Houllier defends cautious approach

LIVERPOOL manager Gerard Houllier believes his side can now consolidate fourth place in the Barclaycard Premiership – and insists the fans cannot complain at how the points are earned.

The Reds now occupy the final Champions League qualification berth after a 2-1 home win over Manchester City, but the sight of a line of nine Liverpool players strung across the pitch 30 yards from Jerzy Dudek’s goal to repel a Steve McManaman-inspired City in the final half-hour was too much for the Anfield crowd.

They demand a more positive approach and made their feelings known to Houllier, but the manager was adamant that they had no grounds for complaint.

“We can finish fourth, or even better. Now we are focusing on getting a gap between ourselves and the rest, that is all that is important now,” the Frenchman said.

“It was an important three points. We were more clinical, more efficient and we defended extremely well. The whole team deserves credit, I am very proud of my men.

“We created chances and played good football, so what are the fans moaning about?

“City can be very dangerous as they showed at Spurs last week. The crowd was not happy. But you have to understand we had not won in four games. That is why the players were determined to keep the result they had got. I am pleased with that attitude.”

And on the booing from the Kop in those final minutes, Houllier said: “I am disappointed for my players because I think their effort deserved more than that.

“You have to understand that when you play a good team it cannot all be one-sided. You have to give them respect. There were spells when they were better, I watched them even at Arsenal and they were unfortunate.”

Liverpool are only fourth because they have scored one goal more than Newcastle, while Charlton have lost Scott Parker and lost three matches.

With around stg£20million in prospect for reaching the Champions League, Houllier will feel winning ugly is preferable to not winning at all.

Last night he was indebted to his two brightest stars for victory. Michael Owen scored in the third minute with some good close control and a shot lifted over the sprawling David James. Steven Gerrard took full advantage of a James spill to score the winner after Shaun Wright-Phillips smashed an excellent equaliser a couple of minutes earlier.

City, now 14 league games without a win, once again finished a match believing they deserved more.

Manager Kevin Keegan would not even know where to start to apply the sort of safety-first tactics that Houllier used, it is just not in his nature.

Down to 10 men last week at Tottenham for that historic 4-3 FA Cup win, he threw on two more attacking players.

He maintains the tide will turn for his team although the fixture list, with two games against Manchester United either side of matches against Chelsea and Bolton, will not get any easier.

“I believe in these players, they have been a very, very unlucky team,” he said. “But if you try to tell me there are 15 places between us and Liverpool after this performance, I just do not see it.

“We played some good football, in fact we played most of the good football but came away with nothing.”