The 1996–97 season was Liverpool’s 105th and one of the most frustrating in recent memory, as they squandered a golden opportunity to win their first league title since 1990. Under Roy Evans, Liverpool led the Premier League for large stretches, holding a five-point advantage at the turn of the year. However, inconsistency, defensive errors especially from goalkeeper David James and a damaging loss to bottom-placed Coventry derailed their title bid. A crucial 3–1 home defeat to rivals Manchester United in April effectively ended their challenge. They finished fourth, missing out on Champions League qualification on goal difference despite being level on points with second-placed Newcastle and third-placed Arsenal—an outcome derisively dubbed “fourth in a two-horse race.”
Their cup runs also ended in disappointment: they exited the FA Cup in the fourth round to Chelsea after surrendering a 2–0 lead, lost to Middlesbrough in the League Cup quarter-finals, and were eliminated in the Cup Winners’ Cup semi-finals by Paris Saint-Germain.
Robbie Fowler was the standout performer with 31 goals in all competitions, while he and Stan Collymore combined for 47 goals. Fowler also won the UEFA Fair Play Award for an act of honesty in a match against Arsenal. The season saw the debut of teenage striker Michael Owen, hinting at the future. Though Liverpool’s attacking style was widely admired, their defensive fragility and off-pitch distractions from the “Spice Boys” era undermined what could have been a title-winning campaign.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.