Soccer: Houllier has brought good times back - Anfield legend

Liverpool legend Tommy Smith backed Gerard Houllier to lead the club to greater glory after their Champions League adventure ended in quarter-final despair in Leverkusen last night.

Their normally rigid defence were cut to pieces four times, blowing their chances of an all-English semi-final against Manchester United.

Hard man Smith was an integral part of Liverpool under Bob Paisley, a man who knew more than most how to master the art of continental competition, winning Europe’s major domestic crown three times.

But despite last night’s setback Smith insists he has every faith that Houllier will continue to emerge as a manager fit to rival any of his legendary Anfield predecessors.

‘‘They all had bad nights, whether it was Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, Dalglish or Houllier,’’ said Smith.

‘‘It is about how you bounce back from those bad nights. We were always told, if someone nips your finger off, go back and bite their head off.

‘‘Gerard Houllier has brought Liverpool back up to where they belong. It was becoming the forgotten club, sliding away from the public eye, but Gerard and Phil Thompson have brought back that little bit of confidence and pride.

‘‘People say, he’s not on a par with Shanks and Paisley, and he might not be for winning stuff. But for being a boss he is a kind of mixture of all the previous Liverpool bosses. He is crafty and he rules with an iron fist.’’

Smith expressed his surprise at the early withdrawal of midfielder Dietmar Hamann which he called ‘‘not the best decision’’ but he refused to be downcast during a season in which Liverpool have continued their revival and look set to secure a berth back in the Champions League next season.

‘‘I think if anything, going out of the Champions League will spur them on in the Premiership,’’ he said.

‘‘There’s a good chance that Arsenal might slip up and Manchester United have probably now got two big games against Leverkusen to distract them. I certainly don’t see Liverpool crumbling.’’