Portsmouth - 1 Liverpool - 0 Gerard Houllier emerged from this game with a strangely vacant expression, mumbling excuses about injuries, suspensions and fixture congestion, but it was hard not to see the result as a personal humiliation for him. But then that increasingly appears to be Portsmouth's purpose.

Harry Redknapp, a manager unwanted in the Premiership, hired an assistant in Jim Smith, 63 last Friday, considered too old to be useful and assembled a team largely composed of other rejects. Now they tour the land, taking delight in thumbing their noses at those who lost belief in them.

Houllier's humiliation came not only in the fact that Patrik Berger, a man he considered unworthy of a place in his squad, scored the goal, but in the manner in which his side were beaten. Not for a single minute did Liverpool appear superior to their opponents on any level, be it physically, mentally, tactically or technically.

Afterwards he was the model of disingenuousness. "What I liked about them was their hunger and desire," he said of Portsmouth. "They have probably less talent than we have but they showed a great attitude."

The assessment of Houllier's new captain, Steven Gerrard, was considerably more accurate. "We weren't good enough, it's as simple as that," he said.

Liverpool's mid-table position this morning reflects not misfortune but mediocrity.

For much of the game it did not appear they had received any coaching at all. During the second half every player who likes attacking stood in attack, while all those who do not positioned themselves in defence. In between Portsmouth merrily intercepted their way to the points.

Somehow Houllier, despite his failures, appears secure in his managerial position. Already Liverpool are working on a list of summer transfer targets supplied by their manager, implying that he will be at Anfield not only for the remainder of this season but for the start of next.

But the main reason why he needs time to improve his team is that it has done nothing but deteriorate since the cup treble of 2001.

The glow of superiority which Liverpool teams once possessed has been lost. Tellingly, Redknapp rates a win over the Reds less highly than a draw against Arsenal.

"When you go to Highbury you don't expect anything," he explained. "I felt if we set about it and played as we could play, I felt we could win, I really did. I came here confident that there was a big chance we could win."