Thompson shrugs off criticism of tactics

The news that Markus Babbel has been diagnosed with Guillan-Barre Syndrome, a potentially life-threatening illness, last night cast a shadow on Liverpool's preparation for their Champions' League tie against Roma. The German international is now in hospital in his home country.

Guillan-Barre Syndrome is a disease of the nervous system which can result in creeping paralysis, eventually affecting respiration. It can prove fatal but Liverpool believe Babbel has been diagnosed early enough to prevent such tragic consequences. The club said there was a chance he will be able to resume training by March, but that seems optimistic. The defender has already been out since August with a virus and, though he was recovering from that, it is thought its debilitating effects led to this latest disorder.

Phil Thompson's grim mood was not helped when he arrived in Rome to find his team again accused of being boring. The first criticism, from Fabio Capello, he shrugged off. The coach of Roma had said, earlier in the day, that Liverpool played like Helenio Herrera's Internazionale. Herrera's team, which perfected catenaccio defence, became a byword for negativity. They also reached three European Cup finals, winning two. "Were they successful?" asked Thompson. "They were, so I'll take that as a compliment."

Another Italian journalist then said he had been told the best way to play Liverpool was to give them the ball, because all they could do was counter-attack. Thompson, having established the source of the criticism was Graeme Souness, the manager of Blackburn Rovers and a old foe, responded: "We must have scored 127 goals on the break last season then." He added: "It is disrespectful to Liverpool to say we are just a counter-attacking team."

Unsurprisingly, a question about Robbie Fowler was immediately blanked. Danny Murphy, however, was prepared to speak about the impact of Liverpool's last Champions' League game a fortnight ago when they had been humiliated by Barcelona.

Having, like Thompson, made the fair point that Liverpool had matched Barcelona for the first 80 minutes, he said: "Maybe it put things in perspective. We had been winning a lot of games. Maybe we had began to believe we were better than we were. Sometimes you need a kick up the backside. We have to learn from it."

While Barcelona were winning 3-1 at Anfield, Roma were bringing back a point from Istanbul. With Barcelona unlikely to lose to Galatasaray in the Nou Camp tonight, a defeat here would thus leave Liverpool four points adrift of the qualifying places with a third of the programme gone. "People say we have to win but teams qualified from the last stage after losing twice," Thompson said. "That said, we are here to win. We believe in our own ability and believe we can."

They did so last year, by two Michael Owen goals to nil in the Uefa Cup. Despite being overrun in a controversial second-leg at Anfield, they held on to go through. Another brace tonight would bring up Owen's century of goals for Liverpool – in his 179th match. It would also take his tally to 21 goals in 20 games this season and a psychological edge before the World Cup: Roma's sweeper is Walter Samuel, of Argentina.

Tonight's kick-off will be preceded by a medley of Beatles songs, both to honour the late George Harrison and defuse tension between supporters. Skirmishes both in 1984 and last year resulted in Liverpool fans being stabbed. The earlier incidents had severe repercussions, the following year's Heysel disaster being in part prompted by vengeful Liverpool supporters. The mutual animosity was further exacerbated by playing "Arriverderci Roma" on the Tannoy after Liverpool's Anfield victory.

Such petty behaviour would not have happened in Liverpool's golden era. This season, top of the English league and in the European Cup, is more redolent of the old days. Tonight may show just how far the clock has been rolled back.

Roma (3-5-2): Antonioli; Zago, Samuel, Zebina; Lima, Emerson, Tommasi, Guigou, Candela; Totti, Batistuta.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Dudek; Carragher, Hyypia, Henchoz, Riise; Gerrard, Murphy, Hamann, Smicer; Owen, Heskey.

Referee: D Jol (Netherlands).