Liverpool 5 Nottingham Forest 0 13/04/1988

Probably the most famous Liverpool game of the 1987/88 season as the reds destroy title rivals Nottingham Forest 5-0 at Anfield, with goals from Ray Houghton, John Aldridge (2) Gary Gillespie and Peter Beardsley. The full game is already on youtube, so if you haven't seen it you should. The period from the first goal to half time is as good as it gets.

[@jachnoavhnvaon]

Best English club team ever. By quite a distance.

[@asd36f]

Former England international Tom Finney said after the game that this was one of the finest exhibitions of football that he had ever witnessed.

[@kevinstoneham1245]

Yes, I remember that interview as well. He said he had seen Brazilians etc, but never played at that pace. Great Stuff!

[@paulliddle9879]

Yes I remember that interview to. That certainly was Tremendous display from Liverpool

[@rickster5120]

Referee said the same..

[@jimo9555]

didn't see that interview, but me too. still the best example of two top teams playing and one getting gubbed ...even better than Liverpool gubbing Barca 4-0. I remember it like it was yesterday

[@eamonstafford2056]

And yet this Nottingham Forest side was a very very good side

[@nolls14]

Was there ever a more graceful footballer than John Barnes? My childhood hero. This Liverpool were astonishingly good. Forest were no mugs either.

[@SH-lt4nl]

Yep Virgil Van Dijk is more graceful then John Barnes. The 4-0 win over Leicester was probably our most dominant performance over a fellow contender since this Nottingham Forest game and I feel this side might be a bit better than the 988 side, what do you think?

[@Stewy-xw9fz]

@@SH-lt4nl disagree with you. This Liverpool team is the greatest EPL team I have seen. I watched over and over again every game between 1987 - 1990 and that quality of football have never been repeated in England. The only team that came close was Arsenal Invincibles with Thierry Henry. That Liverpool team was running over everybody. They crush everybody. There was no dull moment in any game. High energy, very offensive game every game and the reason why is that Liverpool was banned from European competition so they just plastered everybody in the premier league because they had the energy from not playing in Europe. But that is my opinion.

[@user-fy6xv6xw7n]

@@Stewy-xw9fz it wasn't EPL

[@Stewy-xw9fz]

@@user-fy6xv6xw7n let me rephrase it like this, Liverpool football team during 1987-1990 was the greatest Liverpool team to ever play in England. Leicester City score 5 against Van Dyke and Liverpool this season before the injuries started piling up. I still watch Liverpool on a weekly basis and they are a ok team. They suffer 2 or 3 injuries and immediately become a mid table team. Liverpool bench is weak. If Liverpool finish out of the top 4 a lot of guys going to be leaving.

[@robdean704]

@@Stewy-xw9fz absolutely disagree with him, Virgil is all class but John Barnes is probably the most complete footballer to ever play for us. I'm 43, I've seen a lot of Liverpool and John Barnes and Peter Beardsley are 2 of the best I've seen. Beardsley was as close to replacing the king as we ever got. Man look at this team FFS, soooo good

[@misterjones11]

I seem to remember this was a midweek match and Forest we actually second in the league at the time. Shows how far ahead of everybody else this Liverpool side were at the time !

[@peteroconnell98]

the best Liverpool team ever

[@andrewhyde4708]

As a young Forest supporter I remember feeling so frustrated with how Liverpool would dismantle us in this period. The period between ‘87 and ‘92 is arguably the second best spell in our entire history (the team in the mid-60s being another contender). It was a team that played lovely football and developed lots of fine young players. The truth is that we had minor successes but came up short in terms of a major challenge: two 3rd place finishes, 2 League Cup wins and another Final defeat, 1 FA Cup Final defeat and two FA Cup Semi-Final defeats. The small consolation is that the Liverpool side we were competing against is perhaps the greatest English club side of all time. You watch clips like this and realise how magnificent they were.

[@doncarloancelotti2256]

Greatest English side of all time? That's a very hot take given how Liverpool was no longer in their Paisley days.

[@Dan-ct5zl]

@@doncarloancelotti2256 Paisley was our most successful manager, but the 80's was our most successful decade.

[@paulgray7014]

Being a Leeds fan got great respect for Liverpool the great sides of the 70s and 80s - 1988 team was well up there equalled our 29 game record from 1973/74 awful what happened 12 months after this :(

[@evilrslade]

What people don't realise is that Forest were a great team, they weren't mugs. That Pool performance was just another level. I remember watching it, a midweek game if I remember. Amazing really. Barnes, Beardsley, Aldridge. Bought on the back of Rush going to Juve. Just amazing stuff.

[@kevinstoneham1245]

When I see some of the dull football in the premiership today, I often think of this particular game and just how brilliant the football was. Wonderful stuff!

[@bentuber1]

Couldn't agree more

[@AndrewSpencer69]

I remember watching this. Forest played bloody well, but Liverpool were sensational. Football at its finest.

[@Nigol66]

This game is still talked about today...even by commentators! I just watched Liverpool v Utd, Liverpool won 4-0 and the commentators compared the performance of that game to this one. Total domination.

[@zzzaaa0990]

Stunning,amazing,electrifying,the best English team that ever played the game. If someone says todays teams are as good as this,they are in cloud cuckoo land.6>1 . Amen.

[@exceltraining]

that beardsley turn at 1:37 is just..... bloody brilliant footie.....

[@jusgoddard]

Probably the most talented player I have ever seen.

[@jimo9555]

@@thewillz that's why the commentator said "turn on a sixpence" ...that was the thing they always said about Dalglish

[@mrkipling2201]

Even though I'm a United fan I could appreciate this !! I remember watching it live on tv Liverpool tore forest a new one!!

[@shanet5604]

Andy Patrick United fan too,and at the time I was envious of what they had,little did we know what Fergie had in store !!

[@CoolDude-jp1kj]

@@shanet5604 And now what Klopp is doing

[@kianclarke3138]

Watching this before the FA Cup game. I’d heard for years it was one of the best Liverpool performances of all time, now I can see why. Wow.

[@fotisboys]

Forest were actually a classy side so for Liverpool to do the job they diid to them just shows how good Liverpool were... You see alot of sides these days have plenty of Possession but create nothing this side wouldn't just have plenty of possession but would make the opposition Keeper sweat ..Liverpool would bombard the goals from every single angle John Barnes brought all around him into the game... What a fantastic side Liverpool were this side would toy with the Real Madrid of Today...

[@chrisj6439]

I remember watching this as a kid and I'm pretty sure forest were second in the league at the time

[@ryang790]

Lol Toy with Madrid ... Liverpool were good but there's no marking n English footballers then were NOT athletes then .

[@yaronkl]

One of Liverpool's best games ever. Now let's go after that title again!

[@jasondurent8805]

It just takes me back to a time in the kop great times great team alot of love for this team

[@James-hh1lq]

When money didn't ruin players , they played for the badge , how I miss the old footie !

[@TheBrutalDeluxe]

Don't get too misty eyed there, Barnes was on £8k a week back then. Sure it wasn't the ridiculous amounts they get paid now but it was still 10 times my monthly salary.

[@scherben8870]

Agree completely. Players have been called money obsessed since professionalism was introduced in 1885. And, judging from the illegal payments made before then, prior to that. If players ever only played for the badge, Queens Park would still be kings of Scotland.

[@gregnew1]

@@TheBrutalDeluxe ye, tbf, i think beardsley was the record british signing at the time. Well worth it tho

[@madlfcdc5890]

There has never been a more complete team in English football than this one. A team that could penetrate any defence from anywhere on the field. This side had solidity, creativity and pace and although they had some special individual players it was always about the team collectively. If a player dropped out then another slotted in without upsetting the balance of the team. Incredible.

[@bobkumar8754]

This was Liverpool`s performance of the decade I feel. Totally dominant and couldve been 10 plus goals had Sutton not been between the sticks.

[@isacengine1298]

Stevie Nicol class and very under rated

[@ilferrari]

What a great team that was. Such a shame they were banned from Europe.

[@jimo9555]

wasn't a shame for us Rangers supporters :p

[@priyadarshidash4353]

psv won the treble and also most of them won the euro 1988 .so defINIEtEL OULD HAVE GIVEN U A tOUGH CHANCE

[@Kill--alllll---IDF]

Without Barnes no way they wud have performed like this , aug 1987 to mid 1991 they were the best I've ever seen

[@mrp5169]

I remember this game, Liverpool on fire, near perfect game 💥💥💥

[@gawdhelpus304]

5:30 Look at the way the Forest no.6 controls the ball prior to the restart!!! Magical bit of skill!

[@cockywatchman1976]

Still remember this night well. Best performance I have seen. Superb. Barnes was such an amazing player

[@nmw6674]

Agreed. Best football match I've EVER seen. Said it at the time, and still rave about it now. Liverpool that night were unstoppable; Beardsley was INCREDIBLE. Even today, no team would stop them in this game, utter respect.

[@mrp5169]

This game was unreal 💥💥💥💥⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ Beardsley was on fire 🔥

[@leesaunders7232]

That was a very good Forest side and they still got hammered

[@peterwhite034]

One of my wild things about these old games is just how many people are just crammed in behind the goal. It just looks like one heaving mass, and it's not that surprising that things went horribly wrong one day.

[@mrkipling2201]

Strange how it was a lot closer 4 days before this game in the cup semi final. It didn't matter who Liverpool played that night though they would have done that to any team

[@DaveWallerLFC]

I think Des Walker's injury contributed slightly but I agree that Liverpool would have beaten any team that night.

[@gregorygoh1746]

This was a magical era. However, I still feel that a lot of magic was lost after the Heysel and Hillsborough incidents. I hope Klopp (if appointed) can bring some magic back to the club.

[@tonyjoseph5197]

My god this comment .

[@Bucketheadhead]

After watching us beat 2nd place Leicester 4-0 (away from home) tonight, I came straight here. The gulf in class between Liverpool and 2nd place is similar, we’re back on our perch!

[@adamwilson5031]

Yeah. They were rubbish incidents

[@dan-he7cm]

he did

[@theshedshow870]

Hope yer still around to be watching all this Greg! Bring on yer Internazionale, bring on yer Roma by the score...

[@carrroad]

I remember watching this with my old man on the BBC's Sportsnight. Ahh, a completely different era before money ruined it all.

[@kevinstoneham1245]

carrroad yes I watched on probably the same episode. I remember my cousin saying “oh it’s too good”.

[@Kill--alllll---IDF]

Yes me too i was age 11 .

[@DDaSilva1980]

@@Kill--alllll---IDF My brother had this game live on a video he bought from a shop and we let our cousins watch it too. This was back in 1994 when Liverpool were struggling a bit after Souness left them.

[@Kill--alllll---IDF]

@@DDaSilva1980 I agree with u about this game

[@Kill--alllll---IDF]

@@DDaSilva1980 I hope they can win title but city just beat arsenal 3.1 to narrow the gap to 2 points

[@davidmiller7771]

When Liverpool FC turned football into an art

[@rogerparker4468]

Beardsley so underrated. His departure and Barnes injury marked the end of that era of Liverpool magnificence. They had 2 Messis. Little wonder commentators were left breathless, left wanting searching for superlatives.

[@jamescarroll3737]

Thanks for uploading this was my first game at Anfield. What a performance.

[@andymacfaul2852]

This was my first game too. I think I floated home afterwards on a magic carpet of euphoria!

[@MichaelChiklisCares]

epic game, barnes gave a lot of good moments by passing.

[@39E]

The Liverpool team from this era is often named the strongest and most entertaining ever Red XI. It's interesting to see how similar their style is to Rodgers' present XI. Some of these goals are very similar to goals scored this season. This may be "the perfect game", but I think some of the huge wins from this season can compete with it; crushing wins against Tottenham, Everton, Arsenal, and of course wins against some of the weaker sides, like Manchester United. Fantastic to have football like this back at Anfield.

[@DaveWallerLFC]

I still think the 88 team was a better all round team - mostly on the basis that the defence was stronger. Earlier this season it felt as though the defence and midfield were pretty bad and only being saved by the brilliance of Suarez and Sturridge. The second half of the season, the team seems a bit better balanced, but still a bit leaky at the back. Arguably the current team is more entertaining, which is some going!

[@Bucketheadhead]

Dave Waller The 2018/19 and (so far) the 19/20 teams are the best we’ve seen since the late 80s. They are on par, a pure joy to watch.

[@HughJaxident67]

I remember this game, it could have been 10-0 we were that good on the day.

[@alexmc6568]

We all wax lyrical about recruitment, stats, what was going to happen after Michael Edwards left……these teams were put together without a stat or a spreadsheet in sight…..Scary was at this game…perfection start to finish….jeezo were we spoilt.

[@mr.realist2395]

Current & future footballers watch & learn this great football. Fact!

[@davidtaylor6621]

That’s when we were the best team on the planet maybe them days are back with Koop

[@martingrimsted5017]

Man u eat your heart out ✊

[@timporter4516]

What a team the best ever YNWA

[@craigmullen9046]

That was some Liverpool side that season they beat us 4-0 in the FA Cup At Maine Road got outclassed MCFC

[@charr007]

Birsley:John Barnes was the best player of the world in 80's Liverpool

[@robdean704]

This was so good the BBC released it on VHS about 6 months after.

[@nmw6674]

I actually bought that video after I watched this game. Me and and mate watched this (both 22 at the time) still to this day, now 56, say it's the best exhibition of football we did or have ever seen. I think this Liverpool team/squad would destroy any team even today, they were that good. Beardsley was an an unstoppable force, complemented by such genius teamwork. (LUFC) Respect...

[@edotoole6604]

I think it was described by sir Matt busby as an exhibition of football. When a rival says that you take note.

[@robbiewright9145]

Tom Finney

[@MrSteviedan]

Motson calls Beardsley's goal a 'drive', but I don't think it was... More of a caress, a glance, with the ball fading into the far corner. Quite brilliant.

[@jeffhearn3658]

John Barnes is silk

[@FreePalestine..]

Klopp is the guy to get those glory days back .

[@James-hh1lq]

1 win in 10 games not looking like it

[@hassanmonnan7526]

James Evans he's doing ok

[@tonyjoseph5197]

Yeah ok. Just won 3 titles in half year lol

[@SamLewis18]

@@tonyjoseph5197 Yeah and they're no where near the 80s team

[@michaelroelant7134]

@@SamLewis18 nope and even klopp would say the same.

[@Curiouzzz750]

Incredible YNWA

[@Marjopolo302]

Beardsley was like Messi

[@elena16350]

The commentator said , crisp passing between both teams, he never learnt anything about football, but then he did work for the BBC.

[@Kill--alllll---IDF]

If Liverpool didn't get banned Europe 85/90 then they wudda won another 2 European cups easily

[@DaveWallerLFC]

Not sure that's true. Only the champions qualified then so we'd have been in it 86/87, 88/89 and 90/91, none of which were consistently good seasons.

[@Kill--alllll---IDF]

@@DaveWallerLFC yeah ur right ther was only 16 teams in the whole competition and only the top qualified for European cups. And yeah lfc didn't win it 85/87/89

[@jonblazeinc]

@@DaveWallerLFC thing is if we won the European cup in 86/87 or 88/89 we would have been in the European cup extra year or 2 . So chances to win another 2 then wasn't stacked against us

[@DaveWallerLFC]

Chances of winning it in 86/87 or 88/89 don't seem that high considering injury crisis / form collapse in spring 87 and slow start in 88/89 when most of the defence was injured. And I don't have confidence that UEFA would have let us postpone a semi-final if we'd got that far.

[@jonblazeinc]

@@DaveWallerLFC correct me if wrong but 80/81 season the team was ravaged with injuries in which we ended up 5th in the league but still went all the way with European cup... even had to field some reserves against Munich and still got through. Not sure if 87 or 89 the squad was worse off than 81

[@dylanmurphy9389]

hoping for this again soon

[@Paul_Lucas]

Football is a simple game.

[@judeowens8050]

Why are you verified ffs

[@seanmckillen9090]

Complicated by idiots 😔

[@nmw6674]

Just one for the "kids". Rinus Michels: He invented 'Total Football'. This was the best example ever of the concept. Discuss.

[@gregbradley7482]

Hi Dave, shout from Covid cursed times. Do you have the whole of that match at all ? Cheers, thanks for all the good stuff.

[@DaveWallerLFC]

Hi Greg. I haven't uploaded it, but I think it's here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHXGYXiVmJyZea8

[@gregbradley7482]

@@DaveWallerLFC thanks Dave. I really fancy watching a few of the old games in their entirety. Cheers mate

[@of_doom_and_steel477]

Wrong goal-times shown at 5:00. Aldridge's goal was in the first half.

[@mkrbrtsn1]

Steve Sutton was the man of the match!

[@kevinwilliams1421]

Did chettle ever get over that...

[@user-ri5xq7hr4u]

thanks arlo white for the reference...

[@scherben8870]

I wasn't at all green with envy at this time. Not at all...

[@guinnessharvey4476]

Peak reds

[@chrisjones1931]

To hear what gets shouted from the Nottingham Forest stand in the very first second of this video is a sign of the times,imagine shouting i shouting that now

[@DaveWallerLFC]

I'm pretty sure the shout is "come on Digger" (John Barnes's nickname). If it was what you were suggesting I would have edited it out.

[@pablojablo6371]

It is exactly ' Digger ' and it came from the Liverpool bench it sounds like as it was his nickname .

[@gregnew1]

Peter Beardsley...

[@gamingslot7823]

My mates dad in the 80s come back from the pub red faced and p@#£#d up lol and promised take me and his son to this final as you can imagine being 8 year old the excitement I felt ...anyway weeks later he ended up taking his son and not me lol I still never forget the pain he caused me I should of been in that crowd 😎

[@handeyecoordinationskills]

The only thing footballers these days worry about is how much they're going to get and how nice their hair is on Instagram

[@DaveWallerLFC]

That's rubbish. They're much more professional than players were in the 80s. You're telling me players like Henderson and Milner don't care about winning trophies for Liverpool?

[@handeyecoordinationskills]

@@DaveWallerLFC football is sad now , I don't watch it anymore, if a guy gets coughed on he'll dive and his team mates will look for a yellow from the ref, horrible to watch now, very few decent players now, I've no doubt there are decent players like henderson who want titles etc but overall it's lost it's true meaning for me

[@isacengine1298]

Could have been 10

[@user-dv4np6ke1j]

Barnes!

[@paulm8791]

Does anybody know why we sold Beardsley and replaced him with David Speedie? Makes no sense.

[@DaveWallerLFC]

We didn't. David Speedie arrived in January 1991 and he and Peter Beardsley were both sold in the summer of that year. Beardsley was replaced by Dean Saunders, which probably makes no sense either.

[@johnjohn76ify]

Could have been 10..

[@DaveWallerLFC]

... by half time

[@johnjohn76ify]

@@DaveWallerLFC exactly. Those were the days! What quality, every player top class.

[@richardfellingham3492]

@@DaveWallerLFC And next month Wimbledon won fa cup versus Liverpool.

[@DaveWallerLFC]

@@richardfellingham3492 wow, thanks for this news flash. I had no idea.

[@donovanemery597]

WHY THE SUN ADVERTS ON A LIVERPOOL GAME. SORT IT OUT KZbin FFS!!!

[@Kill--alllll---IDF]

Brain clough the greatest 😂😂😂🤣😆😆 that thing about clough being the greatest just makes me crack up

[@Kill--alllll---IDF]

Brian clough they call him the greatest manager eh ?

[@franohmsford7548]

That Forest team were SECOND in the League when that match was played with only two great players - Pearce and, Walker and two decent players - Webb and Nigel Clough! Clough won the League in 78, the European Cup TWICE IN A ROW {78 and 79) and FOUR League Cups with Forest {78,79,89 and 90} - With a Club that has basically won F all before or since {bar two FA Cups 60 years apart in 1898 and 1959!!!}. Clough ALSO won the League with Derby County {their first League title} in 1972 and took them to a Semi-Final against Juventus in the following season's European Cup. What Clough did has never been equalled - Not by Sir Alex Ferguson, Not by Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Kenny Dalglish, Arsene Wenger or Jose Mourinho! {Herbert Chapman in the 20s and 30s with Huddersfield and Arsenal probably comes closest}.

[@rouman7]

Clough was a big mouth a horrible twat I remember after hillsbough he blamed the fans the truth has come out. He was never in shankly class or paisleys. Paisley won more than Him and as for forest not in are league

[@CoolDude-jp1kj]

@@franohmsford7548 Lol be quiet

[@franohmsford7548]

@@rouman7 "and as for forest not in are league" THAT'S THE POINT! Clough did it with Nottingham Forest! Not with Liverpool, Manchester United or Arsenal. He did it with FOREST!

[@rouman7]

@@franohmsford7548 yes he bought the first one millon pound player Trevor Francis. Forest had money then and players .. but the man was on a ego trip and his mouth spoke before he put his Brian in gear .. never in his life was he as good as shanks or Paisley

[@adrianboyce6849]

When u had to score three goals to get three points so u had to play attacking football now u can park the bus score one goal an get three points the fans don't get no quality football foe they money anymore

[@DaveWallerLFC]

There was never a rule like that. It was 2 points for a win until 1981/82 and 3 points from 1982/83. The number of goals has never come into it.

[@martyndavid2094]

Oh look , a team full of white footballers who’s skill was out of this world, proper blokes, no far, standing fans, and a far from great pitch. Just compare with klopps lot today.

[@DaveWallerLFC]

If you're going to be a racist idiot maybe don't comment on a game where the best player on the pitch is black? Or don't comment at all. Or just don't be racist.

[@martyndavid2094]

@@DaveWallerLFC not racist mate, just stating fact. And was Barns biggest fan

[@DaveWallerLFC]

Why call it a team full of white footballers then?

[@martyndavid2094]

@@DaveWallerLFC it was bar one, no offence

[@DaveWallerLFC]

Why is it relevant what their race was? Your comment implied that things were better when more players were white. How is that not racist?

[@housey4297]

I remember watching the game on the BBC (Sportsnight or was it live?) and was blown away by how good Liverpool were than night. Total football the English league way. Epic,

[@DaveWallerLFC]

Sportsnight. That version of the highlights is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2S5gYWcgJWCrJo

[@fredjackson9231]

Cant imagine this great Liverpool team losing against Watford, Chelsea, ath Madrid somehow, composure, skill, flair , we have no one in today’s team to match this lot

[@DaveWallerLFC]

Can't imagine the current team losing to Wimbledon. We should be grateful for the great teams of past and present.