It may have served its purpose to demonstrate who wears the trousers in training, but the storm in the Liverpool tea cup appears to have finally been quelled.
Robbie Fowler and Gerard Houllier made their peace yesterday after the striker apologised to Phil Thompson, the assistant manager, for last week's innocuous disagreement which left the darling of the Kop out in the cold. The highest-profile power struggle on Merseyside is supposed to feature the reds against the blues; normal service may now resume.
"Robbie spoke to Phil Thompson before training this morning and he said sorry for what has happened," said Houllier, who, although exasperated, had been unmoved by the laughable impasse. "Both regret that the incident took place and as far as I'm concerned now it's finished."
The fallout always smacked of a playground squabble, but it was transformed into a show of force by Houllier. Not long ago, no one would have dared subject the 26-year-old, hero-worshipped by the fans, to such humbling treatment. Backed up by a quartet of trophies and the hint of a return to the glory days, the Frenchman reacted from a position of massive power.
So, on Saturday, Fowler was made to sit in the stands, while his team-mates laboured on the pitch.
"He knows exactly how I feel about him both as a player and as a person and that hasn't changed," Houllier added. "We've got a lot of games coming up so it is good news for his team-mates and the club that he's back and involved in our preparations." Of course, taking on Fowler was a lot easier when you have Michael Owen giving opponents the runaround every week. Saturday's explosive display was capped with two goals, making 15 in his past 10 appearances, and left Anfield purring in early-season satisfaction.
Jari Litmanen had already slipped the 21-year-old clear only for Shaka Hislop to save before Gary McAllister flicked Markus Babbel's 18th-minute pass into Owen's path. The striker could have hit it first time; instead he teased Rigobert Song, let the ball run across the edge of the area and pummelled it into the bottom corner.
The visitors, their injury-ravaged side patched up for Glenn Roeder's first game in full-time charge, were quick to respond. Trevor Sinclair charged down the flank, cut inside and slipped the ball into the box for Paolo di Canio. Jamie Carragher intercepted before scuffing his clearance and, with the ball rolling towards Svetoslav Todorov, Stephane Henchoz clattered the Bulgarian in the muddle.
Di Canio's cheeky penalty, chipped into the middle of the goal, left Pegguy Arphexad flapping helplessly on the line.
Thereafter, the Londoners' stout defensive display deserved more - but a split-second of doubt cost them dear. Dietmar Hamann found Owen on the edge of the area and the striker, given too much time to shift the ball on to his right foot by Christian Dailly, ripped his shot across Hislop into the far corner.
"The difference between the sides was one man," said Roeder. "I first came across Michael at Bisham Abbey when Glenn Hoddle gave me a part-time role with England and he did to Gareth Southgate what he did to us today. But this is something for us to build on." The West Ham manager will this week attempt to recruit new personnel. "I've had plenty offered and I've seen plenty more," he said, "but I've got the Frank Lampard money to spend -£11 million - and I'm trying to stretch that to three players."
That trio will not include Atletico Madrid's Bosnian defender Mirsad Hibic, but a move to re-sign Don Hutchison from Sunderland appears likely. The Wearsiders' player of the year, whose wife is keen to return south, would cost around £5 million.
LIVERPOOL: Arphexad, Babbel (Riise 45), Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher, Murphy (Redknapp 72), Hamann, McAllister, Biscan (Barmby 56), Owen, Litmanen. Subs Not Used: Nielsen, Traore. Booked: Carragher. Goals: Owen 18, 77.
WEST HAM: Hislop, Schemmel, Dailly, Song, Winterburn, Sinclair, Carrick, Moncur (McCann 70), Cole (Courtois 79), Todorov (Defoe 72), Di Canio. Subs Not Used: Forrest, Soma. Booked: Dailly, Moncur, Todorov, Sinclair, Di Canio. Goals: Di Canio 30 pen.
Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).
