How long before......

[Concrete John]

I disagree that he's not played 2 up front, he's done that frequently this season, Young has played up front numerous times.

That's a 4-4-1-1 formation at best.  I'm talking about two recognised strikers starting a game together.

[peter w]

Although the defence has bene poor it has been exposed by a very inexperienced central-midfield. take away the Newcastle debacle and its only been in thre last month or so where the defence really has been dire and that is when we have had the youngsters playing in front of them. just a lack of experience exposing those at the back. that makes their job extra hard as they get sucked out of the position they are supposed to be in to try and cut out the ball being put through.

i'm not blaming the midfield for this but it is what it is. On top of the players anxiety gets raised when goals get shipped in leading to a loss of confidence. You defend as a teamn and not a back 4, or 5. getting the little nick on a header, a block, an interception, it really all should be done befor ethe back 4 have to clear up or defend deep. We are being dragged out of our shape and until the midfield can learn to keep their shape then the back 4 will always be on a hiding to nothing.

[KevinGage]

I do think he has less margin for error than most of the managers we've recently appointed.

MON was a popular choice at the time, and that gave him breathing space when we had a horror run between Nov 2006-March 07.  Even DOL was the fans favourite for the gig according to polls in 2003, so again, he had room for manoeuvre when we had a slow start in 2003/04. Combined with a tendency to blame all our ills on Ellis, of course.

GT wasn't the overwhelming favourite for the gig in 2002, but had a fair degree of latitude owing to respect most had for the job he did first time around.

Houllier has none of that. Most will understand that his arrival was down to timing as much as anything else but the fact is he wasn't a popular choice. Health concerns, being virtually in semi retirement, his latter years at Liverpool and all the rest of it.

Winning the LC would have given the appointment some real credibility but going out in the manner we did won't have helped his cause.


He needs support from the board to bring his own players in and to implement his ideas. But in the same way that winning can become a habit not winning can become one too. If we finish the season roughly where we are now he could well be on his way in the summer. Or if not then, certainly if we have a slow start to 2011/12.

[Villa'Zawg]

I'm hopeful that we can pull out of this slump but i won't feel comfortable until we reverse the worst defensive record since we were last relegated. Things will be very tense if we are in the relegation zone when we go back to the sty in January.

When you consider how much disturbance there was around O'Neill in the months leading up to his resignation, we shouldn't have been caught completely on the hop.

 I don't know if/when people will start to seriously call for his head and I don't know how Houlier and/or Lerner will react to that if it happens. I just hope Faulkner is doing his homework this time.

[Villa'Zawg]

If this is how he wants to play I can see him looking at replacing the whole back 4 with new players in the next 2 windows.

I think we'd be OK passing wise with a central partnership of Collins and Clark, which could be his longterm thinking, but I am increasingly expecting to see two new fullbacks brought in.

Cueller, Collins, Dunne and L Young was the tightest defence in the league last season when they played together.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

If this is how he wants to play I can see him looking at replacing the whole back 4 with new players in the next 2 windows.

I think we'd be OK passing wise with a central partnership of Collins and Clark, which could be his longterm thinking, but I am increasingly expecting to see two new fullbacks brought in.

Cueller, Collins, Dunne and L Young was the tightest defence in the league last season when they played together.

This is what puzzles me.
The kids have done okay, but it's the above very experienced back 3 of 4 that have let us down.
If they'd played to their potential, we'd be in the top 6 now, despite the crippling injuries.

Cuellar has to come in now.

[Phil from the upper holte]

He needs at least 2 seasons to sort us out in my opinion

[Concrete John]

He needs at least 2 seasons to sort us out in my opinion

Given that he inherited a squad that was hardly changed from that which finished top 6, I'd say it's two windows he needs not two seasons.  I'd expect us to be flying from August 2011 onwards.

[Villa'Zawg]

I do think he has less margin for error than most of the managers we've recently appointed.

MON was a popular choice at the time, and that gave him breathing space when we had a horror run between Nov 2006-March 07...

That run was very similar to the form we've shown so far this season, I nthink the biggest difference between then and now is that we were on 21 points from 12 games and in 3rd place when the slump started.

[darren woolley]

We have to give him time, he has to bring in his own players that's at least two transfer windows and then he has to get them to play his way which will take time, i think the youngster's have done fantastic job for us while the injured players have been out so i am happy to give him the time he need's.

[pedro25]

No Young has played right up top at times no question, he was bought as a striker as well.  It wasn't just Newcastle early doors we were leaky at the back, Vienna at home and Stoke away spring to mind too and we weren't too sharp at Spurs either.

[Monty]

I actually think a big part of our problem is that Young goes too far forward, leaving him with his back to goal and pretty much ineffective.

[Concrete John]

No Young has played right up top at times no question, he was bought as a striker as well.

Sorry, but no he hasn't and no he wasn't.  Yes, there have been times when he's found himself in the centre foward position, such as when he's the only man left upfield when we're defending set pieces and therefore spearheading any counter attacks, but when we have the ball he's involved deeper and wide. 

[CJ]

A friend of mine is a (reasonably) well-known Sky Sports reporter and since the day Houllier arrived he's been constantly telling me I'll be calling for him to go by Christmas.  I keep telling him that the likes of Bannan and Albrighton would still be in the stiffs or on loan, let alone NRC being on the pitch, and that  I'll judge him this time next year when he's had a couple of transfer windows, an opportunity to shift the deadwood, a full uninjured squad and a full pre-season to really stamp his style on our play.

[regular_john]

No Young has played right up top at times no question, he was bought as a striker as well.[/quote

Actually Young was bought as a striker and played his first few games in that position before being put out wide, where he was cack for a while until he settled in to the role.

Sorry, but no he hasn't and no he wasn't.  Yes, there have been times when he's found himself in the centre foward position, such as when he's the only man left upfield when we're defending set pieces and therefore spearheading any counter attacks, but when we have the ball he's involved deeper and wide.