A Ship Without A Rudder

[Concrete John]

I think there is an element of fan impatience as Chris says, but with O'Neill we saw no overall improvement in the standard of football, tactics or squad use in 4 years, so I honestly think he'd reached his plateau.  Not wishing to go over old ground again, he had 4 years to improve the striking department, and failed miserabley to do it.

The thing is though we DID see results improve.  League place remained the same, but points on the board and gap to 4th kept getting better. 

But yes, the strikers was the one thing he never got right.

[KevinGage]

I don't ever recall BFR or Brian Little getting the kind of individual support he received, Chelsea in the cup semi final as recently as April 10 being the standout example. There were plenty more.  Particularly at home matches, oddly enough.

It bordered on hero worship at times, perhaps contributing to this notion that he was too good for us/ we were lucky to have him. Maybe he started to believe that himself.

[WarszaVillan]

The injury crisis has meant that we cannot make any sort of informed judgement on what Houllier will bring. However, as sure as night follows day he will get a maximum of 2 years before some fans will have the knives out if we haven't advanced in line with their expectations. It will start with a trickle but others will join in over the third season. This isn't meant as a dig at anyone but it's just a sad fact of life that managers get very little time before the more imaptient start looking elsewhere.

I reckon 3 full seasons is more than enough to judge if a manager can cut it or not.
O'Neill had 4, he had more than a fair crack of the whip.

I doubt he'll ever find a club in the future that will give him the free rein and finances that he enjoyed here.

I think he saw the writing on the wall and used the boards decision not to sign McGeady and Keane as an excuse to jump ship.

This pretence by some that they knew who MON wanted to sign is laughable. It was paper talk - just the same as all those who were ITK that we were going to sign Upson the summer before. Fact is MON always kept his transfer dealings close to his chest and any journalist or internet poster who pretends he knows who his targets were is kidding himself.

[Chris Smith]

We're slipping into another MON thread when what I wanted to do was suggest that GH has 2 years maximum to establish his credentials. If at the end of next season we're outside the top 6 and haven't made an impact in a cup or 2 then rumblings will start. I accept that it is a results driven business but such short termism makes long term planning difficult.

[not3bad]

Its strange what some so called fans can find positive in a time of adversity

Its as though the worst injury list in memory didn't exist, or that the start of the problems were caused by a turncoat quitting a poorly prepared side just as the season started.

Interesting stuff

These so-called "fans" need to be exposed!!!!  Who are they?!  What do they REALLY want!!!

[Dave Cooper please]

Its strange what some so called fans can find positive in a time of adversity

Its as though the worst injury list in memory didn't exist, or that the start of the problems were caused by a turncoat quitting a poorly prepared side just as the season started.

Interesting stuff

These so-called "fans" need to be exposed!!!!  Who are they?!  What do they REALLY want!!!

It's me, I am the "so called fan", and I want  to teabag Helen Mirren.

Shit, did I say that out loud?

[barrysleftfoot]

  I was a MON fan, but i'm also a GH fan as well.

  I do think that out of the 5 games LOST away this year, a MON's team would'nt have lost at least 4.But saying that MON probably would'nt have played Bannan, and Albrighton so regurlarly.We are playing better football, and look more fragile, but i'm quite optimistic about the future, and regardless of when/where/why he went, i think we are probably in a better situation now than if he would have stayed.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

The injury crisis has meant that we cannot make any sort of informed judgement on what Houllier will bring. However, as sure as night follows day he will get a maximum of 2 years before some fans will have the knives out if we haven't advanced in line with their expectations. It will start with a trickle but others will join in over the third season. This isn't meant as a dig at anyone but it's just a sad fact of life that managers get very little time before the more imaptient start looking elsewhere.

I reckon 3 full seasons is more than enough to judge if a manager can cut it or not.
O'Neill had 4, he had more than a fair crack of the whip.

I doubt he'll ever find a club in the future that will give him the free rein and finances that he enjoyed here.

I think he saw the writing on the wall and used the boards decision not to sign McGeady and Keane as an excuse to jump ship.

This pretence by some that they knew who MON wanted to sign is laughable. It was paper talk - just the same as all those who were ITK that we were going to sign Upson the summer before. Fact is MON always kept his transfer dealings close to his chest and any journalist or internet poster who pretends he knows who his targets were is kidding himself.

I know for a fact from somebody very close to the club, that he wanted the above 2 players in.
I bet you'd be more inclined to believe it if i'd said Van der Vaart and Darren Bent.

[barrysleftfoot]

  Did'nt he try to sign VDV, or Sneijder last season?

[pauliewalnuts]

  Did'nt he try to sign VDV, or Sneijder last season?

He said he rated the player during a press conference.

Some on here took it to mean we were in discussions with him (Sneijder)

[pauliewalnuts]

The injury crisis has meant that we cannot make any sort of informed judgement on what Houllier will bring. However, as sure as night follows day he will get a maximum of 2 years before some fans will have the knives out if we haven't advanced in line with their expectations. It will start with a trickle but others will join in over the third season. This isn't meant as a dig at anyone but it's just a sad fact of life that managers get very little time before the more imaptient start looking elsewhere.

Although in MON's case, he was the one who got impatient / started looking elsewhere and jumped ship.

[Merv]

But yes, the strikers was the one thing he never got right.

I'd actually say that very few Villa managers of the last 15 years have got it right when it comes to signing strikers (honourable exception, dear old Big Ron).

[sfx412]

It bordered on hero worship at times,

Bordered on

[Chico Hamilton III]

honourable exception, dear old Big Ron

Cough....John Fashanu...Cough

[sfx412]

The injury crisis has meant that we cannot make any sort of informed judgement on what Houllier will bring. However, as sure as night follows day he will get a maximum of 2 years before some fans will have the knives out if we haven't advanced in line with their expectations. It will start with a trickle but others will join in over the third season. This isn't meant as a dig at anyone but it's just a sad fact of life that managers get very little time before the more imaptient start looking elsewhere.

Why 2 years ?
If the bloke isn't producing and he does not have obvious excuses why wait 2 years? Lets face it some fans were demanding we give our previous manager more time when even he felt he'd be found out and quit, but in hindsight those who always questioned his credentials and sincerity were mostly right.
A manager stands or falls by his results and only extenuating circumstances allow him to be free from criticism, after all he gets paid tubfulls of money, likes the limelight and should, as most do, accept the brickbats.