"Compared to other clubs, what we've achieved under Gerard Houllier is exceptional. It's not that we've beaten Mickey Mouse teams to do it: Arsenal, Manchester United, Roma, Bayern Munich, all big teams.
"But we're Liverpool and, because the fans have been brought up on winning the league, the title is everything. It hangs around our necks, even though that was a different era. Our last championship was 14 years ago and it's not as if Gérard was manager immediately after we last won it.
"Winning the league every year is United's thing now. The fans should remember that the game has moved on and it might be a while before Liverpool win the league regularly again. We're not going to win it this year, no chance, but we've won trophies and at any other club, Arsenal and United aside, that would constitute success.
"Managers are never appreciated when they're in the job. Roy Evans used to get no end of stick, but now people talk about how the football the team played back then was great. You'd have to say that the gaffer [Houllier] has achieved more, sowhat are they going to be saying about Gérard Houllier when the next fella comes in?
"He is the man to take this club forward. He's laid the foundations here and he's brought quality in. There was competition out there for Harry Kewell, but we got him. One of the reasons has to be the manager.
"It looks like we're getting Djibril Cisse in the summer. Would he come to Liverpool if Gerard wasn't the manager? People have to remember the past's the past. It's gone."