They say that all teams are built in the image of their managers, but Liverpool seem to counter that trend. For while his players toil, Gérard Houllier is nothing if not creative. At various stages of his various post-match interviews, Liverpool had plenty of chances and should have won, Southampton had plenty of chances but they should have drawn, Liverpool expected to win, and they could not possibly be expected to win. Perhaps the reason Houllier's players seem so lacking in vision is that they are busy learning to mirror their coach's confusion. Liverpool have shown glimpses this season of an attacking bravado which might have carried them towards the Champions League on a wave of sympathy and support, but such an outcome appears increasingly unlikely. Houllier points to the club's current injury problems as a reason for its recent derailment, but statistics suggest that even with Michael Owen and Harry Kewell - neither of whom have won so much as 50% of their league games this season - they are frequently ineffective. Without them, as they were on Saturday, even that is too much to expect. At their worst, and on Saturday they approached that level, Liverpool are a disheartening sight, who do not so much play beneath their potential as ignore it completely.
Simon Burnton, Guardian
Shankly still casts shadow
Rupert Lowe, the Southampton chairman, clutched his teamsheet throughout. Presumably he can recognise his team’s players without having to check their numbers, so perhaps he had to keep looking at the names to remind himself he was at Anfield and yes, his team were winning. There was much to disorientate any visitor. For a start, the atmosphere was horrid. Bill Shankly used to say those on the Kop were able to suck the ball into the back of the net with their special brand of support, but on Saturday the jeers only served to make defeat seem more inevitable. Shankly’s name is always raised whenever Liverpool struggle and, sure enough, most fans who called the various football radio phone-ins that evening had a favourite quote with which to condemn Gérard Houllier, the incumbent Liverpool manager. “Look at the team that started against Everton (whom Liverpool beat for their first win of the season), five of the players that started were missing today and the rest at the moment are not at the right level, they are too young,” Houllier said. “Instead of just putting Martin O’Neill in the picture, you can explain why we are struggling.” Houllier clearly anticipated that some fans would call for his head and whenever that happens, the Celtic manager’s name is always raised. “We’re suffering together,” Houllier said, but some fans do not want to share the pain, they want him to leave. The consolation for Houllier is that there were even some Chelsea supporters calling for the head of Claudio Ranieri, which reminds us that such phone-ins should be renamed The Knee-Jerk Reaction Show.
Alyson Rudd, The Times
Harrowing for Houllier as Saints storm Anfield citadel
The lifeline that Gérard Houllier is looking for - qualification for the Champions' League - headed further towards the horizon yesterday when Liverpool were beaten at home in the Premiership for the fourth time of the season. A place among Europe's elite looked a distant prospect last night. Until yesterday the Liverpool manager could claim that only England's cream had stormed the walls of the Anfield citadel - Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United - but modest Southampton joined that list with their first win here since 1998 that pushed them above Houllier's team and into contention for that lucrative fourth place in the Premiership themselves.
Guy Hodgson, Independent
Houllier dealt further blow
Liverpool's sustained bombardment came too late to salvage a point and convince a sceptical gallery that the team could reach their much-trumpeted Champions League objective. Brett Ormerod had made a point with his two goals against Charlton Athletic last week and required just over a minute to underline it and compound the anguish for Liverpool's beleaguered manager, Gerrard Houllier. "Champions League, you're having a laugh," taunted the Southampton supporters as Liverpool attempted to recover from that early reverse. They reacted with verve, yet struggled through the first half to find the measured, final pass.
Derick Allsop, Telegraph