Houllier: Fowler has role to play

Fowler celebrates Michael Owen's Cup final winner

Gerard Houllier has said Robbie Fowler will play his part as Liverpool chase an historic cup treble and Champions League spot.

Speculation in Sunday's newspapers suggested the Liverpool board have all but agreed to sell Fowler in the summer.

But Houllier insists he will need the whole of his squad as he aims to build on their Worthington Cup and FA Cup triumphs.

He has warned against any public criticism from his players of the rotation system now very much in place at Anfield.

So Fowler, unhappy at only starting on the bench against Arsenal at Cardiff, will have to swallow his pride if he wants to stay long-term.

Against Wycombe in the FA Cup, if Robbie hadn't scored the second goal, maybe we would have struggled

  Liverpool boss
Gerard Houllier

Asked if Fowler had a role to play this coming week, Houllier responded: "Yes, he came on well as a substitute against Arsenal."

"Look at the Worthington Cup for example. If Michael Owen hadn't scored against Fulham as a substitute, we wouldn't have won.

"Against Wycombe in the FA Cup, if Robbie hadn't scored the second goal, maybe we would have struggled.

"So it's not a team thing, it's a club thing. Two years ago, we finished the season without Robbie and Michael.

"Last season, we had only Michael and he played only 50% of the games, while we only signed Emile Heskey at the end of the season.

"Strikers are very important and you need freshness. Michael just changed this game."

I may have only been on the field for a few minutes, but I definitely feel I contributed to our win

  Robbie Fowler

The Sunday Mirror claimed the 'right price' for Fowler would be an offer of £17m, citing FA Cup finalists Arsenal, Chelsea, Blackburn and Sunderland as possible bidders.

It reports that West Ham's Frederic Kanoute is the man that Houllier wants for his forward line, while The Sunday Express touts Michael Bridges, currently recovering from injury at Leeds, as a possible replacement.

Fowler himself, on his personal website at icons.com, preferred to reflect on Liverpool's latest piece of silverware.

He said: "I may have only been on the field for a few minutes, but I definitely feel I contributed to our win. That's why I was so happy at the end.

"This was a real team effort. Arsenal caused us a lot of problems and we had to show a lot of spirit and courage to keep them out.

"This Liverpool side has proved to be very resilient and we keep going right to the end. Everyone works for each other, and that is so important."