Carra: Houllier's my top boss

[DannyMan2006]

Carra was my favourite player at LFC up until this season when he started to act like a spoilt brat. Now I couldn't give a **** about him tbh.

[IN_RAFA_WE_TRUST]

I have no doubt that the anfield crowd will give Houllier a great reception for all he did for the club and he deserves it. However, the mischievous part of me would love the crowd to sing Rafa's name with both him and Hodgson there. May shut up sky for awhile aswell.

as for what Carra said/didn't say.....Meh player doesn't like former manager is common fare in football.....just look at fergie and some of the ex manc players.

That's a great idea.
Obviously show some thanks to Houllier for what he done for us, but then during the match sing Rafas name throughout the match

Make it happen people.

[Roboklopp]

Its not his fault he is apart of a sport that pays silly wages, i'd take it just as every other person would if we had the chance. And that can be said about every single footballer in the game playing at the top level. Does that mean that all of them are ******s too and have no loyalty to their club whatsoever?

And he does have more talent than you or i, you don't get to where he has by being a retard. He is not a skillful footballer, that was never his game but was talented, those talents just lay in other areas of the game which are just as important in his position, but nevertheless it is talent. And yes i have read his autobiography

Do i think Carra is on his last legs? Pretty Much. Do i think we shouldn't have gave him that contract? Pretty Much. But not a ****ing chance of him betraying his club, absolute nonsense and a bitter pro rafa agenda is all it is, every thread seems to get dragged down by the whole Rafa thing, underlying or just blatant flat out thread hijacking.

P.S. Saying "FFS" is as lazy as leaving out an apostrophe

FFS is just an abreviation mate. Lazy admittedly, but missing out an apostrophe and an "e" is a straight grammatical error.

You say that he gave everything to the club, but regardless of the stupid wages in football, it's hardly like City and the Chavs were offering him double and the chance of silverware is it? I note you ignore my point about his loyalty being worth **** all when he wasn't guaranteed a starting place.

I'm pro-Rafa aye, but I'm fed up of talking about him (see my comments to Arn in the philosophy thread). I do believe Carra's comments are a veiled dig at Rafa and I will stand up for him when I see that sort of thing cos I believe that he's the best servant we've had for years.

[Mostar]

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Liverpool-former-boss-Gerard-Houllier-claims-he-brought-the-club-into-the-21st-century-article644897.html

Houllier: I brought Liverpool into the 21st century

Gerard Houllier makes his first return to Liverpool tonight as a rival boss insisting his reign was successful and he left a legacy.

The Frenchman, 63, takes his Aston Villa side to Anfield for a televised clash with both teams in the bottom half of the Premier League.

Houllier has not been back to Anfield as a manager since his six-year spell in charge ended in 2004.

But he remains close to the stars he helped nurture like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

Houllier also looks back with great pride at winning a treble in 2001 when Liverpool lifted the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup. And he believes he laid the foundations for Liverpool’s Champions League triumph in 2005 under Rafa Benitez.

Houllier explained: “I always think that the mission of a manager is three-fold. “First one is to win a trophy and have silverware and win titles and so on so we did that.

“The second one is to leave a legacy and I would just use my former chairman’s words.

“He said: ‘You put the club into the 21st century’ which it needed at the time.

“The legacy is the team because the team that was left with Rafa he won the Champions League the following year. “So that means we finished in a position to play in the Champions League.

“We also had new facilities and maybe a new style of professionalism I would say. “I think the third mission of a manager is to make your players improve.

“We had a Ballon d’Or winner with Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard is a world-class international player.

“All the players, whether it’s Danny Murphy or Emile Heskey or Stephane Henchoz or Sami Hyypia, they all did well, contributed and became better players.

“So you want your team and your players to improve, both as players and men and I think if you have the time you can do that.”

Houllier even claims he is sorry that his two proteges, Gerrard and Carragher, are both missing tonight with a hamstring injury and a dislocated shoulder respectively.

Houllier added: “I would have wished Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher would be playing against us because I like them as men and as players.

“Unfortunately both of them will be absent. I would have liked them to play against my team.

“I wish Jamie the quickest recovery ever. I think Stevie will be back in maybe one week.”

Houllier admits he could be emotional returning to Anfield when he steps onto the pitch.

But the Frenchman does not want to get too nostalgic with both clubs badly needing the points.

Houllier said: “It is going to be interesting with the fans. “We are in the same position. “Probably they are a bit better off than us but we are desperate to get points now.

“I might feel something special when I get on the pitch just before the game. “Before that I will do my job and be focused on the team. Maybe I will feel something when I come on the pitch.”

Liverpool have struggled under Roy Hodgson this season but Houllier believes the ex-Fulham manager can turn their plight around.

“Yes, he will do it - no problem,” said Houllier.

“Give him a bit of time, he needs to change a few things.

“The problem is at Liverpool, when you lose, it’s a crisis.”

Houllier has also had to contend with a huge injury-crisis which shows no sign of abating as defender James Collins is out of tonight’s game with a calf injury.

Collins joins Nigel Reo-Coker, Steve Sidwell, Marc Albrighton, Stiliyan Petrov and Fabian Delph in the treatment room.

Emile Heskey may return after knee surgery but Ashley Young is suspended.

[erick]

In his book, Carra complained that Houllier did not use him as CB after the 2 OG against scum, and even if Sammi or Henchoz was not fit, he would use Diao or Igor instead. Now Houllier's his top boss......

[Roboklopp]

Haha, I'd forgotten about Houllier's insistence in on playing a succession of giant failed defensive midfielders at centreback alongside poor Sami simply to attempt to justify their purchases. It was only when Igor was unleashed again at CM that his true power was unshackled...

[Rich]

Haha, I'd forgotten about Houllier's insistence in on playing a succession of giant failed defensive midfielders at centreback alongside poor Sami simply to attempt to justify their purchases. It was only when Igor was unleashed again at CM that his true power was unshackled...

IIRC we had a season of seeing Biscan at centreback, grim times indeed.

[Lecter]

Seriously ****ing sick of posters thinking it's OK to talk about players who have given their all for this club like that. Whether or not you agree with Carra's stance on Houllier, Rafa or whatever, no way does he deserve this level of disrespect.

You could say exactly the same about Carraghers brushing ver of Benitez

Carragher should shut the **** up as should everyone else at the club (players, managers, doctors, coaches, directors of football strategy)

There isnt one of them who has an opinion that is worth listening to

[Lecter]

yup so full of holes that i have the utmost respect for a man that has given everything to LFC, and that skill set you speak of was never there for Carra in general, never a good footballer as such but his commitment and heart which has never dwindled.

So you keep up this agenda driven witchhunt and those fabulous personal insults and i'll keep it sexy and stand by a LFC legend. Well done your a disgrace

Just a pro rafa agenda here is all.

I hate this "never a good footballer" what does that ****ing mean

There are so many facets to what makes a good footballer

As a central defender Carragher was top class as a ball playing centrehalf hes poor

Carragher was about more than commitment and heart and many of those other qualities he had are now sadly on the wane

[barnes10]

carragher's saying the right thing imho.

houllier did massive things for the club and was definitely on the right trajectory before his illness. for me this is about respect and honoring a very important man for our club.

[Maxiedge]

You could say exactly the same about Carraghers brushing ver of Benitez

Carragher should shut the **** up as should everyone else at the club (players, managers, doctors, coaches, directors of football strategy)

There isnt one of them who has an opinion that is worth listening to

Amen

[Norbs]

Players are like the Queen Mother, they should never be heard speaking in public.

Carra truly is a Liverpool legend and has been a magnificent servant for the club. Footballers have never been the brightest buttons though and his remarks should be noted but not necessarily taken in too much seriousness. Has he got a book out for Xmas?

[DannyMan2006]

The thing Houllier is always most credited for are Melwood and the Academy, yet even Carra himself and everyone else associated with the club admits both are massive failures.

Splitting up the two training grounds was a pathetic decsion by Ged, who made the call and helped design the two.

[dww]

The thing Houllier is always most credited for are Melwood and the Academy, yet even Carra himself and everyone else associated with the club admits both are massive failures.

Splitting up the two training grounds was a pathetic decsion by Ged, who made the call and helped design the two.

Although when people have criticised Houllier in the past a lot of them have said that the designs were begun (and it is sometimes said almost complete) before Houllier arrived. It certainly seems possible that he might have influenced the facilities provided but not strategic decisions like the locations.

[Tee]

Crazy as this sounds, and despite the number of trophies he won, I will always blame Houllier for killing the basic footballing philosophy of this club. At least under Roy Evans we played some great stuff and still came close to winning the league the Liverpool way.

Under Houllier, for years we were absolutely awful to watch and our football was anti-football, **** on a stick or whatever you want to call it. We still have not recovered from what he did to us IMO.