Luckiest Players In Our History

I got the idea for this thread yesterday when realising that Jerzy Dudek made his debut 21 years ago yesterday.

For me throughout his Liverpool career he was an average keeper at best but because of the penalty saves in Istanbul he’ll go down as a Liverpool legend and I’m not sure he’s really worthy of that title.

And I was wondering how many others we’ve had who will be etched in our history but probably are lucky to do so.

Now obviously we’ve had plenty of players who are lucky to have even played for the club and that’s not what this thread is about. It’s not to just name and shame the hundreds of sh*t players we’ve had down the time. It’s also not just for people who are lucky to have medals in their collection because most of that 2005 European Cup winning team would be considered for that.

It’s for those who are held up as legends despite not really be close to it.

Someone who I’d put in that category is Jordan Henderson. And this isn’t because of his move to Saudi or me suddenly changing my opinion on him because I always said he was a decent player. Even when he was slaughtered by most I said he was decent. But does a decent player deserve to be held up as a legend because he was the captain of our most successful period of the 21st Century?

Take away 2019-2022 of his Liverpool career and Henderson is nothing more than a decent player. Include that three to four year period and he’s held up there as one of our all-time greats despite himself still only being decent in that time frame. And if you’re picking the greatest Liverpool side of all time then Henderson is nowhere near consideration in my opinion.

And my third nomination is somebody who is up there as one of those who lived off one moment for his entire Liverpool career - John Arne Riise. Absolutely woeful defender and as slow as a snail by the end of his time here but because of that one free kick against United, he’s held up as some sort of legend for the club.

Was no more than an average player even at his best. Scored a few screamers for us but if it wasn’t for that United goal then people wouldn’t look too fondly on his time here (in my opinion) even if he did score a good Derby day goal as well.

So they’re my three picks (for now, I’ll probably think of others) for players who are lucky to be as revered as they are by Liverpool fans. What players do you think are the luckiest in our history?

Origi comes to mind..Legendary status without the legendary ability.

Djimi Traore . I seem to remember him scoring a mad Own goal against Burnley too.

Djimi Traore . I seem to remember him scoring a mad Own goal against Burnley too.

Ha wasn’t that in the fa cup was a mad one that

Ha wasn’t that in the fa cup was a mad one that

Yeah, have to rematch the goal again just to remember what he was actually trying to do. Possibly other reason would be that I was completely pissed by that point after taking over Burnley's cricket ground, then continuing to drink in the ground, including a naughty taking our ale and continuing to drink while watching the game.

Did alright in Turin and Istanbul clearing chances off the line so that kinda makes up for Djimi's F**k up in Burnley.

Peter Crouch - looked like Bambi on ice and played like it sometimes.How many games did it take to score his first goal? Would of been tortured by the crowds of the 70s and 80s if he played for Liverpool then.

Whilst I wouldn't put Hendo up there anywhere near our best midfielders of all time, he was a proper player and a proper captain who achieved very high standards of performance and consistency. Where he is lucky is to have played under the management of Klopp when it all came together, but he was also integral to that success and no mere passenger.

I think if we hadn't bought him he might have had a more mundane career at a lower level. I would draw the parallel with Carra. Not tremendously gifted but his mentality and being a Scouser elevated him to be part of a team that lifted big ears. Conversely you sometimes get very gifted players who don't apply themselves and their careers fizzle out into nothing.

Whilst I wouldn't put Hendo up there anywhere near our best midfielders of all time, he was a proper player and a proper captain who achieved very high standards of performance and consistency. Where he is lucky is to have played under the management of Klopp when it all came together, but he was also integral to that success and no mere passenger.

I think if we hadn't bought him he might have had a more mundane career at a lower level. I would draw the parallel with Carra. Not tremendously gifted but his mentality and being a Scouser elevated him to be part of a team that lifted big ears. Conversely you sometimes get very gifted players who don't apply themselves and their careers fizzle out into nothing.

To be fair to Carra though how man times did he rise like lazarous when his legs look like the were giving way.

By the same token I could put players like Ruddock, Mark Wright, especially Wright who got to captain the club, yet most of the time were utter sh*te with proper stinking lazy attitudes.

Peter Crouch - looked like Bambi on ice and played like it sometimes.How many games did it take to score his first goal? Would of been tortured by the crowds of the 70s and 80s if he played for Liverpool then.

Wasn’t it something like 27/28 games was at the game with my old man when he scored his first think he got two that day

Wasn’t it something like 27/28 games was at the game with my old man when he scored his first think he got two that day

It was against Wigan but there's no way the first was his. Went for a 25 yard screamer, hit the Wigan defender then the keeper flapped it in a very Jordan Pickford way and Crouch still ran off celebrating like he'd scored the winner in the European Cup.

His second was a good finish from what I can remember.

Wasn’t it something like 27/28 games was at the game with my old man when he scored his first think he got two that day

16

16

Fck I’m getting old would have sworn it was 28 🤦‍♂️ thinking now it was actually 18

It was against Wigan but there's no way the first was his. Went for a 25 yard screamer, hit the Wigan defender then the keeper flapped it in a very Jordan Pickford way and Crouch still ran off celebrating like he'd scored the winner in the European Cup.

His second was a good finish from what I can remember.

Me and dad were in the Kop end remember saying to my father whoever that’s come off he’s still going to claim it ,

Me and dad were in the Kop end remember saying to my father whoever that’s come off he’s still going to claim it ,

He was credited with it but for me it was never his goal, even if the original shot was target. A deflection off the defender and then two slaps from the keeper before it went in.

The second goal was good though. I remember it being good at the time but couldn’t quite remember it now so went and searched it out on YouTube. Lovely little lob over the keeper.

Suppose he’ll always be remembered for his overhead kicks more than anything else in a Liverpool shirt.

Adrian. Ali went down and Adrian benefited from our best midfield and defense in over a decade. Saved a pen in the Super Cup a week after he was here and did good enough for 6-8 games while Ali was gone. Also won the charity shield and at that point he was well passed it. Collected a lot medals with us for being a great team mate. I like the guy a lot, but he won the lottery when he came to us. Walked into the perfect team and the first choice went down for a little bit

Not exactly a legend but well thought of (or at least in my mind)….Stephan Henchoz.

Decent enough but in hindsight benefitted from Houllier’s tactics which would benefit any defender and then having big Sami alongside him who was brilliant.
 
If any of the 3 handballs he had in the FA Cuo final were given against him then I think he wouldn’t be thought of particularly fondly 😅

Julian Dicks was lucky to ever pull on a red shirt.

Julian Dicks was lucky to ever pull on a red shirt.

...any shirt!

Are the likes of Dudek and Origi really thought of as Liverpool legends? I would have thought of them as more cult heroes than legends.

Are the likes of Dudek and Origi really thought of as Liverpool legends? I would have thought of them as more cult heroes than legends.

semantics...same thing really

semantics...same thing really

Not to me but fair enough.

I always thought of legends as the ones that have spent years with the club having a massive influence on our success (on a regular basis, week in week out) and cult heroes as the ones who had big moments but maybe not the longevity.

Peter Crouch - looked like Bambi on ice and played like it sometimes.How many games did it take to score his first goal? Would of been tortured by the crowds of the 70s and 80s if he played for Liverpool then.

Underappreciated player was Crouchie. Could have and should have held on for him for much longer but the sheer oddity that was our one man strikeforce once Torres came in cost us.

(Don't get me started on David F***ing N'Gog)

Moreno played for us 90 times wow nearly a century just to play for us that many times has to put him as a very lucky player.   But he was not alone and a lot of the back line in particular can consider them lucky to play the amount of games they did play all collectively being a bag of nerves mistake after mistake.  One other player will definitely stand out is Mignolet over 150 appearances for us can definitely consider himself very very lucky to have that many appearances.

Julian Dicks was lucky to ever pull on a red shirt.

Been far worse than him

Michael Thomas and Ince very lucky in regards to previous and didn't do a lot thereafter

Hey Woy with his huge invaluable experience he gained in the massive leagues of scandinavia bought some crackers, no offense to scandinavia.

Moreno played for us 90 times wow nearly a century just to play for us that many times has to put him as a very lucky player.   But he was not alone and a lot of the back line in particular can consider them lucky to play the amount of games they did play all collectively being a bag of nerves mistake after mistake.  One other player will definitely stand out is Mignolet over 150 appearances for us can definitely consider himself very very lucky to have that many appearances.

Shocking. I get that we were waiting on the ultimate keeper in Ali, but it really wasn't hard to find a better keeper who could have acted as a stop gap until Ali arrived. Gerrard's slip against Chelsea is the defining error in that season 10 years ago, but you could draw up a whole list of errors committed by Mignolet that season that ultimately cost us. Quite simply you're not winning anything with a GK of such substandard quality. Add the fact that we had an ageing Kolo, an appalling Skrtel and Flanagan and Cissokho playing regularly that year and it's remarkable we came so close.

Shocking. I get that we were waiting on the ultimate keeper in Ali, but it really wasn't hard to find a better keeper who could have acted as a stop gap until Ali arrived. Gerrard's slip against Chelsea is the defining error in that season 10 years ago, but you could draw up a whole list of errors committed by Mignolet that season that ultimately cost us. Quite simply you're not winning anything with a GK of such substandard quality. Add the fact that we had an ageing Kolo, an appalling Skrtel and Flanagan and Cissokho playing regularly that year and it's remarkable we came so close.

Honestly it is just amazing that we played him and continued with him for 150 plus appearance.   Some of Brendan's choices were amazing.  He's not that bad overall not our material but some of his decisions my god were embarrassing.

Been far worse than him

Ah didn't realise it was a comparison just who we think was lucky to play for us.

Not exactly a legend but well thought of (or at least in my mind)….Stephan Henchoz.

Decent enough but in hindsight benefitted from Houllier’s tactics which would benefit any defender and then having big Sami alongside him who was brilliant.
 
If any of the 3 handballs he had in the FA Cuo final were given against him then I think he wouldn’t be thought of particularly fondly 😅

Nah mate, not having Steph as lucky. It might just be me being biased because that treble winning squad is my all time favourite Liverpool squad but I reckon Henchoz is probably where he should be with Liverpool fans.

Never gonna be an all time great but a really good solid player for most of his time. Granted the handballs in Cardiff do help his cause

Ah didn't realise it was a comparison just who we think was lucky to play for us.

It’s actually not for people who we think were lucky to play for us mate because there’s far too many of them to list. It’s more people who we think are held in a higher regard by our fans than we think they should.

I think Julian Dicks is considered by almost all of us who seen him play as F***ing useless.

It’s actually not for people who we think were lucky to play for us mate because there’s far too many of them to list. It’s more people who we think are held in a higher regard by our fans than we think they should.

I think Julian Dicks is considered by almost all of us who seen him play as F***ing useless.

Basically it's about who would we put a statue of outside Anfield....but then tear it down again

Basically it's about who would we put a statue of outside Anfield....but then tear it down again

That’s one way of looking at it mate.

Woy Hodgson was lucky to manage us. l o l

Nicky Tanner I remember seeing him in a Ford Mondeo sponsored by Fords Exeter. who was the goalie who they used to call "bonus" who never played but always claimed the win bonus

Nicky Tanner I remember seeing him in a Ford Mondeo sponsored by Fords Exeter. who was the goalie who they used to call "bonus" who never played but always claimed the win bonus

Speaking of goalies, anyone remember Patrice Luzi, young French a signed in Houllier's latter seasons? If anything he was unlucky...made his debut coming on for injured Dudek in that win over Chelsea in 2004 (when Cheyrou scored). As Kirkland was also injured it was finally his big moment - perhaps get a good few games under his belt. But no. We signed Paul Jones on loan and that was the end of that for Patrice!

Nicky Tanner I remember seeing him in a Ford Mondeo sponsored by Fords Exeter. who was the goalie who they used to call "bonus" who never played but always claimed the win bonus

Tony Warner, who shops in our gaff.

Speaking of goalies, anyone remember Patrice Luzi, young French a signed in Houllier's latter seasons? If anything he was unlucky...made his debut coming on for injured Dudek in that win over Chelsea in 2004 (when Cheyrou scored). As Kirkland was also injured it was finally his big moment - perhaps get a good few games under his belt. But no. We signed Paul Jones on loan and that was the end of that for Patrice!

Similar to Doni.

Playing second fiddle to Reina then gets a go and ends up getting sent off against Blackburn and then disappears to Brazil never to be seen again.

Tony Warner, who shops in our gaff.

Similar to Doni.

Playing second fiddle to Reina then gets a go and ends up getting sent off against Blackburn and then disappears to Brazil never to be seen again.

There's a good one cap wonder starting xi out there somewhere

Michael Thomas and Ince very lucky in regards to previous and didn't do a lot thereafter

Disagree about Thomas, loved him in our midfield with Barnes, circa 96 season, Evans made a bad call putting Redknapp straight back in. Team was on a boss run st the time. Plus has a fairly good Fa cup final goal to his nametoo.

Lallana, Keita, OAC all won everything with us with decent contribution.

All good players with sh*t fitness and the team around them lifted them(literally) to win everything.

Lallana, Keita, OAC all won everything with us with decent contribution.

All good players with sh*t fitness and the team around them lifted them(literally) to win everything.

AOC was powerhouse for us in 17-18 and defined the brute force of our attack. We refined it a little more but I'll cherish his dimension shattering power for those few months.

As for Lallana - his contribution was vastly underrated. I'd say for the first year and a half under Jürgen, he was the guy who got it from the very start. I think the level he set in those initial months under Jürgen proved to the rest what it needed to succeed. Some matched and surpassed it, others failed miserably.

I still can't believe the amount of games David N'Gog played for us. Why on earth was he the only backup we had for Torres?

I still can't believe the amount of games David N'Gog played for us. Why on earth was he the only backup we had for Torres?

Appalling wasn't it. Cost us big time as well.

I still can't believe the amount of games David N'Gog played for us. Why on earth was he the only backup we had for Torres?

Cos Robbie Keane wasn't as great as everyone made out and missed sitters which cost us a Champions league game. Plus we still had Kuyt who was coming from the right and one or two other attacking options. Plus N'Gog was still better than Voronin and the other serb pr**k which followed. Think on eh!!

Appalling wasn't it. Cost us big time as well.

Not really, what cost us wad simply converting chances in the early parts of the 2008/2009 season, the missing link wasn't another striker it was the link between attack and midfield which David Silva would have filled had Rafa not had the rug pulled from under his feet.

It’s actually not for people who we think were lucky to play for us mate because there’s far too many of them to list. It’s more people who we think are held in a higher regard by our fans than we think they should.

I think Julian Dicks is considered by almost all of us who seen him play as F***ing useless.

That is true.

Not really, what cost us wad simply converting chances in the early parts of the 2008/2009 season, the missing link wasn't another striker it was the link between attack and midfield which David Silva would have filled had Rafa not had the rug pulled from under his feet.

Might have helped to have a half decent striker that wasn't David N'Gog though wouldn't it?? I remember a 0-0 early on that season against Villa when N'Gog replaced Torres after half an hour.

F***ing useless and cost us two points.

Basically anyone who has won any major trophy with us (or come close) who wasn't a particularly key player, or who in different circumstances could easily have passed as a regular at Aston Villa without doing anything of note. I think you could make a case for more than half of the team that won in Istanbul which shows how remarkable that achievement was. Had me photo with Milan Baros at a service station on the M6 once  -- he'd pulled over in his sports car to get a KFC. I'd say he's pretty lucky.

Jan Kromkamp is prime material for this thread I think.

Might have helped to have a half decent striker that wasn't David N'Gog though wouldn't it?? I remember a 0-0 early on that season against Villa when N'Gog replaced Torres after half an hour.

F***ing useless and cost us two points.

Bagged a beauty to win the game against the mancs followed by a boss celebration with Pepe Reina down the kop end , so again swings and roundabouts.

N'Gog tried, may not have been the world's greatest but the lad gave more than cu*ts like Diouf or Balotelli ever did and a few others that will come to mind.

Julian Dicks was lucky to ever pull on a red shirt.

Think I can better that Si and say Sean Dundee, he was lucky to get to smell the lineament in the corridor never mind wear our shirt, now I don’t know if his boots were worn on the wrong feet, or his feet were on the wrong legs ?? he certainly played as though they were that’s for sure, and goes down as one of the worst players in our history !!


YNWA

Everyone who gets to be a part of the best club in the world is considered lucky.

Everyone who gets to be a part of the best club in the world is considered lucky.

..Including us!