Gerard Houllier believes Liverpool can win the title this season

Gerard Houllier

Ex-Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier believes that his former club can win their first Premier League title this season such has been their improvement under current boss Brendan Rodgers, reports the Express.

The Merseysiders are just four points behind league leaders and have a favourable fixture list during the run-in compared to the daunting string of games some of their rivals face, which Houllier believes tips the scales in their favour.

“This year they can do it. If you look at some of the games, they have Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham at home and the way they are playing at Anfield they will be confident. Sunderland and Newcastle too.

“The games away, apart from Manchester United which is always difficult, are all winnable. You can tell I have been checking!

“I’m not putting pressure on them, but they have a good chance. Anyone in the top four can win the title, he declared.

Houllier, who managed the Anfield outfit for six years, came desperately close to guiding the club to glory himself in the 2001/2001 campaign, only to fall short in the last few weeks of the season.

“That season I thought we could do it. But I don’t want to turn too much to the past. I have no real time for nostalgia. I like the Liverpool team that is playing at the moment.”

“If you look at the progress that Liverpool have made in the last couple of years it is impressive. People seem to be talking about the reasons why they cannot win, but there are as many, maybe more, as to why they can,” Houllier insisted.

Liverpool have hit top form when their rivals have started to stutter and should benefit from the lack of added fixtures that European competition brings, but Houllier is admanat Rodgers’ team have a chance even if he is still wary of the competition.

Arsenal are looking a bit jaded to me. I would say that Manchester City are the biggest threat. They have a game in hand and I think they will be out of the Champions League soon.

“But really any of the top four can win, but I have always kept my loyalty to Liverpool and they are scoring so many goals,” he said.

Liverpool face a tricky away test against Southampton on Saturday but can strengthen their title credentials further with all three points.