Gerard's gaffes

[Risso]

“The players have had certain habits for four years and I’m not going to change them in the middle of the season."
 
What an arse!  None of the current defence have been there for four years, and Dunne and Collins have probably played nearly as many games for Houllier as they did for O'Neill!
 
edit:
 

As far as I can see, he's made a valid point about the players getting into a habit, which is only natural when you've had the same manager for four years. GH wants to do it differently to MON, and so change will take a longer period of time to go from MON football to GH football, but the signs are there that we're getting close to being a good side, especially going forward.

What players have been there for four years?  Petrov, Gabby and Young off the top of my head.  How are they to blame for the defensive woes?  Most of the defence that currently play were bought last season, and the kids like Clark have played more games for Houllier than they did O'Neill.

[Concrete John]

Having poor players, or the wrong type to suit his methids, is something he can't address right now.  Simple basics of marking and organising is, so I don;t know what he's on about to be honest!

[Bosco81]

I might be being a bit naive here, but surely a manager/coach can only set out the  tactics and pick the team. Granted we have important players out (again) but the players have to think for themselves during a game as well and unforced errors aren't solely Houllier's fault. I can't think he says "I've got an idea: don't put anyone on the goalline for corners".

Even Ragarse Rovers in the Birmingham Sunday Division 12 would decide before a game if they put players on posts for corners or not.

[Mazrim]

There's been a lot of turmoil and change in the club this season. 3 managers, internal strife, players deciding they'd rather not bother and also a lot of injuries and we're barely able to field the same defence from one week to the next. Literally.
I'm not absolving any blame from Houllier and he has to take at least some. But sometimes there are genuine reasons why things happen and there isn't one particular person or situation to blame, but many and various.

Is it Houlliers fault for instance that on Saturday he had two rookie centre halves, an attacking right back and a right back at left back? No.
And we bossed that game apart from the unfortunate and patently obvious fact that we're weak from set pieces without the senior guys at the back and leaking a goal or two was always likely with a makeshift defence.
Even then we should have won the game and been 3-1 up and almost out of sight. Oh well.

We'll get through it. We'll regroup and strengthen. There are plenty of signs of progress but the weaknesses are killing all that in terms of results at times because they are so fundamental.
There isnt a team in this league that wouldnt have been greatly affected by the injuries we've had this season.

Even the mighty Manchester fucking United get stuffed when Vidic and Ferdinand arent playing.
Houllier knows the problems, he will sort them. You cant say a guy who has had all the success he's had can not see obvious in front of him.
I can forgive him the defensive errors right now because he's had to use kids that are still learning against experienced teams in a very tough, very tight and very unforgiving league. The only thing I cant forgive him for is playing Petrov in any capacity any more.

He's had one transfer window (in which he did well IMO) and no pre season. There's been no real time to mold his team yet and the injury situation has been a joke if it were only funny. This is not Houlliers team yet. Even still there are signs that the style of passing and possession football that so many were lamenting over the last few years (and rightly so) is dramatically improving. All we need to do is start keeping it tight and that will come with the right players returning and being acquired. Our first XI is very competitive and next year will be more still. If we can only get it onto the pitch more often.

[German James]

“The players have had certain habits for four years and I’m not going to change them in the middle of the season."

Even if the habits lead to the defense being as tight as a tea-bag? Very disingenuous thing to say.

I might be being a bit naive here, but surely a manager/coach can only set out the  tactics and pick the team. Granted we have important players out (again) but the players have to think for themselves during a game as well and unforced errors aren't solely Houllier's fault. I can't think he says "I've got an idea: don't put anyone on the goalline for corners".

Even Ragarse Rovers in the Birmingham Sunday Division 12 would decide before a game if they put players on posts for corners or not.

Fair enough. Have they got a coach we can borrow?

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't really understand, if it is entirely about the way MON had them defend, the system he used, why can't we just do that, but do it properly in the meantime?

I appreciate he's had injury problems, but even when Collins, Dunne and Cuellar were consistently around, it wasn't any better.

[brontebilly]

the number of goals conceded last season was the lowest in many a year with the same personnel.

I know there are other factors, there has been a decline in many of our players individually this season, pre season was obviously a shambles and the managerial instability has given players a reason to cop out.

But blaming MON for the current defensive problems are ridiculous as the stats from last season prove.

One small thing that may have affected the lack of defensive quality at set piece time is that last season we generally had either Carew or Heskey playing with Albrighton not involved. Cuellar at right back was also very strong in the air. That is another two very strong players in the air that we dont have this time out.

Still and all, the roster available to Villa this season from a back 4 point of view is one of the stronger ones in the EPL Id argue.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

I am quite worried that he feels he cannot address the defending problems now or at least try to.

Sounds like he has given up for this season.

That is worrying. Why can't he do it now? Two weeks until our next game, so why not spend two weeks working on it?

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

“The players have had certain habits for four years and I’m not going to change them in the middle of the season."
 
What an arse!  None of the current defence have been there for four years, and Dunne and Collins have probably played nearly as many games for Houllier as they did for O'Neill!
 
edit:
 

As far as I can see, he's made a valid point about the players getting into a habit, which is only natural when you've had the same manager for four years. GH wants to do it differently to MON, and so change will take a longer period of time to go from MON football to GH football, but the signs are there that we're getting close to being a good side, especially going forward.

What players have been there for four years?  Petrov, Gabby and Young off the top of my head.  How are they to blame for the defensive woes?  Most of the defence that currently play were bought last season, and the kids like Clark have played more games for Houllier than they did O'Neill.

MON set the Villa team up to play in his style over the four years he was there. All the players brought in along the way were bought to play his way, and because they could, pretty much, play the way he wanted them to and fit into his plans. They may not have been there for four years, but they were brought in because they were MON-type players and players MON wanted and knew could fit into his way of playing. Collins, Dunne, L.Young and Cuellar are examples of this.

[UsualSuspect]

Fuck me how hard is it?

"On corners and free kicks Collins you mark player X, dunne you mark player Y"

That took 10 seconds but for some bizarre reason it is going to take that french twat 6 months.

[Mazrim]

Yes, because that's all there is to it.

[JJ-AV]

What I don't get is, why don't we just revert to type?

KMac knows what they were doing, ask him and continue to defend corners like that until the end of the season. Even if we've nothing to play for a few games to go then do it then, but now? What's the point?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I appreciate he's had injury problems, but even when Collins, Dunne and Cuellar were consistently around, it wasn't any better.

That's the key.
Everybody goes on about injuries, but the defence has been shit even when we've had our first choicers in there.

[Mazrim]

I would say he hasn't played Cuellar enough at centre half, Dunne was unfit for the first half of the season and Collins was not showing the form of last season and has been in and out through injury.

It's not like he's told them to go out and play like shit is it?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

It's not like he's told them to go out and play like shit is it?

Not at all, but the buck stops with him.
How is it that all 3 of those normally dependable players, have had the jitters for virtually every game this season?