The Liverpool team of the mid 1990s had a certain reputation.
They were clearly a talented bunch, possessing quite a few talented players and being capable of beating anyone on their day. However, they could never quite live up to the standards that the club had set during the previous few decades.
Their lifestyle off the pitch did not help. It was said that many of their players cared more about partying than being successful as a football team. They were nicknamed as the 'Spice Boys' as a result.
One of the first things Gerard Houllier did after being appointed manager of the club was to clear out that particular social group from the squad, going on to build the team around young players such as Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard in their place.
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Jason McAteer unhappy with Keys' Liverpool 'Spice Boys' comments
With today marking the 25th anniversary of Gerard Houllier being appointed as Liverpool boss, Jason McAteer was asked about the Frenchman's decision to move him and others out of the club.
Appearing on beIN SPORTS, the former Ireland midfielder seemed unhappy with the line of questioning from presenter Richard Keys.
“We were a few signings away from winning the league!” 📝
“The Spice Boys attitude wasn’t right!” 👀@MCATEER4 & @richardajkeys argue whether Gérard Houllier was right to remove the Spice Boys from Anfield. #beINPL #LFC pic.twitter.com/nhf3NgyOVU— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) November 12, 2023
McAteer: Gerard came in with the idea of the Spice Boys and our reputation which preceded us.
Keys: Yes, both of those things were true.
McAteer: No they weren't. I don't think he realised what he had at his disposal.
Keys: Can I just say, when I interjected with that point, I had that conversation and that's what he felt. He felt you were never going to win anything with the Spice Boys at Anfield.
McAteer: Well he was wrong...
Keys: You were a good player, but one he felt was the wrong type.
McAteer: The wrong type? What does that suggest?
Keys: There was that whole Spice Boys culture with [Jamie] Redknapp. What did Redknapp bring to the party? He didn't tackle or score goals, just was part of the furniture. He had to sweep the whole lot out.
McAteer: No he didn't...
Keys: He was always of the opinion that the Spice Boys were never going to cut it, you were always going to come up short. Having a good time was more important than winning football matches, that's what he believed.
McAteer: Were we not seeing the Man United players in the same places? If you went for dinner David Beckham and Ryan Giggs were in there.
While Gerard Houllier would not manage to win the league as Liverpool manager, he did lead to successes in the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup. He also put in place the foundations of the team that would go on to win the Champions League in 2005.
It's fair to say he got things right when it came to getting rid of the Spice Boys.
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