Houllier said: "Newcastle still have to play Arsenal, Everton and Manchester United so the race is not finished. Third or fourth place is still the aim for the season. If we qualify for the Champions League now, for me that will be a successful season.
"If we finish in the top four, having won the Worthington Cup against Manchester United and reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, then that is not a season deprived of success by a long way."