Houllier's warning shot for new legion

"Whatever you've done in the past doesn't matter when you come to work in the Premiership," he said. "They won't automatically roll out the red carpet for you.

"You have to prove yourself in terms of management, football, tactics and, of course, results. You have to show you're up to the job."

Having faced the challenge presented by a club of Liverpool's status, Houllier has a good idea of what now confronts Mourinho, Santini and Benitez as they begin their Premiershipcareers this weekend. Benitez, his successor at Anfield, faces the new Tottenham manager Santini at White Hart Lane tomorrow. The 44-year-old Spaniard with a reputation for thoroughness led Valencia to the Spanish title and UEFA Cup last season.

His attention to detail, though, might not appeal to everyone. On leaving Liverpool to join Charlton this week Danny Murphy explained that he wanted the benefit of establishing a "crystal clear" relationship with an English manager.

He could, of course, have gone to Spurs but there he would have had to work under another Frenchman, Santini, who is himself working alongside a Danish sporting director in Frank Arnesen.

Tottenham's success this season will depend on how these two work together. But, as the coach, 52-yearold-Santini is the man in the firing line. He won the league title with unfancied Lyon but his Euro 2004 record as France coach isn't filling Spurs fans with optimism.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the newcomers is Chelsea's brash Jose Mourinho, whose liking for provocative statements reminds me of a young Brian Clough. The former Porto coach clashed with Ferguson last season on his way to adding the European Cup to the UEFA Cup he won the previous season.

"What matters is whether the coach is any good," said Houllier. "His nationality is irrelevant. Football these days is an international language. But working in a foreign country is a challenge for any coach.

"There are different elements to the season, things you have to adapt to. No one plays as many games, for instance, as the English. Coaches coming here from Europe for the first time find it strange and difficult not having a winter break. That changes the way you would normally prepare for the season.

"It is a physical game in England but the big problem for the coach is the number of matches you have to play. That can be difficult to accept when you see the effects it has on some players.

"But I admire the work culture among English players. They're very committed. They like to respond to a challenge. Some of my best memories involve working with English players because they are so receptive.

"What I would say to any coach going to work in England is that the passion the people have for the game actually helps you do your job. It lifts you and the players. If you're passionate yourself the players and the fans respond to you. I found the attitude of the English players helped too. We had a code among all the players at Liverpool. When they were together we all spoke English. It was a sign of respect to the club, the country we were living in and the English players.

"They spoke what they liked when they were apart but when we were together as a group English was the common language. They all accepted that. It was part of the bonding process."

Houllier himself found that he was quickly accepted by his Premiership counterparts.

"Arsene and I had been friends for many years and I knew Alex Ferguson before I joined Liverpool," he recalled.

"But I was soon accepted by all the others - Steve McClaren, Bobby Robson, Sam Allardyce, Kevin Keegan. I had a good relationship with all of them. I was quite proud to feel part of that group."

Foreign coaches had little more than curiosity value when Dr Jozef Venglos took over at Aston Villa in the early nineties. It was the work of Wenger, and then Houllier, that enhanced their status in English football. "Arsene opened the door for the rest of us," said Houllier.

Maybe, among the newcomers, is the coach who will oversee his downfall this season. Houllier, who would like to return to management in England, refuses to be drawn on the likely outcome of the title race.

I suspect, though, that his money is on Arsenal. "Arsene is a very talented man," he said. "I thought that he was going to win the Champions League last season. He was unlucky. It's a shame but the intensity of the domestic programme weighs against the English in Europe."