Thompson backs Reds to recover
Long-time leaders Liverpool face top dogs Arsenal tomorrow without a victory in eight league matches.
These are worrying times for Houllier as he tries to get their title bid back on track. But yesterday assistant manager Thompson stood solidly by the Frenchman, who has been in charge for four years.
"Gerard is the right man for this club and we are all behind him and that includes the players," he said. "If I was to say the fans were completely happy I would be wrong. But the majority, a lot of them who go away with the team, know we have been unlucky.
"I urge the fans to be patient. If everyone makes sure they give us 100% backing we will turn this around a lot quicker. Everyone wants to be successful. The fans want to win every game as everyone does. They will stick by us because they know what Gerard Houllier has done for this club to bring us to this position.
"There has been Champions League football and he has brought trophies back to the club.
"Manchester United used to beat us on a regular basis. They have now been beaten five times out of six. We couldn't beat Everton and now we have gone on a long unbeaten run against them.
"When people out there are knocking us , the real fans will say hey, 'Let's pull together, let's stick together'. We will see it through together.
"What he has achieved shouldn't be pushed aside because of the last six weeks."
Liverpool have drawn their last two home games against Blackburn on Thursday and Everton last Sunday.
Thompson said: "We've had a lot of bad luck and not picked up points in games where we should have done.
"Some people don't look at how well you have played when you haven't got the full points."
Meanwhile, Houllier has given his players his full backing as they bid to end the club's worst run of results for almost 50 years. Houllier remains confident his players can dig themselves out of their current predicament and is unfazed by the prospect of facing the Gunners.
The Frenchman said: "I am looking forward to the game. There have been so many games when we have been on top and not finished it, for instance the two games against Sunderland. We should have had one win and one draw but we had a draw and a loss. That's three points more. I think if you check, before the outcome of this game we were the team with the most shots on goal.
"Our finishing has not been as good as it could have been but it is a team which is young. We have to be patient. I believe in them. It is a test for nerves and character because eight games without a win is extremely frustrating at times."
Houllier believes his side are not short of character, something he felt was shown by the chances created for Michael Owen and Milan Baros to sink Blackburn late on. Neither player could finish as former Reds stopper Brad Friedel snuffed out both opportunities but Houllier is confident the chances will eventually start going Liverpool's way.
He added: "I thought we had some good chances in the first half but we sat back a little too much in the second half. But we had two good chances to win it after their goal. That shows we had the character to get back into the game."
For Owen, the season is developing into one of peaks and troughs. The England striker managed just one goal, a penalty, in the first eight games of the campaign but seven followed in the next seven.
His fortunes however then slumped with those of the club. He has now not scored, apart from in cup competition, since bagging both goals in the 2-0 win over West Ham on November 2.
Houllier faces a selection headache ahead of the game. Striker Emile Heskey suffered a recurrence of an ankle injury against Blackburn while goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek is nursing a back problem. Vladimir Smicer was also withdrawn on Thursday after suffering from flu. Dietmar Hamann will be out (back injury).
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