Apologies if this is all over and long as emotions are all over waking to the heavy news of loosing one of our great managers.
The debt modern day Liverpool Football Club owes Gérard is immeasurable. He single handedly dragged us kicking and screaming into the 21st Century and reestablished the club at Europe’s top table among the elite. We become ultra professional under Houllier and that carry’s over in everything we do today.
And for a whole generation, he gave them their own sustained success at home and abroad with the magnificent 6 trophies over 3 years the early part of this Century.
As mentioned on these here pages before, I’m exceptionally fortunate enough to have now seen this absolute behemoth of a football club, bar Japan in 2005 and the Super Cup last season, in every major final since my first, against Everton the LC in ‘84. I was lucky that my dad, with his long standing tenure at British Rail, got us cheap travel through some real hard times in the City to take a young then 12 year-old me to Rome in ‘84. And then, against me Ma’s wishes after the violence that followed that, to Brussels the following year for something nobidy should ever have to go through on one of the worst nights of any of our life’s. That still haunt you and shame you to this day. The point of briefly recounting that is that, albeit my first two European aways were the two biggest games in the sport, and I’ve minimally missed a European trip since we got back in following the ban from that fateful night in ‘85; Europe really came alive for me and most of my regular travelling mates under Gérard.
The second treble winning year, 2001, remains one of my all time favourite seasons. I missed 1 game all that season. Ironically just over the water at Tranmere when I couldn’t get a ticket for love nor money. It was just like it is under Klopp now where you couldn’t WAIT for the next match. Probably the best squad in quality depth we’ve had since the current one. With the best mentality and consistency that Houllier instilled through it as he rotated superbly game-on-game, with not one ego coming into play as they all bought in to what L’pool FC is ALL about. The TEAM! It was just one roller coaster to another. Some times stunning football. Other times pragmatic and taking what the game gave us. But invariably it was winning football to such a ridiculous consistency that saw us collect the domestic Cup double and return to tearing it up in Europe. With a CL top 3, as the qualification was at the time, PL season to boot.
From the boss memory’s of our first final in the wonderfully awesome City of Cardiff, with what remains one of my favourite grounds anywhere. Through to my favourite all time Reds game bar none. The Owen Cup Final. With the single best celebrations ever under the baking hot Welsh sun. It was a season for the ages. And the European run just built and built as it went with one boss trip after another. From the half-time bar in Bucharest, though cheap as chips drunken carnage in the Czech Republic. To a naughty night in Athens. And then a magnificent night in Rome with arguably the biggest away mob from us I’ve ever seen that just took over. Porto was easy after that the quarters. And then a young Reina and Barcelona put in their place the semi. On to the greatest UEFA Cup final there’s ever been that had as many emotional twists as Istanbul. And our first European silverware in 17 LONG years. And really the first one I felt a proper part of having been my first run to a final.
The final week of that momentous season remains to this day the best week of my supporting life. If I worked a day all week I did well. It was literally travel, bevvy, trophy winning game, mad party, sleep. Travel, bevvy, trophy winning game, mad party, sleep. Travel, bevvy, CL clinching game, mad party, sleep. From Cardiff on the Saturday, through Dortmund the Wednesday to Charlton the following Saturday, one mad, exhilarating, totally exhausting, totally awesome end to an awesome season.
To then follow that up within 3 months or so by adding two more trophies, one cementing our return to European dominance by doubling down with the Super Cup beating a ****** good Bayern side. And in so doing becoming the first English side to win FIVE trophies in a calendar year ..... What a time to be alive!
And it just rolled through the following season where Gérard almost paid the ultimate price for leading this great club of ours. He was never the same sadly (and naturally), after the heart op following that Leeds game.For all his brilliance in always making the right call, he ironically made one of the maddest head scratchers the CL quarters the final year in taking off the arch DM Hamann when we got back in front on away goals through Jari’s goal. Butthe highs of that season are still fresh in the memory. His unexpected return the last game of the second group stage against Roma is oft under appreciated in the plethora of great Anfield European nights. The arl place was WILD that night as Cappelo’s men were dumped out.
I’ve not even mentioned the second LC under him against Utd. Or the three successive wins at Old Trafford against Ferguson’s awesome Utd sides. The memories from his short time in charge are plentiful. But I’ve rambled on for too long so I’ll finish by saying a MASSIVE thank you to one of the most influential figures in the modern day history of our shared passion. A man who totally got the ethos of L’pool FC. And for once, a genuine supporter made good who got the love of the Reds from his time over here the 60’s as a young school teacher blown away by his experience.on the Kop.
God rest Gérard. Thank you for the wondrous memories and your part in our return to prominence.
We’ve lost a true red on a very sad day for us all. For someone that LIVES for European aways (even though we are deprived of that at present), having little to no interest in this mornings draw says how heavy this news has been.
Just because .....
A scarf twirling ‘ Allez, Allez, ALLEZ ......’