Gerard Houllier

[Des Little]

We have no spine
We have no spirit
We have no desire
...and that comes from the Manager. 
Get rid.

[pauliewalnuts]

The thing with Everton is generally, even when they're not winning they put up a fight.

They might lose by the odd goal here and there and as a fan you can rationalise that just a bit of tinkering here and there or a bit of luck will change things around for you.

When you have performances like today, Liverpool, Blackburn, B-lose in the cup and even Tottenham the other day -when we couldn't beat a team playing with 10 men for the majority-  it's harder to make the leap that it'll all click into place soon.

That's an interesting point. Everton, not much further out of the shit than us, and putting together some awful results, went to Man City and won 2-0 the other day. They also got a point, and deserved all three, at Chelsea.

That's spirit. I just can't imagine us doing that right now, and it isn't about the way we're set up to play, it is about the total lack of spirit.

It is hard to see how a transfer window is going to be enough to fix that, it probably wouldnt be, even with unlimited money, with this being January.

I think the problems run much deeper than that, and that scares me.

[PeterWithe]

I thought Pires was quite good against Blackburn, Spurs and even today when he came on. He does the job he's supposed to probably even more so than some starting players but he doesn't have the legs to replace them. He has just given a bad impression against Arsenal when he started, which was way too much for him, leading to a lot of people getting on his back, unfairly so in my opinion.

If you want to keep possession in your own third when the other team have one toe in the post match bath then he's just the man.

[Irish villain]

Perhaps all the intrigue at villa park these past few months will spawn a work of art to match 'The Damned United'? There sure as hell is enough material there, and enough gaps  in what we actually know to be filled by an active imagination.

[Des Little]

Have a look at GH's post match conference on the post match thread and come back here and tell me he's got the answers or knows where to start to fix the problems.

He very clearly hasn't.

[TopDeck113]

Perhaps all the intrigue at villa park these past few months will spawn a work of art to match 'The Damned United'? There sure as hell is enough material there, and enough gaps  in what we actually know to be filled by an active imagination.

Except of course it will lack as its central character a fabled manager who won the title at one unfashionable club, licked his wounds, and then won another title plus two European Cups at another.

[dl9]

Perhaps all the intrigue at villa park these past few months will spawn a work of art to match 'The Damned United'? There sure as hell is enough material there, and enough gaps  in what we actually know to be filled by an active imagination.

Indeed....'Nightmare on Trinity Rd' would be one option......

[villa1]

I thought Pires was quite good against Blackburn, Spurs and even today when he came on. He does the job he's supposed to probably even more so than some starting players but he doesn't have the legs to replace them. He has just given a bad impression against Arsenal when he started, which was way too much for him, leading to a lot of people getting on his back, unfairly so in my opinion.

If you want to keep possession in your own third when the other team have one toe in the post match bath then he's just the man.

I thought he added nothing when he came on against Spurs.

[Des Little]

Pires is a gamble which didn't come off.  He's nowhere near fit or good enough any more.  He needs to be told 'thanks but no thanks' and moved on asap for everyone's sake - he's just another monkey on GH's back and he's got the cast of Planet of the Apes on there already.

[brian green]

There is a line of thought put forward by one of my sons that none of this is Houllier's fault but the fault of Martin O'Neill.

The theory goes that O'Neill saw what was coming down the turnpike in the 2010/11 season and jumped ship.   This theory is borne out by the fact that the whole of the calendar year of 2010 we have played crap.   We finished last season on our knees and put it down to exhaustion.   Perhaps O'Neill was standing close enough to the outfit he had put together, including the misfits he had paid massively over the odds for, to see they were about to implode.   The ship he jumped from hit the rocks at Newcastle and has been sinking ever since.

Perhaps none of it is Houllier's fault.

Still got to go though.   Of all the managers in the Premiership the one you would least want when the skin and hair starts flying in relegation fights is Gerard Houllier.   Too nice too cold too much the school swot and not enough the school bully.

[koreanmeatballs]

Even though I'm already in the 'get rid' camp...What will people think if we put in another display like that against Chelsea and get smashed for 4/5/6?

Surely now the Chelsea game is the perfect opportunity for these players to bounce back, show there is hope and that they want to play for Ged. Show us that Man City was just a bit of a fuck up.

I won't mind getting tonked but I want to see that these players/ manager give it a good go.

If we put in the same amount of effort as today, then I'm not sure anybody can defend Houllier. Forget injuries, MON situation etc the Chelsea game will decide if this bloke can get anything out of these players.

[dl9]

Lads...........you can relax, news is just coming in that GH has called a strategy meeting on Friday.

Apparently he's drafting in Audley Harrison, Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards and the one who isn't one of the brothers from Bros to have a brainstorming session.

It's okay guys......the cavalry are coming....

Phew!

[taylorsworkrate]

There is a line of thought put forward by one of my sons that none of this is Houllier's fault but the fault of Martin O'Neill.

The theory goes that O'Neill saw what was coming down the turnpike in the 2010/11 season and jumped ship.   This theory is borne out by the fact that the whole of the calendar year of 2010 we have played crap.   We finished last season on our knees and put it down to exhaustion.   Perhaps O'Neill was standing close enough to the outfit he had put together, including the misfits he had paid massively over the odds for, to see they were about to implode.   The ship he jumped from hit the rocks at Newcastle and has been sinking ever since.

Perhaps none of it is Houllier's fault.

Still got to go though.   Of all the managers in the Premiership the one you would least want when the skin and hair starts flying in relegation fights is Gerard Houllier.   Too nice too cold too much the school swot and not enough the school bully.

MON's timing of his resignation was selfish and very poor. 

Apart from that this is the fault of Houllier and the players.

[Chris Smith]

There is a line of thought put forward by one of my sons that none of this is Houllier's fault but the fault of Martin O'Neill.

The theory goes that O'Neill saw what was coming down the turnpike in the 2010/11 season and jumped ship.   This theory is borne out by the fact that the whole of the calendar year of 2010 we have played crap.   We finished last season on our knees and put it down to exhaustion.   Perhaps O'Neill was standing close enough to the outfit he had put together, including the misfits he had paid massively over the odds for, to see they were about to implode.   The ship he jumped from hit the rocks at Newcastle and has been sinking ever since.

Perhaps none of it is Houllier's fault.

Still got to go though.   Of all the managers in the Premiership the one you would least want when the skin and hair starts flying in relegation fights is Gerard Houllier.   Too nice too cold too much the school swot and not enough the school bully.

The only problem with that analysis is that it is not borne out be the facts.

the first game we lost in 2010 was the League Cup Final on 28th Feb and we only lost 4 more before the end of the season and 2 of those were to the double winners. We also won 13 times in all competitions.

[villa1]

I'm happy to blame Stephen Ireland. The useless tosser.