Liverpool FC's Great Striking Partnerships, No.5

God and Stan

I have to admit I debated whether to include this partnership in this series.

Firstly, they were only together for two seasons, but then so were Aldridge and Beardsley, and there was no doubt about including them.

Secondly, there may be some reservations about including Collymore (although none whatsoever about Fowler, one of the greatest goalscorers Liverpool have ever had). Also, unlike with all the previous strike partnerships in this series so far, this was not a successful period for the club. But for a while, Collymore shone brighly, if briefly, and in conjunction with Fowler, they made a highly effective pair. Nobody will ever forget Collymore’s last-gasp winner in the first 4-3 against Newcastle at Anfield, the goal that saw Keegan slump over the advertising boards and led to another title for Ferguson’s Manchester United as they reined Newcastle in.

It has to be conceded though that there is a huge disparity between the two strikers, not only in their goalscoring records, in which the smaller man did most of the heavy lifting, but also in how they are perceived by Liverpool’s supporters, one who was (and still is) a deity, the other the bad boy who was hard to love. Yet Fowler’s Liverpool career courted at least as much controversy as Collymore’s, whose criticisms revolved more around what he didn’t do - train or work very hard on the pitch (sometimes), or seem to care that much, or move to and bind with the Merseyside area. However questionable his personal traits might have been, his footballing talent was not in dispute.

Robbie Fowler

But it’s with Robbie Fowler that we begin, or ‘God’ to his fans. The Toxteth youngster grew up as an Evertonian, loathing Ian Rush's achievements with Liverpool - and Rush made Everton suffer throughout his career at Liverpool, scoring 25 goals against them including two braces in FA Cup finals and famously, four in a 5-0 win at Goodison.

But it was not Everton’s but Liverpool’s scouts who made the move, swooping for a player who was to become one of the elite handful of strikers over the years whose goalscoring record and stature with the supporters actually compare with Rush’s.

As Jim Aspinall, Liverpool scout, explained:

"He knew when and where to put the ball away, and run into space. He had such a lovely touch on the ball."  

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