When Gerard Houllier was appointed co-manager Liverpool on July 16, 1998, he soon set about implementing squad changes which would help set up their 2005 Champions League victory.
Liverpool had struggled since the departure of Kenny Dalglish, finishing sixth in two consecutive seasons under Graeme Souness and then eighth in 1993-94 when the Scot was replaced by Roy Evans mid-season.
The Reds improved to finish third twice and fourth twice in four full seasons under Evans, but they won only one FA Cup and one League Cup in the seven years between Dalglish’s exit and Houllier’s arrival in July 1998. Even Evans only describes his time in charge as “okay”.
Houllier was initially appointed as joint-manager alongside Evans as Liverpool sought to maintain the traditions of the Boot Room, but the experiment was ended by November as Houllier was handed sole control.
It did not immediately reap dividends – Liverpool finished seventh in 1998-99 – but Houllier gradually fazed out the Spice Boys and put together a team which memorably won five trophies in 2001. And though he was unable to deliver a league title, many of the players he signed would go on to help the club win their fifth European Cup under Rafael Benitez in 2005.
Here, we look at how the team changed from the last game of the Evans era to Houllier’s final game in charge at the end of 2004-05.
Brad Friedel – Jerzy Dudek
Friedel went on to become a Premier League stalwart, making 479 appearances in the top flight before hanging up his gloves as a Tottenham player aged 44.
But only 25 of those came as a Liverpool player. After a protracted work permit process, the American was eventually signed by the club half a season before Houllier arrived, with the manager seemingly unable to decide between him and David James throughout his first season in charge.
After a year of switching between the two, Houllier brought in Sander Westerveld, and Friedel was benched before moving to Blackburn in 2000, after which he established himself as one of the Premier League’s finest keepers.
Dudek was one of two keepers – the other being the perennially-injured Chris Kirkland – signed by Houllier in 2001 after Westerveld’s impressive form early in his Liverpool career gave way to inconsistency and errors.
The Polish stopper remained first choice throughout the remainder of Houllier’s reign and played a significant role in Liverpool’s Champions League fairytale in 2005.
Stig Inge Bjornebye…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football365…