As the curtain prematurely closed on yet another EPL title I thought I'd have a quick look at Houlliers squad to compare his players with the pile that walked on to the pitch this afternoon in what was the most important game of the season. It was last chance saloon and we folded pathetically to a team fighting relegation.
People keep saying that the squad is better under Rafa, how much the squad has improved, but lets compare like for like with the players on the pitch for Gerrards last game.
Jerzy Dudek
John Arne Riise
Jamie Carragher
Sami Hyypia
Steve Finnan
Harry Kewell
Steven Gerrard
Dietmar Hamann
Danny Murphy
Emile Heskey
Michael Owen
Other than Dudek and Murphy, would you swap anyone? At times each of Houlliers squad were considered some of the best in the league. Riise was
always fancied by rival supports...our scandinavian Roberto Carlos. What he lacked defensively, he made up for in attack. Carra and Hyypia at the time were the best, most solid partnership in the league. Finnan, one of the top 3 in the EPL, solid as a rock. Kewell (forgetting his sick note) had talent in abundance, Gerrard (no need), and Hamman (the best again). Murphy was average, but then even this average player liked to score against the mancs. Heskey played the supporting role for Owen very well, and could play the lone striker role far better than Kuyt. Owen, one of the best goal poachers to ever grace the pitch. On the bench we had Baros, Pongolle and the handball legend that was Henchoz.
Compare this with the likes of Kuyt, Babel, Skyrtel, ElZhar, Ngog and Lucas and its not even close. Other than Alonso, and adding an injured Torres and Reina, Houlliers 11 were the better side with far more to offer moving forward, and much stonger in defence. Ultimately, they never achieved what they should've done under Houllier, but for all the money Rafa has spent I don't see the huge strides that others do.
So thats 18 now for the mancs...it was onl a couple of weeks ago that Fergie said it was between them and us....
People keep saying that the squad is better under Rafa, how much the squad has improved, but lets compare like for like with the players on the pitch for Gerrards last game.
Jerzy Dudek
John Arne Riise
Jamie Carragher
Sami Hyypia
Steve Finnan
Harry Kewell
Steven Gerrard
Dietmar Hamann
Danny Murphy
Emile Heskey
Michael Owen
Other than Dudek and Murphy, would you swap anyone? At times each of Houlliers squad were considered some of the best in the league. Riise was
always fancied by rival supports...our scandinavian Roberto Carlos. What he lacked defensively, he made up for in attack. Carra and Hyypia at the time were the best, most solid partnership in the league. Finnan, one of the top 3 in the EPL, solid as a rock. Kewell (forgetting his sick note) had talent in abundance, Gerrard (no need), and Hamman (the best again). Murphy was average, but then even this average player liked to score against the mancs. Heskey played the supporting role for Owen very well, and could play the lone striker role far better than Kuyt. Owen, one of the best goal poachers to ever grace the pitch. On the bench we had Baros, Pongolle and the handball legend that was Henchoz.
Compare this with the likes of Kuyt, Babel, Skyrtel, ElZhar, Ngog and Lucas and its not even close. Other than Alonso, and adding an injured Torres and Reina, Houlliers 11 were the better side with far more to offer moving forward, and much stonger in defence. Ultimately, they never achieved what they should've done under Houllier, but for all the money Rafa has spent I don't see the huge strides that others do.
So thats 18 now for the mancs...it was onl a couple of weeks ago that Fergie said it was between them and us....
****ing ****, I live there!!!! 
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