The Insider Blog: Is Houllier doing things the right way?

[PaulTheVillan]

We are not doing well at all under GH, and didn't under KMac either, we have failed to beat Stoke, Fulham, Newcastle, Sunderland, Bolton, Blues, Rapid Vienna twice, Burnley in normal time and absolutely scraped home agains Wolves and Everton.  We're a couple of points off the bottom and now play City, Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Blues away etc.  We're in a mess frankly as that article outlines.

Who is to blame?

[Ger Regan]

Have to laugh at the "with Villa able to secure European qualification on a regular basis" line, considering how he treated it when we did qualify.

[Phil from the upper holte]

What a load of shit

I know scoring goals has been a problem but it would have been a problem for Mon if he were here, when you have 3 strikers out its hardly  great and interestingly they only focus on the negatives. What about the emergencce of the youth?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

It's all very odd.
There were virtually no dissenting voices when we had our Premier League record of games without a win under O'Neill in his first season.
It was accepted that it was a transitional season.
As is this one.

[Villa'Zawg]

You can pick holes in it but the overall thrust of the article is on the mark.

[Mr Diggles]

Its a sensationalist article written with a passing nod to some fo the facts, whilst clearly ignoring some huge factors - the timing of MON's departure, the lack of any real recruitment last summer, the injury problems, the change in football tactics Houllier is trying to pursue, the lack of a decent scounting network, and the state of some of MON's signings now they're over 30, etc etc etc.

Quite frankly if that is written by a journalist, it's a mug's business.

[LeeB]

It's all very odd.
There were virtually no dissenting voices when we had our Premier League record of games without a win under O'Neill in his first season.
It was accepted that it was a transitional season.
As is this one.

I think the context is a lot different though, er, 8 Ace. We'd been shit for a couple of years before that, and there was enough goodwill given the new board and manager to see it through.

Gerrard is having to deal with much higher expectations. I think he's doing fine.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Gerrard is having to deal with much higher expectations. I think he's doing fine.

True enough, good hat trick last week.

[MonsXI]

Obviously when GH took over I didn't think our results would be like this but to be fair to him he is getting good performances from the young 'uns and he is using MON's squad!

I have heard a few people mention just writing off this season as a transitional season now for me that's hard to stomach but in the grand scheme of things a necessity?

[LeeB]

Gerrard is having to deal with much higher expectations. I think he's doing fine.

True enough, good hat trick last week.

Bastarrd.

[dave.woodhall]

We are not doing well at all under GH, and didn't under KMac either, we have failed to beat Stoke, Fulham, Newcastle, Sunderland, Bolton, Blues, Rapid Vienna twice, Burnley in normal time and absolutely scraped home agains Wolves and Everton.  We're a couple of points off the bottom and now play City, Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Blues away etc.  We're in a mess frankly as that article outlines.

What that article outlines is dramatic, exaggerated nonsense, typical of the 'kick em when we say they're down' mentality of the national media. Newcastle and Liverpool are doing well so there's a vacancy for this season's Club in Crisis story. 

[WarszaVillan]

I think the run of difficult games may suit us. I can see us picking up a couple of points along the way and the pressure may be off a little. Its all about results and we need a couple - starting tomorrow.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

F*** off Sky hacks were not interested.
We never get credit from London hacks when we do well, so we aint listening to your comments when we arent up there. 
Go and join in the comments with the Gareth Bale love in, you will enjoy it more.

[Merv]

The fact that it's titled 'Insider Blog' makes me think it's been written by a work experience student.

Form and results aren't good but I'd at least like some acknowledgment of what Houllier's got to work with at the moment; he's giving debuts to kids to fill in the gaps and those kids are standing up pretty well. I can only imagine how Harry Redknapp would whine if he was missing three/four central midfielders and three senior strikers. Houllier's just getting on with it.

As for the season being a write-off.... with us being so disadvantaged going into the season I'd take a steady mid-table finish and look to push on next season.

[Legion]

I see this season as a transitional one.