The Reds boss, however, feels no fear at the prospect of one of the most important ninety minutes of his Anfield tenure, and expects his players to offer a big response to their many critics.
"I think there will be a big response from the players on Saturday. They feel they have a point to make and they are eager to put things right," insisted a bullish Houllier.
"I know the players are with me, we are all in this together. We've celebrated together in the past and we suffer together when things are not going so well. That's the fans, the board, the players and all the staff here. When things are difficult it's a more exciting challenge."