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1999/2000 - How good was our squad?
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:30 pmby Owzat
I was mucking about with an old LMA manager game last night, not one I've played for a while. Old football games can be a good snapshot of the past, we certainly debate costs, players etc across time periods enough.
I was thinking about our squad back then, as per their reckoning I hasten to add, and thought it was pretty good - with a few weak links of course, it's not as though we've had a flawless squad for some time (if ever)
Liverpool Squad 99/00 (according to LMA Manager)
GKs : Westerveld, Nielsen
CBs : Carragher, Matteo, Henchoz, Hyypia, Song
FBs : Bjornebye, Staunton, Heggem
MFs : Hamann, Gerrard, Murphy, Berger, Redknapp, Thompson, Smicer
CFs : Owen, Fowler, Camara, Riedle, Meijer
Not a bad squad at all, pretty sure I've remembered all or most of them - they start with 22 in the squad. How is it we never did more with that, perhaps the key is that we won a cup treble in 00/01 but never made the step up in the league. OK Gerrard wasn't the player then that he is now, but apart from our neverending problems with FBs and wide midfielders, there's a pretty strong spine and options - not many sides can boast a side with two strikers as good as Owen and Fowler.
Maybe Houllier believed in his own hype too much, in signing players like Biscan, Cheyrou, Diomede, Traore, Kirkland, Vignal, Diouf and Baros. At a crunch time the signings got worse not better, the extra few signings that could have resulted in a title bid never signed.
I also wonder, looking at Matteo and Thompson in the squad, whether we too readily dump our young players. Would the likes of Wright, Thompson, Matteo, Warnock, Mellor and a few others have been worse than some of the players we have now - or had then? Maybe not great, but give them a few games a season and they could make the squad strong. Some of our best players in the Premiership have been homegrown - Fowler, Owen, Gerrard and Carragher. While the rest might not be as good, doesn't mean they weren't good enough. Maybe they haven't gone on to greater things, but then they were hardly likely to join another club as big.
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:38 pmby Effes
Its a good little squad - we added MacAllister, Heskey and Babbel to that squad which were
three magnificent signings and that resulted in the treble season.
It's funny, because you look at the squad you listed, and you woudn't have thought adding
an aging midfielder would have made that much difference.
Are we lacking something like that now? Maybe Hamman's prescence in the squad now would
be something similar? Everyone thought Gary Mac was past it........
I think it helped Gary Mac was British, to have the impact he had.
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:42 pmby GYBS
Gary Mac brought some creativity to the team which was lacking at the time and what we lack now - dont think hamman ever had that sort of creativity
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:47 pmby heimdall
Owzat wrote:I was mucking about with an old LMA manager game last night, not one I've played for a while. Old football games can be a good snapshot of the past, we certainly debate costs, players etc across time periods enough.
I was thinking about our squad back then, as per their reckoning I hasten to add, and thought it was pretty good - with a few weak links of course, it's not as though we've had a flawless squad for some time (if ever)
Liverpool Squad 99/00 (according to LMA Manager)
GKs : Westerveld, Nielsen
CBs : Carragher, Matteo, Henchoz, Hyypia, Song
FBs : Bjornebye, Staunton, Heggem
MFs : Hamann, Gerrard, Murphy, Berger, Redknapp, Thompson, Smicer
CFs : Owen, Fowler, Camara, Riedle, Meijer
Not a bad squad at all, pretty sure I've remembered all or most of them - they start with 22 in the squad. How is it we never did more with that, perhaps the key is that we won a cup treble in 00/01 but never made the step up in the league. OK Gerrard wasn't the player then that he is now, but apart from our neverending problems with FBs and wide midfielders, there's a pretty strong spine and options - not many sides can boast a side with two strikers as good as Owen and Fowler.
Maybe Houllier believed in his own hype too much, in signing players like Biscan, Cheyrou, Diomede, Traore, Kirkland, Vignal, Diouf and Baros. At a crunch time the signings got worse not better, the extra few signings that could have resulted in a title bid never signed.
I also wonder, looking at Matteo and Thompson in the squad, whether we too readily dump our young players. Would the likes of Wright, Thompson, Matteo, Warnock, Mellor and a few others have been worse than some of the players we have now - or had then? Maybe not great, but give them a few games a season and they could make the squad strong. Some of our best players in the Premiership have been homegrown - Fowler, Owen, Gerrard and Carragher. While the rest might not be as good, doesn't mean they weren't good enough. Maybe they haven't gone on to greater things, but then they were hardly likely to join another club as big.
Good point and we should have maybe won the league with that team but it coincided with a hell of a strong Manure squad with Cantona/sheringham/Cole etc or do I have the timings wrong. in any case Manure had a great squad at the time, kind of like they do now.
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:51 pmby andy_g
the big differences to today's squad is that we had a pretty good collection of strikers and back ups, at least with fowler, owen and riedle. although we obviously have a far superior first choice striker for playing one up top these days. we also have a much better first choice keeper now.
the alarming similarity is that there is little depth at fullback and a distinct lack of wingers.
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:56 pmby Sabre
That was a good squad, with good players.
I don't know if the purpose of the thread is to discuss just this squad, member by member, or stablish a comparison with the current one to measure progress.
If the thread is about the latter, I'd say the current squad is pretty much stronger.
In the 99/00 squad I see good players, but only two that I'd label top class at that moment, Owen and Gerrard. Out of these two, Gerrard was a great, but now he's even greater, everybody in Europe, including Zidane are singing his praises.
In the current squad I see more top players. Reina is way better than Sander, and don't get me wrong, I rate Westerweld highly, strong in the kick, powerful arms for distribution too, but he had the Westerverld cross wires, and wasn't as good as Reina reading the attacks of oppositions.
Maschrano and Alonso I consider them top class too. So that's 5 top players in the current squad, players wanted by many top clubs in Europe, like Gerrard and Owen back then.
In the depth, I'm not that happy with the current one, and it's something that I think it's been mentioned by Andy above. I have to agree.
But for me, honestly, the current squad is much stronger, and it's not a surprise the current squad is able to beat any team in Europe.
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:02 pmby stmichael
Berger was a massively underrated player imo. Had one of the best left foots I've ever seen. Think Riise but with more accurate shooting ability. 
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:05 pmby GYBS
He is another who had his career ruined by injuries - if he had stayed more fit he would of been even better for us
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:07 pmby Effes
GYBS wrote:Gary Mac brought some creativity to the team which was lacking at the time and what we lack now - dont think hamman ever had that sort of creativity
I think it was more the leadership qualities and the experience he brought to the side mate.
They were a fairly young squad.
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:09 pmby GYBS
Guess we will just agree to differ mate - yeah think he did bring in those qualities but think he main assest for us was his ability on the ball .
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:44 pmby Owzat
Sabre wrote:I don't know if the purpose of the thread is to discuss just this squad, member by member, or stablish a comparison with the current one to measure progress.
If the thread is about the latter, I'd say the current squad is pretty much stronger.
In the 99/00 squad I see good players, but only two that I'd label top class at that moment, Owen and Gerrard. Out of these two, Gerrard was a great,
It wasn't really intended to compare with the current squad, I seriously doubt many would be able to, let alone objectively, make such a comparison with a squad 10 years ago.
I think you're being harsh on some of the players in that squad, Gerrard was still young but Sami and Stephane were a good pair of CBs, I'm no big fan of Murphy but he was a good player and overall the quality was pretty good. Still lacked the quality wide in FBs and midfield, I heard a stat the other day which I wish I could remember but it was something like Liverpool have had (something like) 20 different LBs in the Premiership. Just under Houllier and Rafa we must have had loads - Bjornebye, Staunton, Ziege, Vignal, Traore, Warnock, Riise, Aurelio, Carragher, Dossena, Insua to name a handful off the top of my head (can't remember if Matteo played LB under Houllier, probably)
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:59 pmby Bam
What is the point of this thread ?
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:21 pmby Owzat
Bam wrote:What is the point of this thread ?
What was the point of that post?
I think the thread title gives away the point of the thread, maybe you should read it. Not interested in commenting on our squad of 1999/2000 then go to a thread you are interested in commenting on.
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:33 pmby heimdall
Bam wrote:What is the point of this thread ?
Post of the day. 
Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:55 pmby account deleted by request
Bam wrote:What is the point of this thread ?
Ever since Bam moved back into the wilds he has been asking similar philosophical questions.