Roy Evans

Last updated

Roy Evans
Roy Evans.JPG
Personal information
Full name Roy Quentin Echlin Evans
Date of birth (1948-10-04) 4 October 1948 (age 75)
Place of birth Bootle, England
Position(s) Centre Back
Youth career
Liverpool
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1965–1974 Liverpool 9 (0)
1973 → Philadelphia Atoms (loan) 19 (2)
Managerial career
1994–1998 Liverpool
1998 Liverpool (Joint with Gérard Houllier)
2000 Fulham (Joint with Karl-Heinz Riedle)
2001 Swindon Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Roy Quentin Echlin Evans (born 4 October 1948) is an English former footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool, where he also had a spell as manager. Aside from his time at Liverpool, he had a short loan spell at Philadelphia Atoms; and also later went on to manage Fulham and Swindon.

Contents

Career

An England schoolboy international, Evans was a defender who was a long way down the pecking order at Liverpool in the 1960s and 1970s—he also spent the summer of 1973 in the North American Soccer League with the Philadelphia Atoms.

Liverpool manager

On 28 January 1994, Graeme Souness quit as Liverpool manager in the wake of a shock FA Cup exit at the hands of Bristol City. Evans, a long-time member of the coaching team, then took over as manager of a Liverpool side who were mid-table in the Premier League and out of contention for any major honours, although they were 8th by the end of the season. Evans had inherited a side from Souness that had lost confidence in the four years following Kenny Dalglish's departure, as well as a side that was mismatched largely due to the signings that Souness made. [1]

For the 1994–95 season, Evans strengthened his side with the addition of defenders John Scales and Phil Babb as well as young winger Mark Kennedy. He also gave further first-team opportunities to youngsters Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler, who at the time were among the hottest prospects in English football. Established players such as John Barnes, Mark Wright and Ian Rush blended well with these young stars as Liverpool finished fourth in the Premier League with 74 points and triumphed in the Football League Cup, beating Bolton Wanderers 2–1 with two McManaman goals, and winning the competition for a record fifth time.

Over the summer of 1995, Evans made the headlines by paying a British record fee for Nottingham Forest striker Stan Collymore. Many observers tipped Liverpool to win the Premier League title for that season, particularly as defending champions Blackburn had promoted Kenny Dalglish to Director of Football and appointed the less successful Ray Harford as manager, and runners-up Manchester United had sold three key players and surprisingly relied on young players to fill their place. Although Liverpool looked like contenders during the first stages of the season, the title race had effectively become a Newcastle United-Manchester United contest by Christmas, with Manchester United finally clinching the title. Liverpool, meanwhile, had to settle for third place in the league; any lingering hopes of title glory were finished off towards the end of April with a shock defeat by Coventry City. They did reach the FA Cup final, but lost 1–0 to a late Eric Cantona goal for Manchester United. As United had done the double, Evans and his exciting young team would be competing in the 1996–97 European Cup Winners' Cup. Nonetheless, their League position had improved from 4th to 3rd on the previous attempt. This had happened despite collecting only 71 points; however, the league notably had been reduced by 4 games that season. The 71 points was equivalent to 78.5 points the season before.

The 1996–97 season in English football proved to be the closest Evans would come to winning the Premier League title. Evans strengthened his side that was built around McManaman and Fowler, with the acquisition of Czech midfielder Patrik Berger over the summer of 1996, but by the end of the 1996–97 season all the talk around Anfield was about a promising 17-year-old striker, Michael Owen, who had shown tremendous potential in a handful of games for the club. Liverpool had led the Premier League on several occasions before the end of January, even having a five-point lead at the top of the table in January, but eventually finished poorly in fourth place, while Manchester United clinched the title by a seven-point margin. Their European Cup Winners' Cup adventure ended in the semi-finals when they lost to Paris St Germain. They had also collected 3 points fewer overall, finishing with 68, with much of the press berating the club for a lack of discipline off the field, dubbing Evans' squad the Spice Boys for their lifestyles off the pitch, which affected their performances on it.[ citation needed ] In the last game of that season, against Sheffield Wednesday, Liverpool failed to win, with Owen hitting the post late on. Had he scored Liverpool would have finished second and had the opportunity to play in the following season's European Cup.

With Stan Collymore moving to Aston Villa in the close season, Evans did not want to throw Owen into the first team, so he brought in midfield hardman Paul Ince, and legendary German striker Karlheinz Riedle to partner the prolific Robbie Fowler. Liverpool appeared ready to mount a strong title challenge in 1997–98 season, however, an injury to Fowler, that lasted for the majority of the season, prevented the team from making the most of its potential. Owen burst onto the scene with 18 goals in 36 Premier League games. Nevertheless, they again collected 3 points fewer than the previous season for the 3rd straight season (65 total) and had to settle for third place in the league and yet another UEFA Cup campaign.

In 1998 Liverpool's longstanding Boot Room coach Ronnie Moran retired and was set to be replaced by Gerrard Houllier for the 1998–99 season onwards. It was decided that Houllier would become joint manager of Liverpool to work alongside Evans, but the arrangement was not a success and Evans resigned in November to leave Houllier in sole charge. Houllier would remain at the club until 2004, collecting one FA Cup, one UEFA Cup and two League Cups in that time. [2]

Liverpool legacy

When Roy Evans took over from Graeme Souness in 1994 the team was in rapid free-fall. In his first full season (1994–95) Liverpool finished 4th with 74 points. At this point it seemed that he had reversed the decline that had set in under the Souness regime, and the 'glory days' would soon be returning. However, the team was to finish the next three seasons with three points fewer than the previous season (1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98), suggesting that after an initial 'honeymoon' things quickly stagnated. The period of joint management with Gerard Houllier was a radical effort by the board to reverse that stagnation. By 1998 Evans had assembled a talented nucleus of players, who were particularly impressive going forward and in their attacking football, where Evans had been credited with creating arguably the nation's most exciting and aesthetically pleasing team of the 1990s. [3]

After Liverpool

Evans was out of work for over a year. His name was linked with Nottingham Forest following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 1998–99 season, but the job went to David Platt instead. [4] He also lost out in the race to become Bolton Wanderers manager in 1999, with the club appointing former player Sam Allardyce. His comeback finally came in March 2000 when he became joint caretaker manager of Fulham alongside Karlheinz Riedle until Jean Tigana was given the job a month later.

In June 2001, Evans was named Director of Football at Swindon Town in Division Two, with 33-year-old former Liverpool defender Neil Ruddock as player-coach. But the pair failed to inspire a promotion challenge at the County Ground, and on 20 December 2001 they were succeeded by new manager Andy King.

In November 2004, when former Liverpool striker John Toshack was appointed as the new manager of Wales, Evans accepted an offer to be his assistant.

In February 2007, he accepted an offer to become part-time assistant manager to Brian Carey at League Two strugglers Wrexham, and helped Wrexham avoid relegation to the Conference National. [5] After Wrexham escaped relegation from League Two at the end of the 2006–07 season, this agreement was extended. [6]

As well as his coaching commitments, he also currently acts as a co-commentator for live audio broadcasts of Liverpool matches on the official web site, www.liverpoolfc.tv. Evans also co-operated on his authorised biography, called Ghost on the Wall, which was released at the end of 2004.

Honours

Manager

Liverpool

Individual

Managerial statistics

Source: [9]
Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamFromToRecord
PWDLWin %
Liverpool 28 January 199412 November 19982441236358050.4
Swindon Town 3 August 200120 December 20012610610038.5
Total2701336968049.3

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gérard Houllier</span> French footballer and manager (1947–2020)

Gérard Paul Francis Houllier was a French professional football manager and player. Clubs he managed include Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Liverpool, where he won the FA Cup, League Cup, FA Charity Shield, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2001. He then guided Lyon to two French titles, before announcing his resignation on 25 May 2007. He became manager of Aston Villa in September 2010. He also coached the France national team between 1992 and 1993. He assisted Aimé Jacquet in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, was part of UEFA's and FIFA's Technical Committee in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, and technical director for the French Football Federation during the 2010 finals. In June 2011, he stepped down from club coaching, leaving his managerial role at Aston Villa, following frequent hospitalisation over heart problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robbie Fowler</span> English football coach (born 1975)

Robert Bernard Fowler is an English football coach and former player. He most recently managed Saudi First Division League side Al-Qadsiah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Rush</span> Welsh footballer and manager (born 1961)

Ian James Rush is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best Welsh players in the history of the sport. At club level Rush played for Liverpool from 1980–1987 and 1988–1996. Additionally, he is the club's all-time leading goalscorer, having scored a total of 346 goals in all competitions at the club. He also holds the records for being the highest goalscorer in the history of the EFL Cup and the finals of the FA Cup. At international level, Rush made 73 appearances for the Wales national football team and remained the record goalscorer with 28 goals between 1980 and 1996, until the record was broken by Gareth Bale in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Thompson</span> English footballer and manager (born 1954)

Philip Bernard Thompson is an English retired footballer, who played as a defender for Liverpool team of the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, he also represented the England national football team on 42 occasions, and captained England on six occasions. After retiring as a player, he later served Liverpool as assistant manager and, during the 2001–02 season, acted as caretaker for 6 months while manager Gérard Houllier was ill. He was a pundit on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports for 22 years until August 2020, does on and off work as a pundit for TV 2 (Norway), and is a regular Visiting Fellow at the University of Liverpool where he teaches on the Football Industries MBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Collymore</span> English footballer (born 1971)

Stanley Victor Collymore is an English football pundit, sport strategist, and former player who played as a striker from 1990 to 2001, most notably for Nottingham Forest and later Liverpool, who he joined from the former for an English transfer record of £8.5 million in 1995. He is currently senior football strategist at Southend United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve McManaman</span> English footballer (born 1972)

Steven McManaman is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. Nicknamed "Macca", he is one of the most decorated English footballers to have played for a club abroad, with the UEFA website stating in 2012 that "of all England's footballing exports in the modern era, none was as successful as McManaman".

Sean William Dundee is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in South Africa, Dundee represented Germany national B team once.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Football League Cup final</span> Football match

The 1995 Football League Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers on 2 April 1995 at Wembley Stadium, London. It was the final match of the 1994–95 Football League Cup, the 35th staging of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and The Football League. Liverpool were appearing in their seventh final, they had previously won four and lost twice. Bolton were appearing in their first final.

The Spice Boys was a media pejorative used to describe a group of high-profile Liverpool F.C. footballers in the mid-late 1990s, typically Jamie Redknapp, David James, Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler and Jason McAteer, but occasionally teammates such as Stan Collymore and Paul Ince. The name was a play on the Spice Girls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 FA Charity Shield</span> Football match

The 2001 FA Charity Shield was the 79th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup. The match was contested between Liverpool, winners of the 2000–01 FA Cup and Manchester United, who won the 2000–01 Premier League on 12 August 2001. It was the first Shield match to be held at the Millennium Stadium following the closure of Wembley Stadium for reconstruction. It was also the final time that the match was played under the FA Charity Shield name, as it was renamed to the FA Community Shield the following year.

The 1993–94 Liverpool F.C. season was the 102nd season in the club's existence, and their 32nd consecutive year in the top-flight.

The 2001–2002 season was Liverpool Football Club's 110th season in existence and their 40th consecutive season in the top-flight of English football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool F.C. 4–3 Newcastle United F.C. (1996)</span> Football match

On 3 April 1996, Liverpool faced Newcastle United in a Premier League fixture at Anfield, during the 1995–96 season. Liverpool won the match, scoring four goals to Newcastle's three. The winning goal was scored by striker Stan Collymore in the second minute of stoppage time. Before the match, both clubs had lost their previous fixtures but still had a chance of winning the league and wanted to close the gap between themselves and leaders Manchester United. Newcastle United, who had been 10 points ahead at Christmas, had suffered a decline during the previous two months, winning one match out of four in March 1996, and surrendering their lead of the league to Manchester United after spending virtually all of the season top of the table. Liverpool had won six of their last nine league games during February and March, scored the most goals and conceded the fewest until this match.

The 1996–97 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 the FA Premier League, the club competed in the FA Cup, League Cup, and the Cup Winners' Cup.

The 1995–96 Liverpool F.C. season was the 104th season in the club's existence, and their 34th consecutive year in the top-flight. In addition to the FA Premier League, the club competed in the FA Cup, the League Cup, and the UEFA Cup.

The 1998–99 Liverpool F.C. season was the 107th season in the club's existence, and their 37th consecutive year in the top-flight of English football. In addition to the Premier League, the club also competed in the FA Cup, League Cup, and the UEFA Cup.

The 1991–92 season was the 93rd in the history of the Football League First Division, as well as the division's final season as the top flight of English football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Liverpool F.C. (1985–present)</span> History of an English football club

The history of Liverpool Football Club from 1985 to the present day covers the appointment of Kenny Dalglish as manager, the Hillsborough disaster, and the club's return to European competition in 1991. Throughout this period, the club played in the top tier of English football, which in 1992 became the Premier League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football League 100th Championship Challenge</span> Football match

The Football League 100th Championship Challenge was a football match organised by the Football League and played to commemorate the 100th edition of the Football League First Division being completed. It was played between the winners of the competition's 100th edition, and the record winners of the competition at the time. It was held at the Stadium of Light on 18 May 1999, two days after the end of the Premier League season. The match was played between Sunderland, champions of the 1998–99 Football League First Division, and Liverpool, 18-time Football League champions.

References

  1. ↑ "Roy Evans: Inside the Boot Room".
  2. ↑ "Gérard Houllier: the man who nearly died making Liverpool great again". The Guardian. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "On second thoughts ... Roy Evans". The Guardian . 15 February 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  4. ↑ Evans wants the Forest job
  5. ↑ Carey calls on Evans' experience
  6. ↑ Evans continues to help Wrexham
  7. ↑ Moore, Glenn (2 April 1995). "Liverpool prevail in cup final to savour". The Independent. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  8. ↑ "Manager profile: Roy Evans". Premier League. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "Managers: Roy Evans". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.