MAY 19
Houllier on the brink

By Phil McNulty - BBC Sport Online

Gerard Houllier's reign as Liverpool manager is under serious threat as the Anfield hierarchy review his position.

But Houllier may still hold on to his job at Anfield.

However, the Frenchman will have to convince Liverpool's directors that his plans for next season will re-ignite the club's Premiership title ambitions.

BBC Sport understands top-level talks will be held in the next few days between Houllier, chairman David Moores and chief executive Rick Parry.

Houllier has come under severe pressure this season, but led Liverpool to fourth place in the Premiership and a berth in the money-spinning Champions League.

This was expected to secure his job for at least another season, but this is now in doubt as Liverpool ponder whether a change of manager is required to push Liverpool back into championship contention.

Houllier has been in sole charge since November 1998, when his joint-manager ticket with Roy Evans was ripped up.

And it is understood Liverpool's board will take into account his record of four major trophies when talks get under way.

Houllier won a treble of the FA Cup, the Uefa Cup and Worthington Cup in 2001, and returned to the club after life-saving heart surgery to win the Worthington Cup again against Manchester United in 2003.

Liverpool have failed to win a trophy this season, but Houllier believes that with new signings in place this summer, the club will be well-placed to challenge for their first title since 1990.

It is whether he can convince the club's board that this is the case that will ultimately decide his future.

He was heavily criticised by building tycoon Steve Morgan when he launched his £73m bid to buy into the club, with Houllier admitting the writing would be on the wall if Liverpool's third highest shareholder was successful with his bold move to win a measure of power.

Houllier has already agreed a £14m deal for Auxerre's Djibril Cisse, lined up a £2.5m move for Manchester City's Joey Barton and entered a battle with Manchester United to sign Leed striker Alan Smith.

The Cisse deal would be in jeopardy if Houllier's role at Anfield was to change.

If he does go, Celtic's Martin O'Neill will be an obvious candidate to succeed him, while Charlton's Alan Curbishley and Valencia's Rafa Benitez has also been mentioned.

The return of former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish in some capacity cannot be ruled out - but much depends on Houllier's power to persuade the Liverpool board that he is the man to take the club forward next season.

MAY 19
Why board lost patience with Houllier

By David Maddock - Daily Mirror

When Gerard Houllier steered Liverpool into the Champions League last week, his relief was matched only by his expectation of an immediate announcement of backing from the board.

The silence that instead greeted him spoke volumes for the intelligent, intense Frenchman. He knew then, that Liverpool were contemplating a change at the top.

Publicly, the manager admitted surprise and disappointment that the board refused to offer even the briefest of statements applauding a job well done, and an encouraging noise towards his regime continuing into next season.

Privately, he feels not only let down, but also almost resigned - and certainly fearful - that his tenure will soon be over at a club he clearly has in his blood, and for whom he almost gave his life.

If Houllier ultimately goes, as now seems certain, he will do so reluctantly and with regret the major honours he came so close to achieving - and believes he still could achieve - somehow slipped through his grasp.

The board, for their part, have shown loyalty far beyond that of many of the fans, and certainly beyond the usual levels displayed in the results-at-all-costs Premiership. Recent boardroom discussions over the manager's future have centred on the implications of keeping Houllier.

Chairman David Moores and chief executive Rick Parry consider Houllier to be not just an employee, but a friend.

They would love nothing more than winning the title next season with him in charge.

But they also know the pressure on Houllier would be almost intolerable as he entered the new campaign. It is clear he has lost the fans. Once that happens, it is almost impossible to win them back.

It would not have escaped Parry's notice that not once did the Kop sing Houllier's name on Saturday, even as they celebrated Champions League, qualification.

Add to that the mounting tension from the hostile and unwelcome attention of shareholder Steve Morgan - seen as a popular figure with supporters - and the lack of backing for the funding proposal from Thailand, and there is a combustible mixture of emotions building for next season.

If Houllier is given Thai money and the players he invests in do not perform instantly, hostility would reach unprecedented levels. If anything goes wrong, the fans would revolt.

Not only would Houllier be forced to go if he does not win just about all the opening games, but so would the board.

That could destroy Liverpool. The majority of the Anfield faithful do not want Houllier or the Thai Prime Minister, and winning them over would be a public relations battle too far.

Parry is astute. He knows giving a new manager money to spend would be a far safer option. Everyone gets breathing space and the dignified Houllier escapes the obscene pressure he has been under.

A majority of the board are in favour of addressing change - not only in the manager, but also in the way the board communicates with fans.

The task of replacing Houllier will appear to be a choice between another foreigner and a bright English coach.

Rafael Benitez of Valencia offers quality and experience at the highest level, and a proven track record in securing the honours Liverpool covet.

He has won the Spanish title twice, and Valencia play tonight in the UEFA Cup Final. He has had distinguished Champions League campaigns, twice comprehensively outplaying Liverpool.

The one thing against him is that as another import, he is likely to be viewed with some degree of suspicion.

Liverpool have also considered pursuing someone like Alan Curbishley, who would be a gamble but has genuine promise as the brightest English manager of his generation.

Curbishley, like Houllier, has dignity, a quality required in any Liverpool manager, and his Charlton side also play in a style the Anfield fans demand.

Houllier has always struggled in that area. While it would be wrong to repeat the myth that his sides are boring, it is true he is intrinsically cautious.

That brought a cup Treble and second place in the Premiership. But many wonder whether the title or the Champions League can be won in such a manner.

Houllier recognised the need for change, and introduced more creative players in the form of Harry Kewell, Bruno Cheyrou and El Hadji Diouf, but it did not quite work out for him, as fifth and fourth place finishes in the past two seasons testify.

But it could be argued his downfall was his spending. Cheyrou, Diouf, Igor Biscan and Salif Diao failed to impress and the crowd never took to Bernard Diomede, Abel Xavier, Titi Camara, Christian Ziege and even Emile Heskey.

Houllier made 30-plus signings, with possibly only Sami Hyypia, Stephane Henchoz and Dietmar Hamann unqualified successes.

Even if he stays, other changes are likely, with Kenny Dalglish possibly given a job liaising between the boardroom and the terraces.

MAY 18
My fears if any new funds are wasted

By Mark Lawrenson - Daily Post

Everyone has been talking about who will come to Liverpool in the summer, especially now they have reached the Champions League.

With two potential sources of significant money available to the club, the list of potential targets could stretch to more or less anyone Gerard Houllier wants.

However I just have a sneaking fear - not about who will be coming to Anfield, but who other clubs want to take away.

Obviously Michael Owen comes into that equation with just one year left on his contract, but Steven Gerrard, (pictured), does as well.

After the season he has just had, Steven is now widely recognised as the best England midfielder.

It is obvous that he has every attribute you could want in a mid-field general, as seen by the comments Sir Alex Ferguson has made recently, and I understand Arsenal are also firm admirers of Gerrard.

For me, Steven reminds me so much of Graeme Souness who I played with at Liverpool. Just like Steven does now, Graeme drove the team forward and inspired other players to match his effort.

He could do it all - tackle, pass, shoot - and was a natural leader with perhaps a cuter passing style than Steven, although he has a few years to develop that.

Obviously it would take a significant amount of money to even come close to signing Steven, and he would have to want to go which is unlikely as he is Liverpool through and through, but Graeme left Liver-pool just after we had won the European Cup to go to Sampdoria.

Nothing surprises me in football anymore, and I just have a worry that if Steven and Michael stand out at Euro 2004, one or two of the big guns could come calling.

In a way though, that places more emphasis on what I have said recently - about the importance of Gerard Houllier's next few signings.

It looks like Djibril Cisse is virtually here given that Emile Heskey has almost become a Birmingham player, but if Steven and Michael see that player X arrives as well and players Y and Z are on their way, it would give them renewed hope and enthusiasm for next season.

Phillippe Mexes has been linked with a move to strengthen the defence and that would be a good move, while I wouldn't be surprised to see Ludovic Guily from Monaco or Pablo Aimar from Valencia being targetted.

We go on about a lack of width at Liverpool, but I can't see a wide player being a priority given Houllier's style of play. A creative central midfielder however is more likely in my opinion.

It is also important that Liverpool sort out quickly the financial situation off the field with the rival bids from Steve Morgan and Thaksin Shinawatra. The fact they are unresolved only creates tension, as seen by Gerard Houllier's reaction in his press conference last week.

He was frustrated at the criticism he was getting and the fact that the financial dilemma was overshadowing reaching the Champions League.

It could be that neither bid is accepted given the ethical concerns over the Thailand bid and the fact that Morgan wants to shake things up at Anfield, but whatever happens, the sooner it is sorted out and the sooner the club can start to go forward, the better.

Mark Lawrenson was talking to NEIL MACDONALD

MAY 17
Why the pressure will not go away for Houllier

TEAMtalk

Gerard Houllier should be celebrating a return to Europe's elite - even if he insists fourth place is not good enough for Liverpool.

He is hardly revealing anything that has not been said already on that score.

Michael Owen, skipper Steven Gerrard, would-be benefactor Steve Morgan and virtually every Liverpool fan you meet are united on that one.

But Houllier will still go into the summer with a cloud hanging over him, and expectancy all around him.

Whatever the outcome of the battle between Morgan and the Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to inject millions into the Merseysiders, Houllier knows he has only one shot left now to achieve his ambitions.

It has been made pretty clear by the Liverpool board's rejection of Morgan's initial offer, that they will not allow him to achieve a position where he can gobble up enough unsold shares in a rights issue to take control of the club.

That means Morgan's ability to oust Houllier, should he eventually get onto the board, will have been diluted because only a much less strident bid for power will get chairman David Moores' approval.

So Houllier must wait to see what his transfer budget is, knowing that his every move on that front will be heavily scrutinised following Morgan's savage condemnation of the Frenchman's recent track record.

Whatever bid Liverpool eventually accept, and they will have to chose one because they need the money from wherever it comes, they know they must spend big to bring in the "minimum'' four top-class players the likes of Gerrard insist his manager must acquire before next season.

Only a re-shaping of the squad and an injection of much better players - and that could mean buying British rather than debatable young French talent - will satisfy the Kop, Morgan and everyone connected with Liverpool.

He has one year left on his contract, and only an improved bid for the title - and that means challenging Arsenal every step of the way - will satisfy the Kop.

Moores is clearly determined to retain his control with or without Morgan.

Moores has always backed Houllier. So with the Champions League qualifier first up in August Houllier has to get it right instantly.

The cash from either Morgan or Thailand, plus the potential £20m from the Champions League and a guaranteed £9m Premiership prize money means

Liverpool could see £100m heading their way.

Houllier must spend his cut of it wisely with no more gambles on potential.

The trouble for Liverpool is it is two decades since they ruled Europe and their decline in that time has been slow but sure.

It has not been easy for any manager since the great days of Bob Paisley, so it is hard to blame Houllier for all the ills that have befallen a once-powerful club in the wrong part of the country finding it harder than ever to compete with the glamour of west and north London.

But certain problems must be addressed. The new ground is crucial to increased revenue. With crowds of around 44,000 and a stadium virtually full, Liverpool are losing £1m on Manchester United and Newcastle every time they open their gates. That cannot continue.

However it is on the pitch where the most important surgery will now have to take place, and with more money coming in it should not be as difficult as is would have been a few weeks ago.

Stephane Henchoz, Sami Hyypia and Dietmar Hamann - three heroes of the 2001 treble season - are slowing and ageing and major changes are needed through the spine of the side.

The likes of El-Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao, Bruno Cheyrou, Igor Biscan, Markus Babbel, Gregory Vignal, Djimi Traore and Vladimir Smicer must be moved on, probably Emile Heskey too. They cost more than £40m between them and Liverpool may not get half that back.

It is such signings that have damned Houllier, as has a distinctly cautious style of play that leaves the Kop begging to be really entertained again.

If Houllier thought the pressure was off he is wrong. With more money he will be expected to get it right in terms of quality and style and make a genuine bid for the title next term.

APRIL 15
Why it's high time for some action

By Len Capeling - Daily Post

Liverpool's stubborn refusal to finish the season in style makes things easier for those charged with making serious summer decisions.

For David Moores and Rick Parry there will now be no difficulty in concluding that this is a team on the slide, a team whose championship potential can be placed in the file marked 'bad joke'.

For Michael Owen things are equally clear cut. His ambitions will not be met at Anfield and anything other than a short-term contract will place his future in deepest jeopardy.

Steven Gerrard has a greater problem.

Already committed to Liverpool for a further four years, he has seen a season's awesome personal commitment frittered away by a team that simply doesn't deserve his lung-bursting efforts.

Like Owen, his loyalty to the club that gave him his big chance will make him think twice about moving on.

But unless there is some sign from Anfield's men in suits that drastic action will be taken, two of England's finest may plunge the Liverpool faithful into even greyer depression.

Which brings us to Gerard Houllier, who will have regarded Monday's double barrage of booing as the clearest indication yet of public disenchantment with his manner and his methods.

This restiveness has grown apace as the season has tumbled into turmoil and torment.

But now there is a genuine fear that no matter how bad things are, chairman Moores and chief executive Parry will shy away from doing what is brutal and necessary.

I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt on that one, possibly because reaction to the Charlton defeat was so severe that no-one could have been left in any doubt about the need for drastic measures.

Just as telling, however, were the long silences. Anfield has always been renowned for its riot of noise. It's unquestioned support for the team.

Not any more. Whole passages of play unfold with barely a tremor of reaction from supporters unable to believe that such an expensivelyassembled side can perform with so little finesse, so little belief, so little in the way of desire to be the best.

Stuart Hall captured the mood perfectly when summoned for an update on Radio Five Live.

Barely stifling a yawn, he reacted to presenter Mark Saggars question of, "Anything happening at Anfield, Stuart?" with a dripping, Dickensian, "Not a lot, my dear".

Later, he described Liverpool as timorous.

Timorous?! Liverpool?! Did we ever imagine that the most red-blooded team in the country would one day be described in such derogatory terms?

No, we didn't, which makes it all the more mortifying as yet another campaign dies on its feet. With only jeers and catcalls to mark its passing.

APRIL 14
Decisions must be made
over team going nowhere

By Mark Lawrenson - Daily Post

This summer Liverpool face their biggest decisions for many years. This team is going nowhere in my opinion. We've being saying it for months and months and the questions now swing to the chairman and the chief executive.

Where do Liverpool go from here? Who do they take with them? Who do they leave behind? These are easy things to say, they're not easy things to do, but the time has come to sit down and make some decisions.

I've got nothing against Mr Houllier but he's in his sixth year at the club now and it's all about management style.

The be-all and end-all of it is that, by the week, Liverpool are getting further and further away from where they want to be.

Charlton, like many of the top teams this season, won on Monday because everyone knows how Liver-pool play now.

As soon as teams know they'll be playing Liverpool, they just think right, stay tight on the midfield, cut off Owen and make them play deep. It's simple.

Liverpool have struggled to beat many of the top sides this season because they haven't got enough options in attack.

And that comes down to the same old problem, what I've said time and time again. Liverpool just do not have enough quality players.

You can go on about players being tired and players being fresh. You can go on about all sorts of things but at the end of the day it doesn't matter what system you play, if you don't have the quality of player then you'll go nowhere.

Take two players who should be providing the quality from the flanks, Harry Kewell and El Hadji Diouf. Kewell has been in and out of form all season, but Diouf? Does he add anything? No.

Sure he has a good game occasion-ally and sure he works hard for the team, but I could work hard for the team at 46.

And can you tell me one decent French international that Houllier has bought? I could probably tell you one or two decent French inter-nationals that have gone to Arsene Wenger.

And while we're on the subject of Arsenal, it was worrying how Liver-pool just capitulated late on at Highbury last Friday.

Liverpool held their own in the first half, but once Arsenal were ahead they were off and running.

There were some ex pros in the press box who don't get to many Liverpool games. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. Is this how Liverpool play, I was asked. Well, yes, is all I could say.

Fourth place is still possible, but the initiative is now with Newcastle.

Gerard Houllier said with nine games to go that Liverpool faced nine cup finals this season.

Well with five games now left, make that a quintet of Champions League finals.

MARCH 31
Why Houllier must take care with his eggs

By Len Capeling - Daily Post

When a manager falters, every man and his mongrel has an opinion about it. From the way he looks - note that revealing body language - to the way he ties his shiny shoes.

So it is with an increasingly careworn Gerard Houllier.

If his team was roaring away on a 30-match unbeaten run, the little frowns and frazzles would be of no interest.

But because Liverpool are stuttering like a poltician caught in a lie, the entrails are being more rigorously examined than a superstar's string of infidelties.

Take the match in Marseille. Had Liverpool triumphed - as they threatened to do before Biscangate - Houllier's visit to a TV truck would have gone unremarked.

But Houllier is under the closest scrutiny these days so everything he does is evidence that eventually may be used against him.

Houllier clearly felt so angry over a refereeing blunder that he wanted to be certain that his eyes hadn't played tricks with him.

Waste of time, howled his critics. The penalty was history. He should have spent the whole of half-time working on a strategy for his 10 men that might have turned a miserable Mediterranean night into something much more memorable.

Put enough spin on that minor event in the truck and you've got another nail to hammer in.

That's the problem for Houllier. Everything he does is now questioned for evidence of incompetence. And we're all guilty of it.

Why did he play X instead of Y? Why did he play Y instead of X? Why didn't he play X and Y together instead of V and W?

All managers suffer from this, of course, as if there were 44,000 qualified coaches in the ground.

Why, even messiah Moyes has been hit by brickbats this season, while the unimpeachable Arsene Wenger astonishingly boobed against Manchester United on Sunday.

But in Houllier's case, the microscope is well and truly focused. No detail to be missed.

Next we'll get questions about Y? Y? Y?!!

How Houllier hacks the shell off his breakfast egg and its relevance
to 4-4-1-1.

The way he folds his bedtime blankets will be a cause for further conjecture. And what about the knot in his matchday tie - what weight can we give to that? In the present febrile atmosphere, everything is valid if it helps make Houllier the burning topic in every spit and sawdust pub bar in soccer city.

FEBRUARY 25
Houllier must get tough with his flop stars

By Tommy Smith - Liverpool Echo

Like so many fans, I was gutted with the result at Portsmouth. But the Reds just did not perform when it mattered.

There was talk of them being under pressure, but that is a load of nonsense. were playing a Portsmouth side of AN Others.

Pressure comes when you have fought your way to the top of the league or through to a cup final and you know you are nearly there. Pressure comes when you are battling against relegation.

Pressure is not when you are miles away from the top and the bottom of the league.

1977, we won the league, then played badly and lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup final. We were told in no uncertain terms we had to perform to win the European Cup a few days later. That was pressure!

Liverpool should be fighting for first place in Premiership, but we are never going to be there with the current squad. We should still be in the Cup, but the players, again, were not good enough.

I believe Gerard Houllier thinks his players will perform, but he has too many poor ones.

He has been protecting his players for too long, and his excuses are wearing a bit thin.

Gerard stated that when some of his key players were back things would be different, but the situation has not improved much.

In the past, Liverpool had one or two really good players, and the rest may not have been as talented but they were proud to put on the red shirt and work their socks off to achieve success.

Now, the team has some top players, but not enough to carry the rest through.

When we played we had a plan and to hell with the opposition. Sometimes we lost, but we stuck to the system.

I just cannot see what the Houllier system is.

There are too many Anfield players in the comfort zone. More often than not, the manager feels his stars play well. You never hear him slagging off his players, but some o f them are not performing.

If you mollycoddle players, saying they are playing well, they will believe it.

Ultimately, it is the players who determine how successful a manager is.

Houllier needs to take action. If his ideas about the game do not change and he does not star t winning games his job could be on the line - that will not be because of fans' displeasure with him, but because of the lack of success of some of his signings, like El-Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao, Bruno Cheyrou and Igor Biscan.

The next few months will be crucial. The Reds must finish fourth and do well in the UEFA Cup.

More disappointments will heap further pressure on Houllier and put a question mark on Michael Owen's future, too.

FEBRUARY 24
It's time to clear the air at Liverpool

By Mark Lawrenson - Daily Post

Anfield has witnessed some glorious nights of European football down the years.

And the key ingredient has always been passion. It is a factor that was conspicuous by its absence in the FA Cup defeat at Portsmouth on Sunday, but one that needs to be recaptured quickly to prevent Liverpool's season nose-diving further.

Gerard Houllier's side have been handed a decent draw with a good chance of progress against Levski Sofia in the UEFA Cup, but supporters will be looking to the level of performance as much as the result.

The lack of a performance at Fratton Park is a bigger worry than going out of the Cup. Liverpool had enough chances to win the game in the first match while Michael Owen will hold his hand up and admit it was probably the poorest penalty he has ever taken. But things like that happen in football.

What is concerning Liverpool fans is the lack of urgency about the team at the moment, with the notable exception of Steven Gerrard while Jamie Carragher has also done well since coming back into the team.

That's why the fans will be looking to a committed, competitive display from the Reds on Thursday, full of the kind of footballing aggression that means the home team impose themselves on the opposition.

Even if Liverpool eventually miss out on both the UEFA Cup and fourth spot in the Premiership, if the team play with passion between now and the end of the season the supporters will feel much less uncomfortable.

Perhaps Houllier needs to tear into the players to spark a reaction. I can fully under-stand his efforts to protect players in his post-match comments and it is not easy in the modern era when the financial security of players makes it tricker to handle them correctly.

But a good row doesn't do any harm now and then - as long as it clears the air, is quickly forgotten and represents a new beginning.

I can remember one of my early training sessions after signing for Liverpool. They had just won the European Cup and we were preparing for a game in Spain. During the session Alan Kennedy and Graeme Souness literally came to blows over something. It was the kind of flare-up that can happen and was quickly resolved with a shake of the hands and an agreement to forget all about it.

BUT it showed how committed and passionate the players were about the club and their determination to go out and win games - even though they had just won Europe's biggest prize and it was only pre-season.

I only ever saw Joe Fagan explode three times in eight years - but you can be assured that the players sat up and took notice. He got straight to the heart of the problem, had his say and then wiped the slate clean for the team to move on again.

Pat Rice does it occasionally nowadays at Arsenal while over at Goodison Park manager David Moyes and striker Duncan Ferguson seem to have put their row behind them. Ferguson has been scoring goals again and leading the line well.

Houllier is a decent, honourable man who brings a cool rational to his decision-making process, but he needs to get a response from his players this week.

FEBRUARY 23
Liverpool legends call for Houllier to go

PA

Former Liverpool players Ian St John and Mark Lawrenson can understand why frustrated Liverpool fans are calling for the head of Gerard Houllier.

Liverpool bowed out of the FA Cup at Portsmouth yesterday, prompting fans to call for the manager’s departure on radio phone-in shows last night.

The Anfield side have a UEFA Cup third round double-header against Levski Sofia to look forward to, the first leg of which takes place at Anfield on Thursday.

But top priority is making sure of a crack at Champions League qualification by finishing in the top four of the league – and with the team currently sixth they have plenty to do.

St John claims Houllier has turned fans into “zombies” by failing to excite the fans, while Mark Lawrenson said the team are “fading into obscurity”.

St John, who scored 118 goals in 426 games in a 10-year career at Anfield, believes Houllier has let down the fans.

He told Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’re having the same conversation now we had a year ago.

“It would make me so happy to say I was wrong then and that things are so much better now – but they’re not.

“Liverpool have had a shocking year. Have we moved forward? The answer is no.

“For years Liverpool fans have been proud of their teams, who played attacking football with fire and aggression.

“But fans now don’t get turned on by his (Houllier’s) team – they sit there like zombies and boo them off at the end.

“The fans are so disgusted – and I think if there was a change tomorrow they’d be happy.”

Liverpool fans have had little to cheer since Houllier led the club to success in four cup competitions in 2001, less than three years after he took sole control of team affairs.

And St John, a former Scottish international striker who moved to Anfield from Motherwell for £37,500 in the summer of 1961, believes they have fallen so far off the domestic pace it is time for change.

The 65-year-old continued: “I think five years is long enough for anybody – especially when you have a so-called five-year plan.

“That plan was to win the league, not the FA Cup – but you need binoculars now to see the teams at the top, they are so far away.

“We have slipped, certainly in the last five years and to be beaten by Portsmouth yesterday was unacceptable.

“Well done to Pompey – Harry Redknapp had 15 players injured supposedly – but a year ago Crystal Palace did it to us.”

St John believes Houllier needs to make sure of a top-four finish to keep his job, adding: “The board have hinted they need fourth place – that is the least they can expect – and if they get that then they may set another year (for Houllier).”

Lawrenson echoed St John’s sentiments as he added: “I like Gerard Houllier and think he improved the team when he took the job.

“But 19 or 20 months ago they were far closer to challenging for the Premiership title and now they’re fading into obscurity.

“The home crowd are very apathetic about the way the team are playing now and I think the time for change has come.

“The chairman (David Moores) and chief executive (Rick Parry) are for Gerard Houllier – but you can’t kid this crowd.”

The former Republic of Ireland international midfielder, who played 241 games between 1981 and 1988, continued: “Liverpool had total domination in the 1970 and 1980s like Manchester United did in the 1990s.

“No-one has a divine right to be at the top but the fans are looking at the team and the players and saying ‘it’s just not good enough’.”

Thor Zakariassen ©