History: 2004-2005 Season Review

What could one possibly say about the 2004-2005 season in a few paragraphs that would really serve its true value? I’ll give it a go. First, it must be said that we COMPLETELY overachieved in the Champions League, yet managed to COMPLETELY underachieve in the Premiership. Next, it must be said that Rafael Benitez is an absolute demi-god. Third, I would like to mention that Steven Gerrard is perhaps a supreme being from upon high, as well.

In 2004-2005, Liverpool went from “about to fall apart” to “Champions League winners” in a span of about 10 months. Who was responsible for this insane turn of fortune? Let’s start from the beginning. In June of 2004, after Gerard Houllier had been rightfully sacked for being cenile and inept, the club announced that Valencia’s Rafael Benitez would be taking over the club. “Rafa” would make some immediate changes, and took no sentiment to heart as he wielded the mighty axe. Emile Heskey was already on the way out, but Danny Murphy and Michael Owen were soon to follow. It was clear that Rafa had a new idea in place on how the club would function, and boy would it end up paying off. But the rubbish from the past two seasons that laid in his path would have to do, and only a few additions could be afforded. Djibril Cisse, Luis Garcia, and Xabi Alonso were the only additions of note, but what an impact they would make… particularly the Spanish duo.

Having had qualified for the Champions League, a ragamuffin group of lads from all over the place came together to attempt to make a cohesive unit of footballers. This was only somewhat achieved, and as the Reds struggled to find their identity, they found themselves needing a 1-0 win at home OR a win by two goals (strange rules) to advance to the knockout rounds. The opponents were Olympiakos, who had defeated us in Greece 1-0. We had only scored three goals in those first five games, so after we fell behind 1-0 it was looking unlikely. But a crazy comeback (which would become a hallmark of these first few Rafa-lution seasons) would lead to a 3-1 victory and the beginning of an unexpected journey to the final.

Incredible wins in the Champions League knockout stages over Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus (I’ll never forget that match as long as I live), Chelsea, and ultimately AC Milan in the final would put its stamp on the folklore of FOOTBALL history, not just our own history, Europe’s history, or the competition’s history. A group of overachievers came from 0-3 down at halftime  in the final to win 3-2 on penalties in the final against a side FAR superior to our own. A moment like this cannot be made up. It is only possible in reality, and our men did it. This season, though horrific at times in the league (we finished 5th), the FA Cup (knocked out by a ridiculous own goal) and in many other ways (losing the League Cup final, almost losing Gerrard to Chelsea, having Cisse break his leg, etc.), ended up being possibly the most “dream-landish” of all seasons for me, and many other supporters.

Watching Gerrard lift the European Cup, regardless of any other events, made all the pain and suffering worth it. END OF STORY. And don’t worry… I’ll talk a LOT more about it.

*so I guess that means it isn’t the end of story…  ha ha*

TOP 5 MOMENTS

5) “Lovely cushioned header… GERRARD!!! You beauty!!!” Liverpool 3, Olympiakos 1.

This match was a weird one as a supporter. It wasn’t on TV, so my only memories of it are via text while I was student teaching. While my students worked, I would look over at the computer and see how we were doing. Down 1-0. I figured at this point that we were done for and was hoping the UEFA Cup would be available. But then I saw that Sinama had evened it up. 1-1! There was a BIT of hope. At this stage, though, my job really wouldn’t allow me to check for another 40-45 minutes… and i couldn’t believe what I was able to read! We were through! Not until I saw the highlights did it truly sink in, but regardless it was a moment I won’t forget. Trying to mute myself as I read the final score in front of 30 8th graders wasn’t the easiest… but I managed! Mellor and Gerrard’s goals, with Gerrard’s being a classic, opened up the door for us to win it all. Who would have EVER guessed it after that first half? “Football is a funny ol’ game…”

4) Luis Garcia’s wonderstrike over Juventus

Rarely does a goal turn a grown man into a jumping up-and-down little girl. But in this case, I reacted on pure instinct and joy. We were surprsingly up 1-0 over a club I regarded as far better than us in Juventus (thank you Hyypia!) and shockingly it became 2-0. But it wasn’t just that we scored. How we scored was the crucial thing here. Anthony Le Tallec’s looping through ball to King Luis in space was quite inviting, and our little legend took a dipping volley with his right foot over the head of Buffon, and just under the bar into the far corner. This goal was not only spectacular, but it was MAJESTIC. Immaculate. Perfect. QUITE PLEASING ON THE EYE. We would go on to win 2-1, but this goal on its own was a moment I’ll never forget. My celebration was probably embarrassing, but that’s part and parcel of being obsessed, isn’t it?

3) Rafa Benitez hired as Liverpool FC manager.

Not many more decisions from “above” have affected Liverpool so greatly as this one. Gerard Houllier had provided a decent moment or two (in 2000-2001 it was three!) for us, but his last two seasons at the club were completely catastrophic. One had to wonder what would be next for us… would it be UEFA Cup mediocrity, or would it be getting sucked into the lower table? His most recent signings suggested the latter, and LFC had to act. And act they did, bringing on Rafa. Rafa came as a Spanish champion, as the reigning UEFA Cup champion, and as a man known for excellent tactics and scintillating football. It took a while for it all to blend in at the club, but nobody could possibly deny that Rafa turned around our fortunes. A Champions League trophy after 1 season? WOW.

2) Luis Garcia’s “goal” sends us to the final in Istanbul.

Liverpool versus Chelsea was about to become a classic rivalry. That said, this contest was really the spark of this intense distaste towards one another, because we finally were able to get one over them! No rivalry exists where one team always wins. That was what had happened before this 2nd leg at Anfield… Chelsea were getting the results. In the fourth minute of this one, though, the script was drastically re-written. Milan Baros had been put through, was CLOBBERED by Petr Cech, and Luis Garcia pounced on it. Having a 0-0 aggregate scoreline up to this point, a goal was needed to advance us to the final. So when his chipped effort was cleared off of the line, nobody knew what was going to be called. Was it, or wasn’t it? According to the assistant referee, it “was,” and Liverpool took the lead! Assault after assault insued, yet we were able to hold our nerve and make it to the final. LIVERPOOL TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL! Unbelievable! Then again, what was to follow would be even MORE crazy…

1) ISTANBUL.

The BEST EVER moment in my Liverpool FC life. In all honesty, I’d probably put this just behind my wedding as far as the best moments I’ve ever had. Jsut the fact that we made it to the final was simply surreal, but the way we won it… WOW. Losing 0-1 after 52 seconds… losing 0-3 at half time… having a squad with DJIMI TRAORE AND VLADIMIR SMICER. That’s having the cards stacked against you. I cried at halftime. I prayed. I basically told God that this was all I ever really wanted. Sad, but perhaps a bit of truth to it! Despite all this, though, the players would need to get the impossible to become possible. And somehow Steven Gerrard found a way to get us motivated, and he scored the first goal in trademark fashion… BRILLIANTLY. His header gave us hope, and as he rallied the troops, I had a smidgen of belief. Only moments later, we were at it again, and remarkably Vladimir Smicer struck his one and only goal of the season into the lower corner from 20 yards out. It was not just an unlikely strike… it was sick. Milan Baros had to jump out of the way, an AC Milan player was tying his shoes, and the ball had more movement on it than a Hawaiian luau girl’s hips.

2-3, and surely we had a chance. At this point I really DID believe. I remember yelling VERY loudly at the TV in my apartment to “FUCKING COME ON! WE CAN FUCKING RUIN THESE FUCKERS!” I’m not usually someone who drops a whole ton of f-bombs, but this was one of those moments where I really couldn’t help myself.  And “ruin these fuckers” we did, with Gennaro Gattuso clipping the heel of Stevie G in the box (he did, too… it wasn’t a dive). PENALTY. Xabi Alonso was the man to take it, and just to make the moment that much more dramatic, Dida saved it. But Xabi was there to slam it in, and a moment of pure “apeshit” took place. At home. On the pitch. In my soul. In bars across the land. In Istanbul itself. EVERYWHERE.

The rest of the match is a bit of a blur, if I’m to be honest. We fought valiantly to not lose from there, with Jerzy Dudek’s magnet hands being a big reason for this (119th minute double save over Shevchenko being the chief example). As it headed into penalties, I knew there was only to be one result. Lifting the damn cup high into the air and winning it. This was what happened. AC Milan’s Serginho stepped up first, and SKIED it. That was the first clue. Then Hamann stepped up, stuttered, and made it 1-0. The next moment, though, is what I believe is the crucial moment in the shootout. Pirlo’s strike was saved by Dudek. Without that, anything could have happened. But Cisse made it 2-0, and from there on destiny had chosen Liverpool FC. Though Riise’s shot was saved, and Tomasson and Kaka had made theirs, Smicer could put the champagne practically on ice with a converted penalty… which he did. From there, my shirt was off, I was hiding behind my couch, and my great friend Chris was jumping up and down in excitement. Smicer nailed it. And all that had to happen was either a Dudek save or a Gerrard conversion on the 5th kick. It was to be the first, with Shevchenko’s remarkably horrible attempt on goal.

From this point on, all I can say is that I cried, laughed, hugged Chris a million times, and probably spoke in tongues. We had done it! What a memory, and it is one that makes ANY trial or tribulation as a fan worth its while.

TOP 10 BEST GOALS

10) Luis Garcia v. Charlton

After a frustrating first half where we totally dominated but couldn’t score, all LFC deserved was a wondergoal or two. Riise provided a lovely first, but the icing was truly from Luis Garcia on this particular cake. Gathering the ball from about 40 yards, little Luis was able to take a few strides forward from right-center, and let loose from 25 yards out. The ball knuckled marvelously wide and then back into frame, completely avoiding any possiblitity of being saved. It was a BEAUTIFUL goal.

(watch me!)

9) Morientes @ Charlton

A moment like this was rare from Morientes during his time at Liverpool, but this was quite the way to get your first goal for the club. We were down 0-1, and would end up winning 2-1, and Morientes was about to turn on the class. With a shimmy of the hip here, and a change of direction there, Nando would crash the ball in from 20 yards high into the upper far-corner after a dazzling dribbling move. This was a very high quality goal.

(watch me! it’s the first goal in the video with him wearing yellow)

8 ) Riise @ West Bromwich Albion

Power… placement… “wow factor.” This goal had all three. It wasn’t the most technical or “out-of-this-world” strike, but boy did it have some anger and accuracy to it. We would go on to win this match 5-0, but Riise’s was definitely the pick of the bunch. From about 15 yards out on the left, Riise defied the odds of angles and not-bursting-the-ball-open, and smacked it high into the corner. Nice one, John Arne!

7) Luis Garcia v. Tottenham

Luis Garcia was in a bit of a hot streak when LFC faced Tottenham, and this goal was just one of many he’d score for us in this first season of his. But this one also had that “something special” about it. He took the ball with his back to the goal, turned the defender brilliantly, and then let rip from 20 yards high into the far upper corner. “Twas a nice strike!”

6) Mellor v. Arsenal

This goal had everything. It was a last second winner over a side who had lost once in the past 12 or so months, it was a dipping strike low into the corner from 35 yards out, it was from a player who had basically defied the odds in making the side in the first place, and it was from a man who looked more likely to work at McDonald’s than to be a professional footballer. At 1-1, the ball found its way to Harry Kewell, who truly took one for the team as he was clattered to the deck by Sol Campbell, and then the ball bounced perfectly to the feet of Neil Mellor. The natural thing to do would have been to take a touch and see what was around. No… Mellor wanted a go at it. And WOW. It flew in, sparking wild celebrations amongst the Kop. A historically fantastic victory, and a fairy-tale goal from Mellor. LOVELY.

(watch me! I’m about 15 seconds into the video…)

5) Gerrard v. Olympiakos

This goal was not just famous because of its importance… though that is a main reason many people will remember it. It was truly a splendid hit from Gerrard, adding to the mystique he had created for himself. He didn’t just score big goals… he scored big goals in a BIG way. Spectacularly in the moment. With the Reds needing one more goal to progress and only minutes remaining, Carragher’s cross found the head of Mellor, who cushioned it down to Gerrard, and his fizzing half-volley found the back of the side netting with flair and quite a bit of power. Not just a good goal. Just listen to Andy Gray commentate on it! “YOU BEAUTY!!!”

(watch me!)

4) Alonso v. Arsenal

The team goal of the season, without question. A lovely interchange of passes between Finnan, Kewell, Gerrard and Alonso led to the Spaniard cranking home into the upper corner from the top of the 18. The movement of the players on this one is what makes it special, though, and it is something you seriously couldn’t draw up… pure instinct from some classy players. Take a look at it!

(watch me!)

3) Gerrard v. Portsmouth

I don’t think I have ever seen a goal hit with so much anger as this one in 2004-2005 from Gerrard against Portsmouth. I also don’t think I’ve seen a better celebration, with Gerrard pointing at his chest and angrily shouting “I’m the FUCKING MAN.” I love it. From a free kick, the ball was rolled to Gerrard, who let rip off of the upper post and in from about 20+ yards. The way he scored it, though, is only done any service at all from watching it.

(watch me!)

2) Luis Garcia v. Juventus

Without completely repeating myself, this goal turned me inside out in glee as it was struck. Not just that it was important, but that the quality of it was of such a high standard in such a crucial match. Goals like that live forever. This one in particular, as it was truly magnificent. A 30 yard dipping volley over BUFFON of all people, and perfectly nestling into the far upper corner? It was spectacular, the occasion was unbeliveable, and the final product was one of pure perfection.

(watch me!)
1) Gerrard v. Middlesbrough

Ummm… WOW. 35 yards out, dipping volley that curves, knuckles, and magnetizes itself to the top corner, and perfectly flies over the diving keeper’s grasp? You could hardly dream it, not mention score it. Gerrard is known for some brilliant strikes, but he would probably tell you that this one was the most ascthetically pleasing to watch. A brilliant example of technique, precision, power, accuracy, anger, confidence, and CLASS. Simply stunning.

(watch me!!!)

TOP 10 MOST IMPORTANT GOALS

10) Riise v. Chelsea, League Cup Final

We may not have gone on to win the final itself, but scoring within 45 seconds was a record for the competition. We would hold the lead until the 81st minute, when Steven Gerrard’s crazy own-goal allowed Chelsea to take the match into extra time, where they’d go on to win 3-2. Riise’s goal was class, though, with Morientes swinging the ball over to the other side of the pitch, where Riise smacked it on the volley back from which the ball came into the side netting. It was a glorious left foot volley in the final, but pity that it wasn’t the winner.

9) Alonso @ Fulham

In the comeback of the season (pre-AC Milan, anyhow!), Milan Baros scored twice to level the scores at 2-2. With only minutes remaining, Xabi Alonso took a free-kick from about 25 yards out. He swung it over the wall, where it took a slight deflection, and flew into the top corner. Van Der Sar was cemented in place, and Alonso had miraculously given us a 3-2 lead after we had been down. His substitution in the second half was the inspiration for our comeback, and it was only fitting that he’d give us the lead. Not the best season in the league, but at the time it gave us hope during a time when we were not playing well whatsoever.

8 ) Luis Garcia v. Everton

In his first Merseyside Derby at Anfield, Luis Garcia gave Liverpool the crucial second goal in a memorable 2-1 victory. Gerrard had given us the lead with a clever low free-kick. At 1-0, Morientes took an audacious dipping volley from 40 yards, which Martyn could only parry onto the bar, where Luis Garcia came sprinting onto it with cat-like reflexes and headed it high into the goal from a few yards out. Cue WILD celebrations in the Kop, and the birth of his famous thumb-sucking celebration. Everton would go on to score a late consolation goal, creating some nervy moments, but King Luis’ header turned out to be clincher. The background info not given as of yet was that we needed to beat Everton to have any hope of finishing 4th ahead of them. Turned out that we didn’t, but at the time it seemed awfully important!

7) Mellor v. Arsenal

Not only was this goal one of the top 10 BEST goals of the 2004-2005 campaign, but it was clearly one of the most important, as well. Arsenal had just completed a season where they had not lost a single match in the Premiership, and had lost their first in 49 matches against Manchester United only weeks earlier. So when they came to Anfield against a Liverpool side who were weakened in attack, and just in general were total crap, it was quite the surprise when we took a 1-0 lead thanks to a fabulous goal from Alonso. Vieira equalized in special style, and with extra time already on the clock, it was up to the Liverpool players to come up with a moment of magic. But who would have guessed it would be Neil Mellor? A bouncing ball to Kewell saw him get knocked over by Campbell, and from 30 yards plus, Neil Mellor let rip, scoring in the lower corner and sending the Kop into a frenzy. What a way to get your first Premiership goal! This match helped end a long, long streak of not being able to beat Arsenal in the league, and it showed that we were capable of playing well against the big sides. It was a well deserved and important victory for both player and club.

6) Luis Garcia v. Juventus

This goal was absolutely top-drawer, but more importantly it would become the telling goal that would send us through to the Champions League semifinals. Juventus were the clear favorites, and when Hyypia took the lead it seemed highly unlikely that we would keep it at the scoreline, particularly with weapons like Ibrahimovic, Nedved and Trezeguet available. Unexpectedly, it would be us who took the next goal, with Le Tallec sending Luis Garcia on his way with a bouncing ball that our little legend would use to cement his place in Liverpool FC folklore. The volley was not just amazing, but it was beautiful to watch and was crucially important. Without this goal, who knows what we would have been able to do in Turin or the rest of the match for that matter. We’d go on to win 2-1 in this match and on aggregate.

5) Gerrard v. Olympiakos

Many people might struggle reading this as only the number five goal on the importance list, as it was such a vital and late strike. But with all that said, all three goals in the final itself are clearly of more importance as far as capturing the trophy are concerned, and so was the goal that advanced us to the final itself. That is where judging these goals is so difficult. Regardless, I am well aware that this goal could indeed be ranked as high as number one! Down 1-0 and needing to win by two goals, we had a huge task on our hands to even make it to the next round. Add to that the great possibility that Gerrard would leave the club if we didn’t progress, and the task appeared even that much more desperate. First Sinama Pongolle and then Neil Mellor gave us hope, and with only two minutes left to play, Steven Gerrard added to his already sublime record of scoring important goals for the club. This was perhaps his finest up to this point, however, and it was something special to watch. Mellor’s cushioned header fell perfectly into our captain’s stride, and he absolutely hammered a 20 yard belter into the  side netting, sending Anfield into an eruption of noise that I’ve never seen before from our crowd up to this point. What a special moment!

4) Luis Garcia v. Chelsea

Was it? Wasn’t it? Replay after replay still makes this one foggy… which is probably why to this day that Chelsea people are so frustrated by it. Luis Garcia scored the goal, and it was the only goal over the two legs. Chelsea can debate it all they want, but what a lot of them fail to realize is that two other decisions could have happened in that one play. First, Petr Cech without doubt conceded a penalty as he hacked down Milan Baros. Secondly, he could have very easily been sent off for it. It was PROBABLY a yellow, though. Either way, we had a 1-0 victory and just had to hold on for dear life… which we JUST were able to accomplish. Off to our first final in the European Cup since 1985!!!

3) Gerrard v. AC Milan

Once again, this is where judging goals becomes tough to do. Some might say the first goal in a three goal comeback is the most crucial, as it sets the tempo for the possibility of coming back into the match. Some would even say it was the second goal, since it removes confidence completely away from the opposition. Others would suggest that the third goal in the comeback is the one that matters, as it is the only one that created the result that counts. In my opinion, all three goals are all on an equal playing field. We’ll just start with Gerrard’s. At 0-3, clearly playing for pride was all that was expected. A consolation goal could soften the blow. Gerrard’s header after 50 minutes was quite impressive in style, but also it gave us that glimmer of fairytale hope. At the time I was just glad we scored… little did I know that only minutes later #2 would arrive!

2) Smicer v. AC Milan

Behind the Gerrard goal in the FA Cup Final in 2006, this is probably my favorite Liverpool goal. At 1-3, anything could happen, but scoring a second so quickly was perhaps the only scenario that could lead to the result that transpired. The way the goal came about was actually quite funny. We probably shouldn’t have scored it, as we were offsides in the inital build-up, and THEN a Milan player (forget if it was Gattuso, Pirlo, or Kaka) was tying their shoes in the position where the ball was sprayed out to Smicer. Then, Smicer (who had not scored a goal in YEARS it seemed), took a shot of a lifetime into the lower corner. It was a splendid strike, surely, but most importantly it was accurate and went into the back of the net. A lot of credit should go to Baros with this goal, too, as he somehow dodged the strike from hitting his stomach, missing him by CENTIMETERS. Great strike, I was pumped, and it would lead to this…

1) Alonso v. AC Milan

Not the prettiest goal, nor was it magical, but this goal was shocking in its sense of destiny and in its timing. As mentioned earlier, Liverpool needed that second goal very quickly after the first to keep a comeback possible, but this third goal was not expected whatsoever in this situation. After we scored the second and had 40 minutes left, the hope was that we would find a way somehow in those 40… not necessarily on 2 or 3 minutes later! Gerrard was clipped by Gattuso, and we were able to take a penalty. Xabi Alonso looked nervous as he took it, it was saved, and somehow Alonso was able to pounce on it and smash it in with his left foot into the roof of the net. The comeback would have meant nothing had Xabi not scored this third goal, which is why I put it at #1. It was the ugliest of the three, but it was the one that gave us the chance to win on penalties 3-2. For this goal, Xabi will always hold a place in any supporter’s heart!

SIGNINGS AND DEPARTURES

Signings:

There was a massive overhaul in the summer of 2004 at Liverpool Football Club, one that would completely restructure the face of the club. Certain heroes would stay when expected to leave (Gerrard), whereas others were sold off despite having had good seasons in the recent past (Owen, Murphy), or just needed to move on to revitalize their careers (Heskey). Liverpool had a torrid past two seasons, and some new blood would need to be brought in to not only replace some of the departures, but to fit into our new manager’s style of play. The initial signings that came in were Djibril Cisse from Auxerre (technically a Houllier signing), Antonio Nunez from Real Madrid, and Josemi from Malaga. Neither of them would not make the sort of impact as expected, but Rafa’s finest signings were soon to come. It was clear that Liverool would need some creativity to match Rafa’s style at Valencia, and his two big signings of Luis Garcia (Barcelona) and Xabi Alonso (Real Sociedad) for a combined fee of 16 mil (shocking now that you think about it… BARGAINS!) would give the club a massive facelift. The impact was necessary, as we were finding it tough to cope with the improved squads of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal.It was not just this season, either, where these two men would make an impact. As far as folklore is concerned, both of these men would find their way into it without question. They’ll never be forgotten or unappreciated, that’s for sure!

Three more signings would arrive in January, and unfortunately they would all be duds. Pellegrino was more of a “coach-to-be” signing in fairness, but Fernando Morientes would be a REAL flop from REAL Madrid. Then there was Scott Carson, expected to perhaps replace Dudek, but instead was found out to be not good enough. It may not have been a great transfer season in 2004-2005, but Alonso and Garcia alone made it all worth it, and even Cisse would make an impact in the following season and indeed in the penalty shootout in Istanbul.

Departures:

The departures in 2004-2005 were perhaps a bigger story than who arrived at the club. Emile Heskey, Markus Babbel, Michael Owen, Danny Murphy, and Stephane Henchoz were all on their way, and El Hadji Diouf was also sent out on loan to Bolton, where he would eventually make his move permanent. It was a crazy summer, and as a supporter it was sad to watch the club get restructured. Michael Owen was my hero for the first few seasons as a supporter, and was the real reason I began to support the club in the first place. Owen’s goals had been massive to the club, and he had become a real icon. The problem was that he was fading a bit and wanted a move to Real Madrid to waken up his career. The move turned out to be great for us, but it was difficult to watch him go… AND it was hard to see him released for such a small fee. 8 mil was probably 8 mil too little. He should have gone for 16 mil, but bygones are bygones. Murphy and Heskey were sad to watch go from a sentimental point of view, but definitely not from a quality point of view. They had their moments, but both needed to go if we were to step up to the next level.

TOP 5 PLAYERS

5) Sami Hyypia

Sami Hyypia was immense in the back during the 2004-2005 season, particularly in European competition. His performance against Juventus in Turin was the finest defensive display from an individual that I’ve ever seen at Liverpool. He was absolutely unbeatable, winning every challenge, being the first to every ball, winning every header, and was completely neutralizing any attack that Juventus tried to muster. His goals against Juventus in the first leg, against Tottenham at Anfield, and Fulham at Anfield were all important and of high quality. It was a magnificent season from Hyypia.

4) Jamie Carragher

When Rafa moved this above-average rightback to the center of defense, many people wondered what he was thinking. But then Carragher became an absolute rock back there and made Rafa look like a genius. It was a masterstroke, and Carra had some legendary performances, particularly against Chelsea in the Champions League and against Olympiakos. He became the heart and soul of our team in the back half of the field, and forged a very good partnership with Sami Hyypia. This move pretty much sealed the fate of Henchoz, and allowed for our back four of Finnan, Carra, Hyypia, and Traore to gel together.

3) Luis Garcia

Not many of us had heard of Luis Garcia before he arrived at Anfield, but we immediately liked what we were watching. This crafty little bugger was making life miserable for the opposition. He had quite the shot on him, and was clever and creative. He was frustrating at times, losing possession far too often and occasionally tried to do way too much, but he had some incredibly special moments that wiped away any of those previous frustrations. King Luis scored some magical goals, such as THAT goal against Juventus, a lovely curler against Tottenham, a clever lob at Norwich, and then those critical ones over Chelsea, Everton, and Bayer Leverkusen. He was joint-top scorer at the club in his first season, and will always be remembered for his performances in this first season.

2) Xabi Alonso

From the moment Alonso kicked a ball for us in the red shirt, the supporters realized we had a player of absolute class, quality, and special ability on our hands. Not since the days of Dalglish and Molby had we seen a player in our squad who could pick out a player so precisely and from such a far distance. Alonso could score some goals, as well, with some beauties against Arsenal and Fulham, as well as the equalizer in the comeback at Istanbul. His assists, though, were clearly the reason that made him such a popular figure at the club. Without Alonso, it is highly doubtful that this Liverpool squad would have made it such a surprisingly successful season. Indeed, we had four months without him because of a broken ankle, and we had a dreadful run of form during those months. We NEEDED Alonso.

1) Steven Gerrard

This was the season that saw Steven Gerrard make his REAL mark on the club. The few seasons before, Gerrard was clearly our best player but not on a day-to-day basis. He was a little inconsistent. But in 2004-2005, he stepped up and became a world class player every time he went out on the pitch. Gerrard scored some magnificent goals in this season, some of which are probably the best our club has ever seen. His free-kick against Portsmouth was fantastic, the Olympiakos goal was brilliant, and that goal against Middlesbrough is the second best goal I have ever seen from a Liverpool player (behind Hamann’s the year before). But it wasn’t just nice goals. There were important goals. The winner over Olympiakos, the first in the Istanbul comeback, the first in the Merseyside derby… countless others, as well. He learned how to grab the club from the scruff of the neck and take us to the next level and elevate our play to the quality of our opposition, which was generally above our own. He became a real legend this season.

TOP 3 FLOPS

3) Harry Kewell

This might be a bit harsh, given some of his injuries, but Harry Kewell’s promise was not being utilized. He didn’t seem to have the confidence in this season, and it was becoming clear that he wasn’t going to shake it. I loved Kewell the season before, and did in the 2005-2006 season as well, but he was frequently a disappointment in the 2004-2005 season whenever he played.

2) Antonio Nunez

Given that Owen was only sold for 8 mil, a lot of us thought then that Antonio Nunez would be worth that swap fee. Turns out that there was a reason Real Madrid was so eager to ship him out to us. He was talented, yes, but he was also quite easily bumped off of the ball and bullied around. It was a pity, because you really COULD see the potential. It just wasn’t being used and it was clear it would never get used.

1) Josemi

The real disappointment of 2004-2005 was that of Josemi. He was brought in to be a real tough player, a technical right back who would lift us to the next level. Turns out that he was utter shite, and his toughness really only translated into yellow cards and bad fouls. He was dreadful for us, and sent a shudder down my spine every time he was selected.

STATISTICS

League Cup- runners-up after losing 3-2 to Chelsea in the League Cup Final

FA Cup- knocked out by Burnley after the best own-goal in the history of own-goals! TRAORE!!! 0-1.