Formidable, et formidable. Gerard Houllier took his nouveau Liverpool to Old Trafford on Saturday morning and produced a display as admirable for its refreshing ambition as for the defensive resilience which is becoming a definite characteristic of Houllier's Anfield. Praise was plentiful, and well-deserved. Houllier sported a crisp smile inside his crisp club jacket.
But Houllier is no fool. For all the handclaps directed toward Dietmar Hamann, Jamie Carragher, Sander Westerveld and Patrick Berger; the respect for the cohesion and intelligence with which Liverpool displayed as a unit; the smiles at the sight of a fit Michael Owen: for all these, as Houllier said, pressed into a tight Old Trafford corridor: "we haven't won."
In the circumstance of an increasingly bored media and public, it was a welcome dose of reality. Such is the widespread desire to see Manchester United even challenged for the Premiership - not even beaten, merely challenged - there is a willingness to view any competent or spiky performance against the Mancunian championship monopoly through the blinkers of optimism.
Liverpool deserved to win goes this argument: wasn't Owen on only for 15 minutes? Didn't the twin pillars of Sami Hyypia and Veggard Heggem depart early? Were they not down to 10 men when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored? And what about Robbie Fowler and Jamie Redknapp?
Those facts are true. But so is another. United have not lost at home this season. In fact United have not lost at home since December 1998 when Middlesbrough somehow left with three points. When inspiration fails them, United possess the attrition of a sandstorm.
As Houllier said when discussing Liverpool's next step if they are to compete seriously for championship honours: "When Arsenal won the title, they won here." That is Liverpool's target now.
But then, at the same time, it is not now. It is tomorrow's world for Liverpool. While acknowledging the plaudits, Houllier again conceded a title race no-one genuinely believed Liverpool were involved in. "They will win the title," Houllier said of his opponents. So there is work to be done still at Liverpool. But, as Houllier pointed out to The Irish Times last week, it took Alex Ferguson "four and a half years to win his first trophy, first title seven years later and the Champions' League 13 years later. He needed patience and support, which he got." Houllier is into his 15th month in sole charge at Anfield.
Expectations in football tend to blur essential detail, though. Even with a forward partnership of the bungling Eirik Meijer and the erratic Titi Camara Liverpool entered the contest with confidence bullish. Victories at home to Leeds and at Arsenal had leant them fresh credibility and with United once again in slow, slow, quick mode, Meijer and Camara were able to disconcert Jaap Stam and Mikael Silvestre with their combination of bulk and speed.
Behind them the Czechs, Berger and Vladimir Smicer, the latter having his best game since his £3.75 million transfer from Lens last summer, passed neatly and progressively. Although Solskjaer should have scored with a 15th minute header, there were few grumbles among neutrals when Berger lashed his 33-yard free-kick beyond Raimond van der Gouw after 27 minutes. Berger then missed a close range header to increase the lead.
Seven minutes before half-time came the unlikely turning point. Solskjaer, so meek and boyish it was once said he should be delivering papers rather than starring on their back pages, caught Hyypia late. The big Finn, Liverpool's captain, had to depart, five stitches needed in his ankle. Houllier, told there was less time to the interval than there actually was, decided to play on with 10 men. Of course United were to score, of course it was Solskjaer.
The pain for Liverpool was that Solskjaer nipped in front of Jamie Carragher and then Dominic Matteo, both of whom were covering for Hyypia. There were seconds to half-time.
United had the better of the second period, marginally. Carragher twice cleared off his line yet the talking moment came with the re-appearance of Owen after six weeks. Having barely made contact with the ball Owen was then provided with a glory prospect by the excellent Danny Murphy. With his first touch he controlled it, with his next he dinked a chip around Van der Gouw but beyond the far post. Owen is back, but not yet firing.
Manchester UTD: Van Der Gouw, G Neville, Stam, Silvestre, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Butt, Giggs, Yorke (Sheringham 85), Solskjaer (Cole 80). Subs Not Used: Bosnich, Berg, P Neville. Booked: Keane, Yorke. Goal: Solskjaer 45.
Liverpool: Westerveld, Heggem (Song 18), Henchoz, Hyypia (Murphy 46), Matteo, Smicer, Hamann, Carragher, Berger, Meijer, Camara (Owen 77). Subs Not Used: Staunton, Nielsen. Booked: Meijer. Goal: Berger 27.
Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).
