After the 1-1 draw with Basel that saw the team continue their recent habits of squandering leads and missing countless chances, the frenchmans tactics and selections were being questioned in the press. But even the tabloids have not come remotely close to the king of vitriol posted to the internet message boards by Liverpool fans themselves. The team is boring and devoid of creativity. The lack of width has not been addressed. Even the defence has gone to pot. Houllier is presiding over a disaster.
This is interesting. An outsider charting Liverpool's progress under Houllier would probably conclude that the general graph of performance has been heading steadily upwards for some time. So why does he still seem to be so unpopular with a selection of the club's fans? One thing that is certain is that Gerard Houllier has a lot of things going for him as a manager. It is ridiculous to claim, as Eamonn Dunphy(Irish Journalist/Hack) among others have in the past, that he is simply a "bad coach". There is no comparison between the club he took over on 1998 and the Liverpool of today. Houllier came to a club full of over-rated boozers who finished behind Aston Villa in the league in his first season. If he had not arrived when he did, Liverpool could have degenerated to that status permanently.
Liverpool are far from being the most popular team among neutrals, but everyone must admit that they are now contenders in a way they never were in the years prior to Houlliers arrival. Even though the league as a whole has improved dramatically in that time, Liverpool under Houllier have improved faster. Last season they finished ahead of Manchester United after spending less than half as much money in the previous summer. That is progress, and while it may not be as fast as some fans would like, it is perhaps the best they can realistically hope for.
Liverpool won 80 points in the Premiership last year, which would have won them the title many seasons. They were beaten by a phenomenal team that won it's last 12 matches in a row. In that situation you have to give credit to Arsenal, not blame Houllier for failing to bring the title back to Anfield. Houllier's record in the transfer market is also impressive. He has bought some excellent players - Hyypia, Henchoz, Hamann, Dudek, Riise, Cheyrou, Baros, Diouf. Under his regime Steven Gerrard has overcome complex muscle problems that probably would have seen him crippled under Evans, and Michael Owen has become European Footballer of the Year.
Like all managers, Houllier has also bought duds -Diomede, Biscan and Smicer(depending on opinion). This has helped to create an enormous highly-paid stable of squad players that must be a strain on the clubs finances. But overall there can be no doubt that his signings have strengthened the team immeasurably.
Houllier's best assest is his intelligence, his attention to detail. There is probably no better trained squad in Europe than Liverpool, it is obvious in their superb athleticism and fitness. The frenchman knows well the value of professionalism. "You live for the job, you do not use the job to have a good life"
Liverpool are disciplined both on and off the pitch, and considering their huge squad it is notable that they do not seem to have problems with moaning and disunity. They work hard for each other and play with a determination that was never evident under Houllier's predecessors Souness or Evans. Even leaving aside the Cup Treble, Houllier has bulit a side Liverpool fans can be proud of. And yet still many people remain unconvinced. Why? The reason is that he personally is, to some people, an easy man to dislike. Gerard Houllier's biggest weakness as a manager is egotism. Perhaps because of his playing career was so undistuinguished, he seems to attribute too much importance to the coach's role. Maybe he tries to be the centre of attention in a way that was denied him as a player. Similarity to a certain Bill Shankly maybe?