Houllier said: "I want the fans to see all the players. What would happen if I didn't let Michael Owen play on Sunday? - the fans wouldn't let me back to England!
"You have to take into account the long journey the players have had and flight delays we have had. The players need games and if you ask me whether I will change the whole team at half time, I can tell you the players will play at least 45 minutes if not more.
"I didn't intend to change the team for the second half against Thailand as I was going to make substitutions after an hour, but we played for 55 minutes in the first half due to a misunderstanding with the referee."