It would appear that nothing has been learned from Wednesday night. Not that I thought for one minute it would be, as to learn from mistakes you have to acknowledge that they have been made.
Houllier's comments after the Manchester City debacle showed that he sees nothing wrong with the dire approach he adopted to preserve a one goal lead against a side who haven't won in 13 games. Today's offering provided further proof.
Up against a Portsmouth side decimated by injuries and ineligibilty, Liverpool took the lead with just over one minute gone. Once again they failed to build on the early momentum due to a negative approach which gave inferior opposition the hope that they could get back into a game which should have been well beyond their capabilities.
Houllier's response to the criticism of his defensive attitude was to bring E*ile H*skey back into the starting line up in place of Anthony Le Tallec. On paper, a striker for a midfielder, and therefore a positive move.
But nothing is that simple with Houllier is it? H*skey lined up virtually everywhere but up front. I've probably been his biggest critic this season, but today I completely absolve him of his shiteness. Often I'll criticise him for his lazyness and his reluctance to get in the box when we're attacking. You've all seen it, the way he ambles forward whilst the likes of Gerrard, Riise and sometimes even Hamann are breaking their necks trying to counter attack.
Well today I watched him closely, and once more he wasn't attempting to get forward when we broke. On one occasion Dudek claimed a corner and threw the ball out to Didi who led a counter attack. By the time Hamann lost possession in Pompey's half, I looked to see where H*skey was and he was actually the last man, behind Sami and Steph!
I was furious, but the longer the game wore on I realised that this wasn't his usual laziness, he was actually playing to orders. Whereas he'd normally just amble forward, today he was actually consciously stopping and looking to see where the other midfielders where, and moving to fill the gap.
After the game my dad was talking to a lad he knows, who was sitting in the Paddock behind the dugout. He confirmed this, saying that GH and Thommo were constantly shouting at H*skey to stay back, or to get wide. I've got no time for the guy, but today he was playing to instruction, and actually did the job he was asked to very well indeed to be fair.
The fact that the job he was asked to do was a fucking disgrace is not E*ile's fault, but it does him no favours.
Stevie G has been given a lot more license to go forward of late, to great effect it should be said, but such is Houllier's cautious nature that H*skey's job today was to sit in whenever Gerrard broke. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it isn't that why we have Didi Hamann in there? Surely we don't need two doing that job, especially when we're at home to an under-strength Portsmouth?
The longer the first half wore on, the more convinced I was that Portsmouth had a goal in them. They didn't create anything really clear cut, but they had so much of the ball in good areas that it was obvious that at some point something would fall for them and they'd grab one.
So a second goal was always going to be needed, and it shouldn't have been too much to ask. Yet just as we did on Wednesday, we failed to capitalise on a dream start. Houllier said afterwards that: "They rode their luck at times and we deserved to win this tie."
Rode their luck? How? Hislop made a great save from our number eight in the first half, and an even better one from Carra in the second. The number eight then wasted a great chance just after half time, Gerrard also shot just wide and Le Tallec missed a sitter too, but I'd hardly call that 'riding their luck', as it wasn't as though their goal was under regular bombardment in the way Everton's was in the derby the other week. The blues rode their luck, Portsmouth didn't.
"We played some fantastic football and couldn't have done much more" he added. Three words spring to mind. WHAT, THE, FUCK. I saw us put a few decent moves together, not least for the opening goal. But fantastic football? Ha.
"We should have won" You got that right. We should have, but we didn't, and in truth we didn't deserve to. We didn't show the intent to go and kill them off, and Pompey knew all they had to do was hang in at 1-0 down because sooner or later they'd get their chance. That's what City did the other night, and had it not been for a Calamity James error they'd have got a draw too.
On the subject of the City game, Houllier's attempt to justify Wednesday night's tactics by saying City were a dangerous team was emphatically blown out of the water yesterday when the mancs went one nil up but were then reduced to ten men. In that situation, they would have been justified in sitting on that one goal lead, but before you know it they've scored four.
We had eleven men but decided to sit back, because 'City are a dangerous team'. Give me a fucking break.
This wasn't as bad as the City game it's true, but it wasn't that much better either. Gerrard was once again inspirational, and the regularity that he's picking up man of the match awards puts his team-mates to shame. I dread to think how bad we'd be without him.
Owen was good again, and early on looked well sharp. Sadly the lack of service again took its toll on him, and he became less influential as the goal wore on. He must be pissed off as we are with these tactics.
Carra was ace once again, and Didi and the centre backs were their usual selves. But the rest were not good enough. Kewell was poo yet again, and whilst Cheyrou did nothing wrong, he just doesn't do anywhere near enough. It's not his fault, he's just not that good.
Portsmouth's equaliser stunned Houllier into an attacking substitution. He'd been dithering for about ten minutes about putting on Le Tallec, but the goal forced him to bring on Flo instead. Le Tallec arrived soon after, and we pressed for the winning goal, which should have arrived via ALT, except he somehow put the ball over after yet more brilliant work from the skipper.
Houllier said afterwards that we had three penalty appeals. I can remember a foul outisde the box, and a clean tackle in the box but until I've seen the highlights on TV I have no idea as to the blatant penalty he's referring to. No-one around where I was sat appealed for anything, so presumably it was at the opposite end to where I was.
A couple of months ago Houllier commented that we are a club who don't complain about referee's decisions. Then came the Spurs defeat, and he hasn't shut up about referee's since.
I still think we'll go through, as Portsmouth are not a good side. With a fully fit squad they'll give anyone a game, but right now they are there for the taking and I don't see us slippling up again. It's just so frustrating that this negative mentality is holding us back.
When we score one, we should go for two, then three, then four. Settling should not be an option. Yet it is, and always will be whilst Houllier is in charge. You can count on one hand the games when we've actually looked to keep attacking once in front. If he hasn't learnt by now, he never will.
He referred to the games against Newcastle and Birmingham when we threw away two goal leads because we went looking for a third goal. Funny how he doesn't mention all the occasions when we've thrown away points through trying to protect one goal leads.
But I'm going over old ground now. I'm sick of saying the same things over and over, as I'm sure you're sick of reading them, so I'm going to leave it at that.
Before I end it though, a quick word on the crowd, who were much improved today. Especially the Main Stand side of the Kop, who sang throughout and got behind the players who deserve it most; Gerrard, Owen and Carragher. At least the fans showed a big improvement from Wednesday night, even if the team/management didn't.
Team: Jerzy Dudek; Steve Finnan, Stephane Henchoz, Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher; E*ile H*skey, Didi Hamann, Steven Gerrard, Bruno Cheyrou (Florent Sinama-Pongolle), Harry Kewell (Anthony Le Tallec); Michael Owen:
