Dunne in bust up with Houllier & McAllister on Friday - NOTW

[pauliewalnuts]

It's never good when relationships between manager and players get like that, and it almost always ends one way.

Hopefully there's no truth in it, though, although it does all seem quite detailed which makes me think maybe there is some truth in it.

Odd, though, I always thought Houllier was one of those managers who formed strong bonds with players - witness recent Carragher love-in.

[Greg N'Ash]

Sounds about right to me as well.

Houllier wants to get the players vaguely fit and not rely so much on set pieces - no shit sherlock

Do wonder why Dunne would take such umbrage to being asked in the first place though

[Bosco81]

I thought under MON it was just 5 a sides with not much time spent on practising set pieces in training, so it seems strange that the players are complaining now about not doing much work on it.

I would think time spent on defending set pieces would be time well spent personally.

Like others have said if all we're doing are shuttle runs then how come Dunney is not waif like.

[PeterWithe]

We looked a hell of a lot more secure on set pieces against the Albion with Heskey back in the team, the goal aside.

[andyh]

how many goals have we conceded from set pieces this season ?

[Chris Smith]

Sounds about right to me as well.

Houllier wants to get the players vaguely fit and not rely so much on set pieces - no shit sherlock

Do wonder why Dunne would take such umbrage to being asked in the first place though

So you don't think there's any benefit in working on defending set pieces?

It was something we very good at last season and have been hopeless this so perhaps the players have a point.

[WikiVilla]

how many goals have we conceded from set pieces this season ?

and late goals ?? Problem with concentration or fitness ?? or both ?

[jonzy85]

Interesting how Irish posters are more inclined to stick up for Dunne. As they're entitled to do, of course.

Had to laugh at this, because, while you may have a point, Dunne was derided for many a year in Ireland. Perhaps it's the way he turned his career around in the right direction that he is admired so much by Irish supporters, anyway......a few points on this.

1. Dunne looks unfit, has been very poor this season, in a way he can only really look at himself.

2. For all the grumblings about MON last year i think every poster on here would have to acknowledge that we were defensively solid last year (solid is probably an understatement too). Since Houllier came in we have been a disgrace defensively and not only Dunne is to blame. It is hard to understand how Houllier has come in and overseen the demise of what was last year possibly the best defensive unit in the Premier League. Yes Dunne and other individuals have been poor, but I think when the whole defensive structure collapses you have to look at the manager.

3. In terms of the credibility of the story, my attitude would be there is no smoke without fire. I think Dunne had big ambitions coming to Villa, not in small part fed by wanting to outdo City. I think he may have become a bit disillusioned over the summer when we sold our best player, lost our manager and didnt sign any players. I doubt he is the only player that feels that way. As a fan I certainly feel that way.

4. The saddest thing, perhaps, is that the story makes too much sense. I've not been a massive fan of Houllier from the beginning, but was reserving judgment. Nothing he's done since he arrived has inspired me and it is really sad that the hope that was generated during the MON era is now all but gone. Mid table fodder is all we can hope for in the coming years.

[Greg N'Ash]

my impression under MON was that he kept the 13 or so players he deemed worthy to pick match fit by playing them and even then there was plenty of discussion last season about half fit players being picked, not to mention the Terry comments. If GH wants to get the squad fit then thats fine by me. To me it looks like he's playing catch-up from a poor pre-season fitness regime. If we're still concentrating on fitness in a month or so then thats a different matter

[jonzy85]

my impression under MON was that he kept the 13 or so players he deemed worthy to pick match fit by playing them and even then there was plenty of discussion last season about half fit players being picked, not to mention the Terry comments. If GH wants to get the squad fit then thats fine by me. To me it looks like he's playing catch-up from a poor pre-season fitness regime. If we're still concentrating on fitness in a month or so then thats a different matter

Terry comments?

[Greg N'Ash]

my impression under MON was that he kept the 13 or so players he deemed worthy to pick match fit by playing them and even then there was plenty of discussion last season about half fit players being picked, not to mention the Terry comments. If GH wants to get the squad fit then thats fine by me. To me it looks like he's playing catch-up from a poor pre-season fitness regime. If we're still concentrating on fitness in a month or so then thats a different matter

Terry comments?

when he said we tired towards the end of matches

[jonzy85]

my impression under MON was that he kept the 13 or so players he deemed worthy to pick match fit by playing them and even then there was plenty of discussion last season about half fit players being picked, not to mention the Terry comments. If GH wants to get the squad fit then thats fine by me. To me it looks like he's playing catch-up from a poor pre-season fitness regime. If we're still concentrating on fitness in a month or so then thats a different matter

Terry comments?

when he said we tired towards the end of matches

Right sorry.

Well that is what I am trying to figure out...MON and his coaches were slated on this forum towards the end of last season for their training methods. Now it seems under GH it is even worse.

I will point out that anybody commenting on the teams training is engaging in pure conjecture.

[Bosco81]

Houllier has been here 4 months now, and if he is concentrating on our fitness then I've not noticed a great deal of difference, other than a lot more training ground injuries.

We are still conceding late goals, which is nothing new, the needless free kicks we have conceded could be attributed to tired minds/legs.

Houllier reminds me of when my dad took over my team when I was a kid, glad he did it because we didn't have anyone else, but was pretty clueless when it came to tactics or training.

[Greg N'Ash]

maybe but Dunne was carrying 10lbs of extra lard long before GH turned up. Whether it all went pear(pie) shaped during the summer or Mcdonald took his eye off the ball, there's no doubt in my mind that fitness has slipped. And it takes a long while for players to lose weight and get match fit just as its takes quite a while for players to put on as much weight as Dunne.

[dicedlam]

As we know, O'Neill left the majority of coaching matters to Robertson and Walford and they probably took set pieces scenarios more serious than other areas of the game such as fitness levels.
It was pretty disturbing though at the amount of games we seemed to cling on to going into the 10-15 minutes last season.
Maybe thats why some of the players are having ago now because a lot of emphasis in training is going into fitness and stamina levels.
As stated above, thats probably why NRC wouldn't speak up..he wouldn't have a problem with fitness work.

It sounds to me like those players who were MON's  'undroppable' golden boys are now the ones unhappy with the new regime.