In the last 10 years or so...

[Sarb]

...do you think we've ever had a team that should have won the league but didn't for whatever reason?

Personally I think the Roy Evans team with Fowler, McManaman, Collymore on form should have won it.

Over the years our biggest problem has always been at left-back and left-wing. If we'd had a decent left-side I think we would have won the Premiership at least once

[Morten_nogamst_Pedersen]

...do you think we've ever had a team that should have won the league but didn't for whatever reason?

Personally I think the Roy Evans team with Fowler, McManaman, Collymore on form should have won it.

Over the years our biggest problem has always been at left-back and left-wing. If we'd had a decent left-side I think we would have won the Premiership at least once

I think we would have won it the season Ged got ill, if he hadn't gotten ill.
We were leading by 6 points in oct and then had a run of 11 games or so with no victory.
In the end we lost it by 7 points or so. (didn't we?)
I actually belive we would have done it that season with a healthy Hou.

[red_in_oz]

I think we would have won it the season Ged got ill, if he hadn't gotten ill.
We were leading by 6 points in oct and then had a run of 11 games or so with no victory.
In the end we lost it by 7 points or so. (didn't we?)
I actually belive we would have done it that season with a healthy Hou.

Exactly. If we'd have beaten Arsenal in both games instead of lost both, we would have won the league - regardless of that poor run without a win.

That 2001/02 team should have won it. That was the closest we got IMHO.

[bobbyfallon]

we can still win it this year

[saj]

...do you think we've ever had a team that should have won the league but didn't for whatever reason?

Personally I think the Roy Evans team with Fowler, McManaman, Collymore on form should have won it.

Over the years our biggest problem has always been at left-back and left-wing. If we'd had a decent left-side I think we would have won the Premiership at least once

Agree with you on this one, but not sure which exact season - Evans was the probably the closest to winning the title. That loss to Coventry when we had games in hand at Anfield stoppped us from winning the title - Damn David James gifted them 2 goals in that match if I remember correctly. On average, Roy Evans was 11 points away from the top each season, Houllier was around 15/16 I think. Rafa has unfortunately been 24 if I remember correctly from Football focus.

[Sarb]

I remember the Coventry game. Didn't it come just after the epic 4-3 against Newcastle where we started to believe we could get the title?

[saj]

I remember the Coventry game. Didn't it come just after the epic 4-3 against Newcastle where we started to believe we could get the title?

Wrong season - we were way behind in that season. I can't remember the exact season, but I remember we had a Reebok kit - and I think it was the first year we moved to them from Adidas. Oh wait, do you mean the first 4-3 or the second one? (In the second one we were winning 3 - 1, they made it 3-3 then (I think) Fowler made it 4-3 right at the end of the match)

[saj]

I remember the Coventry game. Didn't it come just after the epic 4-3 against Newcastle where we started to believe we could get the title?

This is the season... 96/97. This is the exact match. We had 3 games in hand and were either 2/3/4 off the top if I remember correctly. This match broke our confidence - ****ing David James.

http://www.ccfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page...030057,00.html

[dww]

I think in general we have always had flaws in our teams over the last ten years that mean you can always see why we didn't win. The season with Ged getting ill is the only time that the weaknesses of the squad or manager were not the sole reason for our failure.

Some players in the Fowler, Mcmanaman etc. generation probably had the talent to deserve being in a team with a decent keeper and a consistently available defensive leader. However the less than entirely professional attitude of some of the squad at the time meant that unlike United teams of the time we were unable to consistently overcome individual players lower quality by collective effort.

[Sarb]

So if Rafa was in charge of the Fowler,McManaman, Collymore team that could have won it, do you think we would have won the title? I mean at the time it was widely acknowledged that they took advantage of Evans. Would Rafa's discipline have worked on them?

Oh and James at times was shocking in those days and cost us a fair few points

[Parm]

Exactly. If we'd have beaten Arsenal in both games instead of lost both, we would have won the league - regardless of that poor run without a win.

That 2001/02 team should have won it. That was the closest we got IMHO.

I think the teams from 1995-97 also had the capability of winning the title but lacked the steel that Utd had at the time.

[red_in_oz]

I think the teams from 1995-97 also had the capability of winning the title but lacked the steel that Utd had at the time.

You're right. We played some great football 95-97 but lacked the killer instinct Utd had. We used to be able to pass Utd off the pitch but we could never beat them.

[Kenneth]

We had the team to win it last year. Certainly a better first team than the mancs. The early away form throw away the chance. And the losses against the chavs and the mancs. Rio's last gasp winner after we had dicked on them for 90 mins

[Parm]

You're right. We played some great football 95-97 but lacked the killer instinct Utd had. We used to be able to pass Utd off the pitch but we could never beat them.

I think we did beat them a few times, but I would say that defensivley we were weak, if teams got about us we didnt have the steel to hold on and tough it out.

[Los Rojos]

Agree with you on this one, but not sure which exact season - Evans was the probably the closest to winning the title. That loss to Coventry when we had games in hand at Anfield stoppped us from winning the title

1996-97 I think and, yes, we should have won the title that year. I don't think Houllier would have won it the year he was ill.