It is indeed hard to believe that such a transformation could take place. For anyone who attended Houllier's homecoming it is an especially unpalatable thought.
March sixteenth 2002 was the date. Roma were the opponents, but somehow I don't think I need to tell you that. The memory of this match is etched in the mind of every Liverpool fan. I can still recall every moment of that clash, including the row and seat numbers in which I sat. The very ticket still remains, carefully saved for days like these. The deafening chants of 'Allez, Allez, Gerard Houllier' will remain with me forever. That these chants have been replaced by apathetic silence tells us all we need to know about recent events. The question we must ask is this: Is the criticism justified?
A purely superficial reading of events would tell us that Liverpool lie second in the Premiership table and can still look forward to European football. But if we scratch underneath the surface we can see that this does not tell us the whole story. The 2-0 victory over Roma is an isolated snapshot of Houllier's Liverpool. It is just one page in a still evolving story. We have progressed through the beginning, we are currently absorbed in the middle, and we simply do not know the ending. The last couple of chapters, though, have led many readers to believe the fairy tale ending may not be in sight. The anxiety of not knowing how the story will end is at the root of all discontent concerning Gerard Houllier's reign.
People are so desperate for the happy ending that they react badly to any sign that it will not come. A run of three games without victory has led many to question whether Gerard Houllier can finish his own personal epic. Houllier has spoken of a five year plan in which Liverpool will fulfill their promise. Eventually, he believes, Liverpool will resemble the great France side he helped to build. The rigid, and often unimaginative, system currently in place will be usurped by a free flowing diamond formation. The question is, will we ever see this plan come to fruition?
Would Gerard Houllier have envisaged that the team of 2002 would still be playing the same style football he implemented when he first took the job. Did he forsee Emile Heskey playing on the left side of midfield. Did he imagine a team devoid of width and creativity? The answer must be that he didn't. So why has the evolution stopped evolving?
The easy answer is that Houllier is a defensive manager who wishes to win titles in this manner. The problem with this is I have too much respect for him to believe this. If this is true why was Bruno Cheyrou bought in the summer. And why was Damien Duff courted so publicly by the Liverpool manager. Bad habits, of course, are hard to get out of. Liverpool have won trophies the efficient way. Why can't this continue? The truth is Liverpool have not won league titles with this method. If we know it, then Gerard Houllier will undoubtedly know it. So why won't he change?
This is a hard question to answer. Houllier's side may be young but they have a wealth of experience. It is also clear that the diamond system is favoured as the ultimate future for the Frenchman and his side. Liverpool seem to have the players for this system. Dietmar Hamann is a tremendous asset in this formation. He could play the anchor role just in front of the back four with ease. Steven Gerrard and Danny Murphy have all the necessary qualities needed to fill the two central positions. While both Vladimir Smicer and Bruno Cheyrou would show their best form playing behind a front two.
I still believe Houllier will adopt this system in the next year. It must be remembered that our manager is only human. His health problems will undoubtedly have affected him. It is possible he lacks the absolute confidence needed to completely revamp Liverpool's style. The truth is none of us can know. Liverpool, it must be remembered, lie just a point below Arsenal. Crisis is not the right word to decribe the current loss of form. I may not believe that this current style of play will win the title, but I do believe in giving Gerard Houllier a chance to prove me wrong. Let's hope he does.