Thinking back to that time, I wanted us to go with Pellegrini or Rijkaard ahead of Hodgson. Although he’d done well with Fulham that season, he just lacked that stardust that would’ve kept us in the minds of Europe’s elite while transitioning to a new ownership.
I’ve no ill will towards Hodgson. Like others have said, he just wasn’t the right fit, almost like an antichrist figure compared to Dalglish’s Messianic aura. At least he acknowledges Carragher’s feedback to him when he left us, and he might’ve done things differently.
One of our forgotten heroes from the early Shanks days was 88 earlier this month. Quite surprised to find out he is stiĺl around. For some reason I recall him being something of a whipping boy for the crowd. I saw him score 2 goals in a famous 5-2 win over the great Spurs side in our first season back in Div 1.
We were 2-0 down at half time and Shanks must have given them a right dressing down because we came out and scored 5 in the second half. Still one of the most memorable games I ever saw.
I can barely remember him playing in the 60s although I knew of him and, about 15 years ago, when helping someone move house, I went to pick up the van they’d ordered from a local company. Turned out to be Jim Melia Rentals based at Anfield, Hereford Road, Leominster. Nice surprise. The inside of his office was full of old team photos and memorabilia. Enjoyed a short chat with him as he filled out the paperwork etc.
A few weeks ago my wife was dropping off our granddaughter at creche in Paris and got talking to a dad who was also dropping off. When he knew she was from Liverpool he told her he played for LFC and loved his time there. She didn’t get his name but my daughter has now met him and it is Bruno Cheyrou…the new Zidane as Houllier called him when he first signed … kiss of death.
His girlfriend is the Kelly Dalglish of Canal+ and apparently much more famous than him.
Winner at Chelsea in the league in 03/04 was his highlight. We were shit at the time, went 4-5-1 with Heskey up top on his own and somehow survived to win 0-1.
Obviously I remember the signing and the expectations Houllier created for it, but I genuinely could not have picked him out of a line up before I saw that pic. That’s how little of an impact he had
If I remember correctly, he truggled with injuries in his first season, then got reduced to a bit part player filling in for others getting injured or suspended
