Soccer: Tension mounts for Houllier

GERARD HOULLIER would have done better staying at home in bed, nursing his flu, and leaving the shouting and bawling to Phil Thompson.

Instead he chose to witness a Liverpool horror show that has left their ragged season at a critical juncture. The calls for Houllier’s head have increased, the phone-ins are red hot and he surely would have winced if he heard one enraged punter demanding that fans ‘break him’ by making his life intolerable.

The club will not sack him, Liverpool do not do such things having not axed a manager for close to 50 years. Sources inside the club maintain he still has the support of chairman David Moores and the board.

A source close to the board said: “The mood towards Gerard has not changed, he has the full support of the chairman and Rick Parry, and the board understand how much injuries to important players have affected the situation. Six out all at once is a lot.”

But just how much longer Houllier wants to carry on under such pressure is open to question. And if a fifth home defeat of the season against Southampton and an inept, panicky display was not bad enough, he must now be aware that the tension in the stands is affecting his players.

The Reds were awful, Steven Gerrard excepted, and looked devoid of confidence and ideas for long spells. It was only the fourth time Southampton have managed to win at Anfield and their thoroughly deserved victory indicates how serious the problem of Liverpool’s inconsistency has now become.

The abuse since has been unrelenting. From radio phone-ins to outbursts from former legends like Ian St John and Tommy Smith.

Houllier, who has said in the past few weeks he will never walk away, must be praying for a comeback from injury of at least some of the half-dozen first team who were watching from the sidelines. But even that will not be as soon as he would like.

Houllier said: “We were missing six first-team players and they will not be back quickly. Only Harry Kewell has a chance of playing next week.”

So even at his lowest ebb he was still trying to be upbeat. Southampton, bright, quick and inventive, were brimming with a confidence Liverpool did not have.

From the moment Brett Ormerod exposed Dietmar Hamann’s lack of fitness and pace in the second minute to score, Liverpool were toiling and searching for collective inspiration.

It never came. Michael Svensson headed the second and even after Emile Heskey’s stabbed reply late on, there was not enough in Liverpool’s depleted armoury to grab a point they did not deserve, even though they had two shots kicked off the line.

Houllier, whose side have now dropped back to ninth in the Premiership, added: “I understand the fans’ frustration, we are suffering together. We just have to keep our heads up and keep going.”