by ivor_the_injun » Thu Apr 22, 2004 10:48 am
For the record, my post wasn't an attempt to shift the blame from Houllier to the players. I'm with all those that have pointed to poor selections, tactics and signings over the last couple of seasons.
However, as has been said many times elsewhere, many of the squad have been individually poor over the course of this season. How many of the following could claim to have been consistently at their best?
Henchoz
Finnan
Hyypia
Kewell
Heskey
Diouf
Owen
Murphy
Hamann
Riise (although he's much improved of late)
Biscan
Cheyrou
A lot of these, like Owen, Hamann, Henchoz and Hyypia, have been established for a while as the reliable cogs in the team that you'd back to do a job for you week in, week out. This year they've been poor. Yes, the signings like Diouf, Cheyrou and to a lesser extent Finnan have not been up to scratch for the money paid, but these players do have quality, it's just that they haven't shown it consistently enough to do justice to wearing the red shirt. Diouf looked an awesome player before he arrived, but now he just looks aimless and overpaid. I'd put half the blame on him and half on GH for overspending.
You can make a case for saying that GH's failings have rubbed off on the team, but if well-paid footballers aren't making tackles, completing passes, delivering crosses or finishing good chances in the box, you have to point to them and not the manager. None of the players listed above have done their jobs well enough this season to give us any right to be up there challenging for the title. Had Owen scored 30-odd goals this season and ground out some ugly 1-0s for us, GH would not be being criticised anywhere near as much. Likewise if players such as Murphy and Gerrard had found the net more regularly from midfield (Hyypia has more league goals than Stevie this season!).
I just think that, given that the board have made their decision, the fans should try and be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. I'd feel like a right Judas if I started booing my own team. I've grown up watching LFC thinking that you only boo at referees and the opposition (particularly if they're Manc or from the blue half). People ask why Anfield's no longer the fortress it used to be. Some of our own fans have started doing the away fans' jobs for them.