30 Apr 2025 18:35:38
Question for the older posters. Does VVD and Salah get in an all time eleven. Would it be a Hansen-VVD partnership.
30 Apr 2025 18:58:32
Yes 100% Hansen was a superb defender his carrying of the ball out of defence was the best I've ever seen.
30 Apr 2025 19:02:18
VVD is the only cb - apart from Baresi and Maldini - who is above Hansen. But Hansen, I think, retired before the backpass to the goalie was ruled out - and quite a few classy centre backs saw their game fall apart when that happened (eg Des Walker, possibly Paul Parker too) . I think the rule change is why Mark Wright didn’t deliver the goods for us (as good a signing as he was on paper) .
Before he totally panicked, Graeme signed the right players for us: Wright (England’s sweeper), Saunders (best cf in league), Clough (best number 10 in league) .
They all tanked, but I think none of them were equiped to play in a league without playing back to the keeper. Dreadful intel work on the club’s part not to see that rule change coming through.
I do think Carragher (who played like a pint sized Italian) and Hyppia would be on the bench.
{Ed001's Note - Walker's game never fell apart, he went to Italy where he was extremely successful until injuries ruined him.
Parker was a full back.
Saunders was dog muck. He was signed, like Dicks, purely for his thuggery as Souness was 20 years behind the times.
Clough was just too slow.
None of these were affected by the back pass rule and I very much doubt Hansen would have been either. He managed to cope with a loony keeper, I am sure it would have not mattered if Grobs had been unable to pick it up.}
30 Apr 2025 19:04:08
Vvd I believe so. Salah I just can't have him in an all time squad.
30 Apr 2025 19:06:34
Hi. First time poster and long time lurker, but I felt compelled to reply. I grew up in the 80s and being from North Wales, I loved Rushie and so fell in love with Liverpool. From the players I’ve seen then yes Salah and Virgil would get in my 11. Not seen a better right sided player than Salah. Barnes on the left and Salah on the right with King Kenny and Rushie up front. Lovely. Hansen was a god and Virgil is the best I’ve seen since. The kit man would love this combination as he would never need to wash their kits!
30 Apr 2025 19:13:28
Hate these all time teams we have been so lucky had loads of brilliant players in my time. Got a headache just thinking about it.
30 Apr 2025 19:17:55
It would definitely be VVD and Hansen in defence with Ali in goal. I would have a front three of Salah Rushie and Digger. Kenny would have to play what the kids call CAM. I’d have souness and Gerrard behind him, but might have to take Gerrard off at half time and bring on Alonso because Gerrard would be wanting to play CAM and not get back to defend. I’d have to sub him before souness punched him for not doing his job. Steve Nicol and Rob Jones would be my final picks. There is a lot of great players that didn’t make my team but this is my choice. I’d fancy that team to win the lot.
30 Apr 2025 19:33:57
Yes to both.
30 Apr 2025 19:50:25
Ed, I mildly disagree with you here. After Italia 90’, Wright, Parker and Walker were seen as the potential Bobby Moores of English football (which, to be frank, none of them had the tools for) . Parker had been a cb (though I remember him being quite small), before moving to rb.
Their form then fell off a total cliff. I like to blame it on a rule change, but maybe they were all just top class for a moment - like Maguire, Guehi etc - before fading out in the usual manner.
With Saunders, his signing was exciting at the time. Leading league scorer etc. I am not sure it was because he was dirty, but the Paul Elliot tackle kind of ruins his record. Whatever the reasons, Graeme’s signings were just awful.
{Ed001's Note - sorry but you are talking about international footie, which is pointless as England were awful in that period due to bad leadership, not poor players. Maguire and Guehi have never been top class even for a split second. Saunders may have excited you but you clearly never watched much of him play. He was just quick but terrible. The only reason he got in the Wales team then was because they could barely put together 11 professional players at that time. It is probably symptomatic of how bad English footie was back then that he had a good record.
Wright was decent for us, once Souness went and we actually played footie again, rather than that kick and rush stuff he had us playing. Like I said, Walker did well in Italy, where defending was king. Parker was an excellent full back. It is like saying Quansah is a right back because he had some games there for us or Ablett was a full back because he would cover there. Teams didn't have huge squads like now, so players would often have to cover elsewhere. Billy Liddell played all 10 outfield positions in his time with Liverpool. Once Parker stopped growing, he was never going to make a long term career in English football at centre back back then.}
30 Apr 2025 20:46:26
People often overlook Mark Lawrenson. For a couple of seasons he was absolutely majestic.
30 Apr 2025 21:33:22
Me Ed, incredibly grateful for that response. As a disappointed fan of that era, those are such wise words.
{Ed001's Note - it was the worst era and coincided with me being old enough to start attending regularly. Do you think people realise how lucky they are now?}
30 Apr 2025 21:38:40
I never overlook Mark Lawrenson, Flash. He was one of my favourite players at that time.
He could play all across the back four and in midfield.
His versatility means that he would be at left back in my all time eleven.
30 Apr 2025 22:03:53
Imho, Jocky was the best CB we’ve had in my lifetime and Lawes would be in the top 3 with VVD, but if I had to pick a team first a match today I’d go with Lawton, just because they were brilliant as a pair. Really good question and really close call.
Digger on the left and Mo on the right with Kenny in between and Rushdie up front would have been fun to watch.
30 Apr 2025 23:20:10
Lawro was quick, that was his talent.
Hansen was slower but could read the game and was better in the air.
VVD is quick, can read the game, is good in the air and is probably physically stronger.
He would be my number 1 choice as a central defender.
Salah, that’s a tough call. The best I can do with attacking players, apart from Rush, Kenny, Digger and Gerrard is to talk about the squad.
Salah would definitely get in the squad.
01 May 2025 00:16:20
My favourite Mark Lawrenson story was when Robin Friday got sent off for kicking him in the head. The urban legend is that Friday got into the Brighton changing room and then snipped a loaf off into his shoes. Lawro denies it, but the story has gone round for years and Friday was that much of a loon there has to be a grain of truth in it. The man don’t give a f.
01 May 2025 00:29:38
Thomo wasn’t bad either.
01 May 2025 07:28:44
I was absolutely gutted when we signed Suanders and sold Beardsley to Everton. I remember my blue mates winding me up as they’d signed the player I loved for their club. B.
01 May 2025 07:38:08
Des Walker was class.
Who was it that tried 3 at the back, John Scales, Phil Babb and Ruddock. Was that Souness?
01 May 2025 08:03:56
Roy Evans.
01 May 2025 08:05:50
Yeah Souness. Babb had come off the back of a good World Cup 94 in the states, but was terrible for us. scales was good but injury prone.
01 May 2025 10:15:19
@Scouse John, good call. Great player Thommo. I’d add Dagger and Sami H to the list as well.