In defence of Houllier

[Shrek]

Simba wrote:

The fact is that any success he had at Liverpool appears acording to their fans, be have been due to Patrice Bergues. With additional nouse from Phil Thompson. Houllier reminds me a bit of Clough without Taylor. 44 days was it?

I too have wondered about this. If as reported Patrice Bergues did all of the defensive coaching and the tatical work, then maybe this is the reason for his abject failure so far.
 
My thoughts on Houllier changed on wednesday, we splipped into the bottom 3 and it was a home performace reminisent of our worst under MON (even before Heskey got sent off). I was up for giving him a reasonable amount of time and even writing this season off as transition. But relegation is too big a threat

Wasn't Thompson abit like MON jumping up an down on the touchline with real passion?

We are not getting this from Houllier or Mcallister, this lack of passion must filter through too the players.

[achilles]

There is no excuse for Wed and he should have changed it - it was a poor game but one i felt we would win in 2nd half until Heskey had a rush of blood and then we went into panic mode - i would imagine it would be difficult to make decisions when "our fans" are taking the piss by singing "Sacked in the morning"

This was right at the end of the game, was the decision by then whether to resign?

[JJ-AV]

'Patrice won't come for family reasons. We are very close but he phoned me to say he can't come for personal reasons. If things get sorted, he will come. He's got problems he must address.'

Houllier added, 'But there will be somebody else as assistant. Some of the people we are looking at are employed so you have to be careful what we say.'

Maybe those family issues are sorted now?

[sfx412]

Simba wrote:

The fact is that any success he had at Liverpool appears acording to their fans, be have been due to Patrice Bergues. With additional nouse from Phil Thompson. Houllier reminds me a bit of Clough without Taylor. 44 days was it?

I too have wondered about this. If as reported Patrice Bergues did all of the defensive coaching and the tatical work, then maybe this is the reason for his abject failure so far.
 
My thoughts on Houllier changed on wednesday, we splipped into the bottom 3 and it was a home performace reminisent of our worst under MON (even before Heskey got sent off). I was up for giving him a reasonable amount of time and even writing this season off as transition. But relegation is too big a threat

Wasn't Thompson abit like MON jumping up an down on the touchline with real passion?

We are not getting this from Houllier or Mcallister, this lack of passion must filter through too the players.

I sometimes wonder how Ron Saunders was so successful, he was never one for jumping up and down like a disorientated puppet on drugs. He had plenty of disgruntled players in his squad too, not that they lasted too long.

[Simba]

"Wasn't Thompson a bit like MON jumping up an down on the touchline with real passion?"

Yeah: '....sit down Pinnochio!'

[TimTheVillain]

Simba wrote:

The fact is that any success he had at Liverpool appears acording to their fans, be have been due to Patrice Bergues. With additional nouse from Phil Thompson. Houllier reminds me a bit of Clough without Taylor. 44 days was it?

I too have wondered about this. If as reported Patrice Bergues did all of the defensive coaching and the tatical work, then maybe this is the reason for his abject failure so far.
 
My thoughts on Houllier changed on wednesday, we splipped into the bottom 3 and it was a home performace reminisent of our worst under MON (even before Heskey got sent off). I was up for giving him a reasonable amount of time and even writing this season off as transition. But relegation is too big a threat

Wasn't Thompson abit like MON jumping up an down on the touchline with real passion?

We are not getting this from Houllier or Mcallister, this lack of passion must filter through too the players.

I sometimes wonder how Ron Saunders was so successful, he was never one for jumping up and down like a disorientated puppet on drugs. He had plenty of disgruntled players in his squad too, not that they lasted too long.

Different era, different player power.

[Simba]

Mind you- I don't think many of the players would have crossed Ron Saunders. I am afraid that kind of disciplinarian is what we need now.

Discipline or lack of it is the core of the problem to me. If some players don't want to play -sort 'em out. Make an example FGS. But make them play if it is better for the team. Not sideline them. That is cowardice.

Because Houllier gives off this mild mannered -couldn't give a dam- persona he is upsetting all of us. His smugness and a SMILE when asked about his future the other night was arrogance beyond words. His praise of the players after the game even confused THEM!

I sense the squad needs a kick up the arse, some constructive criticsm and be told exactly what is expected of them on the pitch.

My sense is GH is being laughed at behind his back like a too soft schoolteacher. That's why I worry about his ability to turn this around and climb the table with this bunch of players.

Reminds me of the movie :"That Damned United" with Cloughie facing the Leeds players.

[django]

When i first left university i had a job in a coffee shop. Just after i'd started our manager left to manage one of the chains other stores and for about six weeks we didn't have a manager.

The work was easy; open shop, serve coffee, wipe tables. So we were basically fine, possibly not the most motivated and a little sloppy but ok.

Then our new manager Martin arrived (not making this up i swear)

He must have been in quite a difficult position because if he didn't make an immediate impact he would appear to be a useless manager, after all we had been keeping things ticking over without him.

On his first day he made no effort to get to know his staff, he went straight into improving mode. He made the two girls i was working with cry, and he patronisingly showed me how to wipe a table.

I quit the same day because i couldn't face working with the bloke. If I had been on £50k a week, rather than minimum wage, i wouldn't have, but i would still have thought he was a prick, and i imagine however worthwhile his new ideas i would have been resistant to them.

I do have some sympathy for Houllier, bad luck with injuries, poor performances from key players, no chance to bring in his own signings etc. I can't help but feeling that he didn't make a good impression when he first took over, and that the rot may have set in within those first few days as manager.

Kev Mac was obviously popular with the squad so there may have been resistance to GH when he arrived. Judging by his public comments (7th-12th etc) I can't imagine that he was any more diplomatic in private and spent a long time shoring up the confidence of his players and attempting to steady the ship. I suspect he went straight into 'improving' mode and that probably as early as that he may have lost the confidence of the players.

[SteveD]

To borrow your coffee shop analogy briefly, we spent most of last season whinging about the blend of coffees on offer, the richness of the aroma and what makes the perfect cup, and now the guy in charge can't even boil the kettle.

[Pete3206]

A football manager should be an inspiration to his players. He's not there to make tweaks and a bit of an improvement. I want a Villa manager who'll inspire players to run through walls and galvanise the fans to get behind the team. Houllier would probably better suited to a coffee shop.

[Mister E]

I still think he has not been given a fair crack at the job ... but he definitely needs a specialist defence-coach since it seems obvious that we cannot defend effectively (I realise that I've just stated the bleedin' obvious but it has to be said!).
He will need to weed out those 'senior' players who appear to be intractably opposed; that happens when managers join clubs.

The challenge is: can he keep us in the P'ship?!

[Simba]

to borrow your coffee analogy.

He is a      has bean.



*cough*

[Rip Van We Go Again]

To borrow your coffee shop analogy briefly, we spent most of last season whinging about the blend of coffees on offer, the richness of the aroma and what makes the perfect cup, and now the guy in charge can't even boil the kettle.

He's boiled some water, but managed to spill most of it on his foot, which is amazing as it was in his mouth at the time.

[Simba]

Dunne was complaining via third party twitter (I think) about there being no defensive coaching at all, no defensive set piece drills. Nothing with GH and McAllister. All fitnesss work which he had to sit out half because of a knee inflamation problem.

This on Villa News and Views.

[Olneythelonely]

Dunne was complaining via third party twitter (I think) about there being no defensive coaching at all, no defensive set piece drills. Nothing with GH and McAllister. All fitnesss work which he had to sit out half because of a knee inflamation problem.

This on Villa News and Views.

You'll find more truths here than there.