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.