‘Devastated’ Gerrard in mourning for boss Houllier
THE CLUB’S FIRST FOREIGN MANAGER TASTED GREAT SUCCESS AFTER STARS DITCHED PARTIES FOR PROGRESS
STEVEN GERRARD says he was ‘devastated’ to learn of the death of former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier at the age of 73. The Frenchman gave Gerrard his debut in 1998 and helped him on the path to becoming a world-class midfielder during six years in charge at Anfield. A winner of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup under Houllier’s guidance, the Rangers manager yesterday paid tribute to that crucial influence. Writing on Instagram, Gerrard said: ‘Devastated to hear the news my former manager Gerard Houllier has passed away. ‘I will never forget what this man did for me and my career. Rest in peace Boss.’ Houllier managed Lens, Paris Saint-Germain and France before joining Liverpool in 1998. He later won two French league titles with Lyon and also had a spell in charge of Aston Villa. Houllier’s death was first reported by French media who said he had recently undergone heart surgery, having suffered from heart complications for several years. Liverpool said on Twitter: ‘We are mourning the passing of our treble-winning manager, Gerard Houllier. The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Gerard’s family and many friends. Rest in peace, Gerard Houllier 1947-2020.’
PRIDE. It is a small word but i t has huge connotations, particularly in a city such as Liverpool where football governs the mood.
When Gerard Houllier became Liverpool’s sole manager in November 1998, following a short stint sharing the role with Roy Evans, there wasn’t much about which Liverpool supporters could be proud. The team was drifting, toiling in the wake of Manchester United and Arsenal.
Houllier started a revolution at Liverpool, dragged the club into the modern era and, more than anything, gave fans impatient for success their pride back. It’s why his passing, at the age of 73, is so widely mourned.
Houllier, Liverpool’s first foreign manager, changed everything. The training ground at Melwood had barely changed since the days of Bill Shankly, but Houllier oversaw a transformation.
It became one of the country’s premier training bases. As an architect of France’s 1998 World Cup triumph, Houllier knew how the game was evolving and what
Liverpool needed t o do to compete. The dressing room he found was full of characters who enjoyed socialising but Houllier — who had been earmarked by Sheffield Wednesday to replace Ron Atkinson before Liverpool swooped — wanted that culture gone. There was no room for parties if they wanted progress.
Jamie Carragher remembers this well. After one weekend in which ‘ there had been a few drinks’, Houllier was incredulous about what he had heard. In no mood to mince his words, he told the then 21-year-old he would be finished by 26 if he kept this up.
‘Don’t go to a nightclub now,’ Houllier implored. ‘Buy a nightclub when you have finished playing.’
Carragher bought into it, as did the other impressionable young players. ‘He made me see football differently, the way I looked after myself and conducted myself,’ said Danny Murphy.
The team Houllier built perhaps never received the credit they deserved: he masterminded a campaign for the ages in 2000-01, leading Liverpool to the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. For good measure, they qualified for the Champions League, too.
The achievement was staggering. Liverpool played 63 games that campaign, they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time in a decade; they annihilated Arsenal 4-0 at Anfield and won at Goodison Park for the first time in 11 years with a Gary McAllister free-kick.
This was dreamland. They knocked Roma, Porto and Barcelona out of the UEFA Cup
en route to a Golden Goal triumph against Alaves in Dortmund, four days after Michael Owen — the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner — scored twice in the dying minutes to rip the FA Cup out of Arsenal’s hands.
At the end of every game, the image was always the same — Houllier, eyes wide with wonder, beaming like the supporters who idolised him. A personal memory involves being in the Millennium Stadium press room, seeing that smile of absolute contentment after Owen’s Cup final heroics.
Rivals decried the feat, referring to it as a ‘plastic Treble’, but ask any of those involved and they will tell you how remarkable it was. Steven Gerrard, for one, regards it as one of his finest achievements.
Houllier was at his peak then, adding the UEFA Super Cup and Community Shield to the haul. But 2001 was the year his world changed, as he underwent surgery to repair his ruptured aorta after falling ill during a game with Leeds. The life-saving procedure lasted 11 hours.
The final two years of Houllier’s time at Anfield went slightly awry but he delivered another League Cup in 2003 and, crucially, a topfour spot in 2004. It saw Liverpool qualify for the Champions League — which, in remarkable circumstances, they ended up winning.
How things ended for Houllier will not colour his legacy.
To understand the bond he had with supporters, look no further than the ovation he received when he returned to the dugout in a must-win Champions League game against Roma in February 2002.
‘Probably the most emotional night I experienced in football,’ said Phil Thompson, Houllier’s long-time assistant. ‘ I’ll never forget when he emerged up the steps from the tunnel and (Roma manager) Fabio Capello saw him. He looked at Gerard, looked at me, smiled and clearly thought: “you b******!”.’
In December 2010, he came back as manager of Aston Villa. Before that fixture, he stood on the pitch for ten minutes, taking everything in and gazing wistfully towards the Kop. Re-reading an interview he gave last year, something he said was particularly poignant.
‘You know, when I go back to Liverpool, I am surprised when the people are so nice to me,’ said Houllier. He should not have been.
People were nice to him because he was a gentleman and generated warmth, but also because he fought and worked relentlessly to give the red side of the city a team of which they could be proud.
That is Houllier’s legacy. He constructed a squad who made memories for a certain generation and provided the platform for Rafa Benitez and Jurgen Klopp to build on. Liverpool must find a way to permanently honour this pioneer.