1990–91 Liverpool F.C. season
Encyclopedia
Liverpool F.C.
did not manage to defend its league title, starting a drought that would last the coming pair of decades.
Manager Kenny Dalglish
resigned on 22 February 1991 following a dramatic 4–4 draw with local rivals Everton
, citing personal reasons for his decision. With caretaker Ronnie Moran
in charge, Liverpool was unable to sustain a title challenge, Arsenal
running away with the title having lost just one game all season, with Liverpool having to settle for 2nd after being leapfrogged by the North Londoners
after Christmas. Graeme Souness
was appointed manager for the five last matches of the season, resulting in three wins and two defeats.
Captain Alan Hansen
, out of action for a nearly a year, announced his retirement as a player not long after Dalglish's resignation.
It was also the final season at Anfield
for striker Peter Beardsley
, who enjoyed a fine start to his fourth season at the club but was then dropped in favour of new signing David Speedie
halfway through the season. Both players left the club in the close season; Speedie to Blackburn Rovers
and Beardsley to local rivals Everton. Also on their way out of Anfield that summer were defenders Gary Gillespie
and Steve Staunton
to Celtic
and Aston Villa respectively.
, where they defeated newly promoted Sheffield United 3–1. A visit to Wembley
a week earlier for the FA Charity Shield had seen Liverpool share the honour with FA Cup
holders
Manchester United
in a 1–1 draw.
in the Merseyside derby
in which Peter Beardsley
scored twice, and even more impressively a 4–0 demolition of Manchester United at Anfield
in which Beardsley hit a hat-trick. Beardsley ended the month as the First Division's top goalscorer with seven goals in as many games.
, and in the next game they dropped points for the first time when Norwich City
held them to a 1–1 draw at Carrow Road
. The month ended in disappointment when Manchester United dumped them out of the Football League Cup
with a 3–1 defeat at Old Trafford
.
. It was also a fine month for Ian Rush
, who was on the scoresheet twice against both Luton Town and Tottenham Hotspur
. Liverpool remained comfortably in the lead at the top of the First Division as November ended.
at Highbury
on 2 December, but their lead of the First Division remained intact. The month ended with a second defeat at Crystal Palace
, slowly emerging as outsiders in the title race, but also included wins over Sheffield United and Southampton
.
from Coventry City
and promising 17-year-old midfielder Jamie Redknapp
from AFC Bournemouth. There were just three league games for the Reds this month, starting with a 3–0 win over Leeds United
at Anfield
on new year's day, followed by draws against Aston Villa
at Wimbledon
.
The FA Cup
quest got off to a rocky start, with the Reds needing replays to see off Second Division competition in the shape of Blackburn Rovers
in the third round and Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth. However, Arsenal had overtaken the Reds as league leaders by the end of the month.
stunned the football world on 22 February 1991 by suddenly announcing his resignation as Liverpool manager after nearly six years in charge, during which time he had guided them to three league titles, two FA Cups, and they had never finished lower than runners-up in the league. They were also in contention for the double
when he handed in his resignation, having just forced a second replay against Everton in the fifth round following a goalless draw at Anfield and a 4–4 thriller at Goodison Park less than 48 hours before the bombshell was dropped. They had also beaten Everton in the league earlier in the month.
Long-serving coach Ronnie Moran
was put in temporary charge of the first team until a permanent successor could be found. However, the month ended with Everton finally getting the better of the Reds in the second replay of the FA Cup fifth round.
every chance of a dream return to the club he served so well as a player.
and Nottingham Forest
ended Liverpool's hopes of another league title as the championship trophy headed back to Arsenal
, who had seized it from Liverpool's grasp with the last kick of the season two years earlier. The last league action of the season was a 2–0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur, and the Reds at least had the consolation of a record 10th successive top two finish.
Much speculation surrounded Anfield at the end of the season regarding who would be joining Liverpool and who might be leaving. The future of Peter Beardsley at Anfield was looking particularly bleak; after an excellent start to the season which saw him hit the back of the net 11 times in the league before the end of November, he had struggled to hold down his place in the first team due to competition from Ronny Rosenthal
and then David Speedie for the position as Ian Rush's strike partner. There was also talk that David Speedie could soon be on his way out of Anfield just months after arriving as Souness looked to sign a new striker, with Mo Johnston
of Rangers
and Dean Saunders
of Derby County being two names most strongly linked with a move to Anfield. Following the retirement of Alan Hansen
in the centre of defence, Derby County's Mark Wright
also became a transfer target. Midfielder Craig Johnston
, who had announced his retirement from playing three years earlier in order to care for his sister following a serious accident, was offered the chance of reviving his career by Souness.
Gary Gillespie
Alex Watson Glenn Hysén
Steve Nicol
Steve Staunton
Barry Venison
Nick Tanner
Steve McMahon
Steve McManaman
Ronnie Whelan
John Barnes
Ray Houghton
Mike Marsh
Jan Mølby
Jamie Redknapp
Jimmy Carter
Jim Magilton
Ian Rush
David Speedie
Ronnie Rosenthal Tony Cousins
Note: Arsenal deducted two points for on-field brawl and Manchester United deducted one point also for on-field brawl.
16 John Barnes
16 Peter Beardsley
11 Jan Mølby
9 Ray Houghton
7 David Speedie
6 Ronnie Rosenthal 5
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
did not manage to defend its league title, starting a drought that would last the coming pair of decades.
Manager Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
resigned on 22 February 1991 following a dramatic 4–4 draw with local rivals Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, citing personal reasons for his decision. With caretaker Ronnie Moran
Ronnie Moran
Ronnie Moran is a former Liverpool captain and coach, who has twice served as caretaker manager...
in charge, Liverpool was unable to sustain a title challenge, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
running away with the title having lost just one game all season, with Liverpool having to settle for 2nd after being leapfrogged by the North Londoners
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
after Christmas. Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
was appointed manager for the five last matches of the season, resulting in three wins and two defeats.
Captain Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
, out of action for a nearly a year, announced his retirement as a player not long after Dalglish's resignation.
It was also the final season at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
for striker Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
, who enjoyed a fine start to his fourth season at the club but was then dropped in favour of new signing David Speedie
David Speedie
David Robert Speedie is a retired Scottish footballer who played for several clubs in England during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably Chelsea, Coventry City, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. He accumulated more than 500 football league appearances and scored almost 150 goals in a 14 year...
halfway through the season. Both players left the club in the close season; Speedie to Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
and Beardsley to local rivals Everton. Also on their way out of Anfield that summer were defenders Gary Gillespie
Gary Gillespie
Gary Thompson Gillespie was a defender who played football for Liverpool through much of their dominant period of the 1980s.-Early career:...
and Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington...
to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Aston Villa respectively.
| Competition | Result | Top Scorer |
|---|---|---|
| First Division The Football League 1990-91 The 1990–1991 season was the 91st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal took their second league title in three seasons despite a season during which it often looked as though the good points would be outnumbered by the bad points... |
Runners-Up |  John BarnesJohn Barnes (footballer) John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times... , 16  Ian RushIan Rush Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield... , 16 |
| FA Cup FA Cup 1990-91 The 1990–91 FA Cup was the 110th season of the world's oldest knockout football competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. Tottenham Hotspur won the competition after coming from 1-0 behind in the final against Nottingham Forest to win 2-1 and take the trophy... |
Fifth Round | Ian Rush Ian Rush Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield... , 5 |
| League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Third Round | Ian Rush Ian Rush Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield... , 5 |
| Charity Shied 1990 FA Charity Shield The 1990 FA Charity Shield was the 68th Charity Shield, a football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 18 August 1990 between 1989–90 Football League champions Liverpool and 1989–90 FA Cup winners... |
Winners | John Barnes John Barnes (footballer) John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times... , 1 |
| Overall 1990-91 in English football The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager... |
Ian Rush Ian Rush Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield... , 26 |
August
Liverpool's defence of their record 18th top division league title began on 25 August 1990 at Bramall LaneBramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
, where they defeated newly promoted Sheffield United 3–1. A visit to Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
a week earlier for the FA Charity Shield had seen Liverpool share the honour with FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
holders
1990 FA Cup Final
The 1990 FA Cup Final was a football match contested by Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium, London, England. The match finished 3–3 after extra time. Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes scored for United; Gary O'Reilly and Ian Wright for Palace...
Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in a 1–1 draw.
September
September ended with Liverpool top of the First Division, having won all of their seven opening league games, including a 3–2 win at Goodison ParkGoodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
in the Merseyside derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
in which Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
scored twice, and even more impressively a 4–0 demolition of Manchester United at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
in which Beardsley hit a hat-trick. Beardsley ended the month as the First Division's top goalscorer with seven goals in as many games.
October
Liverpool's winning start to the season reached an eighth successive game as they triumphed 2–0 at home to struggling Derby CountyDerby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, and in the next game they dropped points for the first time when Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
held them to a 1–1 draw at Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
. The month ended in disappointment when Manchester United dumped them out of the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
with a 3–1 defeat at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
.
November
Peter Beardsley's excellent form continued as he reached the 10-goal mark in the First Division on 10 November, finding the net in a 4–0 home win over Luton TownLuton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
. It was also a fine month for Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
, who was on the scoresheet twice against both Luton Town and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. Liverpool remained comfortably in the lead at the top of the First Division as November ended.
December
Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season ended after 14 games when they crashed 3–0 to their nearest challengers ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
on 2 December, but their lead of the First Division remained intact. The month ended with a second defeat at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, slowly emerging as outsiders in the title race, but also included wins over Sheffield United and Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
.
January
The new year brought two significant signings for Liverpool, in the shape of experienced striker David SpeedieDavid Speedie
David Robert Speedie is a retired Scottish footballer who played for several clubs in England during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably Chelsea, Coventry City, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. He accumulated more than 500 football league appearances and scored almost 150 goals in a 14 year...
from Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
and promising 17-year-old midfielder Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp is a retired English footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is now a football pundit with Sky Sports, and an editorial columnist with the Daily Mail....
from AFC Bournemouth. There were just three league games for the Reds this month, starting with a 3–0 win over Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on new year's day, followed by draws against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
at Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
.
The FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
quest got off to a rocky start, with the Reds needing replays to see off Second Division competition in the shape of Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in the third round and Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth. However, Arsenal had overtaken the Reds as league leaders by the end of the month.
February
Kenny DalglishKenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
stunned the football world on 22 February 1991 by suddenly announcing his resignation as Liverpool manager after nearly six years in charge, during which time he had guided them to three league titles, two FA Cups, and they had never finished lower than runners-up in the league. They were also in contention for the double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
when he handed in his resignation, having just forced a second replay against Everton in the fifth round following a goalless draw at Anfield and a 4–4 thriller at Goodison Park less than 48 hours before the bombshell was dropped. They had also beaten Everton in the league earlier in the month.
Long-serving coach Ronnie Moran
Ronnie Moran
Ronnie Moran is a former Liverpool captain and coach, who has twice served as caretaker manager...
was put in temporary charge of the first team until a permanent successor could be found. However, the month ended with Everton finally getting the better of the Reds in the second replay of the FA Cup fifth round.
March
Arsenal extended their lead over the Reds with a 1–0 win at Anfield on 3 March, but wins in the next three games (including a 7–1 demolition of bottom club Derby County at Anfield) kept the Reds in contention for a 19th league title.April
13 goals and three straight wins meant that Liverpool ended the month still capable of catching Arsenal in the race for the league title, giving new manager Graeme SounessGraeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
every chance of a dream return to the club he served so well as a player.
May
Successive defeats to ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
ended Liverpool's hopes of another league title as the championship trophy headed back to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, who had seized it from Liverpool's grasp with the last kick of the season two years earlier. The last league action of the season was a 2–0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur, and the Reds at least had the consolation of a record 10th successive top two finish.
Much speculation surrounded Anfield at the end of the season regarding who would be joining Liverpool and who might be leaving. The future of Peter Beardsley at Anfield was looking particularly bleak; after an excellent start to the season which saw him hit the back of the net 11 times in the league before the end of November, he had struggled to hold down his place in the first team due to competition from Ronny Rosenthal
Ronny Rosenthal
Ronny Rosenthal also known by the nickname Rocket Ronny is an Israeli former footballer. After starting his career in the city of his birth with Maccabi Haifa, Rosenthal went on to play in Belgium with Club Brugge and Standard Liège. He moved to Liverpool in 1990 for a fee of £1.1million, becoming...
and then David Speedie for the position as Ian Rush's strike partner. There was also talk that David Speedie could soon be on his way out of Anfield just months after arriving as Souness looked to sign a new striker, with Mo Johnston
Mo Johnston
Maurice John Giblin "Mo" Johnston is a former football striker.Johnston began his football career with Partick Thistle in 1981 before moving to Watford in 1983. With Watford Johnston scored 23 league goals, made his international debut, and helped the team reach the 1984 FA Cup Final...
of Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is the manager of Doncaster Rovers....
of Derby County being two names most strongly linked with a move to Anfield. Following the retirement of Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
in the centre of defence, Derby County's Mark Wright
Mark Wright
Mark Wright may refer to:*Mark Wright , English footballer and manager*Mark Wright , English footballer...
also became a transfer target. Midfielder Craig Johnston
Craig Johnston
Craig Johnston is a former football player who was one of the first Australians to make a major impact in the English game. He is remembered for his time spent with Liverpool throughout the 1980s...
, who had announced his retirement from playing three years earlier in order to care for his sister following a serious accident, was offered the chance of reviving his career by Souness.
Defenders
Gary Ablett David BurrowsDavid Burrows (footballer)
David Burrows is an English former footballer. During his career he played for West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool, West Ham United, Everton, Coventry City, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday as well as the England Under-21 and B teams...
Gary Gillespie
Gary Gillespie
Gary Thompson Gillespie was a defender who played football for Liverpool through much of their dominant period of the 1980s.-Early career:...
Alex Watson Glenn Hysén
Glenn Hysén
Glenn Ingvar Hysén is a football manager and former player who played for leading Dutch, Italian and English clubs and won 68 caps for Sweden...
Steve Nicol
Steve Nicol
Stephen "Steve" Nicol is a Scottish former professional footballer. A utility player who played in the all-conquering Liverpool team of the 1980s, he was most recently coach of New England Revolution, and was the longest-tenured head coach in MLS to coach a single club.As a player, Nicol was a...
Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington...
Barry Venison
Barry Venison
Barry Venison is a retired English footballer who enjoyed a successful playing career from 1981 to 1997. He later worked as an television pundit.-Sunderland:...
Nick Tanner
Nick Tanner (footballer)
Nick Tanner is a former footballer who played non league football for Mangotsfield United before playing professionally for Bristol Rovers, Liverpool, Norwich City and Swindon Town...
Midfielders
Don HutchisonDon Hutchison
Donald Hutchison is a Scottish ex-footballer who generally played in midfield but sometimes as a forward. He was a much travelled player with spells at both Liverpool and Everton as well as Sheffield United, Sunderland and West Ham United twice...
Steve McMahon
Steve McMahon
Stephen Joseph McMahon is an English former football midfielder who most notably played for Liverpool in the late 1980s...
Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
Ronnie Whelan
Ronnie Whelan
Ronald Andrew "Ronnie" Whelan is a former Irish football midfielder, and sometimes defender, who was an integral part of the dominant Liverpool side of the 1980s...
John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
Ray Houghton
Ray Houghton
Raymond James "Ray" Houghton is a retired Scottish-born footballer who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level, qualifying through his Irish father...
Mike Marsh
Mike Marsh (footballer)
Mike Marsh is a footballer and now a coach, who came through the ranks at Liverpool and was part of their 1992 FA Cup-winning side.-Professional career:...
Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby is a Danish former international footballer who spent much of his professional football career at English club Liverpool.- Club career :...
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp is a retired English footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is now a football pundit with Sky Sports, and an editorial columnist with the Daily Mail....
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter (footballer)
Jimmy Carter is an English former footballer. During his career, he played for Millwall, Liverpool, Arsenal, Oxford United, Portsmouth and then Millwall for a second spell....
Jim Magilton
Jim Magilton
James "Jim" Magilton is a Northern Irish former footballer and manager, who is currently employed as Football Consultant at Shamrock Rovers F.C. after being appointed on 6 July 2011....
Attackers
Peter BeardsleyPeter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
David Speedie
David Speedie
David Robert Speedie is a retired Scottish footballer who played for several clubs in England during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably Chelsea, Coventry City, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. He accumulated more than 500 football league appearances and scored almost 150 goals in a 14 year...
Ronnie Rosenthal Tony Cousins
Tony Cousins
Tony Cousins is a former Irish footballer and the current coach of League of Ireland club, Longford Town. He is the older brother of Andrew Cousins and first cousin of Tommy Dunne....
Starting 11
- Only considering League starts.
| No. | Pos. | Name | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK |  Zimbabwe |
31 |
| 2 | DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
 Sweden |
32 |
| 3 | DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
England |
34 |
| 4 | DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
 Scotland |
35 |
| 5 | MF Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
 Denmark |
22 |
| 6 | DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
Scotland |
30 |
| 7 | FW | England |
24 |
| 8 | MF Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
31 | |
| 9 | FW | Wales |
37 |
| 10 | MF Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
England |
35 |
| 11 | MF Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
England |
22 |
| . |
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | W | D | L | GF | GA | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
38 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 51 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 23 | 8 | 74 | 18 | + 56 | 83 | European Cup 1991–92 First round |
|||
| 2 | Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
38 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 42 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 35 | 27 | 77 | 40 | + 37 | 76 | UEFA Cup 1991–92 First round |
|||
| 3 | Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... |
38 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 24 | 24 | 50 | 41 | + 9 | 69 | additional places to the UEFA Cup. The teams that missed out on this competition due to UEFA regulations are marked here with grey. | |||
| 4 | Leeds United | 38 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 46 | 23 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 24 | 65 | 47 | + 18 | 64 | ||||
| 5 | Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
38 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 25 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 29 | 28 | 64 | 53 | + 11 | 62 | ||||
| 6 | Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
38 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 28 | 58 | 45 | + 13 | 59 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1991–92 First round |
|||
| 7 | Wimbledon Wimbledon F.C. Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football... |
38 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 28 | 22 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 24 | 53 | 46 | + 7 | 56 | ||||
| 8 | Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... |
38 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 42 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 23 | 29 | 65 | 50 | + 15 | 54 | ||||
| 9 | Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
38 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 24 | 31 | 50 | 46 | + 4 | 51 | ||||
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
38 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 35 | 22 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 28 | 51 | 50 | + 1 | 49 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1991–92 Qualifying round |
|||
| 11 | Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
38 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 33 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 25 | 44 | 58 | 69 | – 11 | 49 | ||||
| 12 | Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years... |
38 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 27 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 31 | 44 | 53 | – 9 | 46 | ||||
| 13 | Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
38 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 23 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 32 | 36 | 55 | – 19 | 46 | ||||
| 14 | Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
38 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 33 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 25 | 47 | 58 | 69 | – 11 | 45 | ||||
| 15 | Norwich City Norwich City F.C. Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The... |
38 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 27 | 32 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 32 | 43 | 64 | – 21 | 45 | ||||
| 16 | Coventry City Coventry City F.C. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry... |
38 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 33 | 42 | 49 | – 7 | 44 | ||||
| 17 | Aston Villa Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder... |
38 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 29 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 33 | 46 | 58 | – 12 | 41 | ||||
| 18 | Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
38 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 20 | 43 | 42 | 61 | – 19 | 37 | ||||
| 19 | Sunderland | 38 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 23 | 44 | 38 | 60 | – 22 | 34 | ||||
| 20 | Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
38 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 25 | 36 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 39 | 37 | 75 | – 38 | 24 |
Note: Arsenal deducted two points for on-field brawl and Manchester United deducted one point also for on-field brawl.
Matches
Topscorers
Ian RushIan Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
16 John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
16 Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
11 Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby is a Danish former international footballer who spent much of his professional football career at English club Liverpool.- Club career :...
9 Ray Houghton
Ray Houghton
Raymond James "Ray" Houghton is a retired Scottish-born footballer who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level, qualifying through his Irish father...
7 David Speedie
David Speedie
David Robert Speedie is a retired Scottish footballer who played for several clubs in England during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably Chelsea, Coventry City, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. He accumulated more than 500 football league appearances and scored almost 150 goals in a 14 year...
6 Ronnie Rosenthal 5