Played 1950-1959 : 7
Played 1960-1969 : 12
Played 1970-1979 : 25
Played 1980-1989 : 24
Played 1990-1999 : 17
Played 2000 onwards : 8

Includes four current players and nine of them played after our last league title - although that is getting on nearly 20 years, but nearly 1/5 of a "top 50" to have not won a league title does seem a tad high considering some players who've won league titles, and some long serving players, who aren't listed eg Jim Beglin, Gary Gillespie, JOHN WARK, Steve Staunton, Barry Venison etc Dudek (42nd) and Hamann (26th) may have won the European Cup and the former been a penalty hero, but surely others not listed contributed more overall? eg STAUNTON. I guess it is hard to acknowledge contributions of less successful players while recognising the contributions of players in our glory years, but on that basis you have to wonder wtf Torres is doing in the top 50/51 after 1.5 seasons, no trophies and no broken scoring records (yet) Acknowledgement of his long term contribution, of his success or merely acknowledgement he is a very good player? Maybe Carra, Gerrard, Hamann, Hyypia, Dudek, Owen, Fowler etc merit inclusion, but maybe none are deserving of a top ten placing with so many greats in our history who've achieved more.

by **GYBS** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:01 am

Reg wrote:Who should be higher, Rushie or Fowler....?

Easy for me - Rush by a fair bit as well .

by **GYBS** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:04 am

And dudel shouldnt be anywhere near the top 100 let alone 50 - yes he performed a miracle in the CL final but so did Traore with his goal line clearance ?! should that merit a place there - one game ? Not for me im afraid . And the fact he is in there and Pepe is not there makes it even worse .

by **Effes** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:16 am

How Dudek is above Elisha Scott I dont know - obviously I didnt watch Scott but c'mon.

by **lakes10** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:03 am

nice list of our players, places all wrong apart from 1 and 2.

by **Judge** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:44 am

lakes10 wrote:nice list of our players, places all wrong apart from 1 and 2 according to five live

by **Effes** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:56 am

Judge wrote:
lakes10 wrote:nice list of our players, places all wrong apart from 1 and 2 according to five live

by **stmichael** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:12 pm

Where's Mcmanaman?

by **Judge** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:55 pm

stmichael wrote:Where's Mcmanaman?

51

by **Owzat** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:21 pm

Judge wrote:
stmichael wrote:Where's Mcmanaman?

51

52

They've included Grobbelaar without a number so there are in fact 51 in the "50 greatest Liverpool players".

by **Reg** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 3:28 pm

Thanks for picking up Judge on an elementary statistical error there Owzat. :laugh:

by **Judge** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:25 pm

Reg wrote:Thanks for picking up Judge on an elementary statistical error there Owzat.

dont you just hate stats

grobs had a ?? next to his name, so in effect i didnt count him

by **Kash_Mountain** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 5:14 pm

Interesting read that.

Though where' Ray Houghton and Craig Johnstone (or are they on the list and I just missed them?)

by **KennyisGod....still** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:17 pm

Problem with most 'Top **' lists is its mainly kids that text/e-mail/phone/post the votes and not people who've watched the subject over any length of time - thus givin a sense of disproportionate numbers of recent players. Lets face it - ever sat and watched a 'Top 100 All-Time Records' thing on telly and seen some group with 3 hit singles in the last 6 months make numbers 3-5? Happens all the time. I lose interest as soon as I see the words "Vote for your favourite __".

In fact I'm surprised I got this far!!

by **NANNY RED** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:25 pm

This article was linked with that poll

February 17, 2009

Why Steven Gerrard struggles to have the complete love of the Kop
Tony Evans

The top 50 Liverpool moments I The 50 greatest Liverpool players

Those who don’t go to Anfield on a regular basis are often surprised to see the matchgoing Liverpool fans’ attitude to Steven Gerrard. They expect admiration, love, a fawning devotion to the Liverpool captain. Instead, there is an unsettling undercurrent of antagonism towards Gerrard, one that is fading as the years go by but can still rise up into hostility at the slightest excuse.

When they come across it, outsiders attribute the griping to Gerrard’s double flirtation with Chelsea - but the doubts in the Kopites’ minds go back farther.

Almost from the beginning, more than ten years back now, there were those who found Gerrard’s demeanour irritating. As soon as it became clear that here was a prodigious talent, the critics in the stands saw room for complaint. At times, the youngster appeared to be looking for the flashy ‘Hollywood’ pass when an easy ball was the preferred option.

It got worse after he was part of England’s 5-1 victory over Germany. Suddenly he was a national hero. Scouse supremacists are always naturally suspicious of English heroes.

Gerrard was earning the nickname ‘Stevie Me’. When he scored, he pointed to his chest frantically. When he was used on the right of midfield - which the Kop, almost to a man considered his best position - he seemed to sulk, yearning for the central role the media demanded. And, in the big games, the alehouse tittle-tattle said, he disappeared. That meant, in simplest terms, he'd never destroyed Manchester United single-handedly. Yet, by the time Benitez arrived, he seemed to feel he was the dominant power at the club.

The perfect example of ambivalence to Gerrard came in Istanbul. After he scored Liverpool’s opening goal, he turned to rouse the crowd, gesturing with his arms for fans to turn up the volume. The volume rose, for sure, but there was an irritated growl behind it: we didn’t need lesson in support from him. Afterwards, he hogged the cup, with only Jamie Carragher wresting it away for any length of time. Not the Liverpool way. Not the work of a captain, either.

The there was the flirtation with Chelsea. It was almost too much to bear to see a Scouser apparently determined to take Roman’s roubles. But he stayed. And since then, things have got better.

He’s matured. The arrival of Fernando Torres has removed some of the expectation and burden from him. He’s had more bounce about him on the pitch. Plus, his recent arrest has made this aloof and seemingly troubled lad from Huyton simpatico at last.

All things considered, he deserves the place at No 2 in the list of Liverpool’s greatest players - if you need a goal with the time running out, where else would you want to see the ball but at Gerrard’s feet. But he also deserves the acclaim and adoration of the Kop. It’s coming, it’s coming

Cheeky ba.stard SCOUSE SUPREMACISTS

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