Original retro vintage football shirt Liverpool 1996/97

Liverpool F.C. 1996–97 Season

In their 105th season, Liverpool led the Premier League for a long time, with a five-point lead before New Year. However, they were overtaken in the final stages by Manchester United, who eventually became champions. A crucial home defeat to bottom side Coventry City and a 1–3 defeat to United in April were Liverpool’s undoing. Despite a strong position until the final match day, they eventually finished fourth on goal difference, narrowly missing out on the new Champions League. It led to the cynical expression: “finishing fourth in a two-way battle”.

Things also went wrong in the cup competitions. In the European Cup Winners’ Cup, Liverpool were defeated in the semi-finals by PSG, and in the FA Cup they squandered a 2–0 lead against Chelsea. In the League Cup, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Middlesbrough.

The team was praised for their attacking play, with Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore scoring 47 goals between them. Fowler also received the UEFA Fair Play Award and his suspension in the closing stages was a great loss. Young Michael Owen made his debut. Former defender Mark Wright called this "the season we really should have finished it off".