I just read the news as well. He will be missed.
Another coach passed just yesterday - Otto Baric. He made big impact in Croatia and Austria while coaching multiple clubs from those leagues. He was also a manager of Croatia (Euro '96 in England), Albanian & Austrian national teams. So that is two great coaches in two days.
RIP Houlier & Baric
This kinda hit me as well. Houllier often does not get the recognition he deserves, yet he was the man that started saving Liverpool. I guess he's not on the flags because he didn't bring neither the CL or the PL, but he did bring back the belief we somehow lost during the Souness era.
I liked Evans as well but I was just starting to follow the club then so Houllier was the first manager I connected with. Not to mention that he was the one that nurtured a few of the Liverpool's future greats, mostly Carragher and Gerrard.
It's a shame he had a lot of health issues, if he didn't, his time in Liverpool would have been even better.
I still got the goosebumps from that Owen brace against Arsenal for the FA cup, the Gary Mac brilliance against Everton and that Alaves nailbiter.
YNWA, Gerard.
Reading this just makes me feel so old. Although I hadn't yet been able to watch games in those days (1998 was my first major tournament I was able to watch, sneaking into the science lab to watch the games as they aired during school times, even got our science teacher suspended for helping us sneak games in during lessons though the good boys in class reported him), I do know the name Baric.
And yeah I never got to know Evans, Houllier was the guy I remember most for my first joys with Liverpool. I think he also did great with Hyppia, Henchoz, Hammann -- IIRC they built some great defence, made Anfield a fortress again and along with the Merseysiders, they were the unfancied team that Rafa inherited and won UCL with -- imagine 2 finals with the great AC Milan! Owen final yeah, McAllister screamer, and him celebrating oh man, none of us can forget that!
Reminds me just how long we've been having football in our lives... all the memories, good and bad. I imagine them all in football heaven, watching the games and playing each other all day.