ROTATION ONLY WAY TO KOP THE LOT...
I’VE seen it said in so many places this week that this Liverpool side is the first in English football to play every game possible to play in a season.
Forgive me for a polite cough and an ‘ahem’ because I’ve done it – with Liverpool in 2000-01. We played every game it was possible to play – and we won most of them.
We won a treble of cups, and we were always in second or third almost all season, even if our cup runs gave United the edge in the title race.
It just shows you how only football right now is relevant, the rest is soon forgotten by the next generation.
We weren’t the first to play every game it was possible to play in English football history by the way, as has been claimed by this Liverpool team.
Actually, two English teams entered in three competitions and played every game it was possible to play – Arsenal in 1992-93 and Middlesbrough in 1996-97.
Boro actually managed to get to two domestic cup finals while getting relegated even with Fabrizio Ravanelli, Juninho, Emerson and player-manager Bryan Robson in their squad.
We were the first to do it in four competitions and this Liverpool team is the only one to have done it with the Champions League included, but that’s a long way from the “first to play every game!”. I’m often asked how we managed it. One of the reasons was we had a great group who supported each other.
Another was we had players ready to come in and do an equally good job as any other player, when required.
I hated being rotated at the time, but realise it was part of our success.
People slag off players, saying they should be able to play every game… but the truth is, physically, they can.
Ask me then and I’d have told you I was absolutely ready to play – physically. But mentally, it’s a different matter. That’s where managers come in because at this time, with so many finals, it is so draining mentally.
We played in the FA Cup Final on the Saturday, then the UEFA Cup Final on Wednesday and the following Sunday had to beat Charlton to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
That is so tough, but we had the mentality to do it. I scored twice against Charlton and we won 4-0.
This is where Jurgen Klopp comes in for Liverpool now. No looking forward, no losing focus, no allowing players to feel mentally drained.
I have no doubt he’s a master of that – and can get them to do it.