Gerard Houllier regrets snubbing Anelka at Liverpool

[Magic8Ball]

By Bill Mills 1/02/2009

 

 

Gerard Houllier admits he made a mistake showing Nicolas Anelka the door at Liverpool.

 

Anelka, currently the Premier League's leading scorer, returns with Chelsea today to the ground he once dreamed of making his own.

 

Now former Anfield boss Houllier has lifted the lid on why he snubbed a striker whose gifts he admired.

 

The decision, which badly shook Anelka, was a response to alleged dirty tricks from his agent brothers Claude and Didier.

 

Houllier said: "I think it was a mistake on my part because I should have should have carried on regardless.

 

"I thought, right to the end, I was going to sign him, but then I didn't feel the thing was right.

 

"I did not like the fact that, while he was at Liverpool with a purchase option to play for us, his brothers had tried to contact other clubs to sell him. I did not think that was fair play."

Houllier owned up to his blunder in a DVD devoted to Anelka's career.

 

It also features Steven Gerrard, who says: "Anelka is the type of player you want on your team rather than playing against you."

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-21089358/

 

 

Damn those scheming brothers !!

[madaboutlfc]

granted anelka was miles better than diouf but at his time at liverpool apart from that newcastle and home and boro away Anelka was not as good as he is made out to be. the awefulness of diouf has perpetually increased the myth that he was some kind of potential legend in the making.. Anelka apart from this season has got a scoring record not far off from emile heskey if you chalk off the pens hes taken

[Magic8Ball]

granted anelka was miles better than diouf but at his time at liverpool apart from that newcastle and home and boro away Anelka was not as good as he is made out to be. the awefulness of diouf has perpetually increased the myth that he was some kind of potential legend in the making.. Anelka apart from this season has got a scoring record not far off from emile heskey if you chalk off the pens hes taken

True but people see the Anelka of now and figure that's what we missed out on. I posted the story as it was a link to that apocryphal summer where Houllier got it wrong and I'm hoping the same is not happening again

[Tones]

Not sure Anelka would have been the right player for us, but id have him ahead of Diouf no problem. Hindsight is great though.

[johngibo YPC]

Not sure Anelka would have been the right player for us, but id have him ahead of Diouf no problem. Hindsight is great though.

 

No need for hinsdight, it was f*cking stupid at the time

[lfc4eva99]

Nice of Houllier to talk about fair, after what he did to Fowler...

[stressederic]

Nice of Houllier to talk about fair, after what he did to Fowler...

 

I'm pretty sure Robbie should take some responsibility for the way he left us first time round.

[Red_Rob]

Sold him when he was long past his best and getting a great fee for him? Yeah, Houllier treated Robbie like a dog.

[Romario]

Nice of Houllier to talk about fair, after what he did to Fowler...

What Fowler did to himself. He had far to much fairness offered to him.

[Maldini]

The problem wasn't turning down Anelka, it was signing Diouf.

[Bailo]

Nice of Houllier to talk about fair, after what he did to Fowler...

Bloody hell.

[gkmacca]

It still seems odd if that was the reason. At the time, Houllier said something like, 'Why didn't I sign him? He knows why.' He seemed to deliberately encourage speculation.

[John am Rhein]

Nice of Houllier to talk about fair, after what he did to Fowler...

 

Aye, getting Fowler out was one of the best things GH did.

 

And as for Anelka, he proved before after and during his time at Anfield what a fine player he is. I reckon if GH could have unloaded Baros, he's have kept Diouf and Anelka.

[stressederic]

Anelka showed us what we were missing today...

[kenny7]

Bloody hell.

 

Go easy on him, 99 maybe the year he was born