G.H. Question.

[Dhav]

Out of the players mentioned:

Le Tallec was what 19 when Houllier left? Do you think he should have played at that age? Not a chance.

Camara. He burnt many a bridge when he demanded to play when he'd only just returned from injury.

Litmanen. OK, probably treated unfairly - but why build a team around an injury prone player? (Which is your arguement against building a team around the talents of Owen!)

I didnt say build a team around the player, I said at least utilise them in some kind of back-up strategy. I think we could have all accepted the ultra-defensive play if we knew Houllier at least had some kind of alternative method of play to employ when it wasn't working. But he didn't. Win, lose, draw or bore, he persisted with it.

[Rich]

At the end of that day, Houllier did out stay his welcome, his final season in charge was pretty painful, not least for him I suspect.

Would I swap managers today - not a chance, I just don't think certain fans appreciate what Houllier did for us (regardless of some of his high-profile failures)

[Dhav]

I could have appreciated what Houllier did if he only acted with a bit more grace and dignity and wasn't such an egomaniac, especially since he left.

[paulcooper4]

I could have appreciated what Houllier did if he only acted with a bit more grace and dignity and wasn't such an egomaniac, especially since he left.

I think your spot on there mate, and a lot of people feel the same

[Red_hot]

He won three trophies in one season and delivered the League cup twice.

He presided over our finest ever finish in the Premiership (second) the same season we scored a record-breaking number of goals and Michael Owen won European Footballer Of The Year.

He won us our first European trophy for two decades.

He brought in the players who formed the spine of the 2005 CL-inning team.

Did you think, after that runners-up spot following the treble season, that he was "papering over cracks"?

Did you ****.

Are you always so aggressive??

[Rich]

I suppose that was one of his character flaws, however, if I were manager of my team, LFC, I sure as hell wouldn't want to leave. They'd have to drag me kicking and screaming out of my Managers chair!!!!

[paulcooper4]

Are you always so aggressive??

quite a lot of people are love, when they have the safety of a computer screen to hide behind

[univofchicago]

I could spin the question around and ask, what makes you sure that Benitez has got the balance right - after all we have had some 'lucky' cup wins but we haven't won the league?

Dhavlos believes that Benitez has got the balance right. I agree with Dhavlos especially with the new players coming in. I believe that Benitez, unlike Houllier, has managed to make the right signings and is tactically shrewd enough to make the necessary changes and find the right balance.

But we can only know for sure when the season resumes. Rafa has made it no secret that he wants a squad capable of winning the title by his THIRD season. So the coming season is pivotol and we'll get a better picture of whether Benitez has "got the balance right" in the next couple of months...

[brendan]

quite a lot of people are love, when they have the safety of a computer screen to hide behind

Oh dear, I can sense a "meet us in The Kop/ Arkles/ King Harry/ my own foetid little grief-hole" and we'll see how hard you are" post coming.

Please don't disappoint.

[red g]

He won three trophies in one season and delivered the League cup twice.

He presided over our finest ever finish in the Premiership (second) the same season we scored a record-breaking number of goals and Michael Owen won European Footballer Of The Year.

He won us our first European trophy for two decades.

He brought in the players who formed the spine of the 2005 CL-inning team.

Did you think, after that runners-up spot following the treble season, that he was "papering over cracks"?

Did you ****.

Brendan we lost 9 times in the league that year. We scored 71 goals whoppee, hardly awesome!! it was just we were use to the **** that h been served up previously.

Of course it was easy to get carried away with what GH achieved but I was not blinkered and never believed it would last as well as many others i watched the games with

[Rich]

Brendan we lost 9 times in the league that year. We scored 71 goals whoppee, hardly awesome!! it was just we were use to the **** that h been served up previously.

Of course it was easy to get carried away with what GH achieved but I was not blinkered and never believed it would last as well as many others i watched the games with

I thought we scored 126 goals in all comps?!?

[Red_hot]

Oh dear, I can sense a "meet us in The Kop/ Arkles/ King Harry/ my own foetid little grief-hole" and we'll see how hard you are" post coming.

Please don't disappoint.

Ok then. The Arkles. First day of the season. 1 bell.

[brendan]

I thought we scored 126 goals in all comps?!?

Which is a record.

[Rich]

Dhavlos believes that Benitez has got the balance right. I agree with Dhavlos especially with the new players coming in. I believe that Benitez, unlike Houllier, has managed to make the right signings and is tactically shrewd enough to make the necessary changes and find the right balance.

But we can only know for sure when the season resumes. Rafa has made it no secret that he wants a squad capable of winning the title by his THIRD season. So the coming season is pivotol and we'll get a better picture of whether Benitez has "got the balance right" in the next couple of months...

BUT!

rewind to this position in 2002. We had just spent £20m on players we hadn't really seen yet. How many of us were worried at that time, back then?

My point is, as much as I think we are better under Benitez, let's try not to get carried away - pretty much we all did back in 2002!

[red g]

I thought we scored 126 goals in all comps?!?

casually missed that out to make my point