GERARD HOULLIER may not be out of the woods yet, but he is at least heading in the right direction again. Whether the Liverpool manager has found the path to renewed prosperity or just a clearing in the trees remains to be seen, but his team were too good for Leeds, and ended their run of three successive League defeats, which was deemed to have brought Houllier to crisis point.

Recent results had been such that a team meeting was held at training on Friday to discuss diminishing confidence and morale. New captain Steven Gerrard reminded the players what was expected of them and was as inspirational on the pitch as he had been off it. The England midfielder was the man of the match by a distance.

If this was an important result for Liverpool, it was another body-blow for Leeds manager Peter Reid’s make-do-and-mend team who, with one win in six games, now play Manchester United in the Carling Cup and Arsenal in the League. It was said at the time of talks with Professor John McKenzie that Leeds would not change their manager just yet, because to do so would present Reid’s successor with a horribly onerous start. The watershed could be Bolton at home on November 22.

Houllier had been expected to restore fit-again Danny Murphy to the starting line-up but restricted him to a second-half appearance as substitute. It was Michael Owen, still recovering from the shin injury, who was rushed back.

A gamble, after only one training session, but one that paid off handsomely, Owen opening the scoring after 35 minutes with a left-footed finish from eight yards after John Arne Riise had nodded back Igor Biscan’s long, lofted pass from midfield. Liverpool were good value for their advantage, having taken the game to defensively organised opponents, who had David Batty sweeping in front of their back four.

Emile Heskey, Riise, Harry Kewell, booed throughout by his erstwhile fans, and El-Hadji Diouf all threatened goalkeeper Paul Robinson. before Owen scored.

In fairness, Leeds were not entirely on the back foot. They created decent chances of their own for Jermaine Pennant and Mark Viduka before equalising just before half-time, when Pennant’s surging run and cross from the right was swept in from six yards by Alan Smith.

During the interval, Reid exhorted his players to “be more positive,” but after Viduka had demanded an improvised save from Jerzy Dudek, Leeds had the wind taken out of their newly set sails by a gaffe from Robinson, who allowed a none-too-demanding free kick from Murphy to slip through his grasp.

Liverpool could scarcely believe their good fortune, but celebrations were interrupted when the referee, Jeff Winter, consulted his assistant, Ray Gould, whose flag was raised.

Reid thought the goal should have been disallowed for offside, and said: “It’s not worth a £10,000 fine to have a go at him, but the sooner he gets on Superstars (the television programme in which Winter officiates) permanently, the better.”

The referee ruled that the three players in offside positions were not interfering with play, so the goal stood.

Leeds’ belief withered, their resistance suddenly a tad less resolute, and the rest was all Liverpool, with 19-year-old Florent Sinama-Pongolle taking to the field for his second Premiership game and underlining his potential with a well-taken goal.

Houllier, smiling again after a difficult start to the season, said: “It may not have been our best game, but we took the three points and I think we deserved them. I can understand people getting frustrated, but I think we’ve played 10 good games out of our 12 this season. Sometimes you don’t get what you deserve.”

Substitutes: Liverpoool: Smicer (Murphy 50min), Owen (Sinama-Pongolle 58min), Kewell (Le Tallec 86min)

Leeds: Milner (Sakho 75min), Johnson (Barmby 80min),Pennant (Lennon 82min)

Booked: Batty 63, Matteo 65

Referee: J Winter
Attendance: 43,599

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