On Second Thoughts: Graeme Souness's managerial career

[Jas]

Quality post.

You are right about the Houghton transfer - I was pretty sure he and Souness fell out over it. I recall Souness going on Football Focus to lay into Houghton for going to Villa, and basically accusing him of engineering the move.

I dont entirely agree with you on the Beardsley thing. I thought Kenny had gone bonkers when he was starting him on the bench more and more. As regards Staunton, well I must admit I had forgotten about the "foreigners" rule, and I think that was at the heart of a lot of Souness' thinking regarding transfers at the time.

Post more in the Liverpool forum Zimbo.

If I can remember correctly Houghton originally wanted to leave to be closer to his/his wifes family in the South but he ended up at Villa, I recall Souey mentioning that fact in an interview, he wasn't impressed as for the fact that he was trying to build a team to compete in Europe I don't think there is any argument with that apart from one small point he seemed to forget, he should of realised that this team he was trying to build had to be bloody good enough to qualify for Europe in the first place!

[Slim]

If I can remember correctly Houghton originally wanted to leave to be closer to his/his wifes family in the South but he ended up at Villa, I recall Souey mentioning that fact in an interview, he wasn't impressed as for the fact that he was trying to build a team to compete in Europe I don't think there is any argument with that apart from one small point he seemed to forget, he should of realised that this team he was trying to build had to be bloody good enough to qualify for Europe in the first place!

That was the one mate - Souey went on Football Focus and said something like, "Ray Houghton told me he wanted to move to the south for the sake of his family. He got as far south as Birmingham."