For former Crewe star Murphy, an integral part of Houllier's vision for the Merseyside giants, recent events are a disturbing sign of the pressure-filled atmosphere of modern football.
Murphy said: "I think football is starting to get a bit ridiculous when I hear about some of the things which are going on. Over the last few years the financial aspect of the game has increased the anxiety felt by supporters and turned the atmosphere into more of a pressure cooker.
"It's not exactly something we should complain about because we're all well-paid internationals at Liverpool and we're rewarded to cope. I think there's a fair argument that this year that maybe we haven't really coped that well with the expectations upon us. But when I think about how the manager has taken us up to a higher level and the medals I've won since he took over, I do find the kind of abuse he's taking ludicrous.
"No-one deserves to get personal abuse on the level the manager has been getting. Over the last few seasons when we've played at Anfield, the anxiety felt by supporters has definitely got to some of the players. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame the fans for being upset when the team isn't producing the goods. It's just that it becomes a bit of a vicious circle.
"If the fans are on our back, it affects how we play and then they'll be on our backs even more. The way to stop that is by performing better - and that's easier when the fans are with us. Last Thursday against Levski was probably the best atmosphere at Anfield for some time because we felt the fans were with us all the way. It was a great gesture to sing the manager's name and I think that proved that true Liverpool supporters are genuine, decent people."