Yesterday I spent a couple of hours sorting through my old collection of programmes. Most of them were from when I was a kid growing up in the eighties. My first game was a 1-0 win over Sunderland in 82/83, with Ian Rush scoring the winner. I was only nine and to be honest I've hardly got any recollection of the game itself.
The first season which I can remember with any sort of detail is 84/85. Looking back through the programmes I found one from my first European game, a 4-1 win over Austria Vienna in which Paul Walsh scored twice and also missed a penalty.
In those days of course, we had a strike force of Dalglish and Rush, and if either of them were absent, Walsh would step in. We may not have had a squad of thirty players back then, but we didn't need it, as the players we did have were all quality.
Fast forward to today. Owen and Kewell were missing, and we just couldn't cope. To be honest, even if they were both fit we still could have lost this game, as the sad truth is that this team does not equal the sum of it's parts. We are now a mediocre side who have no right to look at Southampton and think 'easy three points.'
I was asked by a few people before the game what I thought the score would be. " 2-1" I said, "but I wouldn't like to say who to." In reality, I was expecting us to lose, but couldn't really bring myself to say it. Teams like Southampton will always give Houllier problems because they are well organised, have good players, and more importantly, have an excellent manager who can get the best out of the players at his disposal.
To be honest 2-1 flattered us, as it could have been much worse. Southampton were the better side, and fully deserved the points. They were better in every area of the pitch, and don't let the cavalry charge which came in the final fifteen minutes of the game gloss over the dross which had come before.
So far this season I've tried to cut Houllier some slack, I really have. I could see that he had tried to make us more attacking, and it was obvious that he was going to be here for the season so there was little point in persistently calling for him to be sacked. Even though my opinion of the man hadn't changed since I called for his dismissal last season, I was hoping that he could prove me wrong and turn things around.
I've been saying that we wouldn't see the fruits of the new approach until the new year, when we have everyone fit and the players have had time to adjust to the new more adventurous style. Fuck all that, I've changed my mind, he doesn't deserve any backing.
Not because we lost to Bolton in the cup. Not because of the shocking tactics at Newcastle last week, when we were incredibly lucky to escape with a point. Not even because we lost to Southampton.
No, I'm not giving Houllier the benefit of the doubt anymore because I'm sick of the bullshit, and I'm sick of the constant attempt to lower our expectation levels. The furore which followed David Moores comments this week really pissed me off. Moores said that a place in the CL is the 'minimum acceptable requirement.'
In other words, anything less than a place in the top four is unacceptable. If your performance in your job is unacceptable, you'll be sacked. So why is it any different for Houllier? It isn't. If he doesn't reach the top four, he will be sacked. So why did the club then try and distance themselves from the comments and say that they'd been misconstrued?
If Houllier wasn't happy about it, so fucking what. He knew the expectations of the club when he came, so if he can't fulfill those expectations he should expect to be sacked. It's the way of the world.
But that's not how Houllier works. He talked of aiming for the moon and landing among the stars. In reality he's aiming for fourth and will tell us that fifth, or even sixth is a success as long as it gets us in Europe. This constant attempt to lower our standards cannot be allowed to happen. We are Liverpool Football Club. First is first, second is nowhere and all that. Remember?
I'm writing this straight after getting home from Anfield. I arrived home, went online and read Houllier's assessment of what I have just witnessed: "We played well and deserved to win." Two words, Fuck off.
Anyone who was inside Anfield today knows what Houllier said is absolute bollocks (yet again). But there'll be plenty of fans around the world who didn't see the game, and will hear those comments and think we were unlucky. We weren't. In fact, we were fortunate that the scoreline was as close as it was.
Southampton's first goal was pretty shambolic from our point of view. Didi Hamann should never be left as the last man, as he can't run. We all know that, and it's not a criticism of the German, just a statement of fact. Yet somehow he was left isolated in a one on one foot-race against the pacy Brett Ormerod. It came about from OUR corner.
Ormerod raced away from him and struck a low shot past Kirkland. 1-0, and you could sense the unease throughout the stadium. On the bright side, it's better to concede a goal early on when you've got plenty of time to come back. Sadly, we never looked like getting back into it.
In fact, Southampton were very, very comfortable. Anti Niemi didn't have a shot to save until about an hour had passed. Liverpool huffed and puffed, but there was little end product. Gerrard did his best to drive his team on, and perhaps at times was trying to do too much. It's hard to criticise him for that though, the lad cares and wants to win. It's a shame there aren't more with his desire.
Sami Hyypia was again excellent, and Igor did ok aside from one incident when he was skinned by Beattie down the right. Kirky did nothing wrong, and Vladi played pretty well. The best player on the field though was 'Semmy'. The lad has been a revelation since finally being given a chance in the side.
I've taken a bit of stick for constantly championing the cause of the youngsters, but when 'Semmy' comes in and plays like this it merely proves what I've been saying. We do have good young players, but they're not getting the chances they deserve. What you get with players like Gerrard, Carragher and Otsemobor is commitment and pride. You get that with some foreign players too, but not all of them.
Liverpool were clueless in the first half, and were really in need of some direction and guidance from the sidelines. Phil Thompson did his best, and was his usual animated self, whistling, clapping and pointing etc. Whether he's actually doing any good I don't know, but at least he's doing SOMETHING. Houllier sat there like a fucking wax dummy.
Mind you, he's always the same when we're losing. The only time you see him off the bench shouting instructions is when we're winning, and he wants to 'conduct the orchestra' and play to the crowd. There is not another manager in the country who would just sit there for ninety minutes whilst his team played as badly as that. Not fucking one. Can you see Ferguson sitting there watching his team play like THAT?
Steve Horton first pointed this out to me at the Hawthorns last season. Throughout the team's nightmare run Houllier had sat there and not left the bench. Then when we were about four goals up against the Baggies he was up conducting things as his followers chanted 'Allez Allez'.
Steve told me to look out for it in future, and I have. Houllier only leaves the bench when things are under control. When we're struggling, he sits there talking to himself like some deranged mental patient.
Maybe it's disrespectful to refer to the Liverpool manager in such terms, but the man disrespects us whenever he tries to tell us that the shit we've been watching is a team playing well. I am no longer prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. He is not the man to take us where we want to go. He tried, came pretty close, but in the end, just like Roy Evans before him, he didn't have what it needed to get us that extra mile.
There's no disgrace in that, and he's given us some great days out these last few years. If he goes now he can be remembered for those achievements. If he stays, he'll ruin that legacy.
We're on the slide, and we're sliding fast. Look at our record in the last 12 months. It's absolutely atrocious, and shows no signs of getting better. In fact, it's getting worse. Six games lost in the league already this season. Four losses at home, five if you count Bolton in the cup.
We have been a bit unlucky with injuries, but it's not like we're fielding a team full of rookies. Most of these players were big money signings. Diouf and H***** combined probably cost more than the entire Southampton side. Injuries cannot be used to excuse our current plight. We have a good group of players, but we have a manager who can't get the best out of them. Fact.
For him to try and tell us that we played well and deserved to win is simply insulting.
Houllier eventually introduced Le Tallec and Sinama for Hamann and Diouf. The boos which accompanied the withdrawal of Hamann were the clearest indication yet that Houllier has now lost the majority of the crowd.
Personally I thought it was a fair enough decision. Didi hadn't played well, and it was obvious that a defensive minded player would have to make way. It was the sensible thing to do I thought.
I think people were so pissed off because H***** stayed on, despite once again turning in a woeful display, completely lacking in heart. He also managed to waste around four minutes of our time due to his 'injuries.'
Seeing that big shithouse lying on the floor whilst we were on the attack made my blood boil. I knew there was nothing wrong with him, but still he lay there as we tried to attack. He's a fucking parasite who should never be allowed to wear the red again. I'd rather a youth team player start up front than let this waster play again.
Diouf was the other to make way, although there was barely a murmur when his number went up, as he was crap once again. His great early season form seems a million miles away now. He looks like he's just killing time before the African Nations Cup starts. I like Diouf, but recently he's been terrible.
Southampton missed a glorious chance to go two up when Pahars made a mess out of Beattie's great cut back. Then Kirkland had to make a stunning save to deny Beattie, before eventually the visitors got their reward when Svensson thumped in a header at the Kop end.
As the ball hit the net, it was too much for some fans to take. Some behind the goal had a right go at the players, and in particular Smicer. Vladi was one of the better performers on the day, and as usual was not lacking in effort. It was unfair that he appeared to be singled out, and he seemed visibly upset by it. Vladi is a nice guy, who unlike some players, actually cares about what people think about him. He did not deserve that.
The two French youngsters did manage to lift things somewhat, and Sinama and Smicer began to combine well down the left. But Liverpool were not threatening at all, until young full back Otsemobor set off a run from his own half way line which saw him beat three defenders as he weaved into the box, before seeing his well hit shot blocked by Niemi. It would have been goal of the season had it gone in, and it seemed to lift everybody.
Suddenly, Liverpool had woken up. Vladi was denied by a great block by Higginbottom, and Niemi foiled Sinama's follow up effort with a good low save. Hyypia then saw a header cleared off the line by Dodd, as Liverpool finally began to exert some pressure on the Saints goal.
Niemi was called into action again from Gerrard's blast from 18 yards, but this time the rebound fell invitingly to H*****, giving him a chance which even he couldn't miss. If ever there was an undeserved goalscorer, then he was it. I couldn't even bring myself to get out of my seat, let alone cheer. I'm not proud of that, but it's how I felt, and I wasn't alone.
Sinama then had another opportunity, but failed to connect properly, and Murphy and Smicer both shot high and wide when well placed as the Saints held on to pick up three well earned points.
There were boos at the end, but half the crowd had long since gone. There's an apathy around Anfield at the moment which will only be lifted when Houllier goes. Right now, we're just treading water until a new manager comes in. Even the most ardent of Houllier's followers are starting to see that, and support for him is diminishing by the week.
The question is how long will Moores and co postpone the inevitable. He'll probably still get until the end of the season, but a couple more defeats like this one and there could be open revolt at Anfield, the likes of which has never been seen before. It was threatening to go that way today, and if Bolton were to win again in L4 on Boxing Day, things could become ugly.
We're not going to get fourth, so do we let him see out the season and then go, or do we get rid now and either let Thommo see the season out, or bring in a new man and give him this season to assess the squad and plan for next season?
Initially I was of the opinion that he should see out the season, but the sheer arrogance and defiance displayed by him now means I just want him out. As for who the replacement is, I don't care. Anything is better than this.
Team: Chris Kirkland; Jon Otsemobor, Sami Hyypia, Igor Biscan, John Arne Riise; El Hadji Diouf (Anthony Le Tallec), Didi Hamann (Florent Sinama-Pongolle), Danny Murphy, Steven Gerrard; Vladimir Smicer, E**** H*****:
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