Source: Liverpool_Echo
Liverpool FC's Jamie Carragher insists treble win under Gerard Houllier was bigger than Istanbul
JAMIE CARRAGHER insists winning the treble under Gerard Houllier in 2001 was an even bigger achievement than lifting the European Cup in Istanbul four years later.[LNB]The Liverpool defender will have to sit out tonight's clash against Houllier's Aston Villa at Anfield as he recovers from surgery on his dislocated shoulder.[LNB]But Carragher believes everyone connected with the club owes a debt of gratitude to Houllier for helping to restore the Reds' reputation on the continent.[LNB]Carragher was part of the 2001 UEFA Cup-winning side which followed triumphs in the finals of the League Cup and FA Cup.[LNB] 'Gerard put us back on the map in Europe with that UEFA Cup run in 2001,' he said.[LNB]'He was also the first manager to get us into the Champions League.[LNB]'The treble in 2001 is definitely under-appreciated. That season was unbelievable. To win a trophy in a season is a great thing. To win three?[LNB]'It's not just the finals. You've got the quarter-finals and the semi-finals - they're all massive games. Everything is on a knife-edge. Lose one game and it all falls apart.[LNB]'The treble is actually a better achievement than Istanbul. Istanbul as a one off will never be beaten by anyone but someone wins the Champions League every year.[LNB]'To win three cup competitions in one season - that's not something that happens very often, not just at Liverpool but anywhere.'[LNB]Carragher believes Houllier also deserves some praise for the Reds' remarkable Champions League success under Rafa Benitez in 2005.[LNB]Some 12 of the 14 Liverpool players involved that night were signed or nurtured by the Frenchman, who was in Istanbul to share the triumph with them.
