Houllier under heavy attack

Liverpool's prospective investor Steve Morgan yesterday launched a scathing attack on the management of Gerard Houllier, casting serious doubts over the Frenchman's future at Anfield should the building magnate succeed in injecting up to £73 million (€109 million) into the club.

Morgan, whose proposal will be discussed at a board meeting today, along with that of the prime minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, was heavily critical of the current regime's apparent inability to stand up to the manager over his lavish transfer spending. He also accused certain players of putting an eagerness to collect wages ahead of a desire to bring silverware back to Merseyside.

"I think we are in year six of (Houllier's) five-year plan," said Morgan. "The manager has been there for six years and he's had some successes, but every Liverpool supporter will have been disappointed with finishing fifth last year and will be again even to finish fourth this time around.

"Points-wise we are closer to the bottom than the top and that has to change. There are players who have been signed for a lot of money and have been major disappointments. It's up to the management of the club, whoever that proves to be, to take us forward and ensure that doesn't happen again. Anyone can make mistakes, but we have made a hell of a lot of them.

"I remember the days when all 11 players on the pitch would give their last drop of blood for the club. Unfortunately, I haven't seen that in recent years, apart from the obvious few. We need a return to those days and to get people who want to play for Liverpool back in the side.

"Their first priority has to be to get out there and win trophies for this club, not just to collect wages at the end of the month."

Morgan (51), Liverpool's third largest shareholder with a 5 per cent stake via his company Bridgemere Investments Ltd, hopes to underwrite a rights issue to generate around £61 million, together with a new shares issue directed at fans to raise a further £12 million.

The Liverpool chairman, David Moores, will address his proposal at today's board meeting, with the building magnate expecting a response by Wednesday.

The chief executive, Rick Parry, will also report back on talks with Thaksin over the alternative £56.5 million investment to secure a stake of just under 30 per cent.

Liverpool's fans are increasingly falling in behind Morgan, swayed by the fact that he is one of them, leaving Moores in the awkward position of having to contemplate surrendering his majority shareholding while inviting his long-time adversary on to the board. That will be made all the more difficult by Morgan's blunt criticisms of the regime's profligate spending and perceived weaknesses.

"Like every other fan I'm unhappy about some of the signings we made two years ago," said Morgan, referring to the transfers of El Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao and Bruno Cheyrou for an £18 million total, which were partly funded by a proportion of Granada's purchase of a 9.9 per cent stake in the club.

"Many have proved to be disastrous, and the second injection of the Granada money has, quite frankly, been wasted. I would not want to see that happen again.

"I didn't say I don't want to be chairman, but it's just not a requirement in these proposals. It's not about a personal grudge (with Moores). I have been critical, and rightly so, of some of the actions that have taken place, but only because I want Liverpool to get back to the successes we enjoyed in the '60s, '70s and '80s."

Thaksin remains optimistic his plan, discussed extensively with Parry in Bangkok, will be accepted by the board. Yet Morgan, like his fellow fans, winced through footage of the Thai prime minister - who attempted to buy into Fulham last year - struggling to name Liverpool players at a press conference this week.

"It was disappointing to see that," he added. "I question whether it is in the best interest of my club to go to the other side of the world to get an injection of capital. It clearly comes with some strings attached. But this is all or nothing for me. I couldn't invest in Everton, United or City, because there's only one place where my heart is. If it's not Liverpool, I'm not interested, so, if the board accept the Thai offer, that's probably the end of the road for me."

Guardian Service