Not often is a manager afforded a press conference to confirm what is in effect his sacking.

But then, in retrospect, there was very little that conformed to the accepted norm during Gerard Houllier's time at Liverpool.

On this day in 2004, Houllier was sat alongside Reds chief executive Rick Parry inside the bowels of the old Main Stand at Anfield to declare there had been an amicable parting.

Just 48 hours earlier, the Frenchman had insisted he was "100% certain" he enjoyed the confidence of the club's board.

Yet here Houllier was, the official line being he had left by mutual consent to spare him the ignominy of becoming the first Liverpool manager sacked in almost half a century.

He was betrayed by his own words. "I want to make clear how much this club means to me," said Houllier. "I would have been extremely happy to carry on with my job. Actually, I wanted and intended to.

"The reason we have agreed to part company is the sudden excessive pressure on the board and myself. I can cope with the pressure, but I thought it could be harmful to the players next season. That's why we agreed to come to this situation. I've always said that the club comes first. I'm not here for myself, but for Liverpool. I may have left Liverpool but Liverpool will not leave me."

As odd as the circumstances of the parting were, there was a sense of the inevitable after a notable decline in the previous two seasons.

Houllier had arrived in 1998 with a remit to take Liverpool into the 21st Century. After the initial mistep of a brief joint-managerial role with Roy Evans, Houllier went on to rebuild the team and oversee changes at Melwood that ultimately led to the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup treble in 2001 and a Premier League runners-up spot the following campaign.

That, though, would be the high point. Liverpool were four points clear after 12 games the following season when they went to Middlesbrough and lost dismally 1-0. It prompted a run of 11 games without a win that ultimately cost them Champions League qualification on the final day.

Fourth place and a return to Europe's top table was earned the following season despite an at times tortuous term in which supporters had grown tired of the lack of entertainment and the failure of signings such as Bruno Cheyrou, El Hadji Diouf and Salif Diao. And Houllier, for quite understandable reasons, was never quite the same after his brush with death in October 2001, while his excuses explaining another disappointing performance had worn thin with the fanbase.

With Houllier on his way out, Liverpool had already drawn up a shortlist that included Alan Curbishley, Steve McLaren and Gordon Strachan among the second tier of targets.

The main two, though, were Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez, although there was an acceptance the former may have already agreed a move to Chelsea from Porto.

It left Benitez as the man to pick up the mantle and take Liverpool on to the next level. But it had only been made possible by Houllier's impact - and Liverpool, given the almost apologetic manner in which he was ushered through the exit, have always been grateful.