The former Reds boss says he “would be very disappointed” to see the campaign cut short and his old club denied an elusive piece of silverware
Former Liverpool head coach Gerard Houllier is hopeful that the 2019-20 season will resume so that Jurgen Klopp’s men are awarded the title that they “deserve”.
All major football leagues across Europe are on hiatus at the moment due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused 166,094 deaths worldwide to date.
Discussions over a possible return to action over the summer remain ongoing, but much will depend on whether or not government officials decide to lift lockdown measures which have been put in place to contain the spread of the illness.
In the United Kingdom, the public have been told that a state of emergency will continue to be in effect for at least another three weeks, which means Premier League football is unlikely to restart until June at the very earliest.
Players will have to undergo a four-week training camp to get back to up to speed before returning to action, having been left to their own devices in self-isolation over the past month. Klopp’s Liverpool squad will be itching to get back on the pitch more than most, due to the fact they just six points from winning a first league title in three decades.
Houllier won six trophies while in charge of the Reds between 1998 and 2004, but always came up agonisingly short in the top flight, and he does not want to see the club denied the crown they have worked so hard yet again.
“I hope they will restart the competition, because Liverpool are just two wins away from a very long-awaited and deserved title,” the 72-year-old told Talksport. “I would be very disappointed if the season ends now.
“Too many times have Liverpool finished second, so now they really deserve it – even last year they finished with 97 points with one defeat.”
Houllier went on to express his belief that playing out remaining fixtures behind closed doors could cause plenty of issues outside of stadiums, with frustrations likely to boil over if supporters are denied the chance to witness Liverpool’s coronation.
“Even if we play games behind closed doors, there will be great frustration for Liverpool fans,” said the Frenchman. “But I can’t see them not being out in the street anyway just waiting for the players, so maybe it’s better to let them in the stadium.”
Ex-Liverpool midfielder and Talksport co-host Danny Murphy added on the issue: “It’s going to be a big shame.
“We know the passion of the Liverpool supporters and if they can’t be in the stadium to see them win it, although we understand these are unprecedented times and the health of people comes first, it would be a shame that for the first time they’re going to win the title in 30 years the fans are probably not going to be in the stadium to witness it.”
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