Houllier looks to Owen for goals against Auxerre
The Anfield boss brings a team back to France for the first time aware that Owen's goalscoring power in European competition bares no resemblance to his current stuttering performances in the Barclaycard Premiership.
And Houllier will be hoping for a continuation of Owen's European scoring streak in the tiny Stade Abbe-Deschamps stadium in tonight's UEFA Cup fourth round first leg clash with Auxerre.
The England striker's scoring prowess is badly needed to boost Liverpool's end of season charge against a side managed by one of Houllier's oldest friends in the game, 66-year-old Guy Roux.
Owen is one goal short of equalling Ian Rush's club record of 20 European goals. If he does score against Auxerre, he will be the first Liverpool player to score in four successive away ties.
While he has scored just once in domestic action since November, and four times in his last 17 league matches, Owen has happily plundered foreign fields, netting six goals in Europe and 15 overall.
Owen is often confronted with a blanket of opposing defenders and deep defence in England, giving him precious little space to use his pace. Europe is a different story however.
"The hallmark of his talent is that he has continued to score goals in Europe, despite his problems in the league. He has kept going," said Houllier.
"Against Vitesse Arnhem, he could have broken Ian Rush's record there and then, he had so many opportunities. But maybe he finds it a little easier to play in Europe."
"I'm happy with him and sad when I see criticism of him, but teams come to Anfield and defend deep and make it difficult for him to find space behind them, that's how it looks.
"In Europe teams don't defend so deeply against him. He will score plenty. He's getting stronger and stronger. He's already near 20 this season and there is a lot of time left."
Liverpool need Owen firing on all cylinders against Auxerre, who are fourth in Le Championnat despite winning just two of their last six league games.
Houllier knows plenty about Roux, who has been coach here since 1961 and spent Christmas 2001 recuperating in the same Corsica hotel as Houllier after both men had heart surgery.
Roux has helped Auxerre produce a conveyor belt of talent, including Eric Cantona, and nobody takes the small town club lightly.
For Liverpool, Vladimir Smicer is ruled out with an ankle injury, but striker Emile Heskey has recovered from a knee injury and Steven Gerrard is available, despite having one match to serve of his domestic suspension.
There are several appealing sub-plots. Reds trio Bruno Cheyrou, El Hadji Diouf and Salif Diao all played in the French league last term, with the latter duo set to meet up again with their Senegalese World Cup colleagues Khalilou Fadiga and Amyd Faye.
However, this is more about Houllier and Roux than anything else, two famed men of French football.
"It's no secret we have known each other for some time, and we have a lot of mutual respect," said Houllier. "He's a very experienced and successful manager for his club.
"The first time I met him was in 1978 and I was in charge of a Second Division team and he a First Division side. We lost in the cup after extra time. Ever since we have been in touch."
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