Ive heard in recent times the likes of The Anfield Wrap doing old season reviews which personally i have loved listening to, its made me ponder over old season as ive been driving around so i thought id float the idea on here.. Basically a season overview, and then for us all to get involved with personal memories of that season or highlights that you still recall..
Lets give it a go.
I thought id start with 1995-96.
I was 17 back then, starting to have my own independance, going out with mates, girls and football..
So as a start point i thought the seasons ins and outs.
In came Stan Collymore for 8.5m from Nottm Forest.. A big signing at the time, he had sparked a great partnership with Bryan Roy at Forest and was breaking into the national side.. He was being linked with all the big clubs in the country, it looked like Utd would have him especially when he scored a winner at the toilet the season before he left.. But he came to Anfield for a club record at the time.
The other major signing of the summer was Jason McAteer from Bolton for 4.5m, a local lad, proud red was made up when his dream move to his boyhood club on the back of a great season persoanally at Bolton which ultimately ended in disapointment as Steve Mcmanaman's wonderful brace beat Bolton 2-1 in the Coca Cola cup final of 94-95.
Out throughout the season were:
Mark Walters to Southampton
Nigel Clough to Man City
Paul Stewart to Sunderland
And at the end of the season it was goodbye to two legends of the club as Ian Rush went to Leeds and Jan Molby went to Swansea.
1995-96 SquadApparences in all competitions with goals in all comps in bracketsDavid James 53 (0)
Robbie Fowler 53 (36)
Steve Mcmanaman 53 (10)
John Barnes 50 (3)
Rob Jones 47 (0)
Stan Collymore 44 (19)
Mark Wright 42 (2)
Jason McAteer 40 (3)
Phil Babb 40 (0)
John Scales 38 (1)
Micheal Thomas 37 (2)
Jamie Redknapp 33 (4)
Steve Harkness 33 (2)
Ian Rush 29 (7)
Neil Ruddock 28 (5)
Mark Kennedy 6 (0)
Dominic Matteo 6 (0)
Nigel Clough 2 (0)
Stig Inge Bjornebye 2 (0)
The one thing that jumps out there that we only really ran on a 15 man squad.
So i didnt realy want to go in depth on every game of the season, i didnt want to look and research that much just simply go off my memories of the season and hope that others will chip inwith theirs, but i will put in the scores as the season goes along.
The opening day of the season.
A sunny afternoon at Anfield as we welcomed Sheffield Wednesday. I have a couple of stand out memories from the game, first being tht Robbie had been left on the bench to make way for Stan's debut who partnered Rushie up front.. And the second being Stan's first goal for the club
Fantastic Liverpool debut goal by Stan CollymoreWednesday made it hard work for us on the day but we ground out the 1-0 win and 3 points to get the season of and running. We played with 3 at the back on the day, as we did a lot under Roy Evans, the starting day line up was this
James
Jones
Harkness
Matteo
Babb
Wright
Redknapp
Barnes
Mcmanaman
Collymore
Rush
Bench
Warner
Thomas
Fowler
Up next and another memory that has never really left me was this
06 - Tony Yeboah - Leeds Utd Vs Liverpool August 21, 1995.mp4W**ker [But tips hat]
First defeat of the season as Leeds won 1-0 through that Tony Yeboah
scuffed effort strike
The next two saw a 3-1 win at White Hart Lane with Barnes (2) and Fowler getting his first of the season and then another 1-0 Anfield win through Neil Ruddock's goal over Ray Wilkins QPR.
A second defeat of the season came at Selhurt Park over a team i simply used to hate playing in that period, Wimbledon before a trip to Russia in the Cup winners cup to play Spartak Vladikovkaz which saw goals from Redknapp and Mcmanaman and a 2-1 first leg win for Evans men. Following the long trip to Russia came four back to back home games, the first being against reigning champions Blackburn, goals from Redknapp, Collymore and Fowler in the first half saw a comfortable win before Sunderland came in the first leg of the second round of the league cup which we had won the previous season, Thomas and Mcmanaman saw us take a 2-0 first leg lead up to Roker park. Jason McAteers old club came to Anfield in the league next up, a thrilling 5-2 win in which Robbie Folwer grabbed 4 of them before Spartak whatsit came for the second leg of the European tie.. A professional European 0-0 draw in front of just 35,000 saw us progress to the next round..
And someone i might have heard ofOne of my next major memories of the season was on the 1st of October at the toilet, Cuntana was back from his 10 month ban for his Kung Fu kick at Palace the season before, all the hype was around him only for Robbie Fowler to steal his limelight with two great goals, the first i still remember an angle of it where is smashes the camera in the net and the second where he mugs a young rat Neville.. Only for Redders to give a penalty away late on for that man Cantona to equilize from the spot.. It was a great game though with Robbie cementing his growing reputation.
Manchester United - Liverpool. 1 October 1995.A trip up to Roker park for the second leg of the League cup was next up, Robbie on the scoresheet again to wrap up our progress to the next round. Two 0-0 draws followed, one in the league at Anfield against Coventry and then one at Brondby in the Cup winners cup away in Denmark (I wonder if an 11 year old Danny Agger was there?)
Back to winning ways two days after my 17th birthday as the reds through Mcmanaman (2) and Redknapp saw us win 3-1 at the Dell (another place i didnt like going to in those days)
Two games against Man City came next, both at Anfield, the first in the 3rd round of the League cup saw us win 4-0 and then a 6-0 win over them in the League 3 days later.. Before the days of the arabs.
Europe was over for the season though as Brondby shocked Anfield with a late goal to win 1-0 over the two legs.
That was the start of a poor run though as we had defeats againsts Newcastle, Everton and Middlesbrough in the league plus Newcastle knocking us out of the League cup at Anfield, added to that were two draws against West Ham and Southampton meant it was no wins in 7 for Roy's boys.
December proved a better month as it went on, it started with the draw against Southampton, then the end to the 7 matches without a win came at Burnden Park as Stan scored in a 1-0 win over Bolton. What followed were two big results of the campaign, Robbie Fowler scored twice against Utd at Anfield in a 2-0 win and then grabbed a hat trick in front of the Kop aganst Arsenal as the last game 0f 1995 at Anfield ended 3-0 to the redmen. The last game at all of '95 was a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge as Macca got two against Glenn Hoddle's Rent boys.
Next up was another good memory of mine, new years day '96 and the first and only time ive sat in the away end at Anfield, i was struggling for a ticket but managed to con my way in with the Forest fans, and sat on my hands as we won 4-2 with goals from Robbie and Stan.
Next up was the third round of the FA cup against Rochdale, no rotation in those days as we ran in 7.. Collymore grabbed his first hat trick for the reds.
Rushie grabbed us a late equiliser at Hillsbrough as we drew 1-1 next up in the league before a 5-0 in over Leeds at Anfield, Robbie on the scoresheet twice again in what was becoming agreat season for the Toxteth terror. January ended with a 2-0 win at Villa park, Fowler and Collymore again finding the net.
So with two trophies still technically up for grab as the season went into February we started the month with a 0-0 draw at Anfield with Spurs. Goals from Mark Wright and Robbie Fowler saw us pick up the three points at Loftus Road before a 4-0 4th round FA cup win over Shrewsbury at Gay Meadow.
A double over the previous seasons champions was completed at Ewood as Stan scored this
worldy in a 3-2 win
Tim Flowers goalkeeper shamblesTwo FA cup ties sandwiched by a 3-0 win in the league against Villa as we progressed 2-1 at Anfield against Charlton before Leeds took us to a replay after the tie at Elland road ended in a goaless draw. Two league games followed before the replay as Wimbledon held us 2-2 at Anfield and Chelsea went home with nothing after Fowler again inspired the reds to a 2-0 win.
The league game against Villa earlier in the month has one of my favorite Fowler goals in it..
Robbie Fowler V's Aston VillaThe FA cup replay was up next as the reds progressed to the Semi final with a comfortable 3-0 win against Leeds, Mcmanaman with a brace and Robbie the other as we set up the last 4 meeting with Villa. With maybe one eye on tht we lost, and with that probably any chance of the title at the City Ground with a 1-0 defeat to Forest before that semi against Villa at Old Toilet.. It was a great afternoon, Fowler with 2 and McAteer with the third sent us to Wembley against Utd in May.
Up Next in the league was simply what is known as a game of the century
The Greatest Game Ever Played (Liverpol 4-3 Newcastle 3 April 1996 )What a game it was..Hopefully we will get lots of memories on this.
CollymoreWith the FA cup seemingly taking our thoughts the league season went flat if i remember rightly and looking at results it seems so..
The last few games of the season went as follows
Lost 1-0 at Coventry
Won 2-0 Home to West Ham
Drew 1-1 at Goodison
Won 1-0 at Home to Middlesbrough
Drew 0-0 at Highbury
Drew 2-2 at Maine Road
Then it was onto the FA cup fianl day against Utd, we had won there the year before, i felt fairly confident with how our record was against them at this point, but the cream suits, the flat performance, from both sides it has to be said, extra time was looming until Cuntana broke our hearts with one of the shitest volleys iv seen, how it went in i still dont know.
We finished third in the league, 11pts behind utd who did the double
The top 6 looked like this
Utd 82
Newcastle 78
Liverpool 71
Villa 63
Arsenal 63
Everton 61
I have fond memories of the season, exciting football, some cracking players, Robbie at his pomp but ultimately as under Roy Evans just coming up short in areas, having a poor run in us at any minute.
Anyway, ive tried not to go into so much detail on all games hoping that it will bring memories back for yous so that you can add things around certain games and memories.. Of favorite goals.. My limit was reached with videos so i couldnt put anymore so i thought id just leave it at this.
Hopefully yous will remember the season as i have tried