By David Maddock, The Mirror
GERARD Houllier believes the Roman Abramovich factor is such a threat that even Manchester United and Arsenal fear the fall-out.
The Liverpool manager was speaking yesterday as he considered the fifth anniversary of his assuming sole control at Anfield.
Houllier has set himself a five-year target of winning the Premiership, and even though – with Liverpool in 10th place at the moment – he looks a little behind target, he believes he is still on course to land the ultimate prize in English football.
The French coach adds one condition, though and that is the Abramovich factor. Houllier knows even United and Arsenal, never mind Liverpool, cannot compete should the Russian billionaire continue to throw around his cash.
Forced
And he insists he and the rest of the Premiership would be forced to give up should any other billionaires happen to fancy getting themselves a hobby like Abramovich.
Houllier is a close friend of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and has a good relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He can sense the worry emanating from both clubs about the arrival of Chelsea as a genuine force.
“At the end of my first season in charge at Anfield, I talked about winning the league in five years time. And I think we can still do that,” Houllier explained.
“I said that in 1999 and I still believe that, but there is the Chelsea factor to consider. We can win the league so long as another Roman Abramovich doesn’t come along at another rival club.
“I think Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are as concerned as I am about things like that.
“The arrival of Abramovich has changed everything in English soccer, and not necessarily for the better.
“Manchester United and Arsenal know, as much as we do, that it is impossible to compete against the sort of money Chelsea are spending. If there are more clubs like that, then it makes life very difficult.”
Houllier himself has spent in excess of £110million since he arrived at Anfield, but he has done that over five seasons and recouped almost half of the outlay in sales.
Chelsea have spent more in a single summer, with the promise of more to come when the transfer window reopens in January. And Houllier believes that poses a threat to the very fabric of football.
“If you get a couple of people like Abramovich, then it will be all about buying success, and nothing else. And that will cause problems to the entire game,” he said.
“Sides like Manchester United and Liverpool have spent money, but not on that scale. And they have always combined it with a policy of developing from within.
“At Liverpool, our team is based on the youngsters who have come through the system, developing them and supplementing them with purchases.
“It is important there’s a sense of community for club and fans, an identity. Manchester United do the same, even if they can spend large amounts of money if necessary. What would be damaging is if it becomes just a contest about who can spend the most money in winning the championship – and that could happen if more people like Roman Abramovich come along.
“Of course it is exciting to see what Chelsea are doing and I am as excited about it as anyone, because you want to see what happens. But where will it stop?”
United will just about be able to compete with Abramovich even if he continues to spend money at the same rate, but the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will simply be blown away.
Models
Houllier accepts that but he also argues it means he – and his counterparts such as Wenger – must place even more emphasis on team-building and group identity within his squad.
“I think we will always have that sense of spirit and bonding you get from the community, and we will have to use that to our advantage,” he said.
“We’ve seen Michael Owen come through from schoolboy to European Footballer of the Year, and Steven Gerrard went from the juniors to being captain of this club. They are the models for others to follow.
“We are building here at Liverpool, striving to improve and develop, even if we have had some setbacks on the way. I firmly believe that we are still progressing towards our ultimate goal, even if the likes of Chelsea make it much harder.”
