Speaking on the It’s a Funny Old Life Podcast, Jamie Carragher has been discussing the late Gerard Houllier and the job he did at Liverpool.
The Frenchman was the Liverpool boss between 1998 and 2004, and during that time, the Reds got back in track after a rather poor period under Roy Evans.
Indeed, Houllier helped the Reds into the Champions League, while he also won the famous treble in 2001.
Jamie Carragher was a key player in that side, and he says that Houllier doesn’t get enough credit for the job he did at Anfield.
What’s been said?
Carragher spoke about the Houllier era.
“It was a special time to be a Liverpool player and we sort of kickstarted those big European nights again. We played Barcelona, we played Roma, we played Porto to win that UEFA Cup. It was a great time with a lot of young local lads in there,” Carragher said.
“Do you think in general he gets enough credit for that season (Gerard Houllier),” Carragher was asked.
“No, he doesn’t get enough credit in general for the job he did at Liverpool. I think he set us on the way, Rafa came in after that, but to win a European trophy and be the first manager to get us in the Champions League. We were in a low ebb when he came in and he completely turned around the football club, I don’t think he gets enough credit,” Carragher said.
Set Rafa up
Rafa Benitez won the Champions League in his first season with Liverpool, but he did so with a massive assist from Houllier.
The Frenchman helped blood in some of the greatest players in Liverpool’s history such as Carragher and Gerrard, and while Benitez fine-tuned things, make no mistake about it, it was Houllier’s squad that won that final in Istanbul.
Liverpool have had a long line of great managers, so it’s hard to give Houllier the credit he truly deserves at times, but Carragher is spot on when he says he deserves more recognition as a true Anfield legend.
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