Especially for fostering creative, conceptual work, the best way to use money as a motivator is to take the issue of money off the table so people concentrate on the work.
"Two or three wins and we would be back in the top half of the table but we need to concentrate on the fact that there are a few errors in our game which can be improved and one of those is the need to defend better, " said Houllier.
The only worry for Chelsea came with a second-half injury to Frank Lampard, while Preston boss Ferguson can now concentrate on his main business of moving Preston up the Championship table.