| 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 | ||
The1996–97 Liverpool F.C. season was the 105th season in the club's existence, and their 35th consecutive year in the top-flight of English football. In addition to theFA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons), the club competed in theFA Cup,League Cup, and theCup Winners' Cup.
Liverpool led the Premiership for much of the season, and established a five-point lead at the top before New Year's Day 1997. However, the team were overtaken byManchester United in the latter stages of the season, and it was United who ultimately won the league, though Liverpool squandered several more chances to reclaim the top position.[1] The side were marred both by the rise of the "Spice Boys" culture, as well as by defensive aberrations; dropping points at their previously impregnableAnfield home. A 2–1 home defeat against bottom of the tableCoventry City denied Liverpool the chance to return to top spot with six games to go, United having lost at home to Derby the previous day.[2] Indeed, a win over United at Anfield in April would have put Liverpool top with just three matches to go, but United won 3–1 to effectively clinch the title.[3] The title lost, Liverpool still went into the final match of the season in second place with a two-point lead over Newcastle and Arsenal, but a 1–1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday meant they ended up finishing 4th on goal difference, thus missing out on a place in the newly expandedUEFA Champions League[4] and leavingRoy Evans and his team with aUEFA Cup place as scant consolation for a season which had promised much and giving rise to the phrase "finishing fourth in a two horse race".
In the cups there was more disappointment. Liverpool'sUEFA Cup Winners' Cup campaign ended in the semi-finals with a 3–2 aggregate defeat toParis St Germain. In theFA Cup they lost 4–2 to eventual winnersChelsea in the fourth round, having led 2–0 at half-time and squandered chances to extend their lead. Liverpool were knocked out in the Coca-Cola Cup quarter-finals by eventual finalistsMiddlesbrough.
The side were nevertheless praised for their attractive attacking style of football.Steve McManaman andRobbie Fowler continued to excel for the club, and Fowler continued his prolific strike partnership with Stan Collymore, scoring 47 goals between them. Fowler's suspension for the final four games was a big blow and effectively ended any lingering hopes of title glory. Fowler also received aUEFA Fair Play award, for protesting that he had not been fouled by Arsenal goalkeeperDavid Seaman when the referee awarded a penalty kick. The season also saw the debut of teenage prodigyMichael Owen.
Former defenderMark 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:[5] "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.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| # | Pos | Player | From | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | MF |  Patrik Berger |  Borussia Dortmund | £3,250,000 | 15 August 1996 |
| 28 | MF |  Nick Rizzo | Sydney Olympic | Free | 1 September 1996 |
| 3 | DF |  Bjørn Tore Kvarme | Rosenborg | Free | 10 January 1997 |
| # | 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 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Newcastle United | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 73 | 40 | +33 | 68 | Qualification for theChampions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Arsenal | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 62 | 32 | +30 | 68 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first round[a] |
| 4 | Liverpool | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 62 | 37 | +25 | 68 | |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 38 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 61 | |
| 6 | Chelsea | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 58 | 55 | +3 | 59 | Qualification for theCup Winners' Cup first round[b] |
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A |
| Result | D | W | D | W | W | W | W | W | L | W | L | W | D | D | W | L | W | W | D | D | W | L | D | W | W | W | D | L | W | D | W | L | W | D | L | W | L | D |
| Position | 9 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 17 August 19961 | Middlesbrough | 3–3 | Liverpool | Middlesbrough,North Yorkshire |
| 15:00 | Ravanelli 26' (pen.),36',81' | Report | Bjørnebye 4' Barnes 29'Fowler 65' | Stadium:Riverside Stadium Attendance: 30,039 |
| 19 August 19962 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Arsenal | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 20:00BST | McManaman 68',74' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 38,103 Referee:Gary Willard |
| 24 August 19963 | Liverpool | 0–0 | Sunderland | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,503 |
| 4 September 19964 | Coventry City | 0–1 | Liverpool | Coventry,West Midlands |
| 19:45 | Babb 68' | Stadium:Highfield Road Attendance: 23,021 |
| 7 September 19965 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Southampton | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Collymore 39' McManaman 89' | Magilton 68' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 39,189 |
| 15 September 19966 | Leicester City | 0–3 | Liverpool | Leicester,Leicestershire |
| 15:00 | Berger 58',77' Thomas 61' | Stadium:Filbert Street Attendance: 20,987 |
| 21 September 19967 | Liverpool | 5–1 | Chelsea | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Fowler 15' Berger 42',49'Myers 45' (o.g.)Barnes 57' | Leboeuf 85' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,739 |
| 29 September 19968 | West Ham United | 1–2 | Liverpool | Newham, London |
| 15:00 | Bilić 15' | Collymore 3' Thomas 55' | Attendance: 25,064 |
| 12 October 19969 | Manchester United | 1–0 | Liverpool | Trafford,Greater Manchester |
| 11:15 | Beckham 23' | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 55,128 |
| 27 October 199610 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Derby County | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 16:00 | Fowler 47',51' | A. Ward 89' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 39,515 |
| 3 November 199611 | Blackburn Rovers | 3–0 | Liverpool | Blackburn,Lancashire |
| 15:00 | Sutton 3' (pen.),56' Wilcox 24' | Stadium:Ewood Park Attendance: 29,598 |
| 16 November 199612 | Leeds United | 0–2 | Liverpool | Leeds,West Yorkshire |
| 15:00 | Ruddock 13' McManaman 90' | Stadium:Elland Road Attendance: 39,981 |
| 20 November 199613 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Everton | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 19:45 | Fowler 30' | Speed 82' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,751 |
| 23 November 199614 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Wimbledon | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Collymore 1' | Leonhardsen 67' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 39,027 |
| 2 December 199615 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0–2 | Liverpool | Haringey, London |
| 20:00 | Thomas 45' McManaman 49' | Stadium:White Hart Lane |
| 7 December 199616 | Liverpool | 0–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Whittingham 21' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 39,507 |
| 14 December 199617 | Liverpool | 5–1 | Middlesbrough | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Fowler 1',28',77',85' Bjørnebye 45' | Fjørtoft 75' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 39,491 |
| 17 December 199618 | Liverpool | 4–2 | Nottingham Forest | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 19:45 | Collymore 6',63' Fowler 27'Lyttle 53' (o.g.) | Campbell 34' Pearce 60' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 36,126 |
| 23 December 199619 | Newcastle United | 1–1 | Liverpool | Newcastle-upon-Tyne,Tyne and Wear |
| 20:00 | Shearer 28' | Fowler 45' | Stadium:St. James' Park Attendance: 36,570 |
| 26 December 199620 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Leicester City | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Collymore 80' | Claridge 76' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,786 |
| 29 December 199621 | Southampton | 0–1 | Liverpool | Southampton,Hampshire |
| 16:00 | Barnes 76' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,222 |
| 1 January 199722 | Chelsea | 1–0 | Liverpool | Fulham, London |
| 15:00 | Di Matteo 43' | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 28,329 |
| 11 January 199723 | Liverpool | 0–0 | West Ham United | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,102 |
| 18 January 199724 | Liverpool | 3–0 | Aston Villa | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Carragher 50' Collymore 58'Fowler 63' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,489 |
| 1 February 199725 | Derby County | 0–1 | Liverpool | Derby,Derbyshire |
| 15:00 | Collymore 75' | Stadium:Baseball Ground Attendance: 18,102 |
| 19 February 199726 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Leeds United | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 19:45 | Fowler 21' Collymore 36',37'Redknapp 87' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 38,957 |
| 22 February 199727 | Liverpool | 0–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,747 |
| 2 March 199728 | Aston Villa | 1–0 | Liverpool | Birmingham, West Midlands |
| 16:00 | Taylor 83' | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 39,339 |
| 10 March 199729 | Liverpool | 4–3 | Newcastle United | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 20:00 | McManaman 29' Berger 30'Fowler 42',90' | Gillespie 71' Asprilla 87'Barton 88' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,751 |
| 15 March 199730 | Nottingham Forest | 1–1 | Liverpool | Nottingham |
| 15:00 | Woan 30' | Fowler 4' | Stadium:City Ground Attendance: 29,181 |
| 24 March 199731 | Arsenal | 1–2 | Liverpool | Islington,London |
| 20:00GMT | Wright 78' | Collymore 50' McAteer 65' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,068 Referee:Gerald Ashby |
| 6 April 199732 | Liverpool | 1–2 | Coventry City | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Fowler 52' | Whelan 65' Dublin 90' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,079 |
| 13 April 199733 | Sunderland | 1–2 | Liverpool | Sunderland,Tyne and Wear |
| 15:00 | Stewart 53' | Fowler 33' McManaman 47' | Stadium:Roker Park Attendance: 21,938 |
| 16 April 199734 | Everton | 1–1 | Liverpool | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 19:45 | Ferguson 65' | Redknapp 26' | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 40,177 |
| 19 April 199735 | Liverpool | 1–3 | Manchester United | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 11:15 | Barnes 19' | Pallister 13',42' Cole 63' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,892 |
| 3 May 199736 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Liverpool,Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Collymore 15' Berger 43' | Anderton 5' | Stadium:Anfield |
| 6 May 199737 | Wimbledon | 2–1 | Liverpool | Croydon, London |
| 19:45 | Euell 43' Holdsworth 55' | Owen 74' | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 20,016 |
| 11 May 199738 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1–1 | Liverpool | Sheffield |
| 16:00 | Donaldson 75' | Redknapp 83' | Stadium:Hillsborough Attendance: 38,943 |
| 4 January 1997Third round | Liverpool | 1–0 | Burnley | Liverpool |
| Collymore 12' | (Report) | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 33,252 |
| 26 January 1997Fourth round | Chelsea | 4–2 | Liverpool | London |
| Hughes 50' Zola 58'Vialli 63',76' | (Report) | Fowler 10' Collymore 21' | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 27,950 |
| 23 October 1996Third round | Charlton Athletic | 1–1 | Liverpool | London |
| Whyte 18' | Report | Fowler 21' | Stadium:The Valley Attendance: 15,000 |
| 13 November 1996Third round replay | Liverpool | 4–1 | Charlton Athletic | Liverpool |
| Wright 14' Redknapp 18'Fowler 48',73' | Report | Newton 21' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 20,714 |
| 27 November 1996Fourth round | Liverpool | 4–2 | Arsenal | Liverpool |
| McManaman 26' Fowler 39' (pen.),52'Berger 72' | Report | Wright 13' (pen.),68' (pen.) | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 32,814 |
| 8 January 1997Quarter-final | Middlesbrough | 2–1 | Liverpool | Middlesbrough |
| Hignett 14' Vickers 21' | Report | McManaman 65' | Stadium:Riverside Stadium Attendance: 28,670 |
v Liverpool| 12 September 1996First round, first leg | MyPa | 0–1 | Liverpool | Anjalankoski |
| Report | Bjørnebye 61' | Stadium:Kymenlaakson Sähkö Stadion Attendance: 4,767 |
vMyPa| 26 September 1996First round, second leg | Liverpool | 3–1 (4–1agg.) | MyPa | Liverpool |
| Berger 16' Collymore 59'Barnes 77' | Report | Keskitalo 64' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 39,013 |
v Liverpool| 17 October 1996Second round, first leg | Sion | 1–2 | Liverpool | Sion |
| Bonvin 10' | Report | Fowler 28' Barnes 80' | Stadium:Stade Tourbillon Attendance: 15,500 |
vSion| 31 October 1996Second round, second leg | Liverpool | 6–3 (8–4agg.) | Sion | Liverpool |
| McManaman 27' Bjørnebye 55'Barnes 66'Fowler 70',79'Berger 89' | Report | Chassot 20',65' Bonvin 23' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 38,514 |
v Liverpool| 6 March 1997Quarter-final, first leg | Brann | 1–1 | Liverpool | Bergen |
| Hasund 48' | Report | Fowler 10' | Stadium:Brann Stadion Attendance: 12,700 |
vBrann| 20 March 1997Quarter-final, second leg | Liverpool | 3–0 (4–1agg.) | Brann | Liverpool |
| Fowler 25' (pen.),77' Collymore 61' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 40,326 |
v Liverpool| 10 April 1997Semi-final, first leg | Paris Saint-Germain | 3–0 | Liverpool | Paris |
| Leonardo 11' Cauet 43'Leroy 83' | Report | Stadium:Parc des Princes Attendance: 35,142 |
vParis Saint-Germain| 24 April 1997Semi-final, second leg | Liverpool | 2–0 (2–3agg.) | Paris Saint-Germain | Liverpool |
| Fowler 12' Wright 79' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 39,000 |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | CWC | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| Goalkeepers | |||||||||||||
| 1 | GK | ENG | David James | 52 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Defenders | |||||||||||||
| 2 | DF | ENG | Rob Jones | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | NOR | Bjørn Tore Kvarme | 17 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Mark Wright | 43 | 2 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 6 | DF |  IRL | Phil Babb | 31 | 1 | 21+1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Steve Harkness | 10 | 0 | 5+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Neil Ruddock | 22 | 1 | 15+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | IRL | Mark Kennedy | 8 | 0 | 0+5 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | NOR | Stig Inge Bjørnebye | 52 | 4 | 38 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 21 | DF | ENG | Dominic Matteo | 38 | 0 | 22+4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Midfielders | |||||||||||||
| 4 | MF | IRL | Jason McAteer | 51 | 1 | 36+1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Steve McManaman | 51 | 10 | 37 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| 10 | MF | ENG | John Barnes | 47 | 7 | 34+1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Jamie Redknapp | 32 | 4 | 18+5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4+3 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | CZE | Patrik Berger | 34 | 9 | 13+10 | 6 | 1+1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Michael Thomas | 42 | 3 | 29+2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Jamie Carragher | 3 | 1 | 1+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | MF | ENG | David Thompson | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forwards | |||||||||||||
| 8 | FW | ENG | Stan Collymore | 37 | 16 | 25+5 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4+1 | 2 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Robbie Fowler | 44 | 31 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| 18 | FW | ENG | Michael Owen | 2 | 1 | 1+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | FW |  WAL | Lee Jones | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players transferred out during the season | |||||||||||||
| 3 | DF | ENG | John Scales | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| Rank | No. | Pos | Nat | Name | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | Cup Winners' Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | FW | | Robbie Fowler | 18 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 31 |
| 2 | 8 | FW | | Stan Collymore | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| 3 | 7 | MF | | Steve McManaman | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | 15 | MF | | Patrick Berger | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 5 | 10 | MF | | John Barnes | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 6 | 11 | MF | | Jamie Redknapp | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 20 | DF | | Stig Inge Bjørnebye | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| 8 | 16 | MF | | Michael Thomas | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | 5 | DF | | Mark Wright | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | 4 | DF | | Jason McAteer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | DF | | Phil Babb | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | DF | | Neil Ruddock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 18 | FW | | Michael Owen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 23 | DF | | Jamie Carragher | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Own goal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
| Totals | 62 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 93 | ||||
| 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 |
