Helicopter Sundae 5,986 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Superb article about him in the Mail on Saturday. 'Half the players today will have no idea I even played the game.' Trouble is, half the fans of today don't know about him either. Souness was a legend when he arrived to manage us. At the time, Liverpool were a legendary team, and there was one question that everybody asked about them...What is their secret? It has never been truly answered, but I think Souness reveals it in this article. It wasn't a physical thing. Everyone must have assumed there was some mystical training technique, or some other secret recipe that they had tapped into, yet it was so elusive for other teams, except for the great ones. And yet, Souness reveals that it was 100% in the attitude. They weren't over-coached or over-trained. In fact he said clearly that in some cases, they were given no tactics at all for a match. The secret, that was bred into them, was a never say die attitude, and that was what Shankly had instilled, and it lasted through various replacements. 'I don't know how you say that to players — because when I played at Liverpool, it was the opposite. We were made to feel unbeatable.' 'I don't know how Jose Mourinho gets that message across to his players. You know the one I mean. At the final against Ajax; at Anfield last week. "We're not good enough to take them on in a game of football. So we're going to go long and stay behind the ball." 'I don't know how you say that to players — because when I played at Liverpool, it was the opposite. We were made to feel unbeatable.' Souness had a German shepherd called Jock during his time at Anfield. His friend, Bob, was a dog handler at Walton prison. Souness used to run for Bob's dog, with a sleeve, to train it to attack, and Bob repaid the favour. 'And at Liverpool we were like that dog,' he explains, 'because at the end of the training, it was essential that you walked away, as if you had lost. 'The dog had to win, because it had to be trained to believe it was invincible. Every time. It could never be beaten. 'And that was us. Before each game we were told, "In that dressing-room across the corridor, it's the biggest game of their season. It's not the biggest game of your season, but if you are at it today and play, there is nothing in this game for them". That is clearly not an easy task to attain, but it looks like the ex-Liverpool fucker across the Clyde has tapped into it. We need to get that attitude into our players, before they develop a sense of inferiority before they even get on the pitch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyaleastend 3,260 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Jim Baxter also said "There were no tactics" in his day, and I'd love a Jim Baxter with no tactics in the team now. I also believe Gazza was given no tactical instruction, just went out and done his thing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally62 393 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 1 minute ago, Loyaleastend said: Jim Baxter also said "There were no tactics" in his day, and I'd love a Jim Baxter with no tactics in the team now. I also believe Gazza was given no tactical instruction, just went out and done his thing. That sounds like Pena, but he's no got a thing worth doing..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyaleastend 3,260 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 ally62, you're bang on mate, he is a disgrace to the jersey, fucking useless Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanzmeanzheinz 4,312 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 I got the Souness book at the weekend. Looking forward to reading it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
murzo 7,446 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 42 minutes ago, Loyaleastend said: Jim Baxter also said "There were no tactics" in his day, and I'd love a Jim Baxter with no tactics in the team now. I also believe Gazza was given no tactical instruction, just went out and done his thing. Laudrup as well, go'n do what you do. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyaleastend 3,260 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Pedro was meant to be a guy who knew the game and understood tactics, maybe tactics are just a load of shite Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnberry18 3,204 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 "You get the ball, you pass it to a red shirt...there's a lot been written about tactics by people who couldn't win at dominoes".- Brian Clough. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helicopter Sundae 5,986 Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 When Bill Shankly handed over to Bob Paisley, he said that a monkey could take over the team and still carry on winning. It was hammered into the players...they were invincible at that point. Even up to the point Fagan took over. The continuity carried on, for years. What Pedro has said was that the players has a game plan that lasted right up till the point they got on the pitch. Then it failed. I have to take his word for it. Plenty are happy to see him fail, and watch him and the team fall on their arses. The worst thing is to lose the dressing room, but if players are fucking it up for him, then they are to blame. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danger ranger 922 Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 29 minutes ago, Helicopter Sundae said: When Bill Shankly handed over to Bob Paisley, he said that a monkey could take over the team and still carry on winning. It was hammered into the players...they were invincible at that point. Even up to the point Fagan took over. The continuity carried on, for years. What Pedro has said was that the players has a game plan that lasted right up till the point they got on the pitch. Then it failed. I have to take his word for it. Plenty are happy to see him fail, and watch him and the team fall on their arses. The worst thing is to lose the dressing room, but if players are fucking it up for him, then they are to blame. The plenty as you call them don't pick the team or the tactics or have any input on the mediocre results and turn up at least every two weeks to back the team. We have been shite for about 6 years now and the common denominator is players with no skill never mind attitude, oh, and poor managers, BTW, didn't Souness lose the dressing room at Liverpool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helicopter Sundae 5,986 Posted October 24, 2017 Author Share Posted October 24, 2017 12 hours ago, danger ranger said: The plenty as you call them don't pick the team or the tactics or have any input on the mediocre results and turn up at least every two weeks to back the team. We have been shite for about 6 years now and the common denominator is players with no skill never mind attitude, oh, and poor managers, BTW, didn't Souness lose the dressing room at Liverpool. Yes I believe he did...the point is that Souness was talking about how Liverpool went from a nobody to the elite, however Graeme himself was never that good a manager, but he inspired us, and left us with Walter in charge. That was his legacy. Just watched the Pedro presser and he is showing a passion that we have lacked for a long time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack The Flipper 5,936 Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 7 minutes ago, Helicopter Sundae said: Yes I believe he did...the point is that Souness was talking about how Liverpool went from a nobody to the elite, however Graeme himself was never that good a manager, but he inspired us, and left us with Walter in charge. That was his legacy. Just watched the Pedro presser and he is showing a passion that we have lacked for a long time. Nah nah nah mate, it's not passion. It's insanity, senility, arrogance, stress, frustration, ignorance, or any other negative spin certain members on here want to give it. (ok ok, I added a couple ) Passion = craziness Confidence = arrogance Honesty = being too open & giving too much away Not 100% grammatically correct English being spoken = doesn't know what he's talking about + how the hell could the players understand!?!? tactical talk = talking bullshit As much as I don't think he's the guy to take us forward at least I'm not fuelled by my own agenda to get rid of him by talking as much bullshit as possible in the hope I can change other's opinion. There are definite reasons as to why Pedro shouldn't be in charge. Yet certain members on here decide not to concentrate on that, and instead show themselves up for what they are by trying to put a negative spin on absolutely anything they can - just to get what they want - completely unreasonable and not worth debating or listening to these types. Honesty and integrity used to be of the utmost importance, sad how things have changed - I'll do anything to get things the way I want them. etc Nice to see someone else see it for what it was, passion. Misdirected? Perhaps. Mixed with frustration? Perhaps. Still passion. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermopylae 15,286 Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 I will always thank Souness for those great few years in my early 20s ... probably just about as good as it gets given that we finished the season before in 5th place Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.