Houllier wants siege mentality at Anfield

Liverpool awoke to a blanket of snow here as they prepared for tonight's Uefa Cup third round, second-leg match at the National Stadium against Levski Sofia.

"Although at this stage we are still hopeful that the game can be played, we will have to meet with Bulgarian officials," the Liverpool manager, Gérard Houllier, said.

Although Liverpool are well placed to qualify for the last 16 of the Uefa Cup after a 2-0 win in the third-round first-leg tie at Anfield, Houllier's position and competence has been questioned in the media and by former players. However, the Frenchman has been bullish in defence of himself and his team as he prepares for his 50th European match in charge.

"What counts is the club and the team," he said. "When fans and some former players attack me, they attack my team. They do not help the team in terms of confidence.

"It is like when your house is attacked, maybe even your father is attacked. What you do is to stick together and the bonding is even stronger. It is a siege mentality that teams like Manchester United have used over the years.

"You are either frightened and take flight, or you stick around and fight," he added.

Houllier looks unlikely to change the side that won the match at Anfield and then forced a 2-2 draw at Leeds on Sunday. Liverpool are without John Arne Riise (groin), Florent Sinama-Pongolle (ankle), Vladimir Smicer (Achilles) and Salif Diao (calf).

Sir Bobby Robson has also had a turbulent week, ahead of Newcastle's Uefa Cup third round, second leg against Valerenga tonight, and has hit back at suggestions of strife at St James' Park.

In addition to the confusion over Lee Bowyer's ban, Alan Shearer spoke out after being dropped for last Wednesday's 1-1 draw and then Lomana LuaLua, the player Newcastle loaned to Portsmouth, robbed them of two points at Fratton Park on Sunday.

"I understand Alan being disappointed," Robson said. "I made a manager's decision and every decision I make at this club is in the best interests of every player at the club. But the next match is always the most important - and hopefully, our next match will be in the same competition a week later.

"We're just focusing on nothing else, and all that's in the past is in the past. We're in it together, from the chairman all the way down.

"It won't be easy - you're not playing 11 dustbins out there, you're playing 11 athletes who can fight and challenge."

Robson hasselection problems with Kieron Dyer out for up to two weeks with a hamstring problem, Darren Ambrose still affected by the muscle injury he picked up in the first leg and Bowyer ineligible despite the club's continued efforts to fight a ruling that he has not yet served his six-game European ban.

The full-back Olivier Bernard is suspended following his yellow card in Norway last week, so the 21-year-old midfielder Bradley Orr and the teenagers Steven Taylor, Lewis Guy and Martin Brittain are included.

Celtic will be without several players for their third round, second leg against Teplice in the Czech Republic. John Hartson's season is over as he needs a back operation, while the defender Ulrik Laursen has dislocated a shoulder. The striker Shaun Maloney will be unavailable for a month after suffering a serious knee injury, and Neil Lennon is suspended.