Houllier leaves Liverpool

[pigeon]

Houllier bids emotional farewell

Sacked Houllier looks back on six years with Liverpool

Georgina Turner and agencies

Monday May 24, 2004

Gerard Houllier, back in the day.

 

After all the speculation, and despite his own insistence that he would still be in charge at Anfield next season, Gerard Houllier's reign as Liverpool manager today came to an end.

Chairman David Moores and his board did not give public backing to the manager after he achieved the "minimum requirement" of Champions League qualification by finishing fourth - a full 30 points behind champions Arsenal.

Houllier insisted he would take many great memories away with him from Anfield, where he has been manager since 1998.

"I arrived here six years ago as a Liverpool supporter and I leave as an even bigger supporter," he said. "I may have left Liverpool, but Liverpool will not leave me. I will return to watch the team as a fan.

"I have four special memories that I take away with me," the Frenchman told the club's website, http://www.liverpoolfc.tv.

"Michael Owen scoring the winner against Arsenal with his left foot [in the FA Cup final], Gary McAllister being handed the Man of the Match award against Alaves [in the UEFA Cup], the mosaic when I was recovering from heart surgery and Steven Gerrard taking his daughter around the pitch on the last day of the season."

Houllier arrived at Anfield in 1998 and three years later led the club to five trophies. The Premiership title, however, and the status fans had come to expect of their club, seemed only to get further and further from their reach. Liverpool have only one league cup trophy to show for their toil since that 2000-01 season.

In his six seasons in charge Houllier has spent more than £128m on transfer fees, but with names like El-Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao, Igor Biscan and Nicky Barmby accounting for £26.5m of that and only £45m recouped in sales, it is easy to see where the board might feel the Frenchman has gone wrong.

Chief executive Rick Parry said: "After considerable thought and discussion the board have decided to part company with the manager and Gerard has accepted this with typical good grace.

"We have always said we would review our position at the end of the season and that is what we have now done.

"Although we have reached the Champions League that is a minimum standard and not a goal.

"For a variety of reasons the board decided that change was necessary if we were to realistically challenge for the title next season."

Parry added: "But this is not a day for anger, recrimination or speculation. It is a day for dignity and respect and I want to publicly thank Gerard for his considerable achievements during his time in charge.

"We all have very fond memories of the historic treble and the other trophies won but there were many other special occasions and I will personally never forget the reception given to Gerard after he returned from illness for the Champions League game against Roma.

"We had many good times together."

source: football.guardian.co.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------

All the best to Ged. Hopefully now Liverpool can appoint the right man to stop the slide thats been going on the past two years.

[R.W.]

Liverpool fans expect way too much. You were good in the 80's, but those days are gone now - you've been superceded by Arsenal, Man Utd and even Chelsea. Be happy you haven't gone the way of Nottingham Forest.

Fourth place finish and you get the sack? Pfft, you just can't win these days can you.

[pigeon]

Good in the 80's?

In case you don't know, we're the most succesful English club of all time, not just for a single decade. We don't expect the championship straight away, but we do expect a certain style of football, and to at least be closing the gap on the top of the table.

We've gone backwards in the last two years, and that's unacceptable for any club. Also, with the money that may be coming into the club this summer, a decision had to be made on whether or not Ged was the right man to spend it. The signings he made two years ago (Diouf, Diao, Cheyrou) would suggest otherwise.

[supergrass]

They needed to get someone new in.

Liverpool need some new players firstly, and with Houllier's recent flops I wouldn't trust him with my money again. He's taken the club as far as he can take them, they're only going backwards with him charge, somebody new has a better chance of motivating the players again and putting Liverpool back in the top three...though that will take some time.

[Farmer Reil]

Houllier to Leeds anyone?

[Turbo Yannis]

Although I could see it coming, it still surprises me that he's actually gone. WERD.

[supergrass]

Houllier to Leeds anyone?

←

I think Leeds are going to promote Kevin Blackwell (I think that's his name) from assistant to manager. Cheaper for them to do that too, Houllier would most likely want a decent wage.

[pigeon]

Gerard Houllier speaks on the day he officially leaves his role as manager of Liverpool FC.

 

The first thing I want to make clear is how much the club means to me. I was extremely happy here and would have been happy to carry on my job, in fact I wanted to. The reason why we have parted is because of the excessive pressure on the board and myself over recent days. I can cope with the pressure but I thought it could be harmful to the players next season.

 

I thought it could jeopardise their performances and achievements and that is why we agreed to come to this decision. The club comes first. As I have said many times, I am not here for myself.

 

Liverpool FC means six years of happiness to me and I want to thank the players who have achieved so much and the fans for their support. Thanks to them we have won six trophies and we've qualified for Europe three times. In 50 European games we only lost seven.

 

I want to thank David Moores, Rick Parry, the board of directors, my loyal assistant Phil Thompson and all the technical staff and medical staff at Melwood. I also want to thank all the staff who work at Anfield and at Melwood.

 

My best wishes go to the club for its coming years in the Premiership and the Champions League. That's where it belongs. This club is in good hands.

 

I am in good shape myself. I still love football and will go to Euro 2004. I am not retiring. My leaving is in no way down to health reasons.

 

No-one can ever take away from me the time, successess and the fantastic relationships I've had with the players, staff and fans at this club.

 

I am leaving with huge sadness and I will always remain a fan.

 

************

 

Liverpool Football Club announced today that Manager Gerard Houllier would be leaving the club with immediate effect.

 

Chief Executive Rick Parry commented: "After considerable thought and discussion the Board have decided to part company with the Manager and Gerard has accepted this with typical good grace.

 

"We always said we would review our position at the end of the season and that is what we have now done. Although we have reached the Champions League, that is a minimum standard and not a goal. For a variety of reasons the Board decided that change was necessary if we were to realistically challenge for the title next season.

 

"But this is not a day for anger, recrimination or speculation. It is a day for dignity and respect and I want to publicly thank Gerard for his considerable achievements during his time in charge at the club.

 

"We all have very fond memories of the historic treble and the other trophies won. But there were many other special occasions and I personally will never forget the reception given to Gerard after he returned from illness for the Champions League game against Roma. We had many good times together.

 

"Gerard changed things off the pitch too, bringing back both our pride and self-respect and instilling discipline and professionalism throughout the club.

 

"Whatever has happened today, he will always be a friend of the club and welcome at Anfield.

 

"Now we start the search for a new manager - today is the end of a chapter and tomorrow the start of another."

source: liverpoolfc.tv

[pigeon]

Odds for next Liverpool boss from Skybet:

R Benitez 2/1

A Curbishley 5/2

M O'Neill 7/2

J Mourinho 8/1

C Ranieri, K Dalglish, S McClaren 12/1

D Deschamps 25/1

Out of those, I'd prefer Benitez.

[Guest Red Devil]

I'm not surprised to see him go but i think there might be a problem at Liverpool now, Gerrard and Owen were key members of the team and respected Houllier and his sacking could drive them away especially Gerrard who was saying he might re-think his future if Houllier wasn't there.

[pigeon]

I'm not surprised to see him go but i think there might be a problem at Liverpool now, Gerrard and Owen were key members of the team and respected Houllier and his sacking could drive them away especially Gerrard who was saying he might re-think his future if Houllier wasn't there.

←

Where did Gerrard supposedly say this?

He's going nowhere. He's been made assurances by the board that there will be 3 or 4 quality signings arriving this summer, and he's signed a new contract this year. He'll be leading the team out next season.

Owen on the other hand is uncertain, and a lot will depend on who the new guy is.

[TMM]

Steven Gerrard DID say that as long as Gerard Houllier was there he would NOT leave. Now as far as I'm concerned, that's him saying "if he goes, I might have to think about my future".

[R.W.]

Good in the 80's?

In case you don't know, we're the most succesful English club of all time, not just for a single decade. We don't expect the championship straight away, but we do expect a certain style of football, and to at least be closing the gap on the top of the table.

We've gone backwards in the last two years, and that's unacceptable for any club. Also, with the money that may be coming into the club this summer, a decision had to be made on whether or not Ged was the right man to spend it. The signings he made two years ago (Diouf, Diao, Cheyrou) would suggest otherwise.

When was the last time you won the league again? 1990. 14 years ago.

Most successful English club of all time? At the moment, but it won't be long before Man Utd or Arsenal overhaul that.

You haven't gone backwards the past two years, you started going backwards years ago. Liverpool fans and Spurs fans are the worst - they think that because they won some stuff a few years ago, they deserve to automatically be winning things now.

[pigeon]

Actually, before the last two years, we had been improving our league position year on year for four seasons, even finishing second with 80 points two years ago.

And though ManUre and Arsenal have been catching up our trophy haul in recent years, they're both still a ways off. Arsenal have no European cups, and ManUre have two, to our four. Neither look like catching that up straight away. Yes it is a long time since our last title, but I remember when Utd went 26 years.

And we don't expect to "automatically be winning things now". I'll even quote myself:

We don't expect the championship straight away, but we do expect a certain style of football, and to at least be closing the gap on the top of the table.

Going backwards for any club is not acceptable, and that's why Houllier is gone.

[TheArsenal]

Good in the 80's?

In case you don't know, we're the most succesful English club of all time, not just for a single decade.

←

Maybe you won the most but Arsenal were statistically better than you - hence why Arsenal were named "Team of the Century 1900-1999"

[pigeon]

Yeah, that's because, although we had won a few league titles before he arrived, we were languishing in the old second division when we appointed Bill Shankly, who made us the best team in Europe.

We've spent less time in the top flight than a few English clubs, but won more trophies than any of them. I'm assuming that "statistically better" takes league positions or points or something like that into account.

[Thrilla]

I'm not really surprised, the writing has been on the wall for a while now (literally in a few cases) Liverpool haven't really done all that much since he came in so it was time for him to leave, I don't see Liverpool becoming a title contending team for a while though, they've got a lot that needs building up

[TheArsenal]

Yeah, that's because, although we had won a few league titles before he arrived, we were languishing in the old second division when we appointed Bill Shankly, who made us the best team in Europe.

We've spent less time in the top flight than a few English clubs, but won more trophies than any of them.  I'm assuming that "statistically better" takes league positions or points or something like that into account.

←

Yeah. Some statistic people allocated points to each club for their finishing positions ni the league for every year between 1900 and 1999 inclusively. Arsenal's run in the top flight that started in 1919 pretty much made it a guarantee that they would win it - and they did.

[cjt4ever]

I'm not really surprised, the writing has been on the wall for a while now (literally in a few cases) Liverpool haven't really done all that much since he came in so it was time for him to leave, I don't see Liverpool becoming a title contending team for a while though, they've got a lot that needs building up.

←

While GH was with the club we won six titles. I think that is very good.

[IAceI]

When was the last time you won the league again? 1990. 14 years ago.

Most successful English club of all time? At the moment, but it won't be long before Man Utd or Arsenal overhaul that.

You haven't gone backwards the past two years, you started going backwards years ago. Liverpool fans and Spurs fans are the worst - they think that because they won some stuff a few years ago, they deserve to automatically be winning things now.

←

Man U fans spring to mind too, even though they're still winning things.

His signings are what let him down, his signings have done very little for him with the exception of some. Bleh, Ranieri for Liverpool~