Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: villa for life on March 16, 2011, 05:52:43 AM
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In some ways it is premature to post something like this and fingers crossed we do not find ourselves in this situation, but unfortunately, I have noticed that posting after matches provokes highly defensive reactions from both pro and anti GH camps with everyone becoming rather entrenched on one or the other side.
so....if Villa fail to pick up a single point in our next two games v Wolves or Everton do you think Lerner will seriously consider calling time on GH's era? If after the Everton game, we are indeed still on 33 points, I'd imagine, we would probably be in the bottom 3 and morale would be at an all time low.
Regardless of whether you are pro or anti GH, do you think if faced with this hypothetical situation, Lerner would act?
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I think GH is here to stay. Dunne and some of the others will be off next season thats for sure.
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If he wasn't going to last he wouldn't have lasted till jan and he would have gone after Sunderland.
Get used to him as he's going nowhere
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A week is a long time in football
Anything is possible. Europe or Relegation are both still on
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I thought he should have gone after Man City away in the league. I changed my mind after he did well, results and transfer-wise, in January. Now I'm just not sure what to think.
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Mid-table mediocrity awaits this season. Houllier will be given time.
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There is absolutely no chance of him going before the end of the season.
If we sacked him now, I'd be straight down the bookie's for a few quid on us to go down.
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Having been given the funds in January, he is staying. That was back him or sack him time, RL backed him.
Expect a fair few ins/outs in the summer, once he gets the players in who he wants to fit in with how he wants to play etc, we will see the benefits next season.
This season is one of transition, and sometimes you need to take a step back to move forward.
After the cup semi draw, Europe is now out of the equation as only the top 5 now qualify on league position.
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Yes
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Totally agree that after the Sunderland game was the time to back him or sack him- no chance of him being sacked now and I believe he will over the next 3 years do a very good job and build an exciting winning team- Rome was not built in a day.
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And while Nero fiddled Rome burned
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I thought he should have gone after Man City away in the league. I changed my mind after he did well, results and transfer-wise, in January. Now I'm just not sure what to think.
I'll join Percy's confused club.
I'm not sure what to think, for every positive (better football) there's a negative (Gerard's lousy PR skills)
Still think there is a massive danger of us being relegated.
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HE will..
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Oh wiki, you are such a devil at times.
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He won't be sacked.
The only reason he'd leave Villa is through his choice (i.e. resigning), which I think is a possibility.
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Mid-table mediocrity awaits this season.
If only.
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I would consider it the height of irresponsibility to sack anyone with 9 games to go whether we are either be as good as safe 3 games from now or sucked right down into it .
This club is not located in the north east of england, and our owners name isnt Mike.
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3 wins and a draw taking 10 points from our first 6 games of the season, is the level of form this group of players is capable of.
Since then we've taken 23 points from 23 games. If he can't get this squad of players to beat Wolves at home there is no reason to suspect we'll do better in the remaining 8 games and he should go.
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Utter rubbish villadawg! Sacking a manager now would be totally crazy- god help us if we lose to wolves with the knee-jerk reactions of some people.
Now more than ever we need to stay strong and hold firm - it's no time for breaking ranks.
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He won't be sacked. Anyone thinking otherwise really hasn't been paying attention.
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Utter rubbish villadawg! Sacking a manager now would be totally crazy- god help us if we lose to wolves with the knee-jerk reactions of some people.
Now more than ever we need to stay strong and hold firm - it's no time for breaking ranks.
I don't think you can call reacting badly to losing at home to Wolves after the season we have had "knee-jerk".
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The likes of Van Gaal will be available in the summer and assuming we scrape by and stay up, we should review our options then
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The likes of Van Gaal will be available in the summer and assuming we scrape by and stay up, we should review our options then
But the thread is not about what you want to happen but what you think WILL happen.
I expect us to stay up and GH be given the opportunity to shift out those surplus to requirements and work with a group of players of his own choosing.
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You know as well as me chris , that defeat on Saturday and this site would go into meltdown- we could win and be into 11 th place , the table is tight , some people are reacting to houllier as though everything is down to him - it's not , it's down to him, randy , mon , the players and injuries - a combination of all.
We need to stick together and get through this , I hope and pray we tank wolves on Saturday and can begin to look ahead .
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Ok yes he will see the season out
I then think there will be a review by RL
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You know as well as me chris , that defeat on Saturday and this site would go into meltdown- we could win and be into 11 th place , the table is tight , some people are reacting to houllier as though everything is down to him - it's not , it's down to him, randy , mon , the players and injuries - a combination of all.
We need to stick together and get through this , I hope and pray we tank wolves on Saturday and can begin to look ahead .
Yes it will be ugly on here if we lose but it will not be a knee-jerk reaction will it? They've been at it for months.
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If he was going to be sacked, he'd have gone already. He'll be here for the rest of the season for certain. Depending on how that pans out will have a big say on what happens in the summer I reckon. Get a few wins, play some nice football and finish in relative comfort and I think he'll be kept on and backed in the summer.
Get relegated and he'll obviously be on his way.
If we keep losing but just manage to not be quite as bad as three other teams and I'm not sure how it'll end up.
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Commecial & ST sales in the summer will also be a measure RL looks at
I'm convinced GH is driving support away from B6
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I take your point chris ,I myself have been guilty of overreacting in the heat of emotion after a defeat and now try to take at least a couple of hours before visiting a post match thread.
For me nothing would give me greater pleasure on Saturday than to hear houlliers name sung in a positive manner at a time when we are 4-0 up - wishful thinking maybe?
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Well wiki, they can have no complaints next season if cup gates are very low , that's for sure.
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I take your point chris ,I myself have been guilty of overreacting in the heat of emotion after a defeat and now try to take at least a couple of hours before visiting a post match thread.
Never seen anything wrong with that eastie.
It shows passion and that you care.
Ignore the finger wagging beard strokers on here, there's nothing wrong with being a bad loser.
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You are right fletch!
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Of course he will last the season, but the question is, is he the man for Villa next season.
I am of the opinion that if he keeps us up or not, he should be on his bicyclette.
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Of course he will last the season, but the question is, is he the man for Villa next season.
I am of the opinion that if he keeps us up or not, he should be on his bicyclette.
*strokes beard and nods in agreement*
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I take your point chris ,I myself have been guilty of overreacting in the heat of emotion after a defeat and now try to take at least a couple of hours before visiting a post match thread.
Never seen anything wrong with that eastie.
It shows passion and that you care.
Ignore the finger wagging beard strokers on here, there's nothing wrong with being a bad loser.
The worst losers in the league are Man Utd. I can't see their fans squabbling among themselves about an over-reaction to their manager creaming his boxers at Anfield (for example).
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If on Saturday evening we have 23 points from our last 24 games and have been beaten at home by Wolves - arguably the easiest fixture we have left to play this season - I think he should go.
That wouldn't be a knee-jerk reaction, it would be a reasonable reaction to a desperate situation that Le Gaffeur appears unable to deal with.
Having said that, if we do beat Wolves the board can and probably should wait till the end of the season.
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Of course he will last the season, but the question is, is he the man for Villa next season.
I am of the opinion that if he keeps us up or not, he should be on his bicyclette.
I don't think that is Randy's style. I think he will recognise the unique set of circumstances that GH has had to work under this season. I expect them to sit down together when it is over and if both still share the same vision he wil back him again.
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I'm convinced GH is driving support away from B6
Crowds aren't significantly down given our league position and the fact that people are economising everywhere.
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That's true dave, but I think a lot of season ticket holders may think seriously about whether to renew or just pick their games - I believe there are signs of improvement and hope but I do believe quite a few people are still very angry about the lack of ambition shown with the cup game and that may have a bigger impact than some may think when it comes to whether to renew or not.
I believe in houllier but I think that was a major misjudgement that night .
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Chris Smith: --- Quote from: TimTheVillain on Today at 10:22:40 AM ---Of course he will last the season, but the question is, is he the man for Villa next season.I am of the opinion that if he keeps us up or not, he should be on his bicyclette.--- End quote ---I don't think that is Randy's style. I think he will recognise the unique set of circumstances that GH has had to work under this season. I expect them to sit down together when it is over and if both still share the same vision he wil back him again.
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I recognise that he's had some issues to deal with but they appear ordinary to me. What "unique set of circumstances" has he had to work under?
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Let's be clear, GH is paid handsomely to manage a group of talented footballers he inherited
He has massively under-achieved and had more than a few titanic PR gaffes along the way
It isn't looking good for GH at all
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He won't be sacked, not after how Randy backed him in January, he's done a couple of things that make me feel like banging my head against the wall but he's also done alot of good work too, laying the foundations for a better future, Im sure next season we'll be better off for experiencing this one.
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Let's be clear, GH is paid handsomely to manage a group of talented footballers he inherited
He has massively under-achieved and had more than a few titanic PR gaffes along the way
It isn't looking good for GH at all
What matters is GH's relationship with the chairman, and there is nothing to suggest that things look bad here.
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Even if we did lose to Wolves and Everton bringing a new manager in now would be suicidal, IMO. For better or worse our best chance to staying in the division is with Gezza.
For me, his future beyond that has a big fat question mark over it. Even those unhappy with him, of which I'm one, recognise he's had an uphill battle trying to change things to his way while dealing with an injury crisis. Whether or not he should have reverted to a style the players are more familiar with until that crisis had abated is another matter.
So next season, with another window behind him, we can remove all these ifs and buts and see what Houllier's Villa is really like. My fear is that we'll be excellent to watch, but have a soft underbelly and not be able to grind out results when not playing well, which to me would equate to 8th or 9th. Not good enough given the backing he'll be getting.
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Taking over a club a few weeks ago into the season that had lost a relatively successful and popular manager in odd circumstances, that had sold their best player, that has spent no money in two successive windows, with a remit to reduce the wage bill, that has suffered from the worst injury record in my memory, was hit by several instances of serious player unrest against the backdrop of the most congested league table for many years with a fan base that had got used to top 6 finishes.
These are all issues that a manager might expect to deal with over the course of his career, but he has had to deal with them all within the space of 6 months and I don't recall a season like it and is what makes it unique.
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Liverpool have managed to pull themselves out of the shite despite :
1)FSW-Woy-KK
2) Taken over by new owners
3) Having arguably ther best player Gerrard injured for a lot of the season plus injuries to others
4) Losing their best player to Chelsea in January
No way should we be in the shite we are in with the players we have and although we are playing a better style of football it will mean shit if were relegated.I believe like others GH tried to change us too quickly and that's why were in the shit now especially as he has said on record he won't be able to sort the defence til the Summer.
No way should he go now it's too much of a risk but I really think he may take us down,Blackpool,Wigan,West Ham play good attacking football but concede too many goals and were no different
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If on Saturday evening we have 23 points from our last 24 games and have been beaten at home by Wolves - arguably the easiest fixture we have left to play this season - I think he should go.
That wouldn't be a knee-jerk reaction, it would be a reasonable reaction to a desperate situation that Le Gaffeur appears unable to deal with.
Having said that, if we do beat Wolves the board can and probably should wait till the end of the season.
So, the whole thing pivots around one game? The difference between a measured decision of "get rid" and "keep him"?
Out of interest, what would you do if we sacked him on Saturday? Who would you give the job to?
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Yes. It's clear he's got the board's backing, so it's a case of "for better or worse" for a while yet.
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He's here for a while i think. The only way he'll go is if we go down,if we stay up,he'll be allowed to make changes to the squad during the summer.
If we remain in the bottom half next season,then the board will have to bite the bullet and realise they made a massive cock up and get rid of him.
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He will last to the end of the season, but no further. Thank God!
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He will last to the end of the season, but no further. Thank God!
What makes you say that? Surely the backing he was given in Jan suggests that Randy at least intends for him to be around longer than that?
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He needs 3 point out of next two games however if he loses on Saturday he should consider his position.
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He will last to the end of the season, but no further. Thank God!
What nakes you say that? Surely the backing he was given in Jan suggests that Randy at least intends for him to be around longer than that?
The only way he'll go is if we're relegated IMO. However if RL did decide to get rid any new manager would surely be happy to have Jean and Darren on board
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The only way he'll go is if we're relegated IMO. However if RL did decide to get rid any new manager would surely be happy to have Jean and Darren on board
Maybe and maybe not - largely depends on the system that manager would like to play. But I doubt Randy sanctioned the deals with an eye on would A N Other manager also like these players.
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He will last to the end of the season, but no further. Thank God!
What nakes you say that? Surely the backing he was given in Jan suggests that Randy at least intends for him to be around longer than that?
Of course it does.
I'd liken in to Stuart Downing, everyone with any sense knew that it would take a proper pre-season for us to see the best of him. This summer GH has the opportunity to get the players he wants and the time to prepare them correctly.
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Taking over a club a few weeks ago into the season that had lost a relatively successful and popular manager in odd circumstances, that had sold their best player, that has spent no money in two successive windows, with a remit to reduce the wage bill, that has suffered from the worst injury record in my memory, was hit by several instances of serious player unrest against the backdrop of the most congested league table for many years with a fan base that had got used to top 6 finishes.
These are all issues that a manager might expect to deal with over the course of his career, but he has had to deal with them all within the space of 6 months and I don't recall a season like it and is what makes it unique.
All good points. And it really is a very very strange season in the PL - even if we had beaten Bolton and were sitting on 36 points, we'd still be in relegation danger. Literally half of the division are in a relegation battle, effectively. This season no team is adrift at the bottom... bottom three will go right to the wire, I think.
Anyway, Houllier. A tremendously difficult first season in charge, and the problems aren't easing. He'll be here at the end of the season.
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He will last to the end of the season, but no further. Thank God!
What nakes you say that? Surely the backing he was given in Jan suggests that Randy at least intends for him to be around longer than that?
The only way he'll go is if we're relegated IMO. However if RL did decide to get rid any new manager would surely be happy to have Jean and Darren on board
Exactly my thoughts, a proven goalscorer and a watercarrier are a must for ANY manager
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You old rascal wiki, I think makoun is a lot better than just a 'water carrier'.
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The only way he'll go is if we're relegated IMO. However if RL did decide to get rid any new manager would surely be happy to have Jean and Darren on board
Maybe and maybe not - largely depends on the system that manager would like to play. But I doubt Randy sanctioned the deals with an eye on would A N Other manager also like these players.
Completely agree and as I said ther's no way he's going unless we go down but if Randy did happen to change his mind and providing the next manager wasn't Sam Allardyce or Tony Pulis what's not to like? luckily GH has bought well and providing we stay up needs at least another season
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You old rascal wiki, I think makoun is a lot better than just a 'water carrier'.
I don't disagree, my point is I think his role is to do a lot of the unspectacular yet very imporatnt work, allowing the flare players such as Downing & Albrighton to do what they do best.
Once Young has gone, I'd then see Delph slotting into a more advanced position
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If on Saturday evening we have 23 points from our last 24 games and have been beaten at home by Wolves - arguably the easiest fixture we have left to play this season - I think he should go.
That wouldn't be a knee-jerk reaction, it would be a reasonable reaction to a desperate situation that Le Gaffeur appears unable to deal with.
Having said that, if we do beat Wolves the board can and probably should wait till the end of the season.
So, the whole thing pivots around one game? The difference between a measured decision of "get rid" and "keep him"?
Out of interest, what would you do if we sacked him on Saturday? Who would you give the job to?
It wouldn't be just one game though really would it? That game, if lost, would be the culmination of a season of ineptitude.
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pauliebentnuts: --- Quote from: Villadawg on Today at 10:30:13 AM ---If on Saturday evening we have 23 points from our last 24 games and have been beaten at home by Wolves - arguably the easiest fixture we have left to play this season - I think he should go.That wouldn't be a knee-jerk reaction, it would be a reasonable reaction to a desperate situation that Le Gaffeur appears unable to deal with.Having said that, if we do beat Wolves the board can and probably should wait till the end of the season. --- End quote ---So, the whole thing pivots around one game? The difference between a measured decision of "get rid" and "keep him"?Out of interest, what would you do if we sacked him on Saturday? Who would you give the job to?
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The decision is "get rid" or "get rid at the end of the season".
If he isn't able to put a team out to beat Wolves, there's no reason to hope he will be able to do better in the other games we have left.
With his appalling record so far as Villa manager and in light of his past health problems, I would hope that the board have a succession plan in place this time.
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wotever opinons we have on GH lets be fair Dunne is an arse hole he also bullied young players at manx c,if and its a big if.... we stay up the lets give him the summer to sort this fucking mess out
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Let's not treat wolves as the be all and end all- we have serious defensive injuries at the moment and with Clark suspended and doubts over young, Collins and cuellar , dunne out too we are down to the bare bones - to blame him if we lose to wolves would be harsh in the circumstances.
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Let's not treat wolves as the be all and end all- we have serious defensive injuries at the moment and with Clark suspended and doubts over young, Collins and cuellar , dunne out too we are down to the bare bones - to blame him if we lose to wolves would be harsh in the circumstances.
Cuellar said he's 100 % fit to face Wolves on his live chat today
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I don't want him to go this season, as that will mean we're seriously in the shit. If we escape, my head tells me he should probably be given a chance to clear out the disgusting, fat, self-important over-paid wankers masquerading as Aston Villa players, and crack on with establishing his team as a top-six side. My gut tells me he'll succeed with the former, but he hasn't got a prayer in achieving the latter. If we're still in the same boat come Christmas, he'll have to go. By then, by God, I hope Randy has got a plan B sorted because another season like this one will be too much to bear.
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Having Cuellar back is positive. I think Collins may feature also
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He will last to the end of the season, but no further. Thank God!
What nakes you say that? Surely the backing he was given in Jan suggests that Randy at least intends for him to be around longer than that?
Of course it does.
I'd liken in to Stuart Downing, everyone with any sense knew that it would take a proper pre-season for us to see the best of him. This summer GH has the opportunity to get the players he wants and the time to prepare them correctly.
I don't think the funds given to GH in January was in any way an indicator that Randy has any particular faith in him.
Randy had a choice in January. Either give a poor manager substantial funds for new players or sack him,, pay him off, pay compensation to the replacement's previous club and trust the replacement to keep us up without any additions to the current squad.
I think in the short term he he made the right choice. A bad manager with good players is better than a good manager with poor players (not to say our players were poor but clearly the squad has been improved) which is why I am confident we'll stay up easily.
However for the long term Houllier has to go. With the squad at his disposal our results are well short of par which I attribute to GH's failure to motivate and organise. His man management needless to say is pathetic.
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A couple of things spring to mind having read the thread
This knee jerk reaction phrase that gets used very often on this site. I notice however that it is only used against posters who voice their dissatisfaction/overreaction after losing a game.
Could the term "knee jerk reaction" also be used against posters who talk about the possibility of getting 6th or qualifying for Europe, say as they did after our 4-1 win over Blackburn?
Secondly, I wonder how late into a season a manager has been sacked? Would it really be suicidal to sack a manager if the hypothetical situation occurred. How else could the morale be lifted?
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4-1 win over Blackburn?
4 !!?? Fuck it, I knew I shouldn't have left early
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Having cuellar back is a huge boost and great news - forget about houllier being sacked , it would be ridiculous to do so with a few games left - give him at least until Christmas and see where we are - I feel he will get us back on track.
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I think after we've hammered Wolves, threads like this will be less common
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Are you sure wiki, I think some people have made their mind up on GED and doubt a couple of wins will appease them?
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I'd liken in to Stuart Downing, everyone with any sense knew that it would take a proper pre-season for us to see the best of him. This summer GH has the opportunity to get the players he wants and the time to prepare them correctly.
You could just as reasonably liken him to Marlon Harewood, Curtis Davies or Emile Heskey, who anybody with any sense knew would turn out to be as much use as tits on a nun, despite many people making excuses for them.
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I think after we've hammered Wolves, threads like this will be less common
No way are we going to "hammer" Wolves. They were excellent against spurs. And have great fight back mentality, and with our defence being how it has been this will be a battle .......
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I think after we've hammered Wolves, threads like this will be less common
No way are we going to "hammer" Wolves. They were excellent against spurs. And have great fight back mentality, and with our defence being how it has been this will be a battle .......
3-1, we look good going forward, assuming we can field some proper defenders that is
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I think after we've hammered Wolves, threads like this will be less common
Not so sure, I would imagine the Wolves forwards (and central defenders) have been walking round with semis on this week, partially engorged at the mouth watering prospect of scoring goals against our gossamer thin defence.
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Secondly, I wonder how late into a season a manager has been sacked? Would it really be suicidal to sack a manager if the hypothetical situation occurred. How else could the morale be lifted?
Wimbledon sacked Egil Olsen in 2000 with two games left of the season. They went down.
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As soon as we're mathematically safe we should get rid so the next man gets a game or two to assess some of the players before a busy summer.
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The
I think after we've hammered Wolves, threads like this will be less common
Not so sure, I would imagine the Wolves forwards (and central defenders) have been walking round with semis on this week, partially engorged at the mouth watering prospect of scoring goals against our gossamer thin defence.
They have the worst away record in the league, truly shit. Our defensive record at home isn't bad. After the result at Bolton we have to be wary but we are in danger of building this up to be more than it is.
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A couple of things spring to mind having read the thread
This knee jerk reaction phrase that gets used very often on this site. I notice however that it is only used against posters who voice their dissatisfaction/overreaction after losing a game.
Could the term "knee jerk reaction" also be used against posters who talk about the possibility of getting 6th or qualifying for Europe, say as they did after our 4-1 win over Blackburn?
Secondly, I wonder how late into a season a manager has been sacked? Would it really be suicidal to sack a manager if the hypothetical situation occurred. How else could the morale be lifted?
Was Kinnear sacked or was it another health scare? I can't quite recall, but Shearer took on the Toon job in March/ April 2009.
Usually when these discussions come about any thoughts of sacking a manager draw instant comparisons with Newcastle, the kings of knee jerk short-term thinking. Yet we haven't sacked a manager for 17 years, so I'm not sure where that comes from. We're not exactly in the habit of doing so.
The hope is that we can scratch out a win on Saturday and GH at least has enough about him to maintain survival this year. Come the summer though, all options are on the table. Including his departure.
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Yes. There's no way in hell Gerard is the man to take us forward. Excuses get him so far, but results fall on his head and they don't lie. Decision he's made on the pitch have left fans (and evidently players) utterly bewildered, so there's only so much blame that can fall on O Neill's squad, injuries etc.
Houlliers done some good I'll admit, but it's something he could do as a DOF. I think in terms of premier league management, he's past it and we're not the right club for him either. We need a younger manager, fresher, and someone who's more suited to our style. I'm sorry, it may have been a case in the past, but for as long as I've watched Villa, we've never been the sort of cultured footballing, tippy tappy team that Houllier wants us to be. Largely we build from the back, or play high tempo. We have played good football in the past, for sure, but always with vigour and directness. Particularly under BFR, BL, and also O Neill's counter attack specialist in 07.08 when we had one of the best attacking records in the top flight.
Thing is too, Houllier was never about attractive football at Liverpool. It was very defensive and very dour. That was his speciality and he's moved away from what bought him success in this country. He just hasn't really got it in him any more.
Get rid in the summer. In all honesty though, I suspect he'll be kept on, and given benefit of a summer window.
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TheI think after we've hammered Wolves, threads like this will be less common
Not so sure, I would imagine the Wolves forwards (and central defenders) have been walking round with semis on this week, partially engorged at the mouth watering prospect of scoring goals against our gossamer thin defence.
They have the worst away record in the league, truly shit. Our defensive record at home isn't bad. After the result at Bolton we have to be wary but we are in danger of building this up to be more than it is.
Let's not forget the Derby factor Chris, teams in the Midlands always bust a gut against us.
If they try to nulify us with a blast of Dog shit style anti-football, a result will be difficult.
Look at the table, there is very little between us.
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As soon as we're mathematically safe we should get rid so the next man gets a game or two to assess some of the players before a busy summer.
Can't see that happening to be honest, junxs. If we stay in the PL I think Randy will give him the summer to get rid of the deadwood and shit stirrers, as well as losing Ash, and get some of his own players in. Think he will then be given til at least Christmas, and if it's working - OK - if not, get rid then. Think the only way he'd be sacked in the summer is if we get relegated
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would we have to sack him if we get relegated or might he resign - he seems quite an honourable chap!
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Mark, I agree it will be a battle, particularly with it being a (sort of) derby, but they have only won once away all season and lost 11. We shouldn't build it up to be more than it is.
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would we have to sack him if we get relegated or might he resign - he seems quite an honourable chap!
I think they'd shunt him into the VMF restaurant to be head waiter, making snooty remarks to the customers to give it that authentic French atmosphere.
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Mark, I agree it will be a battle, particularly with it being a (sort of) derby, but they have only won once away all season and lost 11. We shouldn't build it up to be more than it is.
I appreciate that Wolves are shit away from home Chris, it's just hard to build up any confidence with our defence performing like an amateur version of 'Dawn of the dead.'
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Lets presume he keeps us up, but we stay more or less where we are now in the table.
Moyes or similar other strong candidate becomes available in the summer.
That could be an interesting board meeting....
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we've never been the sort of cultured footballing, tippy tappy team that Houllier wants us to be.
Apart from the fact that this phrase is pathetic and anyone who uses it should be forced to watch Stoke v Allardyce-era Bolton for ever, God forbid we should have a manager who wants to play decent football.
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I don't dislike the way he's trying to get us to play, but that's not the issue - results are.
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Lets presume he keeps us up, but we stay more or less where we are now in the table.
Moyes or similar other strong candidate becomes available in the summer.
That could be an interesting board meeting....
I hope that if we are genuinely reassessing the situation in the summer, we'd be relying on more than suitable candidates falling into our lap - or just targeting managers not already tied up with another club. Not having a pop following the events of last summer, the timing more than anything really nailed us there.
But if it's Moyes, Hughes or whoever else they want, they (RL and co) should do all they can to make them available. Using the Bent deal as an example, he wasn't available until we forced the issue. The end of the season or early into pre season will make it easier than Aug/Sept for clubs to contemplate a change at the top.
It's by no means a given that you'll always secure your first choice, the existing club will have a bit of a say in that to put it mildly. But you exhaust every avenue, that's all you can do.
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I don't dislike the way he's trying to get us to play, but that's not the issue - results are.
As is team spirit.
The morale at VP appears to be very low, worryingly so.
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I don't dislike the way he's trying to get us to play, but that's not the issue - results are.
As is team spirit.
The morale at VP appears to be very low, worryingly so.
Is it? Or is it a case of a few disgruntled individuals rocking the boat?
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I don't dislike the way he's trying to get us to play, but that's not the issue - results are.
As is team spirit.
The morale at VP appears to be very low, worryingly so.
Is it? Or is it a case of a few disgruntled individuals rocking the boat?
If you take a step back, it's not looking great at our football club is it?
The only thing I want is 3 points on Sat, and maximum after that 'till end of the season.
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I thought he should have gone after Man City away in the league. I changed my mind after he did well, results and transfer-wise, in January. Now I'm just not sure what to think.
I'll join Percy's confused club.
I'm not sure what to think, for every positive (better football) there's a negative (Gerard's lousy PR skills)
Still think there is a massive danger of us being relegated.
Put me into this camp as well. Well that is my personal opinion. As for the opinion of those who matter, I am pretty sure that he will still be our manager next season. They have put themselves firmly behind him and barring relegation they will continue to do so.
I can see the good he has done for the club in his stay so far but this season there has been much more evidence of the bad so far. I am hopeful given time this balance would shift but I am not exactly certain that it will happen.
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I think he will last the season without doubt. But I could see Villa giving him a DOF football role and bring in new manager/head coach.
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A win on Saturday is crucial and a better defensive performance is very important too.........Im not convinced by the formation that he plays, playing people out of position and rotating players for no reason but thats just my opinion
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GH will last the season. He has had to work under difficult conditions, but he hasn't made it too easy for himself. It's clear that our defence is in disarray; yes Warnock, Dunne and Beye (and perhaps also Collins and Luke Young) have acted like morons, but the lack of a defensive coach and constant (reported) quarreling about our defensive training seem to indicate that something is lacking in the coaching department as well. Our defenders aren't the only ones to blame for our abysmal defensive record, and GH has to take responsibiliy for this. After all, the same defenders did very well (albeit under fairly different circumstances) last season.
Our attack has also been poor: Gabby doesn't score anymore (he didn't before he was moved out on the left either); Carew was getting ever older, lazier and frequently injured; and Heskey has (apart from one season) never been prolific. I think GH (and Randy) did right in using the easiest and most efficient solution to this problem: he signed Bent, a proven PL goalscorer -- and it could be that his goals will keep us up.
Our midfield has given most cause for optimism, despite the loss of Milner. But without a decent defence and goalscorers, this improvement has had little impact on results.
I think GH deserves the benefit of doubt. He came after the start of the season to manage a team that (apparently) didn't have proper pre-season training, that was practically without a coaching team (so GH had to assemble a very small one in record time), has had to endure a crippling injury list and unprofessional players who don't accept his methods. Taking these factors into account, I'd say Houllier has been disappointing but not a disaster. I think it's in the club's interest to discover if he can put that right.
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I cant see him being sacked anytime soon,especially not this season!
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I think it pretty unlikely that GH will go before season's end - regardless of your results.
RL & the General were at pains to ensure that the "right man" was chosen to replace MON, resulting in a protracted process to finally get Houllier in.
If they ditch him now, with only weeks to go before the end of the season, any replacement would rightly be seen as a panic move calling into question their detailed deliberations for the original decision.
Likewise, they'd probably have to instal MacDonald again as caretaker, having previously judged him not up to the job.
Sorry Guys, for better or worse, he's here for the season.
I still don't reckon you will go down - you have a half-decent squad, with enough quality to get results when you need them, and other sides are far worse than you.
Internal ructions are your biggest problem - get everyone committed to a single cause, and you'll breeze to safety
Wolves could indeed be a tough fixture - McCarthy is better at firing his men up than GH will ever be. It will be how well GH can rally the troops if you don't win that will define how tough the rest of the season goes.
Also, for what it's worth, I'm afraid I don't rate GH as a manager for you - He comes across as a bloke who thinks he's married the wrong bird, and keeps harking back after his first love, or trying to change his wife into her
All the best
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Don't worry bluenose , we won't go down but there's a good chance that you may well do.
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I don't deny that is a very real possibility
That said, the same applies to pretty much anyone in the bottom half of the table right now.
Normally, around this time, someone puts together a little unbeaten run - couple of wins / draws - that makes the situation rosier and creates some daylight from the bottom 3
We have the squad mentality and managerial drive to do that, but it may ultimately go down to who gets the breaks & who takes their chances
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I think it pretty unlikely that GH will go before season's end - regardless of your results.
RL & the General were at pains to ensure that the "right man" was chosen to replace MON, resulting in a protracted process to finally get Houllier in.
If they ditch him now, with only weeks to go before the end of the season, any replacement would rightly be seen as a panic move calling into question their detailed deliberations for the original decision.
Likewise, they'd probably have to instal MacDonald again as caretaker, having previously judged him not up to the job.
Sorry Guys, for better or worse, he's here for the season.
I still don't reckon you will go down - you have a half-decent squad, with enough quality to get results when you need them, and other sides are far worse than you.
Internal ructions are your biggest problem - get everyone committed to a single cause, and you'll breeze to safety
Wolves could indeed be a tough fixture - McCarthy is better at firing his men up than GH will ever be. It will be how well GH can rally the troops if you don't win that will define how tough the rest of the season goes.
Also, for what it's worth, I'm afraid I don't rate GH as a manager for you - He comes across as a bloke who thinks he's married the wrong bird, and keeps harking back after his first love, or trying to change his wife into her
All the best
Piss off, your type aint welcome here! Only joking ;-) hard to disagree with any of that to be fair
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Assuming we stay up, he deserves the chance to keep going. We are starting to play nice football, if he can get rid of a few bad apples I think we'll be good next season.
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I think we will, I think he will, I think we do, I think he will and I think we will.
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What do you think of davies , bluenose badger?
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we've never been the sort of cultured footballing, tippy tappy team that Houllier wants us to be.
Apart from the fact that this phrase is pathetic and anyone who uses it should be forced to watch Stoke v Allardyce-era Bolton for ever, God forbid we should have a manager who wants to play decent football.
Yes but we seem to be passing the ball at the expense of a solid defence, and effective attack. Frankly if we had 20 more points at this point from hoofing it all season, I'd be happier. I'd rather be doing quite well and only have the hoofing to moan about, as opposed to moaning about the threat of relegation, not scoring enough, defending like the titanic against an iceberg. We're never gonna be Arsenal. We're not the sort of side who had 8,9, maybe 10 technically gifted players on the pitch. We get by with our standout 3-4 (if that), and we mix our play up and get stuck in.
Basically we've lost our ability, which in our more successful periods in the last 20 years, we had, to grind out results if needs be. We also seem incapable under GH of dishing out a good old fashioned tonking.
I'd love good football, but passing the ball quite well in the middle of the pitch, to me, is not good football. BFR 92-3, Little 95-96 was great to watch. A good mix, and most of all, effective.
Say what you will about Allardyce's Bolton, but he got them into Europe. They weren't always fuck ugly either, with players like Djorkaeff and Okocha they could entertain. Stoke I'll grant you, now that's not good. Not good at all.
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Lets presume he keeps us up, but we stay more or less where we are now in the table.
Moyes or similar other strong candidate becomes available in the summer.
That could be an interesting board meeting....
6 words
Louis Van Gaal available this summer
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Lets presume he keeps us up, but we stay more or less where we are now in the table.
Moyes or similar other strong candidate becomes available in the summer.
That could be an interesting board meeting....
6 words
Louis Van Gaal available this summer
Seven more:
Will not happen in a million years
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I think he will be hear to stay for the time being as long as we improve on and off the pitch is the only thing i care about.
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What do you think of davies , bluenose badger?
Too early to call
It's always difficult coming into a defensive unit, especially if you haven't had that many games in recent months.
I feel he is being judged harshly by Bluenoses (and getting a fair bit of stick from you lot :-) ) without having had a chance to prove himself.
These days everyone expects instant results, and are quick to find a scapegoat when things go badly
He has indeed been the weakest link in the Baggies/Bolton games, but it was a big ask especially when the rest of the side is decimated by injuries.
To be fair, when Dann, Johnson & Jiranek made their debuts for us, we had our doubts as they were all wobbly. Wouldn't swap any of them out now.
He may struggle in that he needs to be damned good to displace any of those 3 longterm, and will not "prove" himself with the odd cameo.
My take is that is has been bought as a back-up in case Johnson or Dann gets sold in the summer - bigger clubs are bound to be interested, or if Jiranek decides not to take up a new contract
In which case, it's a shrewd move by Big Eck
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I see felix mcgath was sacked by schalke , good manager if we are in the Market but I expect houllier to be here next season barring relegation.
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I see felix mcgath was sacked by schalke , good manager if we are in the Market but I expect houllier to be here next season barring relegation.
Interesting Point
I see that this year's managerial roundabout has already hit 35?? casualties
Yet when you guys were looking for MON's replacement, or for that matter if you were indeed to give Mr H his P quarante-cinq in the next weeks, the list of available candidates is decidedly underwhelming.
I will be honest - when GH was appointed to you, I didn't think - "Oh yeah, now we're all in trouble"
But having said that, there ain't that much else out there.
McGath is indeed a good manager, but I do sometimes wonder about the efficiency of foreign managers in the EPL where money isn't on tap
Take your current plight - I'd put my money on a McCarthy. Allardyce, Moyes or McLeish to motivate his players in the heat of battle, and many of your players are from the Home nations so will appreciate the rallying call. Not being xenophobic, but I'm not convinced the cerebral types like Wenger or GH have what it takes in those situations. McGath would be a gamble
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I will be honest - when GH was appointed to you, I didn't think - "Oh yeah, now we're all in trouble"
But having said that, there ain't that much else out there.
McGath is indeed a good manager, but I do sometimes wonder about the efficiency of foreign managers in the EPL where money isn't on tap
Take your current plight - I'd put my money on a McCarthy. Allardyce, Moyes or McLeish to motivate his players in the heat of battle, and many of your players are from the Home nations so will appreciate the rallying call. [/quote]
That's really good.
compared to crap in Japan.
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That's really good.
compared to crap in Japan.
Not sure I get your point.
The situation in Japan is truly dreadful - heartbreaking. It completely surpasses any inter-club rivalries or historical grievances held. This is a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions, and that cannot be played down.
But this is a discussion on football - admittedly trite in the context of events on the other side of the planet. My comments & observations were in relation to that specific topic
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you are absolutely right. football has nothing to do with thousands of people dead or missing.
I was totally wrong in using the metaphor.
You are still wrong in dissing our manager.
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You are still wrong in dissing our manager.
Fair do's - please accept my apology
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ok - but I can't talk for others on here. That's up to them!
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You are still wrong in dissing our manager.
Fair do's - please accept my apology
You must be a Chelsea fan, seeing as you can type and appear to hold balanced and considered opinions.
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You must be a Chelsea fan, seeing as you can type and appear to hold balanced and considered opinions.
Nah, but I had to train a monkey to decipher my caveman utterings & type them up for me as my 6th finger on each hand keeps getting in the way ;)
I think you'll find that all clubs have a mixture of fans
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You must be a Chelsea fan, seeing as you can type and appear to hold balanced and considered opinions.
Nah, but I had to train a monkey to decipher my caveman utterings & type them up for me as my 6th finger on each hand keeps getting in the way ;)
I think you'll find that all clubs have a mixture of fans
Not on the evidence we see from your brethren on here.
Anyway, enjoy the site, and please do read the "...gift that keeps on giving" thread. It's long, but worth it. :)
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Bluebadger - you remind me of my uncle in solihull. Every Christmas the whole family would get together in sutton (villa) or in solihull (bloose) with the branch from chelmsley wood and argue about villa v blues when we'd got past the buffet supper and gone out for a fag behind the extension...sadly we have lost that with recent major ancestral villa/blues losses in the family. I still remember the centennial fireworks. This rocket is for villa, this rocket is for...! Albion!
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Cheers for the welcome.
I am a Bluenose, so my allegiances will always be swayed towards them, and I'm afraid at times I will enjoy elements of Schadenfreude at your expense - that's part of what a rivalry is all about
However, I will try to remain civil at all times - at the end of the day we are all just passionate fans who have chosen a particular shirt to follow and nail our colours firmly to that mast.
For the record, I was raised (some might say dragged up) in Sparkhill, but haven't lived in the UK since the mid-90's.
Therefore please take any comments I might have in the context that I am witnessing events from afar & by virtue of sites such as this or Joys & Sorrows, and from watching matches via streams or on local coverage
Thanks again
Badger
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Where are you living now then bluebadger? You are very interesting in your opinions and sometimes it's good to see how people on the outside see things at our club- I'm impressed.
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I would normally suggest under a rock but never did I believe, as long as there was a hole in my jacksy, that I would see a nose use the word schadenfreude!
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GH should be given this season, pre-season & next season.
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6 words
Louis Van Gaal available this summer
If you think Houllier falls out with players, wait until you see what Van Gaal would do to the dressing room!
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GH should be given this season, pre-season & next season.
I agree, no point doing it now let him clear some of the deadwood out and give him a chance.
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If I was RL I would look at the next two games. If the results go badly he owes a duty of care to the club to make a change. Yes getting shot of the manager is a big risk but I believe keeping him would represent a bigger risk.
Funny how anti GH posters are knee jerk. This season has been with a few exceptions an utter disaster. Nothing knee jerk there. 2 points better off than West Ham says it all.
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Hi Eastie - I'm in the Pacific NW of the USA at the moment, but was in China for the last 5 years & the Low Countries for about 8 years before that.
Cheltenhamlion - I know a lot of long words but, coming from Sparkhill, I'm afraid most of them are in Urdu or Gaelic ;)
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6 words
Louis Van Gaal available this summer
If you think Houllier falls out with players, wait until you see what Van Gaal would do to the dressing room!
I would love to have seen Van Gaal's reaction if he were Villa manager and Dullins did what they'd done this week.
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Can't see GH getting the chop before the season ends. Assuming we survive then I think GH will be given next season too and the chance to mould his own squad. My concern is this: we would all expect Friedal, Beye, Dunne, Warnock, potentially Collins and Walker, NRC, A. Young, possibly Petrov, Carew and Heskey to depart. We could probably scrape £25m for that lot and a saving in wages but that list represents a large proportion of first team players that will need replacing. The worry is do we have the money to replace them? History tells you £10m-£12m gets you an unproven Ashley Young, a James Milner or a Stewart Downing. Do we have the necessary £50m to spend or are we expecting to build a squad with £5m players, which TBH doesn't get you much these days? A poor start next season will probably result in an unhappy Holte End and a lot of pressure on RL. We shall see.
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Unless there is a catastrophie we will start next season with GH, the likelyhood is that we will be in a relegation scrap until the end of the season, then there will be a summer clear out and we will see a lot of the youngsters get thier opportunity. He will be judged on the following season
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Id like to see Steve McClaren come in - I think he has the right profile really. Did well at Boro though he did leave a bit of MON behind him in terms of older players on big contracts, the failure with England wasnt as bad as was made out either, Russia and Croatia were decent teams, England were no better. Think he learned some humility from that experience and did very well in Holland while Germany didnt go too well there was issues with the board being far too close to the likes of Diego. I think he would jump at the chance of coming to Villa maybe even with Houllier as technical director.
Van Gaal and Magath like Houllier might see Villa as a step down from what they are used to. Plus we cant go down the blank cheque book route to attract big name managers.
McClaren for me. Think it would be a good fit for us if people could see past the 'wally with the brolly' bullshit.
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Badger if you think gaelic is a predominant language in Sparkhill my guess is that you originated somewhere in the Irish part around the Bear or the Antelope. Sparkhill I am glad to say welcomed all its ethnically diverse residents but I thought we had flushed out the noses before I left. Obviously not.
If you are ever in Port Townsend and you see an old bloke in a Muller away strip Villa shirt and a Fidel Castro cap say hello and I will punch you in the eye. Unless you are Terry Pullen from Evelyn Road then I will buy you a beer.
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Id like to see Steve McClaren come in - I think he has the right profile really. Did well at Boro though he did leave a bit of MON behind him in terms of older players on big contracts, the failure with England wasnt as bad as was made out either, Russia and Croatia were decent teams, England were no better. Think he learned some humility from that experience and did very well in Holland while Germany didnt go too well there was issues with the board being far too close to the likes of Diego. I think he would jump at the chance of coming to Villa maybe even with Houllier as technical director.
Van Gaal and Magath like Houllier might see Villa as a step down from what they are used to. Plus we cant go down the blank cheque book route to attract big name managers.
McClaren for me. Think it would be a good fit for us if people could see past the 'wally with the brolly' bullshit.
Did well at Boro? - spoken to any Boro fans about that?
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Id like to see Steve McClaren come in - I think he has the right profile really. Did well at Boro though he did leave a bit of MON behind him in terms of older players on big contracts, the failure with England wasnt as bad as was made out either, Russia and Croatia were decent teams, England were no better. Think he learned some humility from that experience and did very well in Holland while Germany didnt go too well there was issues with the board being far too close to the likes of Diego. I think he would jump at the chance of coming to Villa maybe even with Houllier as technical director.
Van Gaal and Magath like Houllier might see Villa as a step down from what they are used to. Plus we cant go down the blank cheque book route to attract big name managers.
McClaren for me. Think it would be a good fit for us if people could see past the 'wally with the brolly' bullshit.
Did well at Boro? - spoken to any Boro fans about that?
Well he got them to a Uefa Cup Final and generally did'nt do too bad in the League. I would'nt want him here though.
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I personally don't like Mcclaren, his hair I find particularly worrying but to say he was complete shit at Boro isn;t true:
In the 2003–04 season, McClaren guided Boro to victory in the League Cup with a 2–1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the final.[21] This was the club's first ever major honour and also guaranteed them qualification for a European competition for the first time in their 128-year history.[
McClaren's five year tenure on Teesside saw him establish himself as Middlesbrough's most successful manager
2 x FA Cup Semi Finals
7th in PL
1 Uefa Cup Final
Won the laugue Cup
So really more successful at Boro than MON was at Villa
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Wouldn't really want McLaren but his record seems quite good
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no way will he be sacked or leave before the end of the season or there after i think they will stick by him he will sell or release the players who have not adopted his work ethic or who are surplus to requirements and be given money to spend it seems that the club back him 100%
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Not sure there will be a massive war chest in the summer (assuming we stay up)
Hasn't our plan/direction been diverted a little ?
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There might not be mental money, but if we play the free transfer market well there are decent deals to be had. Taiwo and Seb Larsson to name but two.
Realistically I think Ash has gone and I have a sneaky feeling Downing might be off too. Based on recent form that would be a pity, but it's all about how we build from there.
£12 million seems to be the figure touted for Young due to his contract situation (personally I think/hope we can do better). We should be looking for at least in excess of £15 million for Downing, seeing as we signed him for £12 and he hasn't regressed. So that would be minimum £27 million, plus any money received for the likes of Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Petrov and Luke Young. And any other money RL sees fit to add on top.
For that, we could in theory land the likes of Taiwo, Larsson, Bergovic, Shawcross and N'Zogbia and not be drastically out of pocket. No doubt some will point to the fact that the majority of those players are playing for unfashionable clubs, 'we can do better' and so on. That would actually be the advantage to me, they would see us as a step up, and are at an age to develop further and have their best years with us.
It will be interesting to see who goes down (providing it's not us, of course). There could be rich pickings from the likes of Wolves, Wigan and possibly Stoke at vastly reduced fees too.
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What gives you the sneaky feeling about Downing? I can't recall hearing anything anywhere as to him not liking the current set-up. Indeed his form under GH has taken off and I would guess he will be in the England squad when it is announced.
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I'd just give Ged the Summer and atleast the start of next season. Once we get the finances in order and have the shite shipped out and the younger, hungrier players have developed a bit more if Ged can get us doing what we expect then we can look elsewhere.
He's capable of shifting players on and attracting decent talent. So why not leave him for a while? We aint gonna go down.
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What gives you the sneaky feeling about Downing? I can't recall hearing anything anywhere as to him not liking the current set-up. Indeed his form under GH has taken off and I would guess he will be in the England squad when it is announced.
Linked heavily with Liverpool in the last transfer window and precisely because he's in the England squad he might feel that a side looking like a good bet for mid table or lower is not great at this stage of his career.
Wouldn't want to see him go, but wouldn't be at all surprised if he does depart.
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I'd sell Downing if we keep Ash. Can't see it happening, but he'd fetch good money and we could shift Ash back wide and get a real top player to play off Benty.
Yeah we need a squad etc, but between them Albrighton and Bannan offer the same Stew does, so sell him while we can get top dollar and if we're not in Europe we don't need a massive amount of options.
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i can not believe that any one thinks that A Young will be here next season its not if, its who to
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On this seasons displays downing is my player of the season and I would not sell him whatever. We should bring in cash for the players we offload and if gabby went I would not be shocked -we need 2 keepers, 2 full backs and a centre half, plus replacement for ash- it will be a busy window but hopefully houllier has lined up a couple already.
There has been talk that he has a couple of frees lined up from france but surely if true we would have signed them on a pre contract already as we are allowed to sign from a foreign country from jan 1st on pre deals?
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Agree eastie, Downing is not going anywhere. Gabby wont be moving either
Larson deal is done I'm told so thats Ash's replacement sorted, new keeper and defence priority now
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Agree eastie, Downing is not going anywhere. Gabby wont be moving either
Larson deal is done I'm told so thats Ash's replacement sorted, new keeper and defence priority now
How would signing a right sided midfield player be a replacement for Young who has played the majority of his games on the left or as a support striker?
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I'm guessing as he's right footed ? (is he) Houllier would play Larson on the left wing
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I'm guessing as he's right footed ? (is he) Houllier would play Larson on the left wing
*Sigh*
Larsson isn't quick, nor an especially tricky dribbler, so how is he a replacement for Ash? If he played on the left (which you're treating as the maddest thing for a right-footed player to do despite the fact that it has literally happened since football began) would he really have the ability to carry the ball at pace and, should we lose it, get back quickly to defend? No. Therefore he actually probably wouldn't play on either wing but in the centre, where his better qualities such as passing and positioning would come into play.
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Agree eastie, Downing is not going anywhere. Gabby wont be moving either
Larson deal is done I'm told so thats Ash's replacement sorted, new keeper and defence priority now
Gabby wont be going anywhere, because no one any good will want him
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Agree eastie, Downing is not going anywhere. Gabby wont be moving either
Larson deal is done I'm told so thats Ash's replacement sorted, new keeper and defence priority now
Gabby wont be going anywhere, because no one any good will want him
newcastle it is then?
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Play gabby as a striker and he'll get goals
Wasn't it 16 last season
That prick houllier shoves him on the wing where he's ineffective
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If Ash goes...
Downing, Albrighton, Larsson
Bent, Gabby, Heskey
Should be OK. Especially if we get someone to play where Ash is now, but someone more suited to it. Someone like Adam, who can feed Bent. Gabby as cover for Bent or the inside forward role Albrighton will occupy and Heskey as an option to change it.
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I'd much rather see the fonz than heskey, since his Sunderland fiasco he has looked very poor and I expect him to head for Leicester in the summer- the fonz offers a goal threat , heskey doesn't, and for all his hard work a striker needs to score goals.
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Yeh, great squad building. Sell a player in the England set up and replace him with a Blose reject who can't get in their team. Why do I fear a repeat of GTmk2/DOL era?
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Wiki, larsson cannot be classed as a replacement for ash as they are completely different, larsson may be useful as a squad player but I don't see him getting a regular start, although I have been impressed with larssons delivery in recent games .
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Back on topic - hope not.
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Looking increasingly doubtful for G-Dog/ Hotlips or any other bizarrely affectionate nickname for the worst Villa manager I can recall since McNeill.
Seems to be a sliding scale as far as ambitions for this season are concerned.
Maybe 8th wouldn't be so bad /12-14 under the circumstances would be OK/ Stay up and regroup again next year/ Oh shit, can we even stay up?
The bloke doesn't seem capable of fulfilling even modest expectations.
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got to go ASAP
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After today he has to go and let's get a new coach to see us through to the summer.
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I'd take Big Sam anybody is better than this fool
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The funny thing is, if we manage to stay up by the scrape of our teeth he'd be given full backing next season by the board. If we get relegated he'd be out ASAP.
Say what u like about o' Neil but he was a really good motivator, something gh clearly doesn't have.
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Quo usque tandem abutere, Gerardus Hullierus, patientia nostra? ;) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quousque_tandem_abutere,_Catilina,_patientia_nostra%3F
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Surely even if we do stay up he will not be given any backing, Randy must act
The funny thing is, if we manage to stay up by the scrape of our teeth he'd be given full backing next season by the board. If we get relegated he'd be out ASAP.
Say what u like about o' Neil but he was a really good motivator, something gh clearly doesn't have.
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Gerard please leave the building
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Surely even if we do stay up he will not be given any backing, Randy must act The funny thing is, if we manage to stay up by the scrape of our teeth he'd be given full backing next season by the board. If we get relegated he'd be out ASAP.
Say what u like about o' Neil but he was a really good motivator, something gh clearly doesn't have.
I can see why u say this, but I honestly do think the board will stick with him disregarding how he's made us worse, falling out with players, sacrificing FA cup etc...
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Randy is a successful business man, if someone is fucking his business up i'm certain he will act
Surely even if we do stay up he will not be given any backing, Randy must act The funny thing is, if we manage to stay up by the scrape of our teeth he'd be given full backing next season by the board. If we get relegated he'd be out ASAP.
Say what u like about o' Neil but he was a really good motivator, something gh clearly doesn't have.
I can see why u say this, but I honestly do think the board will stick with him disregarding how he's made us worse, falling out with players, sacrificing FA cup etc...
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I'd like Gianfranco zola, great man, great player and very promising as a manager too for his tactical knowledges, his experience and his vision of football.
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He won't be sacked till the end of the season, by which time it will be too late..
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Play gabby as a striker and he'll get goals
Wasn't it 16 last season
That prick houllier shoves him on the wing where he's ineffective
Agree. The problem is Darren Bent. He will always get you more goals than Gabby and so that eases Gabby out of the team. I have made clear the fact I favour 4-5-1 but in all honesty the Ash in the hole thing is even less effective than 4-4-2 and erodes all the advantages of playing 4-5-1. Gabby would get us more goals than Ash playing upfront. I can't think of any successful team who plays three wingers. Gabby has suffered very much for poor management and injuries this season.
I'd like Gianfranco zola, great man, great player and very promising as a manager too for his tactical knowledges, his experience and his vision of football.
An interesting shout. I might quite like that. I think half the problem for him at West Ham was the shameful way Gollivan treated him more than a lack of ability on his part.
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I hope he won't last the weekend.
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Sack him Randy.
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He won't sack him - WE ARE DOWN!!
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There is NO WAY that RL will sack Houllier.
To sack him would reflect very, very badly on RL's judgement in appointing him in the first place.
Mind you, keeping him will reflect even worse.
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^not necessarily. Randy can point to other factors such as injuries, disruptive dressing room and not least MON leaving us in the shit five days before the season started.
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Yeah, and not to sack him will reflect very badly on our ability to stay up.
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He said on WM that he'd never experienced such animosity from a crowd that he got at VP today.Well WTF does he expect considering he's single handedly destroying our club.If he isn't fired within the next 12 hours I'm going to be very upset !!
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He said on WM that he'd never experienced such animosity from a crowd that he got at VP today.Well WTF does he expect considering he's single handedly destroying our club.If he isn't fired within the next 12 hours I'm going to be very upset !!
Can't he take a hint?
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Maybe RL can give Doug a bit of consultancy work tonight.
I reckon Doug would sack the clown for free.
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Well, here's a tip Gerard - resign now, and we won't subject you to any more animosity. Go on, go.
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Clearly not getting the push then.The usual bullshite from the OS
http://http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~2319917,00.html
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I just wish he would just Piss off usual lip service he's becoming worse than D'OL SACK HIM RANDY!!!
Clearly not getting the push then.The usual bullshite from the OS
http://http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~2319917,00.html
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Animosity ? Well here's a bit more Gerard, just fuck right off now please you cretin.
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No need for that.
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He said on WM that he'd never experienced such animosity from a crowd that he got at VP today.Well WTF does he expect considering he's single handedly destroying our club.If he isn't fired within the next 12 hours I'm going to be very upset !!
Unfortunately,i don't think your weekend is gonna get any better.
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Never mind last the rest of the season, I don't want him to last the rest of the day.
Absolutely awful manager. Alienates the players, alienating the fans.
Lerner, please wake up and smell the coffee.
WE ARE DOOMED!
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He said on WM that he'd never experienced such animosity from a crowd that he got at VP today.Well WTF does he expect considering he's single handedly destroying our club.If he isn't fired within the next 12 hours I'm going to be very upset !!
I have been on his side for much of the season, and he's been dealt a shitty hand in many ways, but the fact of the matter is, far too oftenb he is his own worst enemy.
All those fuck ups and gaffs at the start of the season, Gerard, all those avoidable little things that alienated people bit by bit, just think, right now, you really need every friend you can get. If it hadn't been for all that, perhaps there wouldn't have been quite so much animosity today.
If he's surprised at the animosity, he must be the only person on earth who is.
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No need for that.
Sorry, but I agree with sentiments, if not necessarily the way it's been phrased.
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Got to go, please relieve him of his duties Randy
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I think he should resign now. Anyone else including Kevin M will get us the 7/8 points we need to stay up. My fear is Houllier will not.
We should start talking to Martin Jol and Louis van Gaal are out of work. They would swim across if not for the prestige certainly for the money.
Go for van Gaal.
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The clown isn't going anywhere. We are stuck with him on our slide to the championship.
Depressing.
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I think he will stay, I dont want him to because I think he will take us down
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do you think any potential replacements have already been notified and are watching / studying us so that when they come in, they will have an immediate idea of what they want to change?
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I think he will make it to the Arsenal game, where our fate will be sealed. Fortunately this will mean that we won't have to watch him go gooey eyed about his beloved Liverpool. Unfortunately, this will mean we have been relegated.
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I've said it before but they are firmly behind their man and will not get rid of him lightly. Maybe yesterday has made them think again, maybe the reaction from the fans and players will change their thinking but I don't think they have put any thought into a succession plan because of how they have stuck behind him.