1996–97 Liverpool F.C. season

Liverpool
1996–97 season
Chairman David Moores
Manager Roy Evans
Premier League 4th
FA Cup Fourth round
League Cup Fifth round
Cup Winners' Cup Semi-finals
Top goalscorer League:
Robbie Fowler (18)
All:
Robbie Fowler (31)
Average home league attendance 38,436
Home colours
Away colours

During the 1996–97 English football season, Liverpool F.C. competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).

Competition Result Top scorer
Premier League 4th England Robbie Fowler, 18
UEFA CWC Semi-finals England Robbie Fowler, 7
FA Cup Fourth round England Stan Collymore, 2
League Cup Fifth round England Robbie Fowler, 5
Overall England Robbie Fowler, 31

Season summary

Liverpool led the Premiership for much of the season, and established a five-point lead at the top before New Year's Day 1997. However, the team were overtaken by Manchester United in the latter stages of the season, and it was United who ultimately won the league, though Liverpool squandered several more chances to reclaim the top position.[1] The side were marred both by the rise of the "Spice Boys" culture, as well as by defensive aberrations; dropping points at their previously impregnable Anfield home. A 2-1 home defeat against bottom of the table Coventry City denied Liverpool the chance to return to top spot with six games to go, United having lost at home to Derby the previous day.[2] Indeed, a win over United at Anfield in April would have put Liverpool top with just three matches to go, but United won 3-1 to effectively clinch the title.[3] The title lost, Liverpool still went into the final match of the season in second place with a two-point lead over Newcastle and Arsenal, but a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday meant they ended up finishing 4th on goal difference, thus missing out on a place in the newly expanded UEFA Champions League[4] and leaving Roy Evans and his team with a UEFA Cup place as scant consolation for a season which had promised much and giving rise to the phrase "finishing fourth in a two horse race".

In the cups there was more disappointment. Liverpool's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup campaign ended in the semi-finals with a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Paris St Germain. In the FA Cup they lost 4-2 to eventual winners Chelsea in the fourth round, having led 2-0 at half-time and squandered chances to extend their lead. Liverpool were knocked out in the Coca-Cola Cup quarter-finals by eventual finalists Middlesbrough.

The side were nevertheless praised for their attractive attacking style of football. Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler continued to excel for the club, and Fowler continued his prolific strike partnership with Stan Collymore, scoring 47 goals between them. Fowler's suspension for the final four games was a big blow and effectively ended any lingering hopes of title glory. Fowler also received a UEFA Fair Play award, for protesting that he had not been fouled by Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman when the referee awarded a penalty kick. The season also saw the debut of teenage prodigy Michael Owen.

Former defender Mark Wright stated in an interview that this was the season in the 1990s that the Liverpool team truly had the talent and opportunity to win the title but threw it away:[5] "We did come close to winning the league a few times and we finished fourth one season when we were the best team. We were better than Manchester United, better than everyone, and we finished joint second but ended up fourth because of goal difference. That was the season we should have won the title and we all know that. I remember some of the games we lost and the way we dropped points against certain sides. David James dropped a few clangers and I remember them because in certain games he didn't have anything to do, then all of a sudden he thinks he's got to be involved in the game. He would come rushing out and all of a sudden you would be 1-0 down", he said.

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
2 Newcastle United 38 19 11 8 73 40 +33 68 1997–98 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round
3 Arsenal 38 19 11 8 62 32 +30 68 1997–98 UEFA Cup First round
4 Liverpool 38 19 11 8 62 37 +25 68
5 Aston Villa 38 17 10 11 47 34 +13 61
6 Chelsea 38 16 11 11 58 55 +3 59 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup First round[lower-alpha 1]
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
  1. ↑ Chelsea qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup as FA Cup winners.

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 England GK David James
2 England DF Rob Jones
3 England DF John Scales
3 Norway DF Bjorn Kvarme
4 Republic of Ireland DF Jason McAteer[notes 1]
5 England DF Mark Wright
6 Republic of Ireland DF Phil Babb[notes 2]
7 England MF Steve McManaman
8 England FW Stan Collymore
9 England FW Robbie Fowler
10 England MF John Barnes[notes 3]
11 England MF Jamie Redknapp
12 England DF Steve Harkness
No. Position Player
13 England GK Tony Warner[notes 4]
14 England DF Neil Ruddock
15 Czech Republic MF Patrik Berger
16 England MF Michael Thomas
18 England FW Michael Owen
19 Republic of Ireland DF Mark Kennedy
20 Norway DF Stig Inge Bjørnebye
21 England DF Dominic Matteo[notes 5]
22 England MF Jamie Cassidy
23 England DF Jamie Carragher
24 Wales FW Lee Jones
25 England MF David Thompson
26 Denmark GK Jørgen Nielsen

Transfers

In

# Pos Player From Fee Date
15MFCzech Republic Patrik BergerGermany Borussia Dortmund£3,250,0001 August 1996
28MFAustralia Nick RizzoAustralia Sydney OlympicFree1 September 1996
3DFNorway Bjørn Tore KvarmeNorway RosenborgFree10 January 1997

Out

# Pos Player To Fee Date
27GKEngland Stephen PearsEngland Hartlepool UnitedFree1 June 1996
18MFEngland Phil CharnockEngland Crewe AlexandraFree6 December 1996
3DFEngland John ScalesEngland Tottenham Hotspur£2,600,00011 December 1996

Results

Premier League

FA Cup

Football League Cup

European Cup Winners' Cup

Statistics

Appearances and goals

No. Pos Nat Player TotalPremier LeagueFA CupLeague CupCWC
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Goalkeepers
1 GK England David James 520380204080
Defenders
2 DF England Rob Jones 3020001000
3 DF Norway Bjørn Tore Kvarme 170150101000
5 DF England Mark Wright 432330203151
6 DF Republic of Ireland Phil Babb 31121+1110304+10
12 DF England Steve Harkness 1005+20000030
14 DF England Neil Ruddock 22115+2100202+10
19 DF Republic of Ireland Mark Kennedy 800+500+100+100+10
20 DF Norway Stig Inge Bjørnebye 524382204082
21 DF England Dominic Matteo 38022+40203070
Midfielders
4 MF Republic of Ireland Jason McAteer 51136+11204080
7 MF England Steve McManaman 5110377204281
10 MF England John Barnes 47734+14203073
11 MF England Jamie Redknapp 32418+5310114+30
15 MF Czech Republic Patrik Berger 34913+1061+103162
16 MF England Michael Thomas 42329+2310405+10
23 MF England Jamie Carragher 311+11000+1000
25 MF England David Thompson 200+20000000
Forwards
8 FW England Stan Collymore 371625+51222004+12
9 FW England Robbie Fowler 44313218114577
18 FW England Michael Owen 211+11000000
24 FW Wales Lee Jones 200+20000000
Players transferred out during the season
3 DF England John Scales 703000102+10

Top scorers

Premier League

References

  1. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2008/sep/10/1
  2. ↑ Football: Liverpool fall foul of Dublin
  3. ↑ On second thoughts ... Roy Evans
  4. ↑ http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/1996-1997/table/1997-05-08
  5. ↑ url="http://www.noticias.info/archivo/2007/200711/20071127/20071127_325231.shtm"

Notes

  1. ↑ McAteer was born in Tranmere, England, but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally and made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland in March 1994.
  2. ↑ Babb was born in Lambeth, England, but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally and made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland in 1994.
  3. ↑ Barnes was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but also qualified to represent any of the home nations internationally as he held a British passport and made his international debut for England in May 1983.
  4. ↑ Warner was born in Liverpool, England, but also qualified to represent Trinidad and Tobago internationally and would make his international debut for Trinidad and Tobago in February 2006.
  5. ↑ Matteo was born in Dumfries, Scotland, but was raised in England from the age of four and represented them at U-21 and B level before making his international debut for Scotland in November 2000.
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