There is no way in which one could describe this Liverpool team as one of the greats. Since the last league title in 1990, there have been several iterations far better than this one, but there is no doubt in my mind that the first XI plus a few more, which have been cobbled together by Jurgen Klopp, is my favourite ever Liverpool side.
As a child in the 80’s they were just phenomenal, winning title after title and a shedload of cups. Being too young to remember anything before the 1986 double, I have no memories of their domination of Europe up to the ban. The last title winners were a great bunch with the Irish trio of Houghton, Whelan and Staunton contributing no small part to the triumph. The likes of Hansen, Molby, Beardsley, Barnes and Rush were childhood idols for millions. A special mention for the role of the previously unknown Ronnie Rosenthal as well, whose goals late on in the campaign helped to secure the title. Add in the lunacy of Grobbelaar in nets and you have a team that was easy to love.
Whatever character and ability this side had was taken down by Graeme Souness. A sensible choice at the time, but he was an unmitigated disaster. It wasn’t until the manic teams of Roy Evans when a chink of light was let in, and we began to hope once again. The Newcastle games, in particular, will live long in the memory as a side containing Robbie Fowler, Redknapp, McAteer, McManaman, and Collymore lit up the league in the mid-90’s. Unfortunately this side also featured Scales, Ruddock and Wright, and was never going to win much. We watched on as United and then Arsenal took home all the prizes, and eventually saw the former take our rightful crown in Barcelona in 1999.
The Houllier years were efficient at times, but rarely wonderful. We should have pushed Arsenal further in 2002, finishing runners-up, albeit with that spot secured by the Gunners victory in Old Trafford. Even with the treble in 2001, secured in ridiculous fashion at Wembley and the Westfalenstadion, the former with 2 late, late Michael Owen goals against Arsenal, and the latter by a Golden o.g. from Alaves’s (???) Geli in extra time, this was never a truly great Liverpool team. Decent Champions League appearances aside, these were successful years only when compared to the average, but not when compared to the standards set down while Houllier stood on the Kop in the 1960’s.
Then Benitez happened. Xabi Alonso happened and Luis fucking Garcia happened. A bang average team with some sensational players. In addition to the Spanish flair and genius, there was a rock called Sami Hyppia; a neat but lethal Riise; the criminally under rated Finnan; the warrior Carragher; and Gerrard at his absolute best. Alongside sicknote Kewell; useless Traore; no-mark Baros, there was no way this lot could win the European Cup. But they did, and every one of them is rightly remembered for it! True drama throughout the entire campaign which contrasted sharply with a mediocre season in the league. True drama scraping through against Olympiakos to get to the last 16, a nail biting 2-1 aggregate win against Juve where 1 goal was all the Italians needed in Turin in the second leg, followed by THAT Chelsea game and THAT Luis Garcia “goal”. And the final you know enough about. What feels like only yesterday was in fact 13 years ago, and what seems like a recent memory now in fact makes up part of Anfield folklore.
But the team failed to progress domestically. An FA Cup in 2006 and several great European nights, in particular the semi-final win over Chelsea in 2007, could not mask the starvation the fans felt for the League title. It was in our hands in 2009. I’ll never forget the moment I thought it was all over – it was when the ball was in mid-air over Edwin Van Der Sar’s head having left Andrea Dossena’s left boot to complete a 4-1 rout over United at Old Trafford in March. United were still leaders by a bit and were still favourites, but we took the momentum that day and ran with it. And were it not for Federico Macheda’s ‘later than last gasp’ winner against Aston Villa a few weeks later, that momentum may have overhauled United. 86 points, our highest ever Premier League and 4th highest total of all time, 42 game seasons included (3 points for a win was introduced in 1981). Beaten in the league only twice, a feat achieved only once before in the top flight in 1987-88 and bettered only once in the Division 2 promotion year of 1893-94! It just wasn’t enough. The ownership changed, the manager changed, decline set in quite rapidly and we did fuck all for a few years. The 2011 League Cup win and 2012 Cup final appearance were basically irrelevant as Hodgson then Dalglish fumbled about. But I believe that 2008-09 team was the best since 1990 and should have achieved much, much more.
Brendan Rodgers arrived then and, despite all of his shortcomings, did manage to inspire one great season from his team. The front 3 of Suarez, Sterling and Sturridge combined in one magical year and everything clicked into place. The Uruguayan scored many impossible goals, fed by the other two and Coutinho, who also had a phenomenal season. His winner against City in April seemed finally to end the long wait. But 4 points from the final 3 games put paid to that. Gerrard’s slip against Chelsea providing the killer moment and a massive blot on his career at Anfield, not helped by his frustrated superhero response to the mistake. A bad day made even worse by the next slip, which was the 3 goal lead against Palace.
The team’s attack that year was bolstered by Skrtel and Agger at the back, and Henderson in midfield, but still too reliant on the likes of Kolo Toure and Lucas Leiva. If that season was magnificent in many ways – 84 points, 5th highest in Liverpool’s history, the next was a shambles in as many ways. Playing a weakened team in the Bernabeu in a Champions League group game was a sackable offence in my view, and it played a major part in Rodgers’ downfall. But that team was fantastic to watch and had some great results that year. The 5-0 thrashing of Spurs at White Hart Lane in December was a stand-out. Horsing into Arsenal with 4 goals in 20 minutes was wonderful too. They scored 5 goals or more 5 times, and 4 or more 11 times in the league that year.
But today’s side has something more. It combines the brilliance of 2013/14 with the tension and incredulity of the 2005 team’s run to the European Cup final. Above all else though, you get the sense of watching a team grow into something special through a season. It’s the deep satisfaction of seeing Andy Robertson become a world-class full-back; of Alexander Arnold – if not quite matching his left-sided counterpart – becoming a genuine option; Van Dijk’s solidity rubbing off at least somewhat on those around; Henderson reaching the potential he showed a few years previously; and the front 3 laughing in the face of those who said Coutinho was indispensable. Just laughing! Jurgen Klopp possesses that invaluable ability to make good players better, and he has done that right across the team, even Karius who is nowhere near good enough but still better than he was. The best examples apart from the above are Lallana, Wijnaldum and above all others, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. It may be old-fashioned in an era when managers buy rather than create players, but christ is it satisfying. Many look on 2005 as a fluke whereby a few great players dragged a few journeymen to glory. 2018’s run to the final is different. A few great players led by an incredible personality who values the collective over all else, have combined to help craft greatness out of lesser players, and craft truly world class performances when and where required.
We have to talk about Mo Salah alone however. I thought we’d never see the likes of Ian Rush again, then Robbie Fowler emerged. Owen took that mantle for a few years, then Torres came and redefined how good a striker could be. I was sure he was irreplaceable, but then Luis Suarez arrived and again changed my own definition of what comprised a goalscoring opportunity with some of the crazy shit he did. And now Mo Salah has done it again. He scores so many goals from non-chances that it’s ridiculous. I don’t know exactly how the “Expected Goals” stat is calculated but I’m sure he has outscored it a few times. Outrageous chips, lobs, thunderbastards, dribbles from out the back of a cul-de-sac have all been seen several times this season. And then there’s the assists as well. This guy is out of this world. I think Mo Salah’s season is the best individual performance I have ever seen from a Liverpool player, and when you combine that with the emphasis Klopp places on the team, it’s been truly riveting to watch.
Last season was one of two halves whereby top place at Christmas fell apart in January. This season has been far more steady after some dreadful defensive lapses cost us pre-January. It will be remembered for the Champions League run, regardless of the outcome, but overall, this team has brought me to my feet in admiration, incredulity, and pure joy more than any other Liverpool team and they deserved nothing but credit for that. Not the best, but definitely my favourite. They deserve a medal for what they have brought to the Champions League this year – I just hope it’s a winners medal.
A Yard of Grass 