“If Emile did barge into the referee then he is lucky.

“It’s uncharacteristic of Emile; he was annoyed he didn’t get protection from the referee, but it was an over-the-top reaction. He’s someone I admire and that just isn’t Emile.

“The decision to make the change at half-time was for the team, I needed to make sure we finished with 11 men.”

Gary McAllister.



"He was annoyed he didn't get protection from the referee but it was an over-the-top reaction.”

He's someone I admire and that just isn't Emile. The change at half-time [Heskey was replaced by Marc Albrighton] was for the team. I needed to make sure we finished with 11 men.

"It's not good for someone to leave at half-time but there was red mist there, so it was the best thing. I know he's not happy with the reaction and there will be regret at what happened."

Gary McAllister.


"It's criminal we're not at least eighth with what we've got.

”We've had a season where we're supposed to be moving on from the last regime and basically we've wasted a year and are no further down the line.

“We need to know who is going to be in charge next season. Hopefully Gérard [Houllier] is fine and can carry on but no one knows what is going on. It is a bit of a mess."

Luke Young.



"It has been very difficult at this club, there has been so much that has happened throughout the whole season.

"Full credit to the boys and the staff because we have done well. If other clubs had been in the same situation as us they would have been relegated. So much has changed, we have done well to stay together as a team and keep performing.

"I owe Gérard Houllier tremendously. He has restored belief and confidence. He is a great manager. I think he has got us playing great football and I still believe the best is yet to come.

"His situation's bigger than football. I sent him a text a couple of weeks ago to see how he was and I will probably go and see him this week. I owe him a lot and am very grateful for the opportunities he has given me and the belief he has instilled."

Nigel Reo-Coker.



"It is going to be another summer of no one knowing what's really going on for a while.

”I would hope the manager, first and foremost, is healthy and he comes through the trouble he has been having with his heart.

"I think also we need to know what we are doing, who is going to be taking the club forward, who is going to be making the decision on what players stay and go and who is going to be in charge for next season. Hopefully Gérard is fine and he can carry on but at the minute, let's be honest, no one really knows what is going on.

"We've discussed it ourselves as players, wondering who is going to be making the decisions about who to keep and sell.”

“No one knows. Again.

"That's our job, to do a lot better than we have this year. We are not going to make loads of excuses.

”It is not ideal but, as a group of players, we know where we are in the league is not good enough and we are honest enough as a group to know we haven't done enough.

"I don't feel we should be struggling with the squad we've got and next year let's hope we fly out the blocks a little bit better than we did this year and we really move on.

"Stewart has been brilliant. I played with him at Middlesbrough so I knew the potential that he's got. I feel he would have done a bit more if he had got out a couple of years earlier.

"I think Stewart is starting to believe that he can become an England regular himself. It is just about getting minutes on the pitch for England. It is difficult.

"Now he is showing the form and you've got bigger clubs sniffing at him and it is obviously going to be difficult for us to keep him. We haven't had a great season so I think some of the bigger clubs are having a look at him, and rightly so with the form he has shown.

"You actually need to be given a run of games like Ashley has been given and he has taken his chance and maybe Stewart needs that as well.

“The bigger clubs are circling for Ashley as well so it is going to be a difficult summer for us and hopefully we can keep hold of both of them. We certainly wouldn't want to lose both of them.

"I've always just wanted to play football. I've never not been happy at the club. I just wanted to have a fairer crack and be involved a bit more.

"I had three or four months towards the end of last season where, no matter what I did, I didn't really get a chance. That was my only frustration. I love the club. It's a great club, a big club."

Luke Young.