[Archived] Houllier

[Dr Rich]

If Liverpool could tempt O'Neill down you could see them becoming a real force again.

I reckon next to go will be Sir Bobby who seems to be similarly going backwards at a rate of knots at Newcastle.

is O'Neill really proven, ok he got Foxes mid table and won a couple of micky mouse cups, but in Scotland you are either going to finish 1st or 2nd with Cetlic, there is not other place, you could buy average PL players and they would be a different class in Soctland e.g. Lennon, Thompson, Hartson.

Liverpool is a job that O'Neill has not come close to, buy world class players to go with Owen Gerrard, Kewell. He can't go and buy average players and make the half decent, thats would not work at Liverpool.

And what about his success with this team of 'average' players in Europe? He must be a brilliant manager if he can do that with a poor team mustn't he?

Martin O'Neill is a top-class manager, he took a division one team in Leicester and made them a comfortable mid-table Premiership side, look what's happened to them since he left. He won a couple of 'mickey mouse' cups, bet you weren't saying that when Rovers won the same 'mickey mouse' cup.

He is precisely the sort of manager Liverpool need, they already have some great players, all they need now is a manager to forge them into a team, maybe if he knows Kewell can play left-wing thus solving all Liverpool's problems in that area it might help too.

Buying average players and making them half-decent is not what he's done, but if you mean that if he replicated his transfer style while at Celtic it wouldn't work at Liverpool, then you're wrong, that's exactly what will work.

[DP]

He had to go really. They've gone backwards since winning the 3 cups in 2001. When you look at all of his signings, it's a wonder it's taken so long.....

Jan 1999: Jean-Michel Ferri from Istanbulspor £1.5m

Jan 1999: Frode Kippe from Lillestrom £700,000

Jan 1999: Rigobert Song from Salernitana £2.7m

Feb 1999: Djimi Traore from Laval £550,000

May 1999: Sami Hyypia from Willem II £2.6m

Jun 1999: Titi Camara from Marseille £2.8m

Jun 1999: Stephane Henchoz from Blackburn £3.5m

Jun 1999: Sander Westerveld from Vitesse Arnhem £4m

Jul 1999: Dietmar Hamann from Newcastle £8m Jul 1999: Vladimir Smicer from Lens £4m

Mar 2000: Emile Heskey from Leicester £11m

Jun 2000: Bernard Diomede from Auxerre £3m

Jul 2000: Nick Barmby from Everton £6m

Aug 2000: Christian Ziege from Middlesbrough £5.5m

Sep 2000: Gregory Vignal from Montpellier £500,000

Nov 2000: Daniel Sjolund from West Ham £1m

Dec 2000: Igor Biscan from Dynamo Zagreb £5.5m

Jun 2001: John Arne Riise from Monaco £4m

Aug 2001: Milan Baros from Banik Ostrava £3.4m

Aug 2001: Jerzy Dudek from Feyenoord £4.85m

Aug 2001: Chris Kirkland from Coventry £6m

Sep 2001: Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle from Le Havre £6m

Jan 2002: Abel Xavier from Everton £800,000

Jun 2002: El-Hadji Diouf from Lens £10m

Jul 2002: Bruno Cheyrou from Lille £3.7m

Aug 2002: Salif Diao from Sedan £5m

Jul 2003: Steve Finnan from Fulham £3.5m

Jul 2003: Harry Kewell from Leeds £5m

[bob fleming]

In his defence Sami Hyypia has been a good signing.

£15m on three goalkeepers in two years - some going that.

[rover6]

He had to go really.  They've gone backwards since winning the 3 cups in 2001.  When you look at all of his signings, it's a wonder it's taken so long.....

Jan 1999: Jean-Michel Ferri from Istanbulspor £1.5m

Jan 1999: Frode Kippe from Lillestrom £700,000

Jan 1999: Rigobert Song from Salernitana £2.7m

Feb 1999: Djimi Traore from Laval £550,000

May 1999: Sami Hyypia from Willem II £2.6m

Jun 1999: Titi Camara from Marseille £2.8m

Jun 1999: Stephane Henchoz from Blackburn £3.5m

Jun 1999: Sander Westerveld from Vitesse Arnhem £4m

Jul 1999: Dietmar Hamann from Newcastle £8m Jul 1999: Vladimir Smicer from Lens £4m

Mar 2000: Emile Heskey from Leicester £11m

Jun 2000: Bernard Diomede from Auxerre £3m

Jul 2000: Nick Barmby from Everton £6m

Aug 2000: Christian Ziege from Middlesbrough £5.5m

Sep 2000: Gregory Vignal from Montpellier £500,000

Nov 2000: Daniel Sjolund from West Ham £1m

Dec 2000: Igor Biscan from Dynamo Zagreb £5.5m

Jun 2001: John Arne Riise from Monaco £4m

Aug 2001: Milan Baros from Banik Ostrava £3.4m

Aug 2001: Jerzy Dudek from Feyenoord £4.85m

Aug 2001: Chris Kirkland from Coventry £6m

Sep 2001: Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle from Le Havre £6m

Jan 2002: Abel Xavier from Everton £800,000

Jun 2002: El-Hadji Diouf from Lens £10m

Jul 2002: Bruno Cheyrou from Lille £3.7m

Aug 2002: Salif Diao from Sedan £5m

Jul 2003: Steve Finnan from Fulham £3.5m

Jul 2003: Harry Kewell from Leeds £5m

Houllier's transfer dealings make Graeme Souness look like Alan Curbishley. (Curbishley being the manager with the highest points per pound spent record in the Premiership).

Edited May 24, 2004 by rover6

[Steddy]

He had to go really. They've gone backwards since winning the 3 cups in 2001. When you look at all of his signings, it's a wonder it's taken so long.....

Jan 1999: Jean-Michel Ferri from Istanbulspor £1.5m

Jan 1999: Frode Kippe from Lillestrom £700,000

Jan 1999: Rigobert Song from Salernitana £2.7m

Feb 1999: Djimi Traore from Laval £550,000

May 1999: Sami Hyypia from Willem II £2.6m

Jun 1999: Titi Camara from Marseille £2.8m

Jun 1999: Stephane Henchoz from Blackburn £3.5m

Jun 1999: Sander Westerveld from Vitesse Arnhem £4m

Jul 1999: Dietmar Hamann from Newcastle £8m Jul 1999: Vladimir Smicer from Lens £4m

Mar 2000: Emile Heskey from Leicester £11m

Jun 2000: Bernard Diomede from Auxerre £3m

Jul 2000: Nick Barmby from Everton £6m

Aug 2000: Christian Ziege from Middlesbrough £5.5m

Sep 2000: Gregory Vignal from Montpellier £500,000

Nov 2000: Daniel Sjolund from West Ham £1m

Dec 2000: Igor Biscan from Dynamo Zagreb £5.5m

Jun 2001: John Arne Riise from Monaco £4m

Aug 2001: Milan Baros from Banik Ostrava £3.4m

Aug 2001: Jerzy Dudek from Feyenoord £4.85m

Aug 2001: Chris Kirkland from Coventry £6m

Sep 2001: Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle from Le Havre £6m

Jan 2002: Abel Xavier from Everton £800,000

Jun 2002: El-Hadji Diouf from Lens £10m

Jul 2002: Bruno Cheyrou from Lille £3.7m

Aug 2002: Salif Diao from Sedan £5m

Jul 2003: Steve Finnan from Fulham £3.5m

Jul 2003: Harry Kewell from Leeds £5m

It quite funny.....

[Steddy]

I think Houllier playes CM4

[colin]

That is one hell of a list.

Probably makes Kidd/Hodgson look frugal

[cn174]

In his defence Sami Hyypia has been a good signing.

£15m on three goalkeepers in two years - some going that.

£15million on keepers, and we got big Brad. Houllier was ace

[The Producer]

In hindsight, if you look at his first 3 signings (Jan 99) of Jean-Michel Ferri, Frode Kippe & Rigobert Song, it was pretty clear there was only one direction for Liverpool to go under Houillier.

I don't remember the 1st two making any impression at all, but Song was fantastically entertaining - completely inept, but convinced he was world class so always tried to be at the centre of things. His comedy turn was the only plus point about that embarassing 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool when McAteer and Peacock ran into each other and Peacock also chipped a nice backpass at chest height to set up one of the others.

[RevidgeBlue]

He had to go really. They've gone backwards since winning the 3 cups in 2001. When you look at all of his signings, it's a wonder it's taken so long.....

Jan 1999: Jean-Michel Ferri from Istanbulspor £1.5m

Jan 1999: Frode Kippe from Lillestrom £700,000

Jan 1999: Rigobert Song from Salernitana £2.7m

Feb 1999: Djimi Traore from Laval £550,000

May 1999: Sami Hyypia from Willem II £2.6m

Jun 1999: Titi Camara from Marseille £2.8m

Jun 1999: Stephane Henchoz from Blackburn £3.5m

Jun 1999: Sander Westerveld from Vitesse Arnhem £4m

Jul 1999: Dietmar Hamann from Newcastle £8m Jul 1999: Vladimir Smicer from Lens £4m

Mar 2000: Emile Heskey from Leicester £11m

Jun 2000: Bernard Diomede from Auxerre £3m

Jul 2000: Nick Barmby from Everton £6m

Aug 2000: Christian Ziege from Middlesbrough £5.5m

Sep 2000: Gregory Vignal from Montpellier £500,000

Nov 2000: Daniel Sjolund from West Ham £1m

Dec 2000: Igor Biscan from Dynamo Zagreb £5.5m

Jun 2001: John Arne Riise from Monaco £4m

Aug 2001: Milan Baros from Banik Ostrava £3.4m

Aug 2001: Jerzy Dudek from Feyenoord £4.85m

Aug 2001: Chris Kirkland from Coventry £6m

Sep 2001: Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle from Le Havre £6m

Jan 2002: Abel Xavier from Everton £800,000

Jun 2002: El-Hadji Diouf from Lens £10m

Jul 2002: Bruno Cheyrou from Lille £3.7m

Aug 2002: Salif Diao from Sedan £5m

Jul 2003: Steve Finnan from Fulham £3.5m

Jul 2003: Harry Kewell from Leeds £5m

£15m for Diouf and Diao - ouch!

Who the hell is Diomede? Does he even exist?

[Billy Castell]

He had to go really.  They've gone backwards since winning the 3 cups in 2001.  When you look at all of his signings, it's a wonder it's taken so long.....

Jan 1999: Jean-Michel Ferri from Istanbulspor £1.5m

Jan 1999: Frode Kippe from Lillestrom £700,000

Jan 1999: Rigobert Song from Salernitana £2.7m

Feb 1999: Djimi Traore from Laval £550,000

May 1999: Sami Hyypia from Willem II £2.6m

Jun 1999: Titi Camara from Marseille £2.8m

Jun 1999: Stephane Henchoz from Blackburn £3.5m

Jun 1999: Sander Westerveld from Vitesse Arnhem £4m

Jul 1999: Dietmar Hamann from Newcastle £8m Jul 1999: Vladimir Smicer from Lens £4m

Mar 2000: Emile Heskey from Leicester £11m

Jun 2000: Bernard Diomede from Auxerre £3m

Jul 2000: Nick Barmby from Everton £6m

Aug 2000: Christian Ziege from Middlesbrough £5.5m

Sep 2000: Gregory Vignal from Montpellier £500,000

Nov 2000: Daniel Sjolund from West Ham £1m

Dec 2000: Igor Biscan from Dynamo Zagreb £5.5m

Jun 2001: John Arne Riise from Monaco £4m

Aug 2001: Milan Baros from Banik Ostrava £3.4m

Aug 2001: Jerzy Dudek from Feyenoord £4.85m

Aug 2001: Chris Kirkland from Coventry £6m

Sep 2001: Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle from Le Havre £6m

Jan 2002: Abel Xavier from Everton £800,000

Jun 2002: El-Hadji Diouf from Lens £10m

Jul 2002: Bruno Cheyrou from Lille £3.7m

Aug 2002: Salif Diao from Sedan £5m

Jul 2003: Steve Finnan from Fulham £3.5m

Jul 2003: Harry Kewell from Leeds £5m

£15m for Diouf and Diao - ouch!

Who the hell is Diomede? Does he even exist?

I was watching Michael Palin's Full Circle, and he started at Diomede Island. A small rock inhabited by a few hundred people in the Bering Strait. Maybe Houllier bought that place to set up a new academy like Ajax Cape Town in order to recruit future Sealinhos.

[den]

Jan 1999: Jean-Michel Ferri from Istanbulspor £1.5m

Jan 1999: Frode Kippe from Lillestrom £700,000

Jan 1999: Rigobert Song from Salernitana £2.7m

Feb 1999: Djimi Traore from Laval £550,000

May 1999: Sami Hyypia from Willem II £2.6m

Jun 1999: Titi Camara from Marseille £2.8m

Jun 1999: Stephane Henchoz from Blackburn £3.5m

Jun 1999: Sander Westerveld from Vitesse Arnhem £4m

Jul 1999: Dietmar Hamann from Newcastle £8m Jul 1999: Vladimir Smicer from Lens £4m

Mar 2000: Emile Heskey from Leicester £11m

Jun 2000: Bernard Diomede from Auxerre £3m

Jul 2000: Nick Barmby from Everton £6m

Aug 2000: Christian Ziege from Middlesbrough £5.5m

Sep 2000: Gregory Vignal from Montpellier £500,000

Nov 2000: Daniel Sjolund from West Ham £1m

Dec 2000: Igor Biscan from Dynamo Zagreb £5.5m

Jun 2001: John Arne Riise from Monaco £4m

Aug 2001: Milan Baros from Banik Ostrava £3.4m

Aug 2001: Jerzy Dudek from Feyenoord £4.85m

Aug 2001: Chris Kirkland from Coventry £6m

Sep 2001: Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle from Le Havre £6m

Jan 2002: Abel Xavier from Everton £800,000

Jun 2002: El-Hadji Diouf from Lens £10m

Jul 2002: Bruno Cheyrou from Lille £3.7m

Aug 2002: Salif Diao from Sedan £5m

Jul 2003: Steve Finnan from Fulham £3.5m

Jul 2003: Harry Kewell from Leeds £5m

A total of £115.1m spent in 54 months.

An average of £2.13m spent per month

29 players signed at an average cost of £3.96m

Incredible figures

and they still complain that we bought the title.

[FourLaneBlue]

If any manager has ever had a more deluded sense of the quality of their own team i'm yet to see him. My favourite Houllier quote has to be;

"You can't say my team aren't winners. They've proved that by finishing fourth, third and second in the last three years".

Errr....right Gerard.

That's what his problem was all along- he mustn't have realised that winners customarily tend to finish first.

[thenodrog]

He had to go really.  They've gone backwards since winning the 3 cups in 2001.  When you look at all of his signings, it's a wonder it's taken so long.....

Jan 1999: Jean-Michel Ferri from Istanbulspor £1.5m

Jan 1999: Frode Kippe from Lillestrom £700,000

Jan 1999: Rigobert Song from Salernitana £2.7m

Feb 1999: Djimi Traore from Laval £550,000

May 1999: Sami Hyypia from Willem II £2.6m

Jun 1999: Titi Camara from Marseille £2.8m

Jun 1999: Stephane Henchoz from Blackburn £3.5m

Jun 1999: Sander Westerveld from Vitesse Arnhem £4m

Jul 1999: Dietmar Hamann from Newcastle £8m Jul 1999: Vladimir Smicer from Lens £4m

Mar 2000: Emile Heskey from Leicester £11m

Jun 2000: Bernard Diomede from Auxerre £3m

Jul 2000: Nick Barmby from Everton £6m

Aug 2000: Christian Ziege from Middlesbrough £5.5m

Sep 2000: Gregory Vignal from Montpellier £500,000

Nov 2000: Daniel Sjolund from West Ham £1m

Dec 2000: Igor Biscan from Dynamo Zagreb £5.5m

Jun 2001: John Arne Riise from Monaco £4m

Aug 2001: Milan Baros from Banik Ostrava £3.4m

Aug 2001: Jerzy Dudek from Feyenoord £4.85m

Aug 2001: Chris Kirkland from Coventry £6m

Sep 2001: Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle from Le Havre £6m

Jan 2002: Abel Xavier from Everton £800,000

Jun 2002: El-Hadji Diouf from Lens £10m

Jul 2002: Bruno Cheyrou from Lille £3.7m

Aug 2002: Salif Diao from Sedan £5m

Jul 2003: Steve Finnan from Fulham £3.5m

Jul 2003: Harry Kewell from Leeds £5m

£15m for Diouf and Diao - ouch!

Who the hell is Diomede? Does he even exist?

My favourites Nick Barmby! £6m from Everton! Those toffees must have been $issing their sides so much that they took total leave of thier senses and gave it all to Newcastle to lure Big useless Dunc back!

[USABlue]

He had to go really. They've gone backwards since winning the 3 cups in 2001. When you look at all of his signings, it's a wonder it's taken so long.....

Jan 1999: Jean-Michel Ferri from Istanbulspor £1.5m

Jan 1999: Frode Kippe from Lillestrom £700,000

Jan 1999: Rigobert Song from Salernitana £2.7m

Feb 1999: Djimi Traore from Laval £550,000

May 1999: Sami Hyypia from Willem II £2.6m

Jun 1999: Titi Camara from Marseille £2.8m

Jun 1999: Stephane Henchoz from Blackburn £3.5m

Jun 1999: Sander Westerveld from Vitesse Arnhem £4m

Jul 1999: Dietmar Hamann from Newcastle £8m Jul 1999: Vladimir Smicer from Lens £4m

Mar 2000: Emile Heskey from Leicester £11m

Jun 2000: Bernard Diomede from Auxerre £3m

Jul 2000: Nick Barmby from Everton £6m

Aug 2000: Christian Ziege from Middlesbrough £5.5m

Sep 2000: Gregory Vignal from Montpellier £500,000

Nov 2000: Daniel Sjolund from West Ham £1m

Dec 2000: Igor Biscan from Dynamo Zagreb £5.5m

Jun 2001: John Arne Riise from Monaco £4m

Aug 2001: Milan Baros from Banik Ostrava £3.4m

Aug 2001: Jerzy Dudek from Feyenoord £4.85m

Aug 2001: Chris Kirkland from Coventry £6m

Sep 2001: Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle from Le Havre £6m

Jan 2002: Abel Xavier from Everton £800,000

Jun 2002: El-Hadji Diouf from Lens £10m

Jul 2002: Bruno Cheyrou from Lille £3.7m

Aug 2002: Salif Diao from Sedan £5m

Jul 2003: Steve Finnan from Fulham £3.5m

Jul 2003: Harry Kewell from Leeds £5m

Bloody Hell, that's an awful lot of Money. If we bought the title, Houllier spent enough to win a couple. I always liked the fella until the Neill- Carragher incident. Actually I had started going off him a bit after hearing his comments after that horrific lunge by Gerrard.

Never mind Gerrard, Burnley are hiring.

[RevidgeBlue]

Good signings (seriously) IMO

Hypia £2.6m

Henchoz £3.5m (though personally I'm not a particular fan)

Riise £4m

Kirkland £6m

Kewell £5m

Possibly Finnan £3.5m Total: £24.6m

add Homegrown Owen, Gerrard, Murphy, Carragher and one or two lads from Melwood and bingo you've saved over £90m!.

Is this football management lark really THAT difficult?

The thing that got on my nerves about Houllier was that he always insinuated anyone who criticised his record was in some ways a traitor and not a true supporter of the club.

Mottman if you see this thread what do you reckon?

[thenodrog]

And yes, I wouldn't mind him at Ewood. He's a fine respected coach.

I agree, I'd wouldn't be upset if he came to Rovers.

Oh it's all gone quiet over there,

Oh it's all gone quiet over there,

Would you two 'male members' care to comment on that list of Houlliers dollopers? Or are you simply going to keep schtum, slink away quietly to lick your self-inflicted wounds and await another chance to twist the knife into our club's manager and board?

[Nate]

And yes, I wouldn't mind him at Ewood. He's a fine respected coach.

I agree, I'd wouldn't be upset if he came to Rovers.

Oh it's all gone quiet over there,

Oh it's all gone quiet over there,

Would you two 'male members' care to comment on that list of Houlliers dollopers? Or are you simply going to keep schtum, slink away quietly to lick your self-inflicted wounds and await another chance to twist the knife into our club's manager and board?

I have no problem with Souness and our current board. I just think, that Houllier, with the squad we have now could take us further than Souness. And as far as his "dollopers" go, Rovers aren't in the position to compare.... I mean Kevin Davies for god sake!!

[promoted2001]

Goodbye Houlier, well done on spending so much money without much success, while b*tching about players on opposite teams. Good ridence i'd say but Liverpool have been drawable while he was in charge.

[pg]

I rang my scouser-supporting mate in Sydney when I got into work today :

PG : "Been on the internet today?"

Scouser : "No."

PG "He's gone. Houllier's been sacked."

Scouser : "Thank god!! You've made my day!'

Houllier WAS a good manager. Things started to go wrong when he got rid of Fowler and replaced him with Heskey (bought for 11 million pounds). Purely because he felt that you couldn't play with two small strikers up front.

Plus he never seemed the same when he returned from surgery.

As Revidge has posted, his early signings were quite good. But then the wheels started to fall off...

As for thenodrog - shame on you for taking Jim's bait!!!

[philipl]

Looking forwards, it is interesting to see how the papers are dividing on Houllier's successor.

The Telegraph are arguing there is a renaissance in British managers, that foreigners do not understand how to manage in our peculiar game and are saying Curbishley was approached by Liverpool a month ago.

The Guardian are doing a good job in convincing themselves that Mourinho will be sufficiently wary of Abramovich's dealings to shun the hundred millions transfer budget to be spent by his new boss to tens of millions he can spend himself.

Meanwhilst the Times are arguing up the case for Martin O'Neill.

The most peculiar twist is coming from the Thai press who understandably are less interested in who the manager will be than the fate of the current "make or break" negotiations involving their PM. Apparently 49% of the cash injection will come from Thai Government funds and 51% from a public offering of shares made in Thailand. The Thais are making it a pre-condition that Owen and Gerard be given shares in the football club (I wonder if they would pick up the tax bill their generosity would create?)

The Thai relationship has all the hallmarks of a disaster waiting to happen.

Their PM presumably expects there to be a PR bonus from this move but all that has happened is that the rapidly deteorating human rights situation in Thailand is being brought sharply into focus in the UK press. Besides which, the morality of a third world government splashing the best part of £30m of tax payers' money on European football transfers is dubious to say the least.

There may well be a backlash for Liverpool FC seeing there was a local man willing to underwrite an even bigger investment.

[thenodrog]

And yes, I wouldn't mind him at Ewood. He's a fine respected coach.

I agree, I'd wouldn't be upset if he came to Rovers.

Oh it's all gone quiet over there,

Oh it's all gone quiet over there,

Would you two 'male members' care to comment on that list of Houlliers dollopers? Or are you simply going to keep schtum, slink away quietly to lick your self-inflicted wounds and await another chance to twist the knife into our club's manager and board?

I have no problem with Souness and our current board. I just think, that Houllier, with the squad we have now could take us further than Souness. And as far as his "dollopers" go, Rovers aren't in the position to compare.... I mean Kevin Davies for god sake!!

The club could sell tickets for the first meeting twixt Houllier and Lucas Neil.

[thenodrog]

Houllier WAS a good manager. Things started to go wrong when he got rid of Fowler and replaced him with Heskey (bought for 11 million pounds). Purely because he felt that you couldn't play with two small strikers up front.

Nothing that I have seen since has suggested that he was wrong to get shot of Robbie Fowler.

Anyway even if he stiill 'had what it takes' Fowler is far too slow to complement Houlliers tactics.

[thenodrog]

The most peculiar twist is coming from the Thai press who understandably are less interested in who the manager will be than the fate of the current "make or break" negotiations involving their PM. Apparently 49% of the cash injection will come from Thai Government funds and 51% from a public offering of shares made in Thailand. The Thais are making it a pre-condition that Owen and Gerard be given shares in the football club (I wonder if they would pick up the tax bill their generosity would create?)

The Thai relationship has all the hallmarks of a disaster waiting to happen.

Their PM presumably expects there to be a PR bonus from this move but all that has happened is that the rapidly deteorating human rights situation in Thailand is being brought sharply into focus in the UK press. Besides which, the morality of a third world government splashing the best part of £30m of tax payers' money on European football transfers is dubious to say the least.

There may well be a backlash for Liverpool FC seeing there was a local man willing to underwrite an even bigger investment.

Careful PhilipL that fine respected messageboard member Jim will be calling you names for suggesting as much!

'Berk' apparently being the chosen insult for criticising the Thai govt and questioning the morality of this bid if my memory serves me correctly. I guess that he must have fond links with that country.

[pg]

Nothing that I have seen since has suggested that he was wrong to get shot of Robbie Fowler.

Anyway even if he stiill 'had what it takes' Fowler is far too slow to complement Houlliers tactics.

Well you are correct in that Fowler has done nothing since getting pushed out of Liverpool.

But the converse of that arguement is.. if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Fowler and Owen were working well together and the team had won three trophies that season.

It was a big risk to change things up front, and Liverpool have never been the same since.

Anyway, that's what my scouser mate says... and I tend to agree with him.