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Author Topic: Gerard's tactics  (Read 22774 times)

Offline Phil from the upper holte

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #15 on: October 31, 2010, 06:37:13 PM »
Houllier bottled it today. He was too scared to lose the game, than gamble and try to win it. You may not want to hear it, but both O'neill and O'leary have had better starts to their Villa management careers. Too many similarities to GT mk2, and I feel we are going backwards. I will give him time, i.e transfer windows to build his team, but I feel he is out of touch having been out of the game for so long, and McCallister is only with us until he can get something better. I have no affinity with them both. It doesn't feel like my club anymore.

So, you say you'll give him time, then promptly go on to sound like you're not.

Today was his fifth league game in charge of us (and the two others, league cup games, we won).

It's hard to imagine what people expect from a manager parachuted in to a club which had lost its manager five days before the start of the season, with no knowledge of the set up of the club or the players.

We've a new manager, and a new management team - in fact, the entire football management of the club bar KM and TM has been replaced over the last few weeks - and such wholesale changes do not settle down quite so quickly.

The one glaringly obvious thing we have missed recently is someone who can be relied on to score goals, to put chances away. That was something we lacked for two years. Houllier hasn't had the chance to rectify that yet. It seems somewhat harsh to give him a hard time over it.

Spot on, give the man chance to make his mark.

We haven't got a decent striker at the moment, Gabby's out and Heskey had no help really. he's never been prolific anyways has he?

Offline Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #16 on: October 31, 2010, 07:02:34 PM »
His tactics is to get the team to pass the ball to each other. He's said as much, it's just a case of making the players aware that they're capable of it and they don't need to hoof the ball as often as they do.

The first 2 minutes of the game today was a sign that we're more than capable of putting some nice passes together. Blues didn't touch the ball in that opening period.

Offline hawkeye

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #17 on: October 31, 2010, 07:06:34 PM »
I dont think he has much choice, we have seen his comments on Ireland, Banan came on but i dont think many would have started him today, Carew is not interested or carrying the back problem, Fonz has not done anything to show that he is Prem level yet, tell me who else we have at the moment?

Offline supertom

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #18 on: October 31, 2010, 08:11:47 PM »
To be honest I'd been thinking it was probably a wise idea to play Clark or Collins as a holding midfielder. If we play 3 out of Ireland, Ash, DJ Stewey, Albrighton, sometimes all, then we're far, far too lightweight. Coker has done great, but even he will need help sometimes.

Saying that, I do feel it wasn't warranted in todays game. At least not with Sidwell playing too.

I don't really worry about Houlliers tactics really. I'm glad he's thinking and trying things out. But in fairness to him, our squad has a serious imbalance in the middle of the park. We're also struggling up front without Gabby.

GH has one arm tied behind his back to be fair to him. Roll on january.

Offline PeterWithe

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #19 on: October 31, 2010, 08:14:47 PM »
I wasn't in the least impressed, playing for a draw from the start against that lot is pretty poor stuff. We saw in the last five minutes what would happen if we had a go at them.

Offline Mister E

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #20 on: October 31, 2010, 08:45:35 PM »
His tactics is to get the team to pass the ball to each other. ...
The first 2 minutes of the game today was a sign that we're more than capable of putting some nice passes together.
And the other 88?
I'm not a knocker of what we're trying to do but the tactics were not good today. See my earlier comment (on page 1 of this thread).

Online eric woolban woolban

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #21 on: October 31, 2010, 09:02:19 PM »
Was I the only one who thought young Clark has the Gareth Barry about him (and I don't mean a fat arse).

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #22 on: October 31, 2010, 09:09:16 PM »
In fairness Gabby was what injured for 5-6 games in 4 years under the previous manager. Under GH he's been injured for 4-5 games already. He's our best striker by a long way and we miss him badly.

Is it any surprise aswell that a team constructed to draw I think has drawn 16 times at home in the previous two seasons struggled to break down SHA today?

Only disappointment with GH today is he didn't bring on extra pace for the last ten minutes in terms of the Fonz as the long balls to Dann and Johnson to head away were easy for them.

Give GH time and judge him in a year. I expect us to have a much better second half of the season once he makes a few signings and we have more winnable home games.

Offline Toronto Villa

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #23 on: October 31, 2010, 09:12:34 PM »
He's playing the cards he was dealt. I really cannot believe how some people are just dying for the man to fall. I really hate this era of wanting everything now, and not being patient to see something built. We now have a manager with a proven track record of winning things wherever he has been, yet after a handful of games some people, given their far superior wisdom already have the knives out. As has been said by many rational people on here, he took over a team devoid of leadership and confidence and has asked them to do a lot of things that are different to the past 4 years. We have a coaching staff now who believe in playing the game on the ground, but it will take some time for those beliefs to bed in. The next number of months will reveal to them who can or cannot meet those basic tasks. Some will sink, others will swim. Those who can't play that will be replaced by those who can. It's quite simple if you think about it, and quite exciting thinking of the possibilities.

GH is going to make every player take a long hard look at themselves. Either you are with us, or you're not. And if you're not, then you're going to replaced. I firmly believe he has targets in mind of proven quality to make us significantly better than we are much sooner than many people might think.

Offline glasses

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #24 on: October 31, 2010, 09:14:00 PM »
I will give him time Paulie, but thats how I feel right now. I'm yet to be convinced otherwise. Just compare his results to what we achieved in the same fixtures last season. Then compare his results to the afore mentioned previous managers after the same amount of games. Why am I wrong to be concerned about this?

Offline glasses

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #25 on: October 31, 2010, 09:18:22 PM »
Was I the only one who thought young Clark has the Gareth Barry about him (and I don't mean a fat arse).
I said exactly the same. He was my MOTM, despite the fact that he shouldn't have been anywhere near the first 11. A pleasant surprise. He was the only midfielder who looked forward.

Offline Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #26 on: October 31, 2010, 09:18:43 PM »
His tactics is to get the team to pass the ball to each other. ...
The first 2 minutes of the game today was a sign that we're more than capable of putting some nice passes together.
And the other 88?
I'm not a knocker of what we're trying to do but the tactics were not good today. See my earlier comment (on page 1 of this thread).

My point was that our players can pass the ball well and need to do it throughout a whole game, not in short spells (though not usually as short as today!).

Offline Toronto Villa

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #27 on: October 31, 2010, 09:21:20 PM »
I will give him time Paulie, but thats how I feel right now. I'm yet to be convinced otherwise. Just compare his results to what we achieved in the same fixtures last season. Then compare his results to the afore mentioned previous managers after the same amount of games. Why am I wrong to be concerned about this?

It's not about being wrong. If MON was still manager, then we might have expected similar results. However, that style of management and tactics can only take us so far. GH is in the process of changing tactics, the philosophy and mentality of the club. Last season it was the same 11 for most of the season. This season we have barely used the same 11 in consecutive games. Those squad players are being asked to step up. We know our regular first XI is quite good, but with Milner now departed it is weaker than last year. It means that the others have to start to prove themselves and fill the massive void. Add to that Gabby being injured almost all season, and you could argue to 2 of our most influential players from last season have played no part in our season. That's some big shoes to fill and losing two top players for any team is going to have an impact in addition to everything else that is going on at the club.

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #28 on: October 31, 2010, 09:25:50 PM »
I will give him time Paulie, but thats how I feel right now. I'm yet to be convinced otherwise. Just compare his results to what we achieved in the same fixtures last season. Then compare his results to the afore mentioned previous managers after the same amount of games. Why am I wrong to be concerned about this?

It's a much poorer league this season outside the top 3. Liverpool are worse than last season, spending 300m makes you lose to Wolves and Spurs have lost to West Ham and Wigan already so I'd say finishing in the top 6 won't require as many points as last season.

If things don't pick up in the second half of the season I'd get worried as we have lots of winnable home games then.

Offline glasses

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Re: Gerard's tactics
« Reply #29 on: October 31, 2010, 09:34:44 PM »
Fair enough TV. I feel his tactics have been utter shite with the personnel he has at his disposal. I agree the pass and move mentallity is the way forward, but we are not going to get results while we have the existing players being asked to do things that they aren't capable of. As for playing no strikers against Burnley! O'Neill would have been hung out to dry had that have been him. In short I will give him time to build his team and play his way, but he needs to accept that the players he has are more influential playing a different style to what he wants. A master tactician uses the resources at his disposal to the best of their respective abilities. For me, Houllier is not doing this right now.

 


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