HOULLIER PLEASED WITH CHEYROU

Gerard Houllier was delighted to see Bruno Cheyrou silence his critics with a match winning brace at Anfield yesterday.

Cheyrou has struggled to establish himself as a fans favourite following his arrival from Lille in the summer of 2002 but it was his name that was on the lips of every Liverpudlian after the pulsating FA Cup win over Newcastle.

The French midfielder scored twice to secure a memorable 2-1 win for the Reds, taking his tally to an impressive four goals in his last five appearances, and Houllier believes he has the ability to continue this rich vein of form.

"Bruno gets a lot of criticism even when he is out injured. He did very well pre-season and his passing and prompting was very good," says the boss.

"I picked him for the first game of the season against Chelsea and he went off injured with a back problem. Three months later he came back in the reserves only to break a toe in the first half.

"He scored two good goals laast night and did very well. The season before I signed Bruno he scored 15 goals from midfield and he has the ability to score and create goals."

Official Site