1996–97 Liverpool F.C. season
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| 1996–97 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | David Moores | ||
| Manager | Roy Evans | ||
| Premier League | 4th | ||
| FA Cup | Fourth round | ||
| League Cup | Fifth round | ||
| Cup Winners' Cup | Semi-finals | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Robbie Fowler (18) All: Robbie Fowler (31) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 38,436 | ||
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| |||
During the 1996–97 English football season, Liverpool F.C. competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).
| Competition | Result | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 4th |  Robbie Fowler, 18
|
| UEFA CWC | Semi-finals | Robbie Fowler, 7
|
| FA Cup | Fourth round | Stan Collymore, 2
|
| League Cup | Fifth round | Robbie Fowler, 5
|
| Overall | Robbie Fowler, 31
|
Season summary
Until late March, Liverpool had led the Premiership for most of the season, even opening up a five point lead at the top before New Year's Day 1997. However, the team were overtaken by Manchester United, who remained top of the league for the rest of the season, despite Liverpool having two or three more chances to reclaim the position before falling away badly due to mistakes and a lack of discipline.[1] Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler continued to excel for the club, but Fowler's suspension for the final four games of the season effectively ended any lingering hopes of title glory, and the side were marred both by the rise of their Spice Boys culture, as well as by defensive aberrations; dropping points at their previously impregnable Anfield home. Liverpool's finishing in 4th place was the shock of the season as they had been challenging for the title all along, with the additional fact that on the final day of the season, despite having lost the league title to Manchester United, they were in second place, two points ahead of Newcastle and Arsenal,[2] leaving Roy Evans and his team with a UEFA Cup place as scant consolation for what might have been. Former defender Mark Wright stated in an interview that this was the season in the 1990s that the Liverpool team truly had the talent and opportunity to win the title but threw it away:[3] "We did come close to winning the league a few times and we finished fourth one season when we were the best team. We were better than Manchester United, better than everyone, and we finished joint second but ended up fourth because of goal difference. That was the season we should have won the title and we all know that. I remember some of the games we lost and the way we dropped points against certain sides. David James dropped a few clangers and I remember them because in certain games he didn't have anything to do, then all of a sudden he thinks he's got to be involved in the game. He would come rushing out and all of a sudden you would be 1-0 down", he said.
Final league table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Manchester United | 38 | 21 | 12 | 5 | 76 | 44 | 75 |
| 2. | Newcastle United | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 73 | 40 | 68 |
| 3. | Arsenal | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 62 | 32 | 68 |
| 4. | Liverpool | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 62 | 37 | 68 |
| 5. | Aston Villa | 38 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 47 | 34 | 61 |
| 6. | Chelsea | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 58 | 55 | 59 |
| 7. | Sheffield Wednesday | 38 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 50 | 51 | 57 |
| 8. | Wimbledon | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 49 | 46 | 56 |
| 9. | Leicester City | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 46 | 54 | 47 |
| 10. | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 13 | 7 | 18 | 44 | 51 | 46 |
| 11. | Leeds United | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 28 | 38 | 46 |
| 12. | Derby County | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 45 | 58 | 46 |
| 13. | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 42 | 43 | 42 |
| 14. | West Ham United | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 39 | 48 | 42 |
| 15. | Everton | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 44 | 57 | 42 |
| 16. | Southampton | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 50 | 56 | 41 |
| 17. | Coventry City | 38 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 38 | 54 | 41 |
| 18. | Sunderland | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 35 | 53 | 40 |
| 19. | Middlesbrough *** | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 51 | 60 | 39 |
| 20. | Nottingham Forest | 38 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 31 | 59 | 34 |
Note: Middlesbrough deducted 3 points for failing to fulfil a fixture.
| Key |
|---|
| Qualified for the Champions League |
| Qualified for the UEFA Cup |
| Qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup |
| Relegated to Division One |
First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Transfers
In
| # | Pos | Player | From | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | MF |  Patrik Berger |
 Borussia Dortmund |
£3,250,000 | 1 August 1996 |
| 28 | MF |  Nick Rizzo |
Sydney Olympic |
Free | 1 September 1996 |
| 3 | DF |  Bjørn Tore Kvarme |
Rosenborg |
Free | 10 January 1997 |
Out
| # | Pos | Player | To | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | GK | Stephen Pears |
Hartlepool United |
Free | 1 June 1996 |
| 18 | MF | Phil Charnock |
Crewe Alexandra |
Free | 6 December 1996 |
| 3 | DF | John Scales |
Tottenham Hotspur |
£2,600,000 | 11 December 1996 |
Results
Premier League
| 17 August 1996 1 | Middlesbrough | 3–3 | Liverpool | Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire |
| 15:00 | Ravanelli  26' (pen.), 36', 81' |
Bjørnebye 4' Barnes 29'Fowler 65' |
Stadium: Riverside Stadium Attendance: 30,039 |
| 19 August 1996 2 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Arsenal | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 20:00 BST | McManaman 68', 74' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 38,103 Referee: Gary Willard |
| 24 August 1996 3 | Liverpool | 0–0 | Sunderland | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,503 |
| 4 September 1996 4 | Coventry City | 0–1 | Liverpool | Coventry, West Midlands |
| 19:45 | Babb 68' |
Stadium: Highfield Road Attendance: 23,021 |
| 7 September 1996 5 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Southampton | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Collymore 39' McManaman 89' |
Magilton 68' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,189 |
| 15 September 1996 6 | Leicester City | 0–3 | Liverpool | Leicester, Leicestershire |
| Berger 58', 77' Thomas 61' |
Stadium: Filbert Street Attendance: 20,987 |
| 21 September 1996 7 | Liverpool | 5–1 | Chelsea | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Fowler 15' Berger 42', 49'Myers 45' (o.g.)Barnes 57' |
Leboeuf 85' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,739 |
| 29 September 1996 8 | West Ham United | 1–2 | Liverpool | Newham, London |
| Bilić 15' |
Collymore 3' Thomas 55' |
Attendance: 25,064 |
| 12 October 1996 9 | Manchester United | 1–0 | Liverpool | Trafford, Greater Manchester |
| Beckham 23' |
Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 55,128 |
| 27 October 1996 10 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Derby County | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Fowler 47', 51' |
A. Ward 89' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,515 |
| 3 November 1996 11 | Blackburn Rovers | 3–0 | Liverpool | Blackburn, Lancashire |
| Sutton 3' (pen.), 56' Wilcox 24' |
Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 29,598 |
| 16 November 1996 12 | Leeds United | 0–2 | Liverpool | Leeds, West Yorkshire |
| Ruddock 13' McManaman 90' |
Stadium: Elland Road Attendance: 39,981 |
| 20 November 1996 13 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Everton | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Fowler 30' |
Speed 82' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,751 |
| 23 November 1996 14 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Wimbledon | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Collymore 1' |
Leonhardsen 67' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,027 |
| 2 December 1996 15 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0–2 | Liverpool | Haringey, London |
| Thomas 45' McManaman 49' |
Stadium: White Hart Lane |
| 7 December 1996 16 | Liverpool | 0–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Whittingham 21' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,507 |
| 14 December 1996 17 | Liverpool | 5–1 | Middlesbrough | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Fowler 1', 28', 77', 85' Bjørnebye 45' |
Fjørtoft 75' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,491 |
| 17 December 1996 18 | Liverpool | 4–2 | Nottingham Forest | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Collymore 6', 63' Fowler 27'Lyttle 53' (o.g.) |
Campbell 34' Pearce 60' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 36,126 |
| 23 December 1996 19 | Newcastle United | 1–1 | Liverpool | Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear |
| Shearer 28' |
Fowler 45' |
Stadium: St. James' Park Attendance: 36,570 |
| 26 December 1996 20 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Leicester City | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Collymore 80' |
Claridge 76' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,786 |
| 29 December 1996 21 | Southampton | 0–1 | Liverpool | Southampton, Hampshire |
| Barnes 76' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 15,222 |
| 1 January 1997 22 | Chelsea | 1–0 | Liverpool | Fulham, London |
| Di Matteo 43' |
Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 28,329 |
| 11 January 1997 23 | Liverpool | 0–0 | West Ham United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,102 |
| 18 January 1997 24 | Liverpool | 3–0 | Aston Villa | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Carragher 50' Collymore 58'Fowler 63' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,489 |
| 1 February 1997 25 | Derby County | 0–1 | Liverpool | Derby, Derbyshire |
| Collymore 75' |
Stadium: Baseball Ground Attendance: 18,102 |
| 19 February 1997 26 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Leeds United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Fowler 21' Collymore 36', 37'Redknapp 87' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 38,957 |
| 22 February 1997 27 | Liverpool | 0–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,747 |
| 2 March 1997 28 | Aston Villa | 1–0 | Liverpool | Birmingham, West Midlands |
| Taylor 83' |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 39,339 |
| 10 March 1997 29 | Liverpool | 4–3 | Newcastle United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| McManaman 29' Berger 30'Fowler 42', 90' |
Gillespie 71' Asprilla 87'Barton 88' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,751 |
| 15 March 1997 30 | Nottingham Forest | 1–1 | Liverpool | Nottingham |
| Woan 30' |
Fowler 4' |
Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 29,181 |
| 24 March 1997 31 | Arsenal | 1–2 | Liverpool | Islington, London |
| 20:00 GMT | Wright 78' |
Collymore 50' McAteer 65' |
Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,068 Referee: Gerald Ashby |
| 6 April 1997 32 | Liverpool | 1–2 | Coventry City | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Fowler 52' |
Whelan 65' Dublin 90' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,079 |
| 13 April 1997 33 | Sunderland | 1–2 | Liverpool | Sunderland, Tyne and Wear |
| Stewart 53' |
Fowler 33' McManaman 47' |
Stadium: Roker Park Attendance: 21,938 |
| 16 April 1997 34 | Everton | 1–1 | Liverpool | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Ferguson 65' |
Redknapp 26' |
Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 40,177 |
| 19 April 1997 35 | Liverpool | 1–3 | Manchester United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Barnes 19' |
Pallister 13', 42' Cole 63' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,892 |
| 3 May 1997 36 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Collymore 15' Berger 43' |
Anderton 5' |
Stadium: Anfield |
| 6 May 1997 37 | Wimbledon | 2–1 | Liverpool | Croydon, London |
| Euell 43' Holdsworth 55' |
Owen 74' |
Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 20,016 |
| 11 May 1997 38 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1–1 | Liverpool | Sheffield |
| Donaldson 75' |
Redknapp 83' |
Stadium: Hillsborough Attendance: 38,943 |
Top scorers
Premier League
References
| History | |||||||||
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| Home stadium | |||||||||
| Training ground | |||||||||
| Players | |||||||||
| Rivalries | |||||||||
| Tragedies | |||||||||
| Controversies | |||||||||
| Supporters | |||||||||
| Media |
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