Houllier’s right response

GERARD HOULLIER admitted his overriding feeling was one of relief after Aston Villa overcame West Brom 2-1 in the midlands derby clash at Villa Park.

Villa ended a sequence of three successive Barclays Premier League defeats and it was the perfect tonic for Houllier after fans had criticised his behaviour on returning to Liverpool for Monday’s clash at Anfield which saw Villa beaten 3-0.

He said: “The defeat at Liverpool hurt us, more with the way it happened.

“When you go through a bad patch, you need to keep cool and more focused on a few things.

“West Brom are a good team. They won at Arsenal and Everton and drew at Manchester United, and came here full of confidence.

“The feeling is one of relief and I was proud of the response of the players.”

Houllier added that he was also “pleased with the reaction” of supporters who applauded him on his way to the dugout.

Houllier decided to leave out acting skipper and central defender Richard Dunne but his replacement, Carlos Cuellar, formed a solid partnership with James Collins.

Houllier said: “Our job as managers is to make decisions.”

Baggies head coach Roberto Di Matteo was left to reflect on his side failing to cash in on dominating the opening half.

Di Matteo said: “We deserved at least a point from the game. I think they scored two goals, had one more shot, and not much more in terms of chances.”