| 1992–93 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | David Moores | ||
| Manager | Graeme Souness | ||
| Premier League | 6th | ||
| FA Cup | Third round | ||
| League Cup | Fourth round | ||
| Charity Shield | Runners-up | ||
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | Second round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League:Ian Rush (14) All: Ian Rush (22) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 44,619 (vs.Everton, League, 20 March) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 12,533 (vs.Chesterfield, League Cup, 22 September) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 34,741 | ||
The1992–93 season was the 101st season inLiverpool F.C.'s existence, and their 31st consecutive year in the top-flight. Having won theFA Cup the previous season, Liverpool had qualified for theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
New members of the side for the 1992–93 season included goalkeeperDavid James, Hungarian midfielderIstván Kozma, Danish defenderTorben Piechnik and attacking midfielderPaul Stewart. The close season had seen the departure of defenderBarry Venison and wingerRay Houghton. A few weeks into the season, strikerDean Saunders also headed out ofAnfield to sign forAston Villa.
As founder-members of the newPremier League, Liverpool finished sixth – a repeat of their performance in the previous season. But their failure to make an impact in the cup competitions meant that their season ended without a trophy and left them without any European football for the 1993–94 season.[1]
This season covered the period from 1 July 1992 to 30 June 1993.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Premier League | FA Cup | Charity Shield | League Cup | European CWC | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| MF |  ENG | John Barnes | 31 | 5 | 26+1 | 5 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| DF |  NOR | Stig Inge Bjørnebye | 13 | 0 | 11+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | David Burrows | 40 | 2 | 29+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Phil Charnock | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | |
| GK |  ZIM | Bruce Grobbelaar | 10 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Steve Harkness | 12 | 0 | 9+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | |
| GK | ENG | Mike Hooper | 15 | 0 | 8+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | |
| MF |  SCO | Don Hutchison | 42 | 10 | 27+4 | 7 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 5+0 | 2 | 3+0 | 1 | |
| GK | ENG | David James | 31 | 0 | 29+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Rob Jones | 37 | 0 | 30+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | |
| MF |  HUN | István Kozma | 3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Mike Marsh | 41 | 4 | 22+6 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 6+0 | 3 | 4+0 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Steve McManaman | 40 | 7 | 27+4 | 4 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 5+0 | 2 | 3+0 | 1 | |
| MF |  DEN | Jan Mølby | 13 | 3 | 8+2 | 3 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Steve Nicol | 39 | 0 | 32+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | |
| DF | DEN | Torben Piechnik | 23 | 0 | 15+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Jamie Redknapp | 40 | 3 | 27+2 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 6+0 | 1 | 4+0 | 0 | |
| FW |  ISR | Ronny Rosenthal | 36 | 7 | 16+11 | 6 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 1 | 0+3 | 0 | |
| FW |  WAL | Ian Rush | 42 | 22 | 31+1 | 14 | 1+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 1 | 4+0 | 1 | 4+0 | 5 | |
| FW | WAL | Dean Saunders | 7 | 2 | 6+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| FW | ENG | Paul Stewart | 31 | 3 | 21+3 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 2 | |
| DF | ENG | Nick Tanner | 10 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Michael Thomas | 13 | 1 | 6+2 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Mark Walters | 44 | 13 | 26+8 | 11 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 5+0 | 2 | 3+0 | 0 | |
| MF |  IRL | Ronnie Whelan | 18 | 1 | 17+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Mark Wright | 41 | 4 | 32+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+2 | 1 | 3+0 | 1 | |
| Rank | Pos | Nat | Name | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | Charity Shield | European Cup Winner's Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | | Ian Rush | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 22 |
| 2 | MF | | Mark Walters | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 3 | MF | | Don Hutchison | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | MF | | Steve McManaman | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| FW | | Ronnie Rosenthal | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 6 | MF | | John Barnes | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | MF | | Mike Marsh | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| DF | | Mark Wright | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 9 | MF | | Jan Mølby | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| MF | | Jamie Redknapp | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| FW | | Paul Stewart | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 12 | DF | | David Burrows | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| FW | | Dean Saunders | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 14 | MF | | Michael Thomas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| MF | | Ronnie Whelan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Own goal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |||
| Totals | 62 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 90 | |||
| Competition | Result | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 6th | Ian Rush, 14 |
| UEFA CWC | Second round | Ian Rush, 5 |
| FA Cup | Third round | Ian Rush, 1 |
| League Cup | Fourth round | Mike Marsh, 3 |
| Charity Shield | Runners-up | Ian Rush, 1Dean Saunders, 1 |
| Overall | Ian Rush, 22 |
| Pos | Player | From | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | David James | Watford | £1,000,000 | 6 July 1992 |
| FW | Paul Stewart | Tottenham Hotspur | £2,300,000 | 29 July 1992 |
| DF | Torben Piechnik | FCK | £500,000 | 1 August 1992 |
| DF | Stig Inge Bjørnebye | Rosenborg | £600,000 | 18 December 1992 |
| Pos | Player | To | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Barry Jones | Wrexham | Free | 10 July 1992 |
| MF | Ray Houghton | Aston Villa | £825,000 | 28 July 1992 |
| DF | Barry Venison | Newcastle United | £250,000 | 31 July 1992 |
| FW | Dean Saunders | Aston Villa | £2,300,000 | 10 September 1992 |
| FW | Tony Cousins | Middlesbrough | Free | April 1993 |
Win Draw Loss
| 26 July 1992R1 | AS Monaco | 2–1 | Liverpool | Paris |
| 20:30 | Gnako 49'Barros 61' | Report | Saunders 70' (pen.) Burrows  | Stadium:Parc des Princes Attendance: 18,000 |
| 27 July 1992Third place play-off | Borussia Dortmund | 3–2 | Liverpool | Paris |
| 20:30 | Poschner 24' Rummenigge 30'Chapuisat 65' | Report | Wright 62' Hutchison 89' | Stadium:Parc des Princes Attendance: 15,000 |
| 11 August 1992Jim Beglin | Leeds United | 1–4 | Liverpool | Leeds |
| Batty | Report | Redknapp Rush 12',31'Saunders 80' | Stadium:Elland Road Attendance: 8,492 Referee: Steve Lodge |
| 11 October 1992Bruce Grobbelaar | Liverpool | 2–2 | Everton | Liverpool |
| Burrows 23' Rosenthal 44' | Report | Beagrie 12' Barlow 71' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 20,516 Referee: J.B. Worrall |
| 11 May 1993Joey Jones | Wrexham | 2–2 | Liverpool | Wrexham |
| Hughes 33' Case 40' | Report | Hutchison 47' Rush 65' | Stadium:Racecourse Ground Attendance: 11,900 |
| 29 July 1992 | Rosenborg | 1–0 | Liverpool | Oslo |
| 20:30 | Stewart 72' (o.g.) | Report | Stewart 66' | Stadium:Ullevaal Stadion Attendance: 21,724 Referee: R.H. Olsen |
| 31 July 1992 | Tromsø | 1–2 | Liverpool | Tromsø |
| 20:30 | Wright 68' (o.g.) | Report | Rush 41' Stewart 59'Nicol Wright | Stadium:Alfheim Stadion Attendance: 2,049 Referee: G. Paulsen |
| 4 August 1992 | Tranmere Rovers | 1–7 | Liverpool | Birkenhead |
| 19:30 | Aldridge 61' | Report | Saunders 9' (pen.),40' Rush 11',62'Stewart 43'Marsh 83'Rosenthal 87' | Stadium:Prenton Park Attendance: 8,717 Referee: P. Roberts |
| 1 March 1993 | Shelbourne | 1–2 | Liverpool | Dublin |
| Henderson 13' | Report | Redknapp 12' Walters 46' | Stadium:Tolka Park Attendance: 9,500 Referee: T. Traynor |
| 17 March 1993 | Liverpool | 1–2 | Rosenborg | Liverpool |
| 19:30 | Rush 25' | Report | | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 0 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 68 | 46 | +22 | 71 |
| 5 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 63 | 55 | +8 | 63 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 62 | 55 | +7 | 59 |
| 7 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 55 | 51 | +4 | 59 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 60 | 66 | −6 | 59 |
Win Draw Loss
| 16 August 19921 | Nottingham Forest | 1–0 | Liverpool | Nottingham |
| 16:00 | Keane 22' Sheringham 29' | Report | Rush 12' Burrows 60' | Stadium:City Ground Attendance: 20,038 Referee: M Reed |
| 19 August 19922 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Sheffield United | Liverpool |
| 19:30 | Walters 43' Stewart 64' | Report | Deane 35' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 33,107 Referee: David Elleray |
| 23 August 19923 | Liverpool | 0–2 | Arsenal | Liverpool |
| 16:00 | Whelan 57' | Report | Dixon 24' Jensen 30'Limpar 53'Parlour 56'Wright 80'Adams 85' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 34,961 Referee: Ken Redfern |
| 25 August 19924 | Ipswich Town | 2–2 | Liverpool | Ipswich |
| Dozzell 36' Kiwomya 90'Milton 90' | Report | Walters 39' Wright 42'Mølby 70' (pen.)James 80' | Stadium:Portman Road Attendance: 20,109 Referee: Bob Hamer |
| 29 August 19925 | Leeds United | 2–2 | Liverpool | Leeds |
| McAllister 7' Cantona 36'Chapman 87' | Report | Whelan 44' Mølby 70' (pen.) | Stadium:Elland Road Attendance: 29,597 Referee: Roger Dilkes |
| 1 September 19926 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| Wright 60' | Report | K. Dixon 51' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 30,024 Referee: Robbie Hart |
| 5 September 19927 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Chelsea | Liverpool |
| Saunders 26' Redknapp 89' | Report | Harford 72' Wise 81'Pearce 85'Beasant 88' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 29,597 Referee: John Key |
| 12 September 19928 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Liverpool | Sheffield |
| Littlejohn 4' Dean 35'Gage 77' | Report | Walters 40' Burrows 87'Rush 87' | Stadium:Bramall Lane Attendance: 20,632 Referee: John E Martin |
| 19 September 19929 | Aston Villa | 4–2 | Liverpool | Birmingham |
| 15:00 | Saunders 44',66' Atkinson 54' 64'Houghton 77'Parker 78' | Report | Walters 43' Piechnik 62'Rosenthal 84' | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 37,863 Referee: Philip Don |
| 26 September 199210 | Liverpool | 2–3 | Wimbledon | Liverpool |
| Wright 9' Mølby 35' (pen.)McManaman 39' | Report | Fashanu 12' Clarke 20'Earle 27',76'Scales 67'Sanchez 67' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 29,574 Referee: Roger Milford |
| 3 October 199211 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Sheffield Wednesday | Liverpool |
| Stewart 15' Hutchison 80' | Report | Warhurst 40' Palmer 47' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 35,785 Referee: Martin Bodenham |
| 18 October 199212 | Manchester United | 2–2 | Liverpool | Manchester |
| Hughes 78',90' | Report | Hutchison 23' Rush 32' 44' | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 33,243 Referee: Keith Hackett |
| 25 October 199213 | Liverpool | 4–1 | Norwich City | Liverpool |
| Thomas 15' Hutchison 20'Burrows 52'Nicol 69'Walters 89' (pen.) | Report | Butterworth 2' 52' Goss 7'Newman 28'Sutton 78' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 36,318 Referee: Ray Lewis |
| 31 October 199214 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–0 | Liverpool | London |
| 15:00 | Nayim 63' Austin 68'Ruddock 72' | Report | Piechnik 11' Walters 14'Hutchison 35' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 36,318 Referee: Gerald Ashby |
| 7 November 199215 | Liverpool | 4–1 | Middlesbrough | Liverpool |
| 15:00 | Rosenthal 9',38' McManaman 45'Rush 89' | Report | Phillips 41' (pen.) | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 34,974 Referee: Dermot Gallagher |
| 23 November 199216 | Queens Park Rangers | 0–1 | Liverpool | London |
| Report | Redknapp 19' Rosenthal 87' | Stadium:Loftus Road Attendance: 21,056 Referee: Roger Milford |
| 28 November 199217 | Liverpool | 5–0 | Crystal Palace | Liverpool |
| McManaman 7',19' Marsh 9'Rosenthal 61'Hutchison 76' | Report | Young 40' McGoldrick 67' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 36,380 Referee: Steve Lodge |
| 7 December 199218 | Everton | 2–1 | Liverpool | Liverpool |
| 19:45 | Johnston 63' Beardsley 84' | Report | Wright 62' | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 35,826 Referee: Martin Bodenham |
| 13 December 199219 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Liverpool |
| 16:00 | Walters 77',85' | Report | Shearer 80' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 43,668 Referee: Philip Don |
| 19 December 199220 | Coventry City | 5–1 | Liverpool | Coventry |
| Borrows 37' (pen.),54' Gallacher 61'Quinn 71',74' | Report | Hutchison 61' Redknapp 64' 42'  70' | Stadium:Highfield Road Attendance: 19,779 Referee: Kelvin Morton |
| 28 December 199221 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Manchester City | Liverpool |
| 15:00 | Rush 49' | Report | Quinn 39' McMahon 61' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 43,037 Referee: David Allison |
| 9 January 199322 | Liverpool | 1–2 | Aston Villa | Liverpool |
| Barnes 42' | Report | Teale 52' Parker 54'Saunders 64' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,826 Referee: Keith Hackett |
| 16 January 199323 | Wimbledon | 2–0 | Liverpool | London |
| Fashanu 36' (pen.) Cotterill 64' | Report | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 11,294 Referee: Roger Dilkes |
| 31 January 199324 | Arsenal | 0–1 | Liverpool | London |
| 16:00 | Winterburn 27' 87' | Report | Stewart 13' Barnes 59' (pen.) | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 27,580 Referee: Keith A Cooper |
| 6 February 199325 | Liverpool | 0–0 | Nottingham Forest | Liverpool |
| 15:00 | Report | Keane 62' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,463 Referee: Keren Barratt |
| 10 February 199326 | Chelsea | 0–0 | Liverpool | London |
| 19:45 | Hall 89' | Report | Marsh 27' | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 20,981 Referee: John E Martin |
| 13 February 199327 | Southampton | 2–1 | Liverpool | Southampton |
| 17:00 | Maddison 23' Banger 73'Monkou 83'Adams 89' | Report | Hutchison 61' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 17,216 Referee: Alf Buksh |
| 20 February 199328 | Liverpool | 0–0 | Ipswich Town | Liverpool |
| Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 36,680 Referee: Alan Gunn |
| 27 February 199329 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1–1 | Liverpool | Sheffield |
Worthington 45' 65'Anderson 82' | Report | Hutchison 20' | Stadium:Hillsborough Attendance: 33,964 Referee: Vic Callow |
| 6 March 199330 | Liverpool | 1–2 | Manchester United | Liverpool |
| 15:00 | Rush 50' | Report | Hughes 42' McClair 56' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,374 Referee: Roger Milford |
| 10 March 199331 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Queens Park Rangers | Liverpool |
| Rush 72' | Report | Peacock 52' Ferdinand 78' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 30,370 Referee: Keith Burge |
| 13 March 199332 | Middlesbrough | 1–2 | Liverpool | Middlesbrough |
| Nicol 15' (o.g.) Peake 50'Mohan 55'Phillips 84' | Report | Hutchison 11' 37' Walters 52'Rush 81' | Stadium:Ayresome Park Attendance: 22,463 Referee: Mike Peck |
| 20 March 199333 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Everton | Liverpool |
| Rosenthal 90' | Report | Snodin 49' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,619 Referee: Philip Don |
| 23 March 199334 | Crystal Palace | 1–1 | Liverpool | London |
| Armstrong 78' | Report | Burrows 23' Rush 49'Hutchison 80' | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 18,688 Referee: Roger Dilkes |
| 3 April 199335 | Blackburn Rovers | 4–1 | Liverpool | Blackburn |
| Newell 13' Hendry 19'Moran 25'Gallacher 41'Wilcox 65' | Report | Rush 84' | Stadium:Ewood Park Attendance: 15,032 Referee: Ken Redfern |
| 10 April 199336 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Oldham Athletic | Liverpool |
| Rush 60' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 36,129 Referee: Joe Worrall |
| 12 April 199337 | Manchester City | 1–1 | Liverpool | Manchester |
| Flitcroft 12' | Report | Rush 61' | Stadium:Maine Road Attendance: 28,098 Referee: Mike Reed |
| 17 April 199338 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Coventry City | Liverpool |
| Walters 16',33',50' (pen.) Burrows 75' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 33,328 Referee: Tony Ward |
| 21 April 199339 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Leeds United | Liverpool |
| Barnes 54' Walters 73' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 34,992 Referee: Mike Reed |
| 1 May 199340 | Norwich City | 1–0 | Liverpool | Norwich |
| Newman 55' Phillips 62' (pen.)Goss 63' | Report | James 30' 61' Wright 42'Stewart 55'Rush 61' | Stadium:Carrow Road Attendance: 20,610 Referee: David Elleray |
| 5 May 199341 | Oldham Athletic | 3–2 | Liverpool | Oldham |
| Beckford 20' Olney 35',36'Henry 76' | Report | Redknapp 24' Burrows 26'Rush 30',59'Hutchison 75'Walters 88' | Stadium:Boundary Park Attendance: 15,381 Referee: Paul Durkin |
| 8 May 199342 | Liverpool | 6–2 | Tottenham Hotspur | Liverpool |
| Rush 21',85' Barnes 44',88'Nethercott 47' (own goal.)Walters 82' (pen.)Jones 89' | Report | Van Den Hauwe 44' Sheringham 46'Sedgley 77' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 43,385 Referee: Steve Lodge |
| 3 January 19933rd Round | Bolton Wanderers | 2–2 | Liverpool | Bolton |
| McGinlay 6' Seagraves 22' | Report | Winstanley 56' (o.g.) Rush 82' | Stadium:Burnden Park Attendance: 21,502 Referee: Ron Groves |
| 13 January 19933rd Round Replay | Liverpool | 0–2 | Bolton Wanderers | Liverpool |
| Report | McGinlay 3' Walker 78' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 34,790 Referee: Ron Groves |
| 22 September 19922nd Round 1st Leg | Liverpool | 4–4 | Chesterfield | Liverpool |
| Rosenthal 51' Hutchison 58'Walters 72'Wright 85' | Report | Norris 7',69' Lancaster 30',48' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 12,533 Referee: Philip Wright |
| 6 October 19922nd Round 2nd Leg | Chesterfield | 1–4 (5–8agg.) | Liverpool | Chesterfield |
| Hebberd 10' | Report | Hutchison 19' Redknapp 35'Walters 42'Rush 56' | Stadium:Saltergate Attendance: 10,632 Referee: Gerald Ashby |
| 28 October 19923rd Round | Sheffield United | 0–0 | Liverpool | Sheffield |
| Report | Stadium:Bramall Lane Attendance: 17,856 Referee: Tony Ward |
| 11 November 19923rd Round Replay | Liverpool | 3–0 | Sheffield United | Liverpool |
| McManaman 33',42' Marsh 84' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 17,654 Referee: Kelvin Morton |
| 1 December 19924th Round | Liverpool | 1–1 | Crystal Palace | Liverpool |
| Marsh 77' (pen.) | Report | Coleman 56' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 18,525 Referee: Brian Hill |
| 16 December 19924th Round Replay | Crystal Palace | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Liverpool | London |
| Watts 14' Thorn 101' | Report | Marsh 26' (pen.) | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 19,622 Referee: Peter Foakes |
| 8 August 1992 | Liverpool | 3–4 | Leeds United | London |
| 15:00 | Rush 34' Saunders 65'Strachan 89' (o.g.) | Report | Cantona 26',77',87' Dorigo 43' | Stadium:Wembley Stadium Attendance: 61,291 Referee: David Elleray |
v
Apollon Limassol| 16 September 1992First Round, First Leg | Liverpool | 6–1 | Apollon Limassol | Liverpool |
| 19:35 | Stewart 4',38' Rush 39',50',55',74' | Report | Špoljarić 84' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 12,769 Referee: J A Veiga Trigo (Portugal) |
vLiverpool| 29 September 1992First Round, Second Leg | Apollon Limassol | 1–2 | Liverpool | Limassol |
| 19:00 | Špoljarić 60' | Report | Rush 62' Hutchison 68'Stewart 72' | Stadium:Tsirion Stadium Attendance: 10,000 Referee: L Stafoggia (Italy) |
vLiverpool| 22 October 1992Second Round, First Leg | Spartak Moscow | 4–2 | Liverpool | Moscow |
| 19:00 | Pisarev 10' Karpin 69',84' (pen.)Lediakhov 89' | Report | Wright 65' McManaman 79'Grobbelaar 84' | Stadium:Central Lenin Stadium Attendance: 55,000 Referee: R Larsson (Sweden) |
vSpartak Moscow| 4 November 1992Second Round, Second Leg | Liverpool | 0–2 | Spartak Moscow | Liverpool |
| 19:35 | Marsh 87' | Report | Radchenko 63' Piatnitski 89' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 37,993 Referee: M Diaz Vega (Spain) |
In thelast season of the originalFootball League First Division before the creation of thePremier League, Liverpool had collected their fifthFA Cup but finished sixth in the league – the first time since 1981 that they hadn't finished champions or runners-up. They had returned to European competition in theUEFA Cup and reached the quarter-finals. Their disappointment in the league could largely be put down to the fact that key playersIan Rush andJohn Barnes had missed many games through injury. However, Rush and Barnes were back to full fitness for the 1992–93 season, accompanied by new signingPaul Stewart fromTottenham Hotspur, who could double as a midfielder or attacker, and 21-year-oldWatford goalkeeperDavid James who was already anEngland under-21 international and widely tipped to be a full international over the next few years.
The season began on 8 August, when Liverpool faced league championsLeeds United in theFA Charity Shield, and an action packed game atWembley Stadium ended in a 4–3 defeat. Eight days later, Liverpool travelled to theCity Ground to take onNottingham Forest in their very first Premier League game, but came away 1–0 losers after aTeddy Sheringham goal. Three days later, the Reds recorded their first win, goals and points atAnfield in a 2–1 win overSheffield United, withMark Walters opening the goalscoring followed by Paul Stewart in the second half. However, the visit of Arsenal to Anfield four days after that brought major disappointment as theNorth Londoners ran out 2–0 winners. The next two games (away visits toIpswich Town and Leeds) both ended in 2–2 draws, with 70th minute penalties fromJan Molby in both of these games.
Liverpool's first month of the new Premier League had been a major disappointment, with one win, two draws and two defeats, leaving them a lowly 16th out of 22 clubs.[2]
The second month of Liverpool's season was similar to the first – bringing one draw (at home toSouthampton), one win (at home toChelsea) and three defeats (at the hands of Sheffield United,Aston Villa andWimbledon). They were now 19th in the league, with only goal difference keeping them out of relegation places at the end of the second month of a season in a league where they had been expected to challenge for the title, which was currently being contested by some of the most unlikely sides includingNorwich City,Coventry City andQueen's Park Rangers as well as big spendingManchester United andBlackburn Rovers.[3]
Liverpool's European adventure began on 16 September, with a 6–1 home demolition ofApollon Limassol (theCypriot cup winners) in whichIan Rush scored four goals andPaul Stewart was on target twice in the first round first leg of theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup. The return leg in Cyprus two weeks later saw Liverpool progress to the next stage with a 2–1 win thanks to another goal from Rush as well as another fromDon Hutchison.
TheFootball League Cup quest began on 22 September, when Division ThreeChesterfield gave the Reds a scare by drawing 4–4 with them at Anfield.
Liverpool's terrible start to the season gave way to a slight improvement in October. The month began well with a 1–0 home win overSheffield Wednesday in which Don Hutchison scored the only goal, and two weeks later only a late equaliser fromMark Hughes denied them an away win over Manchester United, forcing a 2–2 draw. The following Saturday saw an impressive 4–1 home win over surprise title challengers Norwich, but the month ended with a return to Liverpool's losing ways as they were beaten 2–0 by Tottenham atWhite Hart Lane, where Spurs' first goal came from a spectacular volley byNayim.
They ended the month in 14th place in the league – an improvement on the previous month but still well short of top spot.[4]Any hopes that Chesterfield might have had of achieving a giant killing feat over the Reds ended atSaltergate on 6 October, when Graeme Souness's men achieved a 4–1 win to put them through to the third round. They were drawn with Sheffield United, who held them to a goalless draw atBramall Lane on 28 October,.
On the European scene, Liverpool's chances of glory in the Cup Winners' Cup took a severe blow when they were beaten 4–2 in Russia bySpartak Moscow.
Liverpool saw league action just three times in London – and won on each occasions.Middlesbrough visited Anfield on 7 November, and were on the receiving end on a 4–1 defeat in whichRonny Rosenthal scored twice. Rosenthal was the only man on the scoresheet 16 days later as the Reds beat QPR 1–0 atLoftus Road. Five days later, Liverpool's surge continued when they demolishedCrystal Palace 5–0 at Anfield. They had now climbed to eighth place.[5]
The League Cup third round replay against Sheffield United at Anfield saw them run out 3–0 victors thanks to aSteve McManaman brace and aMike Marsh penalty. However, any remaining hopes of European glory were ended on 4 November, when they suffered a 2–0 home defeat to Spartak Moscow in the second leg of the second round.
Liverpool's league revival stalled in November as they won just one league matches out of four. They lost 2–1 toEverton in theMerseyside derby atGoodison Park on 7 December, though two goals fromMark Walters six days later gave them a 2–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers. Six days before Christmas, however, the Reds were on the receiving end of one of the biggest league shocks of the season as they were crushed 5–1 by Coventry atHighfield Road. Their final action of 1992 came on 28 December, when they drew 1–1 at home toManchester City. They had now slipped to 11th place.[6]
December also saw the end of Liverpool's attempt to win a record fifth League Cup, as they were beaten 2–1 by Crystal Palace in the fourth round replay after a 1–1 draw in the first match.
1993 began with a 2–2 draw withBolton Wanderers in theFA Cup third round atBurnden Park, with the replay at Anfield 10 days later sparking arguably the biggest cup upset of the season as the Reds lost 2–0 at home to the Division Two promotion chasers.
Liverpool fared little better in the league this month, beginning with a 2–1 home defeat to title chasers Aston Villa, followed by a 2–0 defeat at Wimbledon, before a John Barnes penalty against Arsenal atHighbury on 31 January, ensured that the month would not end winless for the Reds, who were still only 12th in the league.[7]
Liverpool's dismal form continued into February as they failed to win a single game all month, and speculation was mounting that manager Graeme Souness would soon be forced out of the club. The month began with goalless draws against Forest and Chelsea, before the Reds lost 2–1 at Southampton. A goalless draw followed at home to Ipswich, whose recent surge in form had seen them look like outsiders for the league title a season after promotion. A 1–1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday ensured that Liverpool had gone a whole month with five games but no wins. They had managed just two goals all month, both from Don Hutchison.
Liverpool's action for March kicked off with a 2–1 home defeat by a Manchester United side who went top on their way to their first top division title since 1967, with left Liverpool a lowly 15th in the league and just five places and three points clear of the relegation zone. The game also saw Ian Rush score his first league goal of 1993 and only his fourth of the whole season in the league, and marked the start of a turnaround in fortunes for both player and club.[8]
Four days later, QPR were the visitors at Anfield as Rush was the only man on the scoresheet in a 1–0 win for the hosts. Three days later, Rush was joined by Don Hutchison on the scoresheet as the Reds won 2–1 at Middlesbrough – a result which pushed theAyresome Park club deeper into relegation trouble. 20 March, was the day of the second Merseyside derby of the season, in which Liverpool ran out 1–0 winners and Ronny Rosenthal scored the only goal of the game. The resurgence was put on hold when Liverpool's last game of the month saw the held to a 1–1 draw at relegation-threatened Crystal Palace, but Rush was on target for the fourth time in five games and his team had now lifted themselves to 10th place.[9]
April began badly for the Reds as a 4–1 defeat at Blackburn (managed by former Liverpool player and bossKenny Dalglish) suggested that another decline was setting in and that the Reds could be sucked back into the unthinkable relegation battle. However, a week later their resurgence was resumed with Ian Rush once again the inspiration as they defeated Oldham 1–0 at Anfield. Rush was on the scoresheet yet again in the next game as they were held to a 1–1 draw by Manchester City atMaine Road. Undoubtedly the best game of the month came on 17 April, when the Reds demolished Coventry 4–0 at Anfield, with Mark Walters scoring a hat-trick and defenderDavid Burrows scoring the other goal. The month ended with a 2–0 home win over Leeds that completed Liverpool's impressive rise from 15th place to fifth within the space of a few weeks. The relegation fear was now long gone, though it was too late for Liverpool to make a challenge for one of the twoUEFA Cup places.[10]
With the pressure off the Reds as the end of the season loomed, they lost 1–0 to third placed Norwich at the beginning of the month before being beaten 3–2 by an Oldham side who were on the way to completing a survival act which was little short of miraculous. The campaign ended on 8 May, with an impressive 6–2 demolition of Tottenham with goals from Ian Rush (twice), John Barnes (twice), a penalty fromMark Walters and an own goal from Tottenham'sStuart Nethercott, to secure a sixth-place finish for the second season running. Manager Souness was not at the game, instead attending the match betweenCoventry City andLeeds United in order to scout Coventry forwardPeter Ndlovu.[11][12]
