Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has hit back at claims from French Under-21 coach Raymond Domenech about his management of French youngsters Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama-Pongolle. Domenech blasted Houllier for failing to give the duo regular action after they arrived at Anfield in the summer following a year on loan at Le Havre. He told L'Equipe: "It is abnormal for boys of their age to play so rarely. It is a true problem. When I see in which form they arrived... Anthony (Le Tallec) is out of fitness, he is not even playing the reserve team matches. "It is a worry and I think the two players start to understand that. When I think their coach is a former coach from the national team! He is not allowed to sign them and not play them. It is a mess," blasted Domenech. However, Houllier has denied any wrong doing and insists he'll bring on the duo slowly and that they knew that situation when they signed. "I won't start a controversy, they are not out of form," said Houllier. "Anthony is in the group and will start soon. They played matches and had the same preparation as the rest of the team. I appreciate them very much and I am very happy to have signed them. "Moreover, I didn't force them to sign. I warned them they will need time. The English league is special and you need a time to adapt: perhaps six months," he added.
yes, it will take a while for them to beak into regular 1st team action at L'pool (unless that team goes through another crisis like last year). They should definitely be in Ligue 1.
Houllier is an idiot. He says they should be introduced to the English game, but he won't play them, even in reserve games! Everyone was right. He should have loaned them out to a Ligue 1 team. But seeing how that is foreclosed now, he should loan them to England Div. 1. They could really make an impact on someone's promotion campaign.
If le Houllier was in front of me right le now, I would not le shake his hand. I almost think he has been le bought by england FA to destroy le supremacy of le football Français by le wasting our talented young players.