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Former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has praised Brendan Rodgers and insists that he now deserves to win the Premier League title.

The Frenchman, who managed the Reds between 1998 and 2004 says the Rodgers has implemented a winning style of play and for that he deserves to win the league.

He said: "You've got to praise him for the work he's done and for the style of play he's given to the team. Also the type of players he's chosen. It's his team, it's his team, his own players.

"We have to give credit to Brendan because he's done a great job and he deserves a title, even if it looks early. If they finish top I will be very happy for all of them and for the fans.

"It looks as if there's a good combination of youth and experience. The youth are full of confidence but for me the most important factor is the quality of their play. The quality of their game is outstanding and that could win them the title."

Houllier, who finished second with the Reds in 2001, believes the Liverpool are capable of winning their last six fixtures - and if they do that they will take the title.

He continued: "They are six wins away from winning the league. The cards are in their hands, fortunately they play Chelsea and Manchester City at home and also Newcastle.

"That means three games they could win and also the venues away from home are winnable games, there’s a good chance. I said that about a month-and-a-half ago, I said they’ve got a good chance to win it."

Houllier believes the impact of Rodgers could be seen in the early stages of last season - and Liverpool are reaping the rewards of the system, and young players, he has put in place.

He said: "Maybe a few players have won things before and some players have never won anything. But they are young, talented with the right attitude and they work for each other and that brings confidence to the team.

"I saw Liverpool play last season in the early stage. They played Everton and they drew 2-2 it was a fantastic game of football and you could see there was a different philosophy. You can feel that the team has been practically told to play a system of play to help their qualities.

"This is where to coach's job is important - to make your players better every day."

It's no surprise that Houllier singled out Steven Gerrard for praise - he gave a young Gerrard his debut back in 1998.

"Steven Gerrard plays an important role because when he speaks they listen to him. He's not only a leader but an outstanding footballer. In the position he plays he sets the tempo because he can use short or long passing. He can do everything," he explained.

Raheem Sterling was another recipient of Houllier's glowing praise.

He said: "Sterling seems to have gone up another level. He's more mature in his game and hes strong. He can bully other players I was imp by his game today. They have three players up front so you need five to defend against them.

More on the match:

Click here for our match report , here for Dave Prentice's analysis , here for video of John Aldridge celebrating the goals and here for what we learned after the game.

We've also got top tweets and reaction after the match and a breakdown of the game in numbers .