Something that has been on my mind recently, nothing long and depressing, but a quick thought as to how a team that was Champions in 1989/90 and challengers under King Kenny in 1990/91 could so rapidly go from right at the top to also-rans with the very occaisional runners-up spot.
I had a look for the team, I do remember most of them but sought a quick start to what could be a long thread starter. Interestingly once I'd googled a few of the names I found that the last Liverpool league title winners are ranked 15th in one of those Daily Mail online top 50s
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport....me.html
Bruce Grobbelaar - left for Southampton in 1994, one of our great keepers will forever have match-fixing allegations linked with his name.
David Burrows - decent full-back for us, became part of Souness' clear out in 1993
Steve Nicol - one of the few survivors of our last league title to make it into the mid-90s, leaving to become player-coach at Notts County
Glenn Hysen - soon cleared out by Souness in 1992
Alan Hansen - one of our greatest CBs retired shortly after Dalglish resigned as manager in the 90/91 campaign having made no appearances in that season
Barry Venison - missed much of the 89/90 title season through injury. Left to return to the north east in 1992
Gary Gillespie - sold to Celtic in 1991 by incoming Souness
Gary Ablett - another player Souness saw fit to sell across Stanley Park in January 1992
Steve McMahon - Dalglish's first signing didn't last long under Souness, 15 games into 91/92 he moved to Man City
Ray Houghton - sold to Aston Villa for £900k in July 1992, another important player left Anfield shortly after Souness took charge.
Ronnie Whelan - injury plaguing his last few years at Anfield, he left in 1994 to manage Southend
Jan Molby - made only 12 starts in our 89/90 title season, left in 1996 to become player-manager of Swansea City
John Barnes - scored 22 goals in our 89/90 title season, but injuries made him less effective and left in 1997 to rejoin Dalglish (at Newcastle)
Peter Beardsley - a key player under Dalglish, Souness sold him across Stanley Park for a mere £1m in 91/92
Ian Rush - this Anfield legend left Anfield only when his contract expired in June 1996. He scored 18 goals in 36 games in our 89/90 title season
Ronnie Rosenthal - scored 7 goals in the last 8 games of 89/90. Surprisingly he lasted until January 1994 when he moved to Tottenham
WHEN THE 89/90 TITLE WINNERS LEFT
90/91 Hansen (retired)
91/92 Beardsley, Ablett, Gillespie, McMahon
92/93 Houghton, Venison, Hysen
93/94 Rosenthal, Burrows
94/95 Grobbelaar, Whelan (left to manage Southend)
95/96 Nicol, Molby (both left for player-manager roles)
96/97 Rush
97/98 Barnes
A title winning squad disassembled, key players like Hansen (retired), Molby, Whelan and Barnes (hit with injury), Beardsley, Houghton and McMahon taken out by injury, retirement or sold. By the end of 93/94 HALF of our 90/91 title winning players had left. I say the key factor in our fall from the very top was King Kenny's resignation.