Each season had something special about it, even the “down years,” but JHL would like to rank them for you! Here is the criteria of how the seasons will be ranked:

1) The season must have been ENTIRELY in the 00′s, so both the 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 seasons cannot be included. This means 9 seasons will be ranked.

2) Seasons are given points (1-9… 1 being a GOOD score.) based on the following four categories:

* Drama

* Entertainment Value (style of play, joy of watching them play, etc.)

* Success in Multiple Competitions (trophies will help give a low score)

* Quality of Play/Players

3) Sentimental value of a season will DEFINITELY be part of the equation, with drama, entertainment value, and quality of play certainly being subjective. This is not necessarily as mathematical as it sounds!

Without any further ado, here is the countdown, starting with the season that scored the most points (in other words, the worst season of the decade)…

#9: The 2003-2004 Season

Drama: 9/9

Entertainment: 9/9

Success: 9/9

Quality: 8/9

Total: 35 points

Murphy's penalty gives us a 1-0 victory that ultimately qualifies us for the Champions League... the one we WON the next season.

If 2002-2003 was a major let-down after two fabulous seasons before it, 2003-2004 was proof that 02-03 was not a fluke and that Houllier had lost his mind. The shame of this particular season was the hope that we had perhaps turned a corner and would be back battling for the title. We signed Harry Kewell and Steve Finnan over the summer, and two promising prospects in Le Tallec and Sinama Pongolle gave us all hope that we would be stronger and more fluent in attack than the season prior. We had become somewhat predictable during this season, unfortunately, and injuries would play a major part in making this a season to forget. The likes of Michael Owen, Harry Kewell, Didi Hamann, Milan Baros, Steve Finnan, and Jamie Carragher spent a large chunk of time on the sidelines and were unable to truly construct a major understanding with one another.

But to blame this season on injuries would be foolish, as there was more than just this contributing to our downfall. Though we finished the season in 4th place, the Premiership at the time was at its height of inequity- something that has fortunately changed in recent seasons- and the opposition was not pushing forth a very large challenge. Despite this, we managed to look like blowing it at every opportunity, losing to opposition that were far less talented than us… and the sad thing was that we ourselves began to look like one of these mediocre sides, and Houllier was OKAY WITH THIS! This nonchalant attitude towards the joy of finishing 4th instead of pushing for the title ultimately led to his sacking at the end of the season, not to mention the fall from stardom that befell Michael Owen.

Other than a few absolute wondergoals from Didi Hamann, including the best goal I have ever seen from a Liverpool player (volley against Portsmouth), we were completely absent from dramatic moments and success in cup competitions. We were knocked out of the League Cup in the 4th round by Bolton- at Anfield- and in the FA Cup and UEFA Cup we were knocked out in the 5th round by Portsmouth and Marseille respectively. The toothless nature in which we lost these cup ties hurt, and as a supporter, I had lost patience and was totally frustrated with Michael Owen’s apathy, Houllier’s team selections (Biscan in central defense? REALLY?!) and with our poor results against top sides (other than 1-0 wins at both Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford) AND against lesser opposition. We were now a team content with hoping for a Champions League place. Not good enough.

#8: The 2002-2003 Season

Drama: 8/9

Entertainment: 8/9

Success: 7/9

Quality: 9/9

Total: 32 points

Gerrard silences Leeds in a 3-1 success at Anfield, a season that saw him mature into a true leader at the club.

Oddly enough, the 2002-2003 season was the season in which I paid the closest attention and had the most emotional attachment to the club… probably in an unhealthy way. To add insult to that injury, Liverpool were atrocious in this season, other than a fabulous beginning 12 matches and then a decent end to the season where we won the League Cup and strung together some nice victories. Sadly, though, we finished 5th in the league and had an 11 match winless streak after being NINE POINTS CLEAR AT THE TOP! It was a season where Michael Owen continued to pour in the goals, where Steven Gerrard established himself as a dominant force, and when Danny Murphy had a blinder of a season, but honestly it will be best remembered for Houllier’s poor signings that brought our club in the wrong direction… and he played these players despite their poor performances.

El Hadji Diouf, Bruno Cheyrou, and Salif Diao… these names will forever be synonomous for our downfall after the Treble Season and 2nd place 2001-2002 finish. Was it their fault? Obviously not, but Houllier didn’t have to play them blindly despite their lack of impact. Sadly, he did, and even more sadly we were poor as a result. The thing was, though, we still had quality and could put forth a magnificent performance from time to time. It was just inconsistent. One day we would thump West Brom 6-0 on the road, and the next we would lose to relegation-bound Sunderland 2-1. We would lose to Manchester United 4-0, yet beat them convincingly 2-0 in the League Cup Final. It was a strange up-and-down season, but at the end of it all, the real problem was that we had an absolute lack of quality in the side other than Hyypia, Gerrard, Owen, and Murphy. We needed upgrades in every other position, and some of the stars of previous seasons were beginning to lose confidence.

All of this said, this season is still one of my favorites. In a ranking, yes it is low, but sentimentally I will never forget it. I memorized every statistic, began dating my girlfriend (and now wife) on the day of that 6-0 thrashing of West Brom, and was absolutely dancing in the streets when we beat United in that League Cup Final. It was a season where I lived and breathed Liverpool Football Club, and in many ways it was when I became a supporter who supported not out of success but out of total and unconditional love for my club. Maybe I needed a season where we were shite in order for that to happen, and 2002-2003 certaintly provided some legitimate shite!!!

#7- The 2007-2008 Season

Drama: 6/9

Entertainment: 5/9

Success: 8/9

Quality: 5/9

Total: 24 points

We knew he'd be good, but we had NO IDEA just how good Torres would prove to be!

The 2007-2008 season was one of many ups and downs, as well as some decent cup runs that were dramatically (in the wrong way for us) cut short… often by Chelsea, which was ironic given our success against them in previous seasons in cup competitions. It was a season where we made our best signing in nearly a decade in Fernando Torres, and saw some absolutely splendid goals. Unfortunately, it was also a season where we made some backwards steps after a quality last few seasons in both the league and in the Champions League. Losing to Chelsea in the semifinals of the Champions League wasn’t necessarily the problem, but in every other area we seemed to be progressing in the wrong manner. We were also beginning to see some aging in our back partnership of Carra and Hyypia, and with Agger out with injury for the season, we had some defensive problems. Riise had totally lost form, and Finnan wasn’t the player he had been in previous years. In the midfield, Xabi Alonso was playing mediocre for his standards, and our wingers were not producing many goals. In other words, Reina, Torres and Gerrard had to practically carry the entire team on their backs, which is exactly what they did. And they did it in absolute style.

One of the joys of this season was in some of the matches where we laid down the hammer. We crushed Besiktas 8-0, Arsenal 4-2 (in one of the matches of the decade!), Inter Milan 3-0 on aggregate, Marseille 4-0 and Porto 4-1. There were dramatic European moments, excellent strikes from Torres (33, in fact!), two hat-tricks from Yossi Benayoun, and some late winners by Gerrard (Aston Villa, Derby, Arsenal… etc.) to captivate every supporter’s heart. Had it not been for ridiculous losses to clubs like Reading, West Ham and Barnsley, and drawing at home to every club in the mid-table positions, we might have looked back at this season as one where we were pretty decent. And on reflection, given how 2008-2009 went, we were really only a few wins away from a major challenge. But you cannot reverse time, and we did indeed draw all of those matches to the Fulhams, West Hams, and Wigans of the world.

The lasting memory of 2007-2008, in my mind, was the stunning nature of some of our goals. Whether it was a Gerrard piledriver against Newcastle, a Babel backheel against Besiktas, a Lucas curler at home to Havant & Waterlooville, or one of many majestic jinking runs leading to a sublime finish by Torres (Derby, Marseille, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, and Bolton to name a few), we seemed to score scorchers in 2007-2008. Even Sissoko and Voronin scored some screamers!!! It was indeed a season of quality goals and players (I haven’t even mentioned Mascherano), but too many draws… which we’d see in the following season, as well. The fact that we made the semifinals of the Champions League yet again, though, and that we signed the brilliant Torres (and Benayoun, really) makes up for some of these shortcomings, and therefore can be looked at as a mildly successful season.

#6- The 2006-2007 Season (edges the tie-breaker with 2007-2008 due to the Champions League Final appearance)

Drama: 5/9

Entertainment: 7/9

Success: 6/9

Quality: 6/9

Total: 24 points

Pepe Reina saves Robben's PK, leading to a 4-1 PK success that brought us to our second final in three seasons in the Champions League.

Reaching our second Champions League Final in three seasons was the major highlight of the 2006-2007 season, a season which highlighted our magnificent defense and midfield play, but it was also a season that demonstrated our absolute lack of striking prowess. Though Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt are good players, and deserved to be in the side, they are not goal poachers. We didn’t have a Michael Owen or Fernando Torres type of player, or else I TRULY believe this side could have gone on to win things. We were fantastic in the middle of the park, excellent at the back, and rarely conceded more than a goal in a game. We easily qualified for Europe, finished third in the Prem, and had depth all over the park. The problem? We couldn’t finish chances! And we lost too easily to clubs that were far inferior to us, including Everton, Bolton, Blackburn, and Newcastle. The icing on this cake? No away goals until DECEMBER in the league. Ouch. But at home we were absolutely unstoppable, and in Europe it was very much a case of “only Milan could have beaten us.” We simply brushed aside the rest of the competition, including defending champions Barcelona and Chelsea.

The quote I used in my season summary for this season was “never had finishing 3rd felt so much like 10th.” The reason for this quote was that Liverpool seemed like far too good of a side to be in third, and so far back in third. We lost to the top sides far too easily on the road and we would then put forth a performance like the 4-1 thrashing of Arsenal at home (after losing to them 0-3 on the road) and our 2-0 crushing of Chelsea at Anfield, as well. The good news, though, was that we made the Champions League Final, where we completely outplayed AC Milan yet lost 2-1 (Kuyt scored our goal), and we also scored some howlitzers from long range. If 2007-2008 was a season of great individual goals, 2006-2007 was the season of the long-range heat-seeking missile goals. Daniel Agger’s swerving 35 yarder, Riise’s daisycutting blaster from 40 yards, Pennant’s dipping half-volley off of the bar and in, Alonso’s 60 yarder (yes… it was that far out), and Riise’s screamer at PSV Eindhoven were just some of the highlights. But the “tip of the hat” in the category of “quality” goes to Peter Crouch, who scored not one, but TWO bicycle kicks of the highest quality.

I will say, after all of this, is that 2006-2007 lacked something important… good signings. We yet again moved backwards after a quality season. Mark Gonzalez, Craig Bellamy, Fabio Aurelio, and Jermaine Pennant only seemed to make our squad bigger instead of better, and only Dirk Kuyt had the desired impact. Bellamy, despite all of the talent and quality he possesses, was offside at basically every counterattack, and Pennant would show flashes of brilliance only to then lose possession the rest of the time. He was a frustrating player, as it was so obvious he could be great. And this was beginning to become true of some of our other projects, which sadly included the once-promising Momo Sissoko. Despite some goals, Riise was also beginning to lose his swagger, and Luis Garcia’s magic touch was also fading. For the most part, we were a decent side… but major changes were needed.

#5- The 2001-2002 Season

Drama: 7/9

Entertainment: 3/9

Success: 5/9

Quality: 4/9

Total: 19 points

Michael Owen with the deserved Ballon D'or. He was different class in 2001-2002. EXCELLENT to watch!

Following up a season where we won “the Treble” was never going to be an easy task, but this group of players were full of confidence and had an exceptional follow-up despite a lack of major trophies. Winning the Super Cup 3-2 over Bayern Munich was a decent achievement, as was the 2-1 victory over Manchester United, but finishing 2nd in the Premiership was possibly the most impressive achievement… as was once again defeating the Red Devils in both Premiership encounters for the second season running. Michael Owen began the season with an absolute avalanche of goals, scoring an impressive seven goals in five matches in August and then finished up the season with 28 total goals, his largest tally since breaking into the first team. But it wasn’t just Owen grabbing goals that was impressive, it was that we were not conceding very many goals.

2001-2002 began quite well, but then a potential tragedy struck that really knocked us off course… and some would say it was the end of the “briliance” of Houllier. Perhaps a touch harsh, and heartless, but many people believe that Houllier’s heart problems that forced him to hospital during a 1-1 draw with Leeds United made Houllier lose his sense of judgment, particularly in tactics and in the transfer market. From the point of view of humanism, though, this was a sad moment for Liverpool supporters. Phil Thompson struggled initially, but then in the late winter we began to gather pace, hugely helped by a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford (Murphy again!) that sparked a run of four Premiership wins where we outscored our opponents 12-0… and three of those were road victories! Houllier’s return to action corresponded with our last match in the 2nd group, where we needed a 2-0 win over Roma to qualify for the knockout round. A penalty from Litmanen, and a dramatic second half header from Emile Heskey gave us the three points and the scoreline we required, and we were given a tough tie with emerging Bayer Leverkusen. Though we lost that quarterfinal tie in traumatic circumstances, it was clear that Liverpool FC were back in business in the European game. It was the first time we had been in the European Cup competition since 1984-85, due to the Heysel disaster and the “1990s disaster (we were crap),” and we were showing the world we were a force to be reckoned with.

The season came to an unbelievable close, largely thanks to the form of loanee Nicolas Anelka and a return to form from Emile Heskey, where we won 13 of our last 15 fixtures (INCREDIBLE) and did so against some truly top sides. Sadly for us, Arsenal went on a similar run and won the title by 7 points, yet we edged out Manchester United for the first time in the table since the 1990-1991 season! Possibly more sadly for us, Houllier made the decision to not bring Anelka on full-time, a decision that would haunt him, as we would struggle to find a competent replacement for him and Owen’s own lack of quality a few years later would have been greatly helped by Anelka’s skill and goalscoring ability. Though the season ended brilliantly, and we were doing very well, there were perhaps a few red flags of what was to come. On a positive note, though, living in that moment of 2001-2002 was very rewarding, as there were dramatic moments (Smicer’s last-gasp volley at home to Chelsea, Murphy’s late lob at Old Trafford, Heskey’s header against Roma, and a great Owen strike against West Ham (twice, actually)) and some splendid team goals throughout the season. Though not many goals from this season were absolute crackerjacks, we played some outstanding football and thoroughly deserved the success we had.

#4- The 2004-2005 Season

Drama: 1/9

Entertainment: 6/9

Success: 2/9

Quality: 7/9

Total: 16 points

Rafa cracks a rare smile as he lifts the Champions League trophy in his first year at the club. WHAT a moment!

It would be incredibly easy to get carried away with the exploits of our Champions League success and forget that during the majority of the season we were a horrible mix of players… particularly the “deadwood” from Houllier’s last days. Yet, somehow, this horrible mix of players managed to lift the Champions League trophy against all the odds. The magic of this season was that despite our truly horrendous personnel (Dudek, Traore, Diao, Sinama Pongolle, Mellor, Josemi, Nunez, etc.) we were able to produce some of the most tremendous performances and results have ever seen in Europe. Whether it was the final itself where we came back from 0-3 down to win it on penalties, or the improbable 2-1 defeat of dominant Juventus, or even that 3-1 comeback (yes, 3-1 COMEBACK) over Olympiakos just to qualify for the knockout round, we seemed to always pull a rabbit out of the hat in the 2004-2005 campaign. Yet, domestically, we finished 5th with a whimper and hardly looked like Champions League entrants, not to mention winners. We had a major problem with goalscoring, with our top scorers over the course of the season being Gerrard, Baros and Luis Garcia with 13 each, our defending was simply awful (only 7 clean sheets in the league in 38 matches), and we were utterly toothless against the big sides… with the exception of that memorable 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Anfield.

To focus on the negatives in 2004-2005 would be pointless, though. We had a new manager, Michael Owen had left the club at the very last second (thanks a lot, MO), and we had so much dead wood that it was no wonder we looked like strangers all season. Rafa essentially spent 2004-2005 figuring out who was worthy of sticking around and who was needed to be sold on. He inherited some players who were extremely short on confidence, and others that were assured of their place in the side under Houllier when they really should not have been. Finishing 5th wasn’t the worst thing in the world, especially when you consider the amazing progress we made in Europe with the rubbish we had to work with. The road to Europe was an especially improbable one. A 2-1 aggregate success over AK Graz got us underway, and as Carragher said at the end of the season, “that’s all we realistically expected and from there we were just hoping to get money for the club and see what happened in the group stages.” (not an exact quote… just a paraphrased summary) The group stage was indeed very much touch and go on whether we would qualify or not. A 2-0 win over Monaco was promising, but then we dropped two matches 1-0 on the road and drew 0-0 to Deportivo La Coruna at Anfield. The 1-0 win at Depor gave us hope, though, and we went into our last match with Olympiakos needing to win by two clear goals to progress. When Rivaldo opened up the scoring for Olympiakos, it looked bleak… particuarly with the 0-1 scorline at halftime. We had only scored 3 goals in the entire first five matches, so needing to double that amount in the second half was not expected. Yet, we did it. First it was Sinama-Pongolle (a very peripheral figure during Rafa’s reign), then it was Mellor (the unlikely hero of the late autumn/early winter), and finally it was Gerrard’s thunderbolt… who emerged as a fantastic world-class player in 2004-2005.  We were surprised as supporters that we even made it to this point, and we’d be even more surprised after this. A kind draw gave us Bayer Leverkusen, and we cruised past them 6-2 on aggregate, mainly thanks to the on-fire Luis Garcia. And it would be King Luis again who would be the hero in the quarterfinals with what was my second favorite all-time Liverpool goal (behind Gerrard’s FA Cup Final strike) against Juventus. Hyypia had opened the scoring, but when Garcia’s speculative 30 yard volley flew over the head of Buffon, I went absolutely apesh**.  We would go on to progress 2-1 on aggregate only to face Chelsea, who had owned us in 2004-2005. After a great 0-0 away draw, we scored the “phantom goal” at Anfield and went on to make it to the final 1-0 on aggregate. Luis Garcia’s goal probably was on the line as it was cleared, but justice was served because Cech TOTALLY took out Milan Baros in the process. The final itself, which was arguably my greatest life memory behind getting married, was absolutely unbelievable. The unlikely 0-3 scoreline at halftime put me in total depression, and I prayed to God for PRIDE… not even a victory! Yet, a victory is what somehow transpired.

Istanbul and the whole series of events that came with it are far too complex and memorable to stick in a paragraph or two, so I’ll just cover the major highlights. We were awful in the first half, and with Finnan and Kewell both picking up knocks, things were not looking positive. AC Milan scored in the first minute (Maldini), and scored two more by halftime, both from excellent counterattacks that led to Crespo goals. At 0-3, pride was needed, and who else than the now legendary Gerrard to do it. He had scored some stunners in 2004-2005, including that marvellous volley against Middlesbrough, the stunningly powerful freekick against Portsmouth, and of course that superb half-volley rocket against Olympiakos. But none of these goals compared to a decent header against Milan to give us hope. It was a good header, but the significance will always mean more than the quality. And “quality” is exactly what happend two minutes later (56th minute) from Smicer, who lasered a daisycutter into the far lower corner against a stunned Milan. GAME ON. It was inevitable, then, that a few minutes after that we levelled matters with an Alonso penalty. Though the penalty was saved, he put it back in, and from there on destiny was on our side. In the last minute of extra time, all that good work was almost undone, but like I said, destiny was on our side and Dudek’s double-point-blank-miracle-save against Shevchenko. This gave us belief in the penalties, which we won 3-2, and it was again Dudek who denied Shevchenko. Cue absolute bedlam throughout the world, and my buddy Chris and I experienced it in our tiny college apartment. BRILLIANT… totally unforgettable. Nothing could ever top this, but the rest of the season was one to forget, so this season can only rank 4th.

#3- The 2005-2006 Season

Drama: 3/9

Entertainment: 4/9

Success: 3/9

Quality: 2/9

Total: 12 points

Reina's save from Ferdinand in the FA Cup Final's PK Shootout gives us the cup... and our players rush in celebration.

Down 2-3 in the FA Cup Final after the flukiest of fluke goals by Paul Konchesky, Steven Gerrard was cramping up. It was the 90th minute, and the hero of Istanbul had already fallen to the ground in need of a stretch-out. It was a very hot day, and Gerrard had already miraculously attempted to get his side back in the match with a thumping equalizer (we had been 0-2 down, and Cisse gave us 1-2 hope, and then it was Gerrard’s equalizer). But, this day was different and collecting the runners-up medal was looking increasingly more of the destiny than winning it. A poor West Ham clearance fell to Gerrard, though, and he lofted a decent ball into the box. It wasn’t that threatening, and it was returned to the top of the box with ease by the defenders. The ball seemed to magnetically find itself bobbling into the path of Gerrard, though, and with cramped legs and all, he figured he’d take a swipe at it because he was too tired to do otherwise. And what a swipe. The ball flew from 35 yards into the lower corner in the most laserbeam fashion I’ve seen in years. Yours truly jumped wildly in celebration, fracturing his toe against the coffee table leg. No care in the world. I was too happy to care! Gerrard had done it again. And naturally, we won in penalties, and lifted a major trophy after a 3-3 draw and PK success for the second season running.

2005-2006 was full of dramatic moments like this, and many of them came in the crazy FA Cup fun. Oddly enough, our European journey was totally devoid of drama. We began incredibly early in the summer- 1st qualifying round, thanks to an appeal to allow us in the competition as the previous winners- and easily made it into the group, and then just as easily into the knockout rounds, where we were unceremoniously dumped out in the round of 16 by Benfica. In the League Cup, we lost at the first time of asking to lowly Crystal Palace. In the league, we were struggling initially, only to go 10 matches in a row without loss OR draw… OR conceding any goals. Yes. You heard that. 30 points out of 30 and no goals allowed! In fact, in that stretch, we had 11 consecutive clean sheets in all competitions, a new club record. During that time, our new goalkeeper Pepe Reina was making a major name for himself, Carragher and Hyypia were fostering an impressive understanding, and Xabi Alonso was connecting with Gerrard and Luis Garcia even more than in previous seasons. New signing Peter Crouch had finally gotten over his slump and was scoring goals for fun, and even Harry Kewell was looking like a consistent threat! The blend of players was absolutely fantastic in this squad, and though we did not have much depth, we did not necessarily need it. We lacked goalscorers up front, as Crouch and Cisse had their qualities… and Morientes/Sinama Pongolle couldn’t hit a barn door in most matches… but we had just about everything else going for us.

Then came February, where it all came crashing down. Two straight 0-2 losses to Charlton and Chelsea stunted our progress, and though we finished the season in similar fashion to this wonderful late-autumn run, with 12 straight victories in all competitions, the league run ended with a 3rd place finish… with 82 points. 82! That can win the title in some years! Anyhow, the FA Cup is where the magic happened, and nothing was more magical or dramatic as the 3rd round tie against Luton Town. Gerrard gave us the lead with an arrogant swing of his foot from 20 yards, curling the ball whilst standing. Insane goal, if you haven’t seen it! But then we found ourselves 1-3 down, including a missed penalty by Cisse (who was brilliant AND frustratingly poor all season long) by the hour mark. Then came the madness. A sublime throughball by Alonso found Sinama Pongolle totally unmarked, and he slipped the ball under the keeper into the lower corner. 2-3. Alonso was at it again seven minutes later, skying a POSSIBLY deflected strike from 40 yards into the top corner over the flailing Beresford in net. 3-3. Sinama Pongolle was next, five minutes later, heading in a lovely cross by Steve Finnan into the corner. 4-3, and total insanity from my friend Chris and I in our living room. Was this really happening? Yes, and the best was yet to come, with Xabi Alonso’s 90th minute 70 yard left footed strike that bobbled its way into the empty net. 5-3, and one of the best matches of the decade… regardless of the opposition! This match wasn’t the only dramatic one, though, with a 7-0 thrashing of Birmingham being the only easy road there. A 2-1 semifinal success, thanks to Riise and Luis Garcia classics- and a missed Joe Cole sitter- over Chelsea gave us hope for the final, and we won on penalties in that final thanks to Pepe Reina’s heroics.

#2- The 2008-2009 Season

Drama: 4/9

Entertainment: 1/9

Success: 4/9

Quality: 1/9

Total: 10 points

Gerrard scores the second goal in the famous 4-1 thrashing of Manchester Utd. at Old Trafford.

2008-2009 produced probably our best footballing side of the decade, yet somehow it did not produce any trophies. But the title run on its own and the outstanding nature of the goals we scored makes it one of the more memorable seasons in a long, long while. Whether it was the incredible form of Steven Gerrard, who was back to his best after a few “decent, but not dominant” seasons, or whether it was the late goals from Kuyt, Gerrard, Torres, or Benayoun, or even if it was doubles over Chelsea and Manchester United in the league, this season gave us incredible entertainment and quality. Xabi Alonso, though, was the major force of this squad. Even though Gerrard won the player of the year, Alonso’s passing, tempo-control and goals gave us that extra edge. This team was simply breathtaking at times, truly cranking the pressure and dominating. Need convincing? Look at this stretch in March: home to Real Madrid, we won 4-0… away to Manchester United, we won 4-1… home to Aston Villa, we won 5-0. Yes. That’s impressive. There is no denying that!

Last minute goals were definitely the major highlight other than almost winning the title in 2008-09. Down 0-2 at Manchester City, a second half double from Torres gave us a 2-2 scoreline. Then, Dirk Kuyt popped in with his first league goal in nearly a year to give us the 3-2 advantage. The very next week, Kuyt did it again in a home fixture with Wigan. Tied once again at 2-2 after being behind, Kuyt’s awkward scissor kick flew off the ground and into the top corner in the dying seconds of the match. Earlier in the season, against Middlesbrough, it was Steven Gerrard who came up with the late drama. Boro had taken a 0-1 lead in the 70th, only for Carragher’s deflected strike to equalize on 85 minutes. Deep into injury time, with 1-1 looking likely, a floated ball into the box fell off of Robbie Keane (who was shocking for us… and not in a good way) and Steven Gerrard curled in a beauty from 20 yards into the side netting for a dramatic 2-1 win. Yossi Benayoun also had a few late moments, including a late header to beat Real Madrid at the Bernebeu and an even more dramatic late winner in late stoppage time at Fulham… both leading to 1-0 wins that were crucial for our season. But the nod for late drama goes to Fernando Torres, who gave three special moments. The first was against Sunderland, where he had been silent all match long. Xabi Alonso found Torres in space for the first time in the contest, and with only 7 minutes left, Torres smacked in the winner low into the corner from 25 yards out. 5 months later, it was Chelsea’s turn to suffer. At 0-0 with 2 minutes left, Torres turned the match on its head. First, it was a sneaky near post header. 1-0. Then it was Yossi’s hard work that led to a simple tap-in. 2-0. Torres wasn’t done, though. Portsmouth was next, and though Fabio Aurelio and Dirk Kuyt had twiced equalized for us, it was 2-2 in the 93rd minute. Who would step up and give us the 3 points? TORRES! With a header of pure quality. Never before have I reacted to a goal like this in the manner in which I did, but I just simply crumbled in tears. Though he had been incredible before, I realized at that moment just how special he was and how our team might just win the title. Sadly, poor form followed and we couldn’t do it… but at that time, I thought we could.

The season was full of amazing goals, as well, not just the late ones. Torres’ volley against Blackburn is surely contender for goal of the decade (which is my next post). and Agger’s long range missile into the top corner from 30+ yards is also in that category…. both were in the same match. Aurelio’s free-kicks against Chelsea and Manchester United were pretty decent, and Riera had a long strike against PSV, as well, and who could forget “that goal” by Gerrard at Marseille, when he swiveled his hips to curl the ball over the head of the keeper from fully 30 yards out AND off to the side of the goal? Special. Truly special. As mentioned before, this side played incredible stuff and were very unlucky not to win anything. We deserved SOME kind of trophy for the quality in which we possessed, not to mention the mentality we had as a club. Week after week, the players put their heart and soul out on the pitch, and unfortunately draws at home against lesser sides ultimately undid our chances… as did some late drama from Manchester United late into the season from unlikely sources. The luck we had early on had finally reached its way to Manchester, and fate just was not on our side. But this season was truly memorable and one I hope we can reproduce. With a trophy instead of nothing to show for it.

#1- The 2000-2001 Season

Drama: 2/9

Entertainment: 2/9

Success: 1/9

Quality: 3/9

Total: 8 points

"He has won the cup tie all by himself!" Owen's double gives us our second trophy in what was a truly remarkable season.

I was a very lucky supporter in my early days. My first full season as a Liverpool supporter was in 1999-2000, where I saw our club beginning to take shape. Then, in only my second season following this great club, we won a “Treble” of trophies. We qualified for the Champions League for the first time since the 1984-1985 season, and some of the goals we scored were simply unbelievable. We played over 60 matches, scored 127 goals, and won 38 of those matches in all competitions. Michael Owen finished the season in absolutely scintilatting form, Steven Gerrard scored some magnificent goals and won the PFA Young Player of the Year, and Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz continued to dominate in the back. Even Emile Heskey had a blinder of a season, producing some excellent football and scoring goals for fun. Our squad had incredible depth, particularly in midfield, where we had the luxury of playing nearly 8 different players, most of whom were versatile and could play all across the middle four positions (Gerrard, Murphy, Barmby, Berger, Hamann, McAllister, Smicer, Biscan). Houllier had plenty of options, and he used them well. Up front, we had three incredibly talented strikers in Owen, Heskey, and Fowler. In the back, Carragher, Babbel, Hyypia, and Henchoz were insanely good, and our only weakness was at goalkeeper with Westerveld.

In the league, Liverpool were playing their best stuff since 1996. We finished third, and had some wonderful moments. For the first time since the late 1970s, we did the double over Manchester United, we crushed Arsenal 4-0 at Anfield, and we put on some footballing masterclasses along the way (4-0 over Charlton and 3-0 over Aston Villa, both away from Anfield, to name a few). This side was defensively oriented, for sure, but when we wanted to, our attack was fantastic to watch. Some of the goals in this season were simply stunning. The fact that McAllister’s swinging 40 yard free kick into low corner just missed my top 10 in my season review for 00-01 says it all. Gerrard was the main culprit for this, scoring long-range classics against Southampton, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Aston Villa. Hamann was also responsible, scoring a lovely chest-and-volley (yes… “chest and volley”) against Manchester City, as was Heskey, who scored a few beauties against Coventry City and Derby County. Robbie Fowler was also up to his old antics, scoring a dipping volley in the League Cup Final against Birmingham City and a looping overhead kick at Charlton. Our Czechs scored a few nice ones, as well, with Berger’s laser against Derby and Smicer’s against West Ham being quite easy on the eye.  It was not just a season for goals, though. The trophies were the memorable stuff!

Our run for three trophies was quite impressive. It didn’t matter who we played, we just seemed to breeze past them, or dramatically knock them out without having to make a comeback. Let’s start with the League Cup. We knocked out Chelsea 2-1, thanks to goals from Murphy and Fowler (Fowler’s being very late in the contest), and then Stoke City 8-0. The thrashing at Stoke was impressive, with a Fowler hat-trick and five different scorers as well. Then came Fulham, who were sterner opposition, leading us into extra time. The goals flowed in those 30 minutes, though, with Owen, Barmby and Smicer all netting. The semifinals gave us Crystal Palace, who gave us our toughest test… in the first leg, anyhow. We lost 1-2, with Smicer scoring a late goal to give us hope. That said, the second leg was anything but close, as we crushed them 5-0. Smicer and Murphy were the heroes of the day, and we then made it to the final against Birmingham. Fowler’s dipping classic from 30 yards gave us the lead, only for a late, late equalizer from Birmingham to dash our hope. It went to penalties, where both sides were scoring some nice pens… only for Andrew Johnson to shank his right at Westerveld, and the cup was ours! That was #1. #2 was the FA Cup. It began with a Heskey-inspired 3-0 win over Rotherham, and continued with another Heksey-inspired win at Leeds, which was a FANTASTIC 2-0 result for us, as we had been outplayed all match long. The 5th round brought us Manchester City, and we beat them 4-2 in a rollercoaster of a match, where Vladimir Smicer won us not one, but two penalties. In the semifinals, we defeated Wycombe Wanderers, the giant killers, by a slim 2-1 margin, and it took until over the hour mark to get the lead. Heskey’s header was what did it, and then Fowler’s majestic freekick doubled the lead. Despite Wycombe’s best attempts, we had made the final… and what a special final it would be for Michael Owen. Down 0-1 to Arsenal and with only 10 minutes left to play, Owen decided to win the cup final all by himself. First it was a lovely right foot half-volley in the six yard box in a pinball corner kick move. Then, it was from a fantastic Berger throughball, where Owen shrugged off Dixon and Keown and slid it into the far corner past Seaman into the low side netting. The crowd went absolutely bonkers, and Owen was the hero. 2-1 victory, and our second trophy. That was #2. #3 was the UEFA Cup, which was far less dramatic until the semifinal against Barcelona and then the final against Alaves… which was an instant classic. We beat some good sides along the way (Roma and Porto, for example) and some minnows (Rapid Bucharest, Slovan Liberec, and Olympiakos (at the time they were a minnow)), and we fully deserved our place in the semis. Barcelona was a tough test, though, and we only qualified 1-0 on aggregate after heroically keeping out Barca at the Nou Camp and then scoring a penalty at Anfield. Gary McAllister’s penalty flew by, funnily enough, Pepe Reina and we were in the final. Pundits suggested that defensively oriented Liverpool and defensively oriented Alaves would play a dull final. How wrong they were. We desperately wanted to win our third cup, something our team had never achieved in all its history, and we got off to the best possible start. Markus Babbel’s header opened it up, and then Steven Gerrard made it two with Owen’s nice touch leaving him with only the keeper to beat. Alaves pulled one back, but then Owen was taken down in the box and McAllister made it 3-1 with a PK. 3-1 became 3-3 in the second half, though, and the Spaniards were gaining momentum. That was, of course, until Robbie Fowler scored a brilliant 4th, turning Alaves inside out and smacking it into the low corner. At 4-3, we looked to have won it… until the 88th minute when former Manc Jordi Cruyff levelled it up at 4-4. With only minutes left in extra time, though, we got the golden goal when McAllister’s free kick was headed in incredibly by their own player! 5-4, and we had won it! Absolutely incredible. What a season! I sometimes have to remind myself that this season actually happened and that it isn’t just a story. What a way to start the decade… a decade I’ll never forget.

10- Luis Garcia

King Luis

The little Spanish winger/forward/utility player was not the most consistent of players, but it seemed like any moment of brilliance came at a time that was history-forming. In a season of massive transition- and success- Luis Garcia was a bright light amongst many mediocre players. He had trickery, the confidence to try something out of the ordinary, and he often produced stunning goals that truly could excite the senses and ignite hope in your heart that something was going to happen. I’ll never forget “that goal” against Juventus, a brilliant half-volley from 30 yards over the head of Buffon, or that “goal” against Chelsea, but those are not the only moments. Goals at Anfield against Charlton, Tottenham, and Everton are also in the discussion, as well as probably the greatest header I can think of when he somehow rocketed a turning header from 18 yards off of the bar and in from an improbable angle against Anderlecht. That was King Luis for you. Improbable. He’d miss a tap-in, but score a header from the top of the box. Classic.

9- Dietmar Hamann

Didi Hamann strikes from distance again!

Simplicity, organization, and tempo control. Didi Hamann personified all of these traits in what was the hallmark of the successful Houllier days in the early ’00s. We may not have scored many goals, and Didi certainly did not, but we weren’t going to let any in! With Didi in the middle of the park, he made sure of that. Sweeping away attacks in the quietest of ways, Hamann drove forward the Liverpool attack through his fabulous tackling and composure to make the right pass at the right time. He also had a rocket of a shot and scored some absolute screamers. His goal against Portsmouth in 2004 is without question the best volley, technically, in Premiership history. If you have not had the joy to see it, you must do so immediately! WOW.

8- Danny Murphy

Danny Murphy's penalty sinks Man Utd. at Old Trafford in 2004.

Murphy had this way of scoring goals against the big sides in the big moment… which is probably best underlined in his three goals in 1-0 victories at Old Trafford in a space of four seasons. Goals against Arsenal and Everton were also there, though, so he wasn’t just a one-trick pony. Murphy was never really a fan favorite, nor was he ever truly given (except for in 2002-2003) a guaranteed role in the squad, yet he managed to come up with moments of brilliance on a season-by-season basis. His goals were often spectacular, and did he ever miss a penalty? When he was out on the right, with Gerrard and Hamann in the middle, Liverpool were capable of some pretty impressive things. I’m not really sure we have quite found a replacement for him, to be honest, and a player of his free-kick ability would be greatly appreciated in the current squad!

7- Jamie Carragher

Jamie Carragher

Probably the most over-rated player in recent memory, but Carra has done wonders for our clubs in the ’00s. His heart, desire, and local upbringing make him a huge favorite with the Kop, though, and his heroics in a 5-6 year span ARE worth his spot in this list. From about 2000-2001 to 2005-2006, Carragher was one of the best defenders in England. He was quick, talented, tough, and always popped up at the right time. Had in not been for these past 4 seasons, I firmly believe Carra would be #3 or #4 on this list… but his game has faded and his decision making has also gone with it. But let’s focus on the positives… namely the 2005 Champions League Final. With horrific cramps and hamstring problems, he made some game-saving challenges where it was obvious he probably should have been taken off, but he demanded to play through the pain. That sort of character and desire is vintage Carra, which is exactly how I hope to remember him.

6- Pepe Reina

Reina once again collects the "Golden Glove"

Is he our best goalkeeper since the days of Ray Clemence? I personally believe he is, though probably not QUITE as good. But he is certainly our best in nearly 30 years, and I love his style. He plays with tenacity, enthusiasm, athleticism, and quality. Saving penalties in the FA Cup Final in 2006 was legendary on its own, but to then do it again in such style in the Champions League semifinals a season later against rivals Chelsea was even more impressive. Reina has such a gift, and fortunately for us, that gift has often been seen in important moments. But his game is not limited solely to PK saves. He is also the master of clean sheets, breaking all sorts of records along the way. He was the fast Liverpool keeper to ever record 50 and 100 clean sheets. Additonally, he is also the first Premiership keeper to win three consecutive golden gloves (most clean sheets). Absolute quality.

5- Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso: Pass Master

What can be said about this man that does him proper justice other than, “we have crumbled without him.” With Alonso in the side, the Rafalution truly ticked. Without him, it is simply just Torres and Gerrard running around with a hope and a prayer that they’ll get a good shot at it. Alonso was the glue, the tempo-controller, and the creative influence rolled up into one fabulous player. It was evident from the first time he put on his laces at the club that we were going to love him (in a 3-0 win over West Brom at Anfield), and the love affair never went away. He had a few stuttering seasons in the middle, but he saved the best for last, with an incredible 2008-2009 where at times he single-handedly led us to victories. Will anyone ever forget his TWO 60 yard goals? His penalty against Milan to tie up the final? His awesome hair?  And you have to remember, too, that Steven Gerrard’s goal tally SKYROCKETED when Alonso came, because he could finally express himself. A true great is one who is not only amazing themselves, but makes others around them better. Alonso DEFINITELY fits that bill. LEGEND. Simple as.

4- Sami Hyypia

90th minute winner against Wolves. Typical Hyypia!

Without a doubt, Hyypia was the best signing Houllier made in his tenure at the club, and probably the best signing our club had made since John Barnes in 1987. Unstoppable in the air, great at finishing when given the chance, and hardly ever caught out defensively, Hyypia was everything you could want in a central defender. He played with his brains more than any player I have seen at his position, and it was amazing how little cards he would collect. There was no need for rash tackles for Hyypia, because he would get to the ball first almost every time. The way he left the club, too, was honorable and fitting for how he was as a person. Anfield gave him such an incredible reception as he played his last match, and I remember having streaming tears myself. I miss him already! I’m not sure whether my lasting impression of him will be lifting the three cups in 2001, completely shutting down Juventus and Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League, scoring his flying towering header in front of the Kop against Wolves- or indeed in front of the Anfield Road End against Arsenal in the Champions League- or if it will be for the way he was carried off of the field in his last match, but regardless of what it is, I will have many memories to cherish.

3- Michael Owen

Owen with the Ballon D'Or in 2001... and it was MUCH deserved!

What a goal-scorer Owen was. 74 goals in this decade in the league alone in only 4 1/2 seasons (99-00 as a “half” season) tells you why. Had he not left in the manner in which he did, I firmly believe LFC supporters would still talk about him like they talk about Fowler, Rush, Keegan, Hunt and Dalglish. Sadly, he went out with greed and with a lack of respect towards the club. But during his time here, we absolutely adored the man for his goals. The “Boy Wonder” had his best years with us, scoring some marvellous goals, but more than anything, he scored LOADS of goals. In his career, he scored 158 times in 297 matches, including a stretch of seasons (beginning with 2000-2001) where he scored 24 goals, then 28, 28 again, and finally 19 in his last season at the club. He was European Player of the Year in 2001, collecting the Ballon D’Or for that incredible point of time when he “won the cup all by himself” (2-1 over Arsenal in the FA Cup Final), scored 9 goals in the month of May, 7 goals in August, and a total of 31 in that calendar year. Owen, at that moment, was unstoppable. I’ll never forget him for that, not to mention for getting me hooked on Liverpool, and I hope one day that I can TRULY forgive him for joining Man U and for leaving in such a heartless, apathetic, and business-like way, because he was an absolute legend out there.

2- Fernando Torres

3-2 to the 'Pool thanks to a late Torres header. Sound familiar?

Has any Liverpool player come in and scored goals at such an astonishing rate? And to ask a further question, if they did, were they ever as spectacular of goals as the goals Torres has scored? I doubt it. In fact, with one more league goal, Torres will become the fastest player in Liverpool history to 50 league goals… and he has 9 more matches in which to achieve that feat. With 61 goals in 102 matches at the time of writing, Torres has an insane goals-to-match ratio (1 goal in every 1.67 matches). So how does that compare to other legends? Rush- (1 goal in every 1.81 matches)… Hunt (1 goal in every 1.72 matches)… Fowler (1 goal in every 2.01 matches)… Keegan (1 goal in every 3.23 matches)… Dalglish (1 goal in every 2.99 matches)… and Owen (1 goal in every 1.87 matches) are about as close as you get, but Torres still has a superior ratio, and will most likely continue this streak. The manner of his goals, however, is truly what has caught the eye of the supporters. Rockets from outside of the box, solo runs, ankle-breaking turns, and lobs have all been part of the repertoire, and it seems like nothing is beyond his capability. And it isn’t just against the likes of Hull City, West Ham and Bolton either. The team he has scored the most against is indeed Chelsea (and West Ham… 5 against each). He has goals against Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan to go with it, not to mention hat-tricks against Reading, West Ham, Middlesbrough, and Hull City. Fernando Torres is the best striker we’ve had at the club since Rush, and given how incredible Fowler and Owen were in their prime, that is quite the accomplishment. His 33 goals in his debut season were impressive, but the record breaker was when he scored 24 league goals in that season, the most a foreigner had ever scored in their first season in the Premiership, and indeed in British football history. When fit, Torres is almost unplayable, and he has been an absolute joy to watch.

1- Steven Gerrard

Best Moment of My Supporting Life! And His, Probably, Too!

I could write a 60 page essay about why Steven Gerrard is deserving of the #1 player not just on this list, but on almost any list you can draw up. When he is healthy, I do not think England or indeed the Premiership has ever seen a more complete player than Gerrard. He is absolutely brilliant in every area of the game. Gerrard scores brilliant goals, has superb vision, is a delightful dribbler of the ball, is faster than almost everyone out there, can tackle with grace or with tenacity (and fairly), scores at the last moment of matches, grabs goals in cup finals (more on that later), and has the ability to make others around him look like superstars when they are indeed quite mediocre without him. “Captain Fantastic” is not just a footballer… he is an icon of LFC and of the city of Liverpool. He represents what our great club is all about, and I’m not sure a player like that has ever existed in such abundance at Liverpool as Gerrard. Emlyn Hughes, perhaps, but Gerrard is a far better overall player… and that is with absolutely NO disprespect to one of our club’s greatest servants and indeed players. With 125 goals in 505 matches upon writing this piece, Gerrard has not only been playing for quite awhile, but he has scored an insane amount of goals given that much of this time has been on the right wing or in the center of midfield. Over the last four seasons, not counting 2009-2010, Gerrard has scored 79 goals. That’s 20 a season as a central mid! And they aren’t just tap-ins, mind you. Gerrard scores howlitzers. It would take paragraph upon paragraph to leave you with proper memories of his blasters. You almost just have to watch it on youtube or dvd to understand. Upper corner strikes are his hallmark, and he has done it against some of the best clubs in the world. Most people remember his glorious hit against Manchester United, his volley against Middlesbrough, his equalizer from nearly 40 yards against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup Final (in which I broke my toe celebrating) and his bending curler at Marseille, but those aren’t the only ones by a long shot (pun most definitely intended). Aston Villa has suffered the long range bomb on more than one occasion, as has West Ham, and I’m sure that Bolton and Newcastle are sick of the sight of him! Long shots aside, Gerrard’s goals have also been quite important. He has the distinction of scoring in the Champions League Final, the UEFA Cup Final, the FA Cup Final, and the League Cup Final. That is not only impressive, but simply legendary! His goals in the 2006 FA Cup Final will never be forgotten, nor will his header in Istanbul, and I firmly believe that this will be his lasting impression in the future. Gerrard may never get his coveted Premiership trophy, but I don’t think that will matter in the end when people judge him. Steven Gerrard will forever be thought of as one of Liverpool FC’s greatest all-time players, and rightfully so. CHEERS, Gerrard!

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Ten Honorable Mentions- John Arne Riise, Steve Finnan, Yossi Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt, Robbie Fowler (he’d be #1 on the ’90s list, just so you know…), Stephane Henchoz, Jerzy Dudek, Patrik Berger, Emile Heskey and Peter Crouch.

John... Ar-ne Riise... I Wanna Know-oh-oh... How'd You Score That Goal?

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Ten Lovable or Impactful Players Not On Honorable Mentions or Top 10 That I Would Like to Mention- Igor Biscan, Markus Babbel, Harry Kewell, Gary McAllister, Milan Baros, Vladimir Smicer, Javier Mascherano, Daniel Agger, Djibril Cisse, and Momo Sissoko.

Vladimir Smicer... One Match Legend

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Top 5 Dis-Honorable Mentions- Salif Diao, El Hadji Diouf, Lucas Leiva, Josemi, Fernando Morientes

"Dioufus"

In 2000-2001, we broke Everton’s heart in more than one way. Not only was the 3-1 win heartbreaking for them, but for their former player-of-the-year Nick Barmby scoring a header for us? That’s just downright mean. And THEN we hit them on the break through Heskey, with Patrik Berger wrapping it up with a nice little penalty to finish the deal. Kevin Campbell had opened the scoring, and though it looked like it might be two straight defeats against our “friendly” rivals, the thought of it was frighteningly “not good.” So when Barmby equalized with a fabulous header, and then with Heskey smacking a low, bouncing dipper past Gerrard (not Steven… THEIR Gerrard), we were home and dry. Berger’s penalty was just a little bit of sugar to add to the mix. At the time, I had a mild understanding of the Merseyside Derby, but only in words rather than feeling.

That was clearly not the case in 2004-2005, as I celebrated a Merseyside Derby victory at Anfield after three consecutive draws, with the last two having had finished 0-0. For this one, I travelled from Bellingham down to Seattle (an hour and a half drive, approximately) to my favorite sports pub, “The George and Dragon.” Sure… part of the reason was seeing my parents, but I wouldn’t pass up seeing this match-up at the George, I can tell you that much! The place was packed, and mainly with Liverpool supporters. It opened in the best way possible, with a Steven Gerrard slow-rolling, but perfectly placed freekick low around the wall and into the low corner past Nigel Martyn. Not one of Gerrard’s most stunning strikes, but certainly an important one as the two clubs were fighting for fourth (which Everton happened to get, as it turns out… yet we qualified for the Champions League, anyhow!). I recall jumping up and down with a bunch of people I had never met before. That’s the beauty of the George. Anyhow, that goal was quickly followed up in the first half by a wonderful strike from Morientes from distance that Martyn could only palm onto the bar and Luis Garcia was left with the easiest of headed tap-ins into the empty net, sending Anfield and the Kop End, AND The George, into absolute delirium. Missed chance after missed chance by Milan Baros followed in the second half, as well as injuries to about half of our squad, and eventually Baros was given a red card for a horrific challenge on Stubbs. Though Tim Cahill went on to pull one back for them, we held on miraculously for a 2-1 victory that will live long in the memory.

A year later, and an even more memorable Merseyside Derby was to follow. This one was at the less glamorous location of my parents’ living room in the wee hours of the morning, but this was one of those few matches that you remember where you truly acted and celebrated like a man possessed, body parts flailing in directions you didn’t know were possible and in ferocity unimaginable. I’m pretty sure I foamed at the mouth a few times I was so pumped. Why? Because of all matches I have ever seen as a Liverpool supporter (except the two 3-3 cup finals), I have never seen such a rollercoaster ride that went in our favor despite the odds being stacked against us. It began horribly, with Gerrard being given two straight yellows in a rush of blood that I’m sure even he couldn’t explain. Despite all of that, we had Phil Neville to thank for a majestically placed Own-Goal header that I’m sure even Torres, Owen, Fowler or Rush would have difficulty scoring. It was just a total fluke. And that fluke gave us some momentum heading into the second half, with Luis Garcia running through and chipping brilliantly over the head of Martyn and sending the Kop into delight for 2-0. If the Neville goal gave me laughter and relief, this goal sent me bonkers, pumping my fists, jumping up and down, etc. etc. We unfortunately conceded to Cahill, yet again, though… but we fought back. At 2-1, and down to 10 men, we continued to battle it out with both sides having plenty of chances. Shortly thereafter, Everton went down to 10 men with a red card of their own (Van Der Meyde elbow on Xabi), and they couldn’t recover. Harry Kewell made sure of that in spectacular style, as he laced a sublime dipping left-footed beauty from 20 yards after embarrassing the defense with a dummy, sending (once again) The Kop and yours truly into embarrassing celebrations of glee and insanity. Glorious stuff.

2006-2007 once again provided a goal-less draw, so in 2007-2008 it was up to Fernando Torres to come up with some magic. My memories of this match are unfortunately unfortunate (if that makes sense), as I woke up tragically 15 minutes in to the match. It WAS nice to see that we were up 1-0, but I wanted to see and celebrate the goal! Turns out Torres scored a nice low drive after great hard work from Alonso and Kuyt after only 7 minutes (pardon the video link’s lack of English!). A great win, but the rest of the match was scrappy and hard to remember.

Will 2008-2009 provide a glorious home match memory? The reverse fixture at Goodison finished 2-0 in our favor this year, and hopefully that will be a good sign for us that we can do it again. Regardless, remembering these victories has been a pleasant experience. There’s nothing like the Merseyside Derby for drama, goals, and plenty of red cards! Let’s hope for more of the same, but with the red cards being theirs, not ours!!

Babel celebrates after downing Man Utd. 2-1. One for the Top 10?

So for the sake of reviewing the year gone by in a POSITIVE light, here are the top 10 memories that shaped our year:

10) 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to a deflected Xabi Alonso strike. It had been a few years since we beat them at their own ground.

9) Stuffing Inter Milan 2-0 at Anfield in the Champions League round of 16. Proved we could beat anybody, as if we needed the proof!

Torres gives us a 1-0 win late on to open the season against Sunderland. A true tone-setter, and one where I celebrated like a total madman!!!

7) Dirk Kuyt saves our bacon in the last minutes against Standard Liege to send us into the Champions League group stages.

6) Robbie Keane signs on at Liverpool. It has been mixed results for him so far, but I was very excited when we signed him and have been hoping for it since 2004!

5) Gerrard scores his 100th goal against PSV with a typical rasping freekick. He’s been such a legend at the club, and is my personal hero.

4) 3-2 comeback victory at Manchester City. Down 2-0, we came back and really laid down a legit title challenge as a result.

3) Welcome Martin Skrtel! What a defender he’s been for us. A real solid tackler with excellent skill, to boot.

2) That amazing 4-2 Champions League Quarterfinal victory  over Arsenal.

1) FINALLY. Victory over Manchester United in the league, 2-1.

Disagree? TOUGH! These are my Top 10 and I think they are GLORIOUSLY selected!!!

One of my professors in college was a diehard Sunderland supporter. He picked them in the 1999-2000 because they were an up-and-coming club that seemed to have a bright future. He still supports them today, despite yo-yoing up and down between the Premiership and the Championship. One of my friends from college is a Manchester United supporter. He chose them because they played the best football and because they won things. I call this a “glory hunter,” but he’d call himself a fan of the game. He was (and still is) an excellent footballer in his own right, and perhaps this is why he’s picked a team like United. Another one of my friends from college also chose Man Utd., but his was due to his father’s choice. My good friend Geoff, who was extremely influential in my choice to fully commit to Liverpool, picked Liverpool because they had a tremendous history and were a club of exciting attacking football (at the time, they were with Barnes, McManaman, Fowler, etc.). Then you have people who pick Arsenal because they are the most entertaining. These supporters often “support” Arsenal AND Barcelona AND AC Milan AND…you catch my drift.

People all have different motives.

My motives were unclear at first. I just really enjoyed watching the game for my first year and a half. I was introduced to the Premiership in 1998 by my friend Gavin, and I was hooked after that whenever I came to his house. I then discovered a two-hour special show on FSN with Lionel Bienvenu (THE MAN, as far as I’m concerned) that showed highlights and parts of games from the Premiership. This helped me tremendously in my knowledge of the EPL. I had remembered Michael Owen from the 98 World Cup, and Liverpool were instantly in my thoughts. I always rooted for LFC whenever I watched the show, because I wanted Owen and his team to do well. But I remembered Beckham, as well, and therefore somewhat rooted for Manchester United. Obviously this was a contradiction, but I hadn’t made a choice yet. You can’t root for both Man U AND Liverpool. But that 1998-1999 season cannot be considered a year where I followed a team, so not betrayal in my mind could be considered legit. My parents went to England that following summer and had asked me if there was anything I wanted. I remember asking for stuff from Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle… you name it. I just loved the Premiership that season. But Liverpool always held a very strong spot because of Owen, and I actually started to like some of the others on the team, as well.

By the time 1999-2000 hit about its midway point, I was growing sick of Manchester United. I had liked them and Liverpool equally, as well as Arsenal, West Ham and Newcastle, but they were drifiting considerably in my mind. I knew I needed to choose somebody, and Liverpool kept creeping into my mind. A friend of one of my best friends’ little brother was a bigtime Liverpool fan. This was my first seed. He told me he’d piss all over my Manchester United jersey, but would give me a huge hug whenever I wore my Liverpool green away kit. This made it clear to me that I needed to distance myself from United. I was being blasphemous liking both clubs. By the winter of 1999-2000, Liverpool was the club I was pulling for. There wasn’t a match, necessarily, that was my first “I’m a Liverpool supporter” match, but I definitely recall pulling for them exclusively around the time that they played Watford away in January of 2000. This was the first match where I remember TRULY caring about their result. So I guess I DID have a “first match,” it is just that I didn’t TAG IT at the time as “I’m a Liverpool supporter.” That match finished 3-2 to the Reds, and I remember it well. We were up 2-0 and cruising after goals from David Thompson and Patrik Berger, but we squandered the lead and were level at 2-2. Then Vladimir Smicer stepped up and scored to give us a 3-2 lead. It was his first for the club, and I rememeber being very excited that we had won, albeit without Owen scoring. That’s how I could tell I was pulling for Liverpool. Owen had even scored, yet I wanted them to win. It was no longer just about Owen. It was about Liverpool.

I think that every love for a club starts with a few players. For me, Michael Owen was the real catalyst. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. He made me a Liverpool supporter, pure and simple. But my fandom would have just been “fandom” without loving the others. You can’t just like one player and be a TRUE supporter. Once I pulled for the likes of Berger, Hyypia, Fowler and Murphy, I knew I was actually a true supporter.

It was about Owen at first, but my love for LFC grew from JUST him to "Him and Everyone Else, too!"

My first full season being a supporter of Liverpool FC was 2000-2001, and what a season to have made that choice. I ended up being totally spoiled in my first full year. Part of me would love to say I was a supporter from 1998-1999, but I’m not so sure I can. I think that realistically, I have been a supporter since 1999-2000, but a FULL-FLEDGED DIEHARD since 2000-2001. Confusing? Not really. I’ve been a supporter since the 1999-2000 season, but an obsessed one since 2000-2001. Anywho, enough of that. One of the real sticking points for me was not having anyone to join up with. It was tough being a supporter of a club and not having anyone to take it in with me. Upon going to Western, I met a guy in my Bible study group named Geoff (who I mentioned earlier). He was pivotal in me making my dedicated choice. I actually remember talking to him about it in the hallway, and he was all excited when I was telling him that I wanted to fully support Liverpool. He was telling me how excited he was about Steven Gerrard, who at the time I thought was just another squad player who did some decent stuff from time to time. I didn’t realize how good he was until I started following with Geoff. In fairness, 2000-2001 was when he broke through, anyhow, but still. Having someone to celebrate and “soak it in” with was important.

Liverpool was now my team, and part of that experience was learning how to love HATING another side. That side was Man U. I’ll never get as passionate about playing Everton as Man U, because Man U represents the team I almost chose. I would have hated myself had I chosen United. They are the New York Yankees of football, the team that wins because they buy and market the hell out of everything. “Sell Outs” are the best term I can give. It’s not cheating, but it is certainly not earned in the way that I’d prefer to earn it as a fan. In the 2000-2001 season, I started to view Liverpool as the good guys who needed to destroy the evil Man U. We failed in that respect, but what we DID do was beat them twice! That was truly marvelous for me, and I think it honestly helped me solidify my choice. I was picking the underdog, and Man Utd. was the favorite. I like underdogs!

If 2000-2001 was unbelievably successful with the Treble, and 2001-2002 was solidifying with consistency and good Premiership progress, 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 were character-building and further evidence that I was now LFC in my blood. Winning is easy as a fan. You can support and love your team. But when you lose, well, that’s a different kettle of fish. I was so diehard in 2002-2003, yet they didn’t win jack crap most of the time. They went 13 Premiership games without a win, yet I stuck with them because of who they were: A GRITTY TEAM WITH MORAL CHARACTER.

That’s what I love about my club. We are gritty, we don’t sell out, and we have fans who passionately care about the club. It is about trophies, sure, but not at the expense of selling out our values and character. Man U fans can’t say the same, as most of their fans would happily jump ship (and many did to become Chelsea fans) in order to follow success somewhere else. I’m not okay with that idea. From my perspective, you pick a team and passionately stick with them. I see that in Liverpool supporters all over the world and am extremely proud to be a part of that!

And, what can I say, we have Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres! That certainly helps THESE DAYS, doesn’t it?

Houllier was losing control and, more importantly, games...

It took me a bit to get to the point where I felt Houllier needed to be let go. People were calling for his head at the end of the 2002-2003 season, but I felt that was premature thinking. Surely he could turn it around and make some signings in the summer that would help the cause. These supporters made the case that he had lost his sense of judgement after his heart operation, and that he wouldn’t ever get back to the manager he used to be. It seemed harsh to me to make this argument, but it turns out that they were spot on. Anyhow, some of the signing we made in the summer of 2003 looked promising, and I thought that Houllier had borrowed himself more time and that we’d be back into the thick of it. Kewell and Finnan were welcomed additions to the side, and on the face of it, most people would say it was excellent business, as the two of the combined were less than 10 mil. You can’t really argue that these two were both fabulous players, but the fitness levels of both were under question, and both Finnan AND Kewell would struggle with injuries during their time at the club. Houllier’s judgement truly had dwindled. More than anything, though, our points totals were dipping at alarming rates.

2000-2001: 69 points

2001-2002: 80 points

2002-2003: 64 points

2003-2004: 60 points

It didn’t take long to see that Houllier’s squad wasn’t up for it. Two points after three games was shocking, and although we went on a bit of a mini-run at the beginning of the 2003-2004 season, there was no hiding from the fact that we looked like rubbish out there. His choices were just unbelievably bad. He tried to blame injuries, and he did have a BIT of a case, but there was no excuse putting Biscan at central defender and then putting a lot of faith into two French teenagers who had accomplished nothing in the game, whilst insisting that Smicer and Cheyrou were class acts that needed to play whenever possible, at the expense at times of either Murphy, Hamann, or the correct position for Gerrard. He also stuck with Diao and Diouf at times, and this was just silly. Our squad was threadbare, and the only players who I felt were cutting it were Gerrard, Carragher, Hyypia and Hamann. The rest were shocking. Owen included. He was so frustratingly inconsistent. Murphy and Heskey were having stinkers of a season, the rest of the squad was awful, and our goalkeeping duo of Kirkland and Dudek were completely unreliable.

So why blame the manager? Because he took a fabulous squad and totally butchered it, not to mention hindering their confidence levels. Just read Carra and Gerrard’s autobiographies. They both speak of Houllier’s dip in inspiration and confidence, as well as decision making. From my perspective, I was watching the formerly dynamic John Arne Riise resorting to extreme long balls from the back at ALL TIMES. What happened to the bursts forward? And Murphy wasn’t performing either, as he was in and out of the side without any reasons why, and that’s after his “player of the season” honor at the club in 2002-2003. It wasn’t making sense, yet the likes of Diao, Diouf, Cheyrou,Traore, Le Tallec, etc. were given chances. It was making me furious.

Bruno Cheyrou: One of SEVERAL "Next Zidanes" apparently... He was the poster-child of Houllier's demise

By the time the end of the season rolled around, it was clear to me that he needed to go. There wasn’t one match or anything that caused it, but a succession of horrific results. All of a sudden, 1-1 draws at Newcastle became “great results,” not dropped points. It was as if Houllier had thought that 4th place was winning the title. We may have finished 4th after a lovely end to the season where we beat Man U at Old Trafford and watched Newcastle and Aston Villa magically squander their opportunity to pip us to that 4th slot, but the horrendous season could not be masked by such an ending. We needed a clear out, and the manager was the first name upon the lips of many of us. I was pretty vocal about it towards the end. If we were to do anything but fight for 4th every year, we needed to sack him.

And that’s exactly what happened. Not even a week after our 1-1 draw with Newcastle at home to end the season, Houllier was the center of a press conference where he was “released with mutual consent.” We all knew that this was total bullshitake mushrroms. He was fired, but since he had won things for us and was a decent man, they used this phrase to ease his transition into whatever was next for him.

I was over the moon. Change was exactly what was required if we were to get our groove back. I missed watching us win and fight for trophies of meaning. I missed seeing us play ACTUAL football and not just hoist longballs up the pitch. I also missed reading positive things on forums and websites about us, rather than continuing to read that the crowd was discontent and chanting, “attack attack attack!” in a sarcastic, almost defeatist way. Watching my team was like watching grass grow… it was slow, painful, and thoroughly lacking in entertainment. Occasionally Kewell, Owen, Gerrard or Hamann would pop up with a wonder-goal, but it was so infrequent that I almost forgot that we were capable of winning at times. Winning almost became a luxury rather than expected as the result. It was a strange sensation, one that I hated. I remember one moment where I almost decided to bag the whole thing. Bag Liverpool, bag the Premiership, etc. etc. etc. It was total frustration, and sacking Houllier gave me the hope that perhaps Liverpool could once again bring me joy.

Little did I know that 12 months on that I’d be celebrating and crying with Champions League glory. In my mind, that puts the sacking of Houllier right up there as one of the best things that has happened since I’ve supported Liverpool… at least it was one of the most important events. Rafa Benitez, after a few weeks of searching, was the man named for the job. I knew very little about him, but was impressed with his resume and list of accomplishments.

But whatever the case, I was happy that a new era was about to begin. Houllier had a few decent moments, but nearly half of his time with us was quite disappointing, and I think his name will forever be marred by those last few seasons. People will nostalgically try to remember him for the 1999-2000 through 2001-2002 seaons, but how can you forget the 2002-2003 and 2003–2004 seasons where it all fell apart spectacularly? I know I certainly can’t. It just isn’t possible. Excuses after excuses, poor results after poor results, and terrible signing after terrible signing led to the conclusion in my mind that his time was done.

Fortunately the boardroom agreed with me and the rest of the supporters that 4th place was no longer a minimum target. We needed to strive for more, and that had to be without Houllier. The Rafalution had officially begun.

Rafa needed to be a revolution, not just a new manager. Four and a half years on, and Liverpool are ACTUALLY in the thick of a title race and have a Champions League and FA Cup title under our belts. So what did he do right? What did he do to “revolutionize” the club? Let’s look at this Rafalution not in terms of the successes/trophies/etc. but in the decisions Rafa made to get our club back on a pedastal of success instead of wiping the pedastals of others all the damn time!

1) Signing Xabi Alonso.

Without a doubt, Alonso’s arrival at the club was the first step in the right direction. When he arrived, we were already at a different class. His vision was immediately apparent, and though Hamann was a wonderful player for us, Alonso gave us creativity and options that we hadn’t seen before. Alonso’s abilities gave Gerrard the chance to not only express himself, but to have the confidence that he’d be found by a pass from a teammate… something that had been lacking in previous seasons.

2) Carragher’s switch to central defender.

Igor Biscan and Sami Hyypia were a combo that filled the hearts of Liverpool supporters with angst. Not Hyypia, mind you. Biscan. And it wasn’t the Croat’s fault. He isn’t a central defender, never was, and yet Houllier insisted on playing him there. Once Rafa moved Carra there, he and Sami dominated the center of the pitch and we once again became a defensive unit to be reckoned with. Carra still plays there, unless Arbeloa is hurt, and has been a revelation. Nobody cleans it up quite like Carra!

3) Goodbye Houllier Generation: Owen, Murphy, Smicer, Kewell, Riise,  Dudek, Kirkland, Henchoz, Finnan, Sinama-Pongolle, Hamann, Biscan…

And countless others. Rafa’s cutting edge and absolute lack of mercy when it comes to players who haven’t met the grade or are on their way “down” has been inspiring and has led to a genuine improvement in our squad. Rather than sticking with total shite and/or players who were lacking in confidence or fitness, Rafa let them move on. He even let go some of his own signings, not just Houllier’s. The only players from the Houllier generation who remain are Gerrard and Carragher. That’s it.

4) The Summer of 2005

The summer of 2005 after we won the Champions League final was unbelievably crucial. Rafa not only pulled a rabbit out of his arse in getting Gerrard to stay, but he signed three players who were of immense help to the cause: Reina, Crouch, and Sissoko. Though only Reina remains of those three, all three led to a tremendous level of success and improvement in the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons. Reina is the best keeper we’ve had since Clemence, and that is HUGE for us. Even if Crouch and Sissoko had never been signed on, Reina has probably been Rafa’s second best ever signing (behind Torres, obviously).

5) Dirk Kuyt

Kuyt’s arrival at Liverpool gave us something we desperately needed in the front lines: GRIT. We had been far too soft in the firing line since the departure of Owen, who was a workhorse himself, and the likes of Baros, Cisse, Morientes, etc. weren’t giving us that dimension of fire and toughness. Once Kuyt arrived, he gave us that bit of effort and determination that has helped build our side into what it is today. Not only that, but Kuyt’s transfer to the right of midfield has been a massive success, and he gives each team he plays against a massive headache.

6) Mascherano.

Javier Mascherano had been quite oddly left out of West Ham’s plans in 2006-2007, so Rafa decided it would be a helpful addition to take him on. Not only has Monster Masch settled in, and earned this nickname, but has become one of the world’s best defensive midfielders and all the while has helped Alonso step up his game (competition drives on performances) and provided Gerrard with even MORE freedom. His tackles, tempo-control, and temper have been incredible for us. We now had the best midfield in England, if not the world… though Barcelona (who we beat that year) might have something to say about that!

7) Quadruple threat signings in 2007-2008

Benayoun, Babel and Skrtel have all been huge additions to our squad. The three of them have provided depth, ability, toughness, and class. But the fourth of this bunch has been such a revelation that he has been touted as the best striker in the world… and we have him! Yep. Fernando Torres. 33 goals in his first season… are you kidding me?!?! That’s amazing! And we instantly looked like a better unit, even though we didn’t win anything in 07-08… but this signing gave us something to hold onto. BELIEF.

Riera

The last moment that has shaped the Rafalution has been the addition of Albert Riera. Keane has been “okay,” but Albert Riera has been an absolute phenom. His skills, power, trickery and goals have been HUGE for us down the left side, a position that hasn’t been properly filled since the 90s. Could it be the last piece of the Rafalution before we finally get our last title? Or is there another wind of change that will give us that?

Either way, the Rafalution has been incredible and as a supporter, I feel like our lives are totally different cheering on the Reds than ever before. We finally have belief and confidence… and I love it!

The Paisley Gateway... a lovely way to enter!

The Paisley Gateway was a funny one. I thought you’d actually walk through it. Not so much. There are actually walkways around the stadium and everything… but it still doesn’t take away from how cool it looks and its significance!

SHANKLY! I think my imitation is pretty... good.

Ah, yes. The Shankly statue. This one was one of my personal highlights, as it is that symbolic feature outside of the stadium that represents not only our club’s history, but the real “aura” of our club. Shanks had an attitude that the supporters could really rally around, something I think Rafa is starting to bring back to the club.

The Kop, probably the most famous stand in the world!

One of the more “bueno” experiences was checking out The Kop, which is an extraordinarily normal looking stand in person. That said, fill it with passionate supporters, and it becomes magnificently historic and incredible. You could totally sense that when you were there.

"The ref should be shot..."

The media room provided a pretty funny moment for me. During the tour, I was “that guy,” answering all of the trivia question and essentially being the nerd of the group. As a result, the tour guide singled me out and interviewed me under the lights and with a mic shoved in my face and asked ABSURD questions, like “you scored 3 own goals and slept with the opposition manager’s wife… does that signal that you want a transfer?” It was hilarious, and quite memorable!

Ashley gets the treatment!

Ashley, my wife, was on the tour with us and sat down on the treatment table because there wasn’t much space left once we got into the dressing room. Unfortunately for her, the guide decided to mess around with the table! Now I know what Kewell went through during his 4 seasons with the club…

The famous "This is Anfield" sign

This was the moment that filled me up more than any other. Touching the sign that the likes of Gerrard, Torres, Owen, Fowler, Reina, Carragher, Dalglish, Rush, Barnes, Aldridge, Hunt, St. John, Yeats, etc. touched… wow. Every Liverpool supporter deserves this moment. That’s my brother Adam with me, by the way. Good stuff.

Sitting in The Kop... good thing it's not the "Yellow Mersey!"

Upon hearing the tour guide speaking to us about the “yellow Mersey,” which was a reference to people peeing in The Kop so they wouldn’t lose their seats, I felt strangely at home in the Kop Stand. Why? Because it is hilarious! Sitting there was a lot of fun, all jokes aside. It definitely gave me the perspective of what it would be like to be at one of the home games.

"And Jones hoists the trophy!"

Lifting the fake Champions League trophy was a fun experience. I got to see the real one, and took a very dark picture of it, but doing this was actually quite special. I know it sounds stupid, but it made me think just how emotional it must have felt for Gerrard during the FA Cup and Champions League finals. Let’s hope he does it in the Premiership sometime soon, yeah?

The Champions League trophy from Istanbul. WOW.

Ask any modern-day Liverpool FC supporter (meaning since 1990) what their favorite memory of the club has been, and without a doubt you’ll hear “Istanbul.” Down 0-3 and winning? Are you kidding?! So seeing that trophy was quite amazing. It was actually pretty big… I didn’t expect them to be as imposing as they were. This was in the museum, which was so overwhelming to me that I could hardly focus on anything at all!

The Hillsborough Memorial

96 people died at Hillsbrough in 1989, and seeing that memorial was quite sad. My dad was so touched that he bought a book about it, and he’s not even a fan of the sport, not to mention Liverpool. He loved it, as it turned out, and was quite passionate about the injustice. Many people in Liverpool feel that same sense of injustice, especially given that some of the deaths were to people at a VERY young age.

So that wraps up the tour pictures. I have hundreds of others, but these were the real highlights. I feel very blessed to have gone on this tour. The next thing, now, is to see a game there before the new stadium is built!

Heskey's header in this match saved our bacon...

By the time Heskey’s header flew into the net against the Saints of Southampton, we had sunk to 5th or 6th in the Premiership, had crashed out of the FA Cup and the Champions League, and really only had two goals: Qualify for the Champions League, and win the two cups we were still in: the League Cup and the UEFA Cup. All the while, here I was memorizing our players’ pasts, stats, performances and our club’s history. I was sponging it all up, and what a season to be doing so. It was truly a surreal experience. How could I be loving a team that was such shite? Maybe this 2002-2003 season poured a foundation of unconditional love… probably because it had to. Otherwise, there is no way I could have stuck with them. They were dreadful, negative in their tactics, and played Gerrard on the right FAR TOO OFTEN rather than down the middle. We were struggling, and it wasn’t pretty.
Luckily for us, the League Cup final was in our future and we were to face a club I truly expected to cremate us. Manchester United may have been on the wrong end of results between us and them over the past few years (at that time), but this was a cup final, and they were certainly going to be a tough nut to crack in a match of such bragging rights. Surely they wouldn’t underestimate us, even though we had been playing like utter rubbish. Turns out that we dominated them 2-0, and it was never really much of a contest. This was unexpected, and was a relief, as the season had very little to get excited about. My thought at the time was that this would spur us on to finish 4th, and we did actually go on quite a bit of a run… including some nice wins against Leeds and Tottenham. Heskey was improving, Owen was regaining his health, and Danny Murphy was having a season of a lifetime, including an absolute wonder-strike against Everton to win the derby. I’ll never forget this final, either. I had a track meet (I was a discus thrower in college) and it was the first day I really ever spent a lot of time with my future wife. We had such an amazing time that day, and it is funny to me that every momentful day that the two of us have had (first hang-out, first day of holding hands, and getting married) have led to extremely important or memorable victories for us (League Cup final win, 6-0 over West Brom, and 2-1 Community Shield victory over Chelsea). Things like this lead me to believe that God really HAS interwoven my life with Ashley… which makes me happy!

Gerrard goal in the League Cup Final

With a few matches left in this dreadful season, Chelsea and Liverpool were fighting for 4th… the “Holy Grail” of the bottom part of the “Big 4 or 5.” I say this sarcastically, but it was how Houllier’s reaction to the situation would leave you to believe. Houllier was beginning to show signs of losing the plot, and his INSISTENCE of getting 4th was sad. The response? A 2-1 loss to Manchester City and a 2-1 loss to Chelsea. Good work, and 5th it was!
The 2002-2003 season was a real flop, and the beginning of three consecutive PISS POOR Premiership seasons in which we looked like real nancies just hoping to get a decent cup run. The lack of quality was staggering, Houllier’s tactics were laughable, and it was clear that the side lacked any sort of determination OR skill to contend for the title. The problem wasn’t the players, though… it was the tactics and the COMBINATION of players. Hamann, Gerrard, Owen, Murphy, Carragher, Hyypia… all legends of the club, to be fair, but around them were players of shockingly low ability or toughness. The new signings were flops, and it upset the rhythm of a side that WAS gelling.

There were some memorable moments, but too few of them really meant anything. Heskey produced three late moments of drama, Murphy’s winner over Everton was spectacular, Owen’s goals were flowing at a very decent rate (his most ever in a Liverpool season, actually- 29 in all competitions, 19 in the Premiership… both were his best) and Gerrard was beginning to assert himself as Mr. Liverpool. The League Cup was the real highlight, and that 6-0 thrashing of West Brom was a personal highlight, but the season as a whole was pathetic. The next year was probably even worse, but this was the real nail in the coffin and a failed experiment. Please, please God… don’t ever let this happen again!!!

On this site, there is a lot to look forward to… as I’m a diehard supporter who is just dying to share my experience as a supporter. I’m not the type to be able to break the news to you- there are other sites for that. Instead, my role in the media world is to share the emotions of being a supporter for a club that certainly goes through the thick AND the thin. Through that I will discuss players, seasons, and moments from the past… and I will discuss these in the present, as well.

On Jesus Hearts Liverpool FC, you can expect uncensored and unbridled emotion… and hopefully it will be more positive than negative. That said, if shit’s going down, I’m not going to hide!

Come on you Reds, #19 is in our grasp.