1987-88 what a season for
Liverpool ! May be a perfect season. Liverpool enjoyed a record
29-match unbeaten start to the season and finished as champions with
just two defeats from 40 league games and a nine-point gap between
them and runners-up Manchester United, sealing the top division title
for a record 17th time. They were widely expected to secure a unique
second double, but surprisingly lost 1-0 to underdogs Wimbledon in
the FA Cup final, in which their top scorer John Aldridge missed a
penalty (Have a look on the topic : Wimbledon 1988). The squad
had altered significantly from the previous season, with star striker
Ian Rush now at Juventus and player-manager Kenny Dalglish
concentrating largely on the manager's job, though still registered
as a player. In Rush's place was John Aldridge, signed halfway
through the previous season from Oxford United, complemented up front
by £1.9 million national record signing Peter Beardsley. Following
Aldridge to Anfield from Oxford was winger Ray Houghton.
Liverpool had a new look
attack for the 1987–88 season. Filling Rush's boots was John
Aldridge, who had actually joined the club halfway through the
previous season when Rush was still at Anfield. Alongside him was
Peter Beardsley. Another new signing was fellow England international
John Barnes, the Watford winger. Liverpool began the season on a
winning note, beating Arsenal – who had beaten them in the previous
season's League Cup final and were also among the pre-season title
favourites – 2–1 at Highbury. The next league action came two
weeks later at the end of August, when Steve Nicol scored twice and
John Aldridge and Peter Beardsley scored the other goals in a 4–1
win at FA Cup holders Coventry City. By the end of September, any
observers who doubted John Aldridge's suitability as successor to Ian
Rush were silenced as he had now scored in all of the club's opening
seven league games, capped by a hat-trick in the 4–0 home win over
Derby County. Liverpool were second in the table, but had two games
in hand over surprise leaders Queen's Park Rangers, who had a
three-point lead.
Aldridge managed to score
in nine successive games for Liverpool from the start of the season,
bringing his league tally to 11 goals by the time of their 4–0 win
over Queen's Park Rangers at Anfield on 17 October 1987, which put
the Reds back on top of the First Division on goal difference, but
still with a two-game advantage over the West Londoners. November
began with the Merseyside derby at Anfield, in which Liverpool ran
out 2–0 winners with goals from Steve McMahon and Peter Beardsley.
Three successive draws followed, which saw Arsenal edge ahead of the
Reds to the top of the table. Liverpool's League Cup challenge came
to an end in the third round when they lost 1–0 to Everton at
Goodison Park. Back in the league, Liverpool had returned to their
winning ways and back to the top of the First Division table by the
end of November, as they were now five points ahead of their nearest
rivals Arsenal and had a game in hand. And now have a look of the
first part of the 1987-88's Liverpool season :
The FA Cup quest started
at the Victoria Ground in early January, with the Reds being held to
a disappointing goalless draw by Second Division underdogs Stoke
City. A Peter Beardsley goal won the replay 1–0 at Anfield, and the
next round saw the Reds cruise to a 2–0 win at Aston Villa. The
fifth round brought another Merseyside derby, and the Reds took
revenge for the League Cup exit by winning 1–0 at Goodison Park
with a Ray Houghton goal. Liverpool's record unbeaten start to the
league season finally ended on 20 March, when they lost 1–0 at
Everton in their 30th game. They still had a 14-point lead and two
games in hand over nearest rivals Manchester United, however. The
wait for the league title was prolonged by a dramatic clash with
Manchester United at Anfield on 4 April. After a Steve McMahon goal
had put them 3–1 up in the 46th minute, a late surge by United saw
the game end 3–3, but Liverpool were still 11 points ahead of Alex
Ferguson's men, and had seven games left to play whereas United only
had five. Even if United won all of their remaining games, Liverpool
(with a vastly superior goal difference) only needed four points from
their final seven games to seal the title. A goalless draw at Norwich
City on 20 April effectively confirmed Liverpool as champions. With the exception of a
5–1 win at Sheffield Wednesday in the penultimate game of the
season, in which Craig Johnston scored his final two goals for
Liverpool, their remaining league games of the season all ended in
1–1 draws and they finished the season with just two league defeats
from 40 games and a nine-point lead over runners-up Manchester
United. And before to see all the stickers of Liverpool FC, the
second part on the 1987-88's season review :
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