Gabby: I did think about leaving.

[nick harper]

No doubt I'm in  minority but I enjoyed some of the football we played last season and how he wanted us to play. Sure we had some disasters, particularly in the first half of the season and he probably changed things too quickly but I thought we were getting on the right lines.

We'll never know but if he had cleared out the players who didn't buy into his philosophy or who he didn't rate anyway, and brought in the ones he clearly had planned, the football at least would be better to watch. All ifs and maybes but that's my take on things.

[ktvillan]

Clash of cultures.  MON had put together a squad of players suited to a rather functional, straightforward British old school approach, many were his favourites and some seemed undroppable, and as other have said probably in a nice little comfort zone.

GH triying to apply a totally different ethos with more emphasis on technique, posession and rotation was almost bound to cause friction.  GH didn't help things by trying to change things way too quickly,  communicating appallingly, if at all, and employing McCallister who seems to have been a large part of the problem.  Might have worked better if he'd managed to get Phil Thompson in or his second choice assistant (can't remember who now) .

Gabby obviously didn't like the rotation because it meant he wasn't automatic first choice.  To say there was too much rotation - well tell that to Alex Ferguson who hasn't done too badly employing it.

[SoccerHQ]

Wonder why he signed that contract then?

Is he just saying what he thinks we want to hear?

Taking the focus off McLeish?

Probably thought (correctly) that he'd outlast Houllier here.

[Matt C]

On one hand I think Gerard tried to change too much too soon and perhaps the game had moved on a tad from his previous front line job. Equally though some of the player attitudes - I don't like this so I'm not going to try - was pretty awful behaviour.

[Chris Smith]

Pissing off half of your first team squad doesn't seem to me to be smart management. He might have good ides on how the game should be played but it's not much use if the players don't want to play for him.

[Iago]

Gabby obviously didn't like the rotation because it meant he wasn't automatic first choice.  To say there was too much rotation - well tell that to Alex Ferguson who hasn't done too badly employing it.

We cannot compare ourselves to Manchester United with our expectations.

Both clubs have two totally different attitudes; one club strives to be the best each season and the other is simply happy to be food for the "super" clubs.

[Chris Smith]

Gabby obviously didn't like the rotation because it meant he wasn't automatic first choice.  To say there was too much rotation - well tell that to Alex Ferguson who hasn't done too badly employing it.

We cannot compare ourselves to Manchester United with our expectations.

Both clubs have two totally different attitudes; one club strives to be the best each season and the other is simply happy to be food for the "super" clubs.

Or you can compare a club that is one of the richest in the world with one that isn't.

[ktvillan]

No doubt I'm in  minority but I enjoyed some of the football we played last season and how he wanted us to play. Sure we had some disasters, particularly in the first half of the season and he probably changed things too quickly but I thought we were getting on the right lines.

We'll never know but if he had cleared out the players who didn't buy into his philosophy or who he didn't rate anyway, and brought in the ones he clearly had planned, the football at least would be better to watch. All ifs and maybes but that's my take on things.

You probably are in a minority but I'm there with you - despite his gaffes, and alienation of half the squad, I much preferred the type of football we were beginning to play under GH and was really looking forward to seeing who he would bring in to take us further down that route.  Which is why I was especially pissed off when he left to be replaced by the Dour-Meister himself.

[ktvillan]

Gabby obviously didn't like the rotation because it meant he wasn't automatic first choice.  To say there was too much rotation - well tell that to Alex Ferguson who hasn't done too badly employing it.

We cannot compare ourselves to Manchester United with our expectations.

Both clubs have two totally different attitudes; one club strives to be the best each season and the other is simply happy to be food for the "super" clubs.

Not really comparing us to United as such just mentioning them as an example where rotation works pretty well and has done for twenty odd years - probably a fair part of the reason why United are where they are now.  I don't see why rotation can't work for any club.  Several advantages in that it involves all squad players, rests others, keeps the opposition guessing a bit, gives junior squad members valuable experience etc.  Perhaps Gabby was just a bit miffed that he went from automatic choice under MON to not so automatic under GH "rotation". 

[JJ-AV]

Gabby can do no wrong in my eyes.

[Iago]

Gabby obviously didn't like the rotation because it meant he wasn't automatic first choice.  To say there was too much rotation - well tell that to Alex Ferguson who hasn't done too badly employing it.

We cannot compare ourselves to Manchester United with our expectations.

Both clubs have two totally different attitudes; one club strives to be the best each season and the other is simply happy to be food for the "super" clubs.

Or you can compare a club that is one of the richest in the world with one that isn't.

No, that is the easy way out.

Everything has a starting point or did Manchester United appear on the "Eighth Day" with mega riches? Nope, they had a belief in themselves and grew from that original idea. We can also grow, but there seems to be no real urgency to evolve from the current board, which is a great shame for loyal supporters who still have the great burden of caring about the ambition of the club.

I suppose, if we keep plodding along we may win the league cup by 2030.

[Chris Smith]

Results were much better when Gabby was starting than when he was being rotated so it wasn't that clever a move.

It's starting to look like our improvement at the end of last season was in spite of the manager rather than having anything to do with him with the onagers going back to what they'd been doing the year before.

[Iago]

Gabby obviously didn't like the rotation because it meant he wasn't automatic first choice.  To say there was too much rotation - well tell that to Alex Ferguson who hasn't done too badly employing it.

We cannot compare ourselves to Manchester United with our expectations.

Both clubs have two totally different attitudes; one club strives to be the best each season and the other is simply happy to be food for the "super" clubs.

Not really comparing us to United as such just mentioning them as an example where rotation works pretty well and has done for twenty odd years - probably a fair part of the reason why United are where they are now.  I don't see why rotation can't work for any club.  Several advantages in that it involves all squad players, rests others, keeps the opposition guessing a bit, gives junior squad members valuable experience etc.  Perhaps Gabby was just a bit miffed that he went from automatic choice under MON to not so automatic under GH "rotation".

Do you think Gabby would think like that if he were playing for Manchester United and the same situation occurred? I doubt it very much myself.

[Chris Smith]

Man United have been the richest club in the country for about 50 years so, yes, they have had advantages that others can't match. They squandered it for years but got their act together off the pitch  just as the PL started and were blessed with the best manager of all time to put their plans into action.

[Iago]

Man United have been the richest club in the country for about 50 years so, yes, they have had advantages that others can't match. They squandered it for years but got their act together off the pitch  just as the PL started and were blessed with the best manager of all time to put their plans into action.

Exactly.