I shall be sad if Gerard Houllier leaves Liverpool. This is not in any sense a footballing opinion, it is a purely aesthetic one. Houllier has one of the most telegenic and interesting faces of any Premiership manager. Not since Droopy was a feature on Rolf’s Cartoon Time has a screen face been so eloquently woeful. The slightly square head, the cast of the mouth, the large eyes, the huddle of the shoulder in his huge overcoat and red scarf – when results are disappointing everything about him suggests a man whose life has become one long sigh of “Bof!”. Most managers have expressive faces but the expressions in question tend to be “stern” or “furious” or very occasionally “joyful” – it will be a pity to lose “existentially rueful” entirely from the lexicon. A glittering career as a Stella ad character actor surely awaits.