Gerard Houllier

[ROBBO]

As there is more animosity toward Houllier than anticipated after such a short period i thought we may get some sort of concensus out of a poll.

[Ads]

I'd like to see what he can do with his own players and a first team to pick from.

[supertom]

Getting his own players is one thing, my major worry is that we look dis-organised and tactically no wiser than under O Neill. The only difference being, O Neill get the very best out of his favourite 13-14 players, and some of which are in fact very, very average.

My second worry is that the management team seems to have alienated some of the dressing room. Fair enough, O Neill did this, but not the players who actually played and got us 3, 6th placed finishes. Granted the little fox hunt buggered off and left us up shit creek, which hasn't help, but we look totally toothless, and defensively brittle under Houllier. We're also poor on the counter attack in comparison to O Neill's era. Losing our best player over the summer didn't help matters either to be fair, and I guess contributed to O Neill's exit, as I'm sure being lumbered with Stephen Ireland in the deal also played its part.

But Houllier has to do something. We'll struggle to attract a decent name player with our predicament. It'll be down to his scouting ability, to find unearthed gems. Trouble is, we do also need some experienced class to help pull us out the mire. Signing more kids will get us only so far.

We're in trouble though. A change of manager for any of the bottom 3 could freshen them up, and we might get sucked down into the mire even more. I'm expecting 0 points from the next two in all honesty.

I think we need a man manager, someone who's good at getting the best out of limited ability and who's shrewd in the transfer market. Big Sam would do me. Granted fuck ugly football, but lets be honest, the Villa has never been the fanciest footballing side around. I'd take hoofing if it meant points on the board. I'd trust Allardyce to pull us clear and give some players the kick up the arse they need. A lot of our seniors just are not giving their all for Houllier. I don't think he's at all inspiring to be frank. McCallister hasn't paid off either. Give Fat Sam 18 months to stabilise the club, then get someone better in.

I'm all for giving time, but I think it'd be wasted and potentially end in disaster for us.

[TopDeck113]

The whole thing is a shambles.

Rather like SGT Mk2, Houllier seems like a man who reckoned he had unfinished business in the English top flight, only to find out that, for whatever reason, he can't now hack it.

If for no other reason that I can't think of another Villa manager who has made as a poor a start and then come good, let's get rid.   I wouldn't be adverse though to moving him upstairs.

[Greg N'Ash]

Give him a transfer window. He's obviously trying to change things but he's got non-performing hoofers who've reverted to type. I'm sure someone like allardyce could come in and improve things quicker but then we're back to square one. If we'll still struggling near the bottom by mid-february then panic

[Toronto Villa]

I say burn him as sacking isn't enough, and bring in Allardyce, Hughton, Holloway or Warnock.

[eamonn]

At least wait til after the next two games before this poll. We all knew it was going to get worse before it improved.

[KevinGage]

The head says give him time but my instincts tell me this is only going to go one way and we might save a lot of pain in the long run if we act decisively now.

 If it was made to look like a decision GH independently came to, that he felt he just wasn't up to it, it could be less damaging to our image. Still damaging that we opted for him in the first place. But at least we wouldn't look like Newcastle, sacking managers at the drop of a hat.

[Legion]

Toronto Villa's Option 2 for me.

[Mac]

I say burn him as sacking isn't enough, and bring in Allardyce, Hughton, Holloway or Warnock.

Your post started badly and went downhill from there.

[dave.woodhall]

Okay. So we get rid now.

Question one. Who's available to replace him?

Question two. Would they come to a club who sacks their manager before he's been able to pick a first choice team or buy a single player?

[Toronto Villa]

I say burn him as sacking isn't enough, and bring in Allardyce, Hughton, Holloway or Warnock.

Your post started badly and went downhill from there.

Please allow me then to throw in Phil Brown and Paul Jewell

[eric woolban woolban]

Come back Deadly!

[ClarrieBlue]

Give him a transfer window. He's obviously trying to change things but he's got non-performing hoofers who've reverted to type. I'm sure someone like allardyce could come in and improve things quicker but then we're back to square one. If we'll still struggling near the bottom by mid-february then panic

Surely MON created a team that was efficient at what it did. Call them hoofers if you want but I'd easily settle for 6th and 2 Wembleys at the moment. To ask the same players to start playing a different game from day one was a gamble to say the least.

[PaulWinch again]

I wouldn't sack him and especially not for Allardyce, I could not face him managing Villa.