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1990 vs 2019 combined XI

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Dreambeliever

From Doubter to Believer (to doubter again)
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Obviously hard to compare eras but what would your team look like?

Here’s an article from RTE.ie


Bruce Grobbelaar v Alisson Becker

Grobbelaar was the team's larger-than-life, eccentric character and that sometimes detracted from how good a goalkeeper he was. However, in 1990 he kept 12 clean sheets in 38 league appearances, compared to Alisson Becker's 11.

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The Brazil international, who has fully justified his £65m transfer fee, has a certain degree of extravagance but that relates to his confidence with the ball at his feet and his form over the last two seasons has been a crucial component in the season's success.

Barry Venison v Trent Alexander-Arnold

Venison had been Liverpool's first-choice right-back for three seasons - although he also filled in on the left when Jim Beglin broke his leg - and as a solid, tough-tackling defender was 25 when he won his second league title.

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Local lad Alexander-Arnold, a product of the club's academy, has enjoyed a stellar rise since his debut in October 2016 as an 18-year-old. Good going forward, a brilliant crosser, he has provided 12 assists in the league, equalling the record for a defender he set himself last season.

Alan Hansen v Virgil van Dijk

Comparisons have already been made between the old and new. Both calm and composed on the ball and excellent at reading the game, their presence in the team was - and is - a comfort and a confidence boost to team-mates.

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Hansen was good at bringing the ball out from the back, but Van Dijk probably edges him on that front, as does the Dutchman in his range of passing and his recovery speed. Hansen was good in the air defensively, but did not score a goal in their league-winning season. Van Dijk has four goals.

Glenn Hysen v Joe Gomez

The often underrated Hysen actually made the most league appearances of any defender in 1990. Another player who was comfortable on the ball, he benefited from playing alongside Hansen and was not quite the same player when the Scotland international was not in the team.

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Thirty years on, Gomez has had to overcome some significant injuries early in his career, but has established himself as Van Dijk's first-choice partner. Quick and confident in possession, although he is occasionally targeted by more physical opponents.

David Burrows v Andy Robertson

Burrows was a full-blooded left-back. Not the most gifted, but made up for it with his competitiveness.

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Robertson, a bargain £8m buy from Hull, has established himself as one of the best left-backs in world football. A tremendous engine and a wand of a left foot, the defender's relentless energy means he is effective at both ends of the pitch. Contributed seven assists.

Steve Nicol v Georginio Wijnaldum

Both team's utility men. Nicol could play anywhere in defence, plus also in midfield. The Scot was solid, dependable, good with both feet and super-fit despite his suspect dietary habits, and while he was the butt of many jokes about his intelligence, he had a natural ability which made him a manager's favourite.

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Wijnaldum is the man for all occasions for Jurgen Klopp, having played centre-back, midfield and centre-forward. Strong in possession, he does not score many goals but tends to raise his game according to the occasion.

Steve McMahon v Fabinho

McMahon was the archetypal midfield tough-tackling hardman. He was the side's enforcer in the centre of the park and was pivotal to the 1990 side. He was the only outfield player to feature in every league match.

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Fabinho does a similar job, albeit with a slightly more cultured air. The Brazil international took a while to settle after his summer arrival from Monaco last season, but has become a key figure with his ability to cover the ground, read the game and distribute the ball.

Ronnie Whelan v Jordan Henderson

Liverpool's Mr Consistency. Clever and composed on the ball, he was an important cog in the Liverpool machine. He had an eye for goal but, surprisingly, scored only once in the league in 1990. Having divided opinion for years, this season Henderson's qualities are finally being widely acknowledged and the biggest compliment is that Liverpool look a lesser side when he has missed out with injury.

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He offers leadership and energy in midfield, a creative outlook which is under-appreciated and the only thing lacking is more goals, with just three this season.

Peter Beardsley v Roberto Firmino

Different types of players, but both crucial fulcrums in their respective team's game plans. Beardsley was a creative genius, a player who drifted around the opposition's final third and was able to unlock defences and provide the ammunition for more prolific players, although he still reached double figures in the league for each of the four seasons he was at the club.

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Firmino is the key man in Klopp's counter-pressing tactics. The hard-working Brazilian harries defenders, tracks back and makes off-the-ball runs which opens up space for team-mates. Not his best goalscoring season with seven, curiously all away from home, but he offers plenty more.

Ian Rush v Mohamed Salah

Rush, Liverpool's all-time leading goalscorer, was the main man up front with 18 league goals in the 1990 title-winning season. The hard-working Welshman put in the legwork for his team, while still able to be lethal inside the penalty area and was the most feared striker of his generation.

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Salah's record in just under three seasons at the club is incredible, with 70 goals in 100 league appearances. Even more amazing is that he has been criticised for not being clinical enough. His current tally of 16 is only one off the same stage last season and went on to be the league's joint-leading scorer for a second successive campaign. Salah's pace wide on the right helps stretch defences, but his ability to cut in onto his left foot has proved profitable.

John Barnes v Sadio Mane

Barnes was brilliant in the 1990 season in a slightly more advanced position than his previous left-wing role, and was virtually unplayable in a number of matches. Such was his huge influence in the title-winning season, he outscored Rush 22 to 18.

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Mane emerged from the shadow of Salah's record-breaking first season to take his goalscoring to another level and he has been Liverpool's best attacker in the current campaign. Pace is his main threat but his decision-making and awareness around the penalty area has improved, as has his aerial ability. The Senegal international has scored 14 goals so far.

I’d go

Allison
Trent
Virgil
Hansen
Robertson
Nicol
McMahon
Whelan
Beardsley
Barnes
Salah
 
I'd go 4-4-2:

---------------------------Alisson

Trent--------Van Dijk-------------Hansen-----Robbo

-------------------Fabinho----Barnes

Mane--------------------------------------------Nicol

-------------------Salah-----Beardsley
 
OK. If that's the rule, I'll have Steve Nicol as my captain ... I am pretty sure he was third behind Hansen & Whelan.

He is my all time favourite player:
 
I was going off the match ups.

if it’s just picking a best 11 then Mane gets in everytime.
 
I was going off the match ups.

if it’s just picking a best 11 then Mane gets in everytime.

How did you end up with Hansen and Van Dijk then? They were a match up.

Not that I disagree. I would go for Hansen and Van Dijk too, obviously.
 
How did you end up with Hansen and Van Dijk then? They were a match up.

Not that I disagree. I would go for Hansen and Van Dijk too, obviously.

Were they? Must have read it wrong.

in that case it’s Virgil and Gomez
 
For me it's difficult to take any of the 11 we have today and swapped them with anyone from other era. None of our former boys had amassed the number of wins and not losing games as much as this group did which says a lot. I do think they are the best side we've ever had, so therefore I can't think of anyone, not even Gerrard, would I be slotting into this 11.
 
For me it's difficult to take any of the 11 we have today and swapped them with anyone from other era. None of our former boys had amassed the number of wins and not losing games as much as this group did which says a lot. I do think they are the best side we've ever had, so therefore I can't think of anyone, not even Gerrard, would I be slotting into this 11.

Wow so you couldn’t find a spot for Barnes, Dalglish, Gerrard, Souness etc?
 
Wow so you couldn’t find a spot for Barnes, Dalglish, Gerrard, Souness etc?
Nope, not because they are not good enough, but these group are very different in style of play. Klopp's players rarely play well outside his setup because he doesn't like to rely too heavily on one individual talent/skill. I am a very big fan of Rush and I can't even see him taking up Firmino's spot, and I am no big fan boy of the Brazilian though.
 
Nope, not because they are not good enough, but these group are very different in style of play. Klopp's players rarely play well outside his setup because he doesn't like to rely too heavily on one individual talent/skill. I am a very big fan of Rush and I can't even see him taking up Firmino's spot, and I am no big fan boy of the Brazilian though.

If they were here today, playing in this system, they'd still be the best players on the planet, mate...
 
If they were here today, playing in this system, they'd still be the best players on the planet, mate...
Maybe, but I just don't see it though even though the closest I have seen playing this pressing and harassing players were Rush and Suarez (I could be bias).
 
And I love Bobby but put Kenny in the middle for him and we’d be laughing. Same for me with prime Suarez in the middle.
 
Barnes is the only one I think definitively is good enough to displace his 2020 equivalent. Whealan/Henderson, Beardsley/Firmino and Nicol/Wjinaldum are toss ups. But this team is better than the 1990 team Ive no doubt in my mind.
 
Many of you are acting like, had the players from the 90s been around today, they'd have been in the same physical shape and adopted the same mentality that they did then... They wouldn't - They'd be living as a top athlete does today, and their mindset, lifestyle, fitness levels, etc... would reflect that.

I just don't see players like Souness or the King or Digger or Jockey 'not fitting in' as some of you claim... They're the greatest players we've ever had at this club for many reasons, mental strength and unquenchable desire to win being two of them... They'd adapt, and they's till be our greatest ever players.
 
Many of you are acting like, had the players from the 90s been around today, they'd have been in the same physical shape and adopted the same mentality that they did then... They wouldn't - They'd be living as a top athlete does today, and their mindset, lifestyle, fitness levels, etc... would reflect that.

I just don't see players like Souness or the King or Digger or Jockey 'not fitting in' as some of you claim... They're the greatest players we've ever had at this club for many reasons, mental strength and unquenchable desire to win being two of them... They'd adapt, and they's till be our greatest ever players.

Alot of our best players werent in the 1990 side and those that were had past their peak. I really dont think its a fair comparison, the 2019/2020 vintage is one of our greatest sides, the 1990 one isnt. The 87/88 side is a much better comparison.

Its also not as easy to say, top players would just adapt. Its entire possible that some just wouldnt physically be capable of playing 50 games a season at the pace the game is played now without breaking down.
 
Alot of our best players werent in the 1990 side and those that were had past their peak. I really dont think its a fair comparison, the 2019/2020 vintage is one of our greatest sides, the 1990 one isnt. The 87/88 side is a much better comparison.

Its also not as easy to say, top players would just adapt. Its entire possible that some just wouldnt physically be capable of playing 50 games a season at the pace the game is played now without breaking down.

I don't actually think that is true. The side of 1990 was a great side. We know looking back that it fell apart/was taken apart over the following few seasons but in the 1989/90 season the likes of Rush, Whelan, Houghton, McMahon, Beardsley and Nicol were only 28, while people like Barnes and Molby were only 26.

The defence actually on paper was not amazing (Hansen probably was past his best and this was essentially his last season) but it clearly wasn't too bad as we didn't tend to concede either won the league or came second every year!

I am not sure about the claim that players from the past may not be able to cope with the game today either. As it wasn't so much a squad game then players would more likely play every game. The total number of games played by each player probably wasn't massively different to now. In the early 80s, players were playing over 60 games per season. The game may be faster now but I would say it was more physical in those days too. I would be inclined to agree with the argument that our best players then, if they were around today, would still excel as they would be more than capable of adapting to the modern game.
 
Alot of our best players werent in the 1990 side and those that were had past their peak. I really dont think its a fair comparison, the 2019/2020 vintage is one of our greatest sides, the 1990 one isnt. The 87/88 side is a much better comparison.

Its also not as easy to say, top players would just adapt. Its entire possible that some just wouldnt physically be capable of playing 50 games a season at the pace the game is played now without breaking down.

You're right... I meant to say 80s, not 90s.

But on your second point, why..? They were the finest tuned athletes of their day... Why do you think that they'd not be the same in this era, if they'd come along 20 years later?
 
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Some killer selection decisions to be made. I'd want Digger AND Mane in there, but that would mean playing Digger deeper and he wasn't as good further back. Rushie's our greatest ever out-and-out goalscorer, but the post-Juventus version wasn't quite the killer striker he'd been before. Beardsley was probably even more talented than Bobby (IMO of course) but would he dovetail equally well with Mane and Mo?

My brain hurts.
 
Some killer selection decisions to be made. I'd want Digger AND Mane in there, but that would mean playing Digger deeper and he wasn't as good further back. Rushie's our greatest ever out-and-out goalscorer, but the post-Juventus version wasn't quite the killer striker he'd been before. Beardsley was probably even more talented than Bobby (IMO of course) but would he dovetail equally well with Mane and Mo?

My brain hurts.

ya that 90 team was loaded with some of our greatest ever serial winners.
 
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