CAST your mind back exactly four years, to the wettest day in North-East football history.

And amid the current carnage of Newcastle United's Champions League exit, consider this: where would the club be now had they won that derby with Sunderland?

Ruud Gullit would have remained in charge, beyond the end of August 1999 at least, and perhaps the damage his ill-fated reign inflicted on Newcastle would have been irreparable.

Today, the Premiership throws up another derby that could define the managerial future of a foreign manager. Across the Pennines, the sixth year of Gerard Houllier's five-year plan has begun with the Liverpool boss under the most intense scrutiny.

Just ten months ago, Liverpool were on top of the Premiership, having won nine and drawn three of their opening 12 games.

After climbing the ladder, even the most unfortunate board game player could not have slipped so far down so many snakes.

So, following a trio of dreary displays, the Premiership's nearlymen face a crunch question that their manager is begging them to answer in the affirmative.

Will the real Liverpool please stand up?

If the plight of the one-time kings of Europe had escaped your attention, then contemplate this: Steven Gerrard has already written off their title chances.

A defeat to Chelsea, plus goalless draws with mid-table fodder Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, has been enough for Gerrard to make that alarming judgment.

True, they might already be seven points behind Manchester United and Arsenal - but Gerrard's comment shows the complete lack of morale at Anfield.

Whether a meeting with Everton presents Gerrard and his teammates with the perfect chance to right the wrongs of the last fortnight is a moot point.

The good news for Liverpool is that the derby atmosphere should galvanise the players into producing their best form.

A fourth successive win at Goodison could also kick-start their season after a stuttering start.

The bad news is that Everton, arguably the most hard-working of all Premiership sides, are waiting to devour the wounded animal.

And for Houllier, just like Gullit before him, a derby defeat could apply the coup de grace to his ailing regime.

To be fair, the Liverpool boss has been his own worst enemy at times: why, for heaven's sake, did he buy left-winger Harry Kewell - and play him on the right?

Kewell was moved to a free role behind the strikers on Wednesday, and at least that made the Reds a more potent attacking force as they created a welter of opportunities.

Still they could not score their first goal of the season from open play, but with Michael Owen in their team the breakthrough will come soon enough.

The question that will determine Houllier's future is: will it come soon enough for him?