Gerard Houllier

[old man villa fan]

I keep on saying it but we have enough good players at the club to easily get us into mid-table security. We don't necessarily need to sign anyone!

What we do need is for the players to start playing for one another and putting in the effort, passion and commitment required to get us out of this mess!

At this moment in time the manager has proved that he cannot motivate the current players and has actually alienated a few of the more senior players. So for me he is grasping at straws if he really thinks that the January transfer market will make any real difference.

I would say it is glaringly obvious that we are short of 3 players down the spine of the team, a big f*** o** central defender, a hard b****** in central midfield and a goalscorer upfront.  We have some good young players but at this point in time they need help and a little protection on the pitch.

There have been some games (more than is healthy) where we have given up quite easily and may be this is down to motivation (although we did conceed 7 at Chelsea last season with one of the 'best' motivators) but there have been plenty of games that we could quite easily have won, if not for stupid mistakes or a fair rub of the green with referees decisions e.g. Stoke, Blackburn, Sunderland.

There are some players that look as though they are giving up far too easily but equally there are others that are just not reading the game well enough.

Like others, I believe we need a defensive coach as we do look all at sea, particularly from set pieces.

[tarzansbrother]

What stories have i made up? Calling some one popeye and confirming he has heart problem? And if you think i am laughing then you are way off the mark. You really think the club doesnt look bad at the moment? No it doesnt look bad its a laughing stock.

[Clark W Griswold]

Dave you make me laugh. Take off your claret and blue glasses. Tell me with your hand on your heart that this man is right and fit for the job? The bloke is a clown.

I think he should be bundled in the back of a van and put on the next cross channel ferry as well, but personal insults are a bit much. Save them for Ireland.

[dl9]

Dave you make me laugh. Take off your claret and blue glasses. Tell me with your hand on your heart that this man is right and fit for the job? The bloke is a clown.

I don't know whether he is right for the job or not. I do know that some of the things you have said about him are unacceptable.

I'm glad that remaining as positive as it's possible to be at this time, and refusing to make up stories prersumably for the purpose of making the club look bad, is providing you with a source of amusement.

I don't wish GH any ill and I won't insult him - I just want him gone.

Okay, time to sign off.....as I glance at the poll I see that the 'Back GH' brigade are working their way up to 37%!

Sooo..... for every 10 lads on here that's 3 full grown blokes plus the legs and all the way up to the man boobs of the fourth........

Don't worry........I'm gone.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[koreanmeatballs]

Sorry, maybe a silly question but why didn't that French bloke who coached with Ged at Liverpool not join?

[dave.woodhall]

What stories have i made up? Calling some one popeye and confirming he has heart problem? And if you think i am laughing then you are way off the mark. You really think the club doesnt look bad at the moment? No it doesnt look bad its a laughing stock.

"£800k is our main signing," "Young is up for grabs," "Players are waiting for the manager to be sacked." That's three from this evening, at least one of which is libellous.  And your repeated references to the manager's heart problem aren't reminders, they're insulting.

[hawkeye]

he might be off the mark Dave but Libellous?

[tarzansbrother]

Libellous? Insulting? Well the football i have seen since he has been in charge is both of those. Oh and the players will be queueing up with his comments to the press since he has taken over our great club.

[old man villa fan]

You really think the club doesnt look bad at the moment? No it doesnt look bad its a laughing stock.

And how much has that been aided by comments from our own supporters.

From some of the names being suggested to replace GH, it seems like blind panic rather than thinking about the long term future.  Sam Allardyce - I never thought I would see the day when a Villa supporter would be calling for him to be manager.

That and made up stories leading to rumours spreading around the internet.

Yes, I do agree there are many other clubs supporters and the media out there that are laughing at our situation but how much are we magnifying the issue with scatter gun solutions to the problem or perceived problems.

[Percy McCarthy]

I think MON's departure along with not appointing a manager until after the transfer window meant that we could not expect to realistically kick on from last year. Losing Milner and getting Ireland also weakened us. I dont think anyone would disagree.

However, even after the above events, I dont think anyone, even the most pessismistic, expected us to be 1 point above the relegation places at the turn of the year.

The squad we have should be good enough to keep us in mid table at the very least. Granted we have had a miserable run of injuries, but players are coming back and things seem to be getting worse if not better.

Houllier has to take the blame for where we are. If we were sitting between 8-12th (where is as high as he thinks we can be), you would have to give him the benefit of the doubt of the circumstances he found himself in.

But, I dont think the circumstances were as bad as are being made out. He inherited a squad that finished 6th 3 years consecutively, albeit minus Milner. Throw in the youngsters who have matured this season into Premier League players. Do we not also have some of the best training facilities in the country?

Instead of utilising what he had at his disposal he has alienated Dunne, Carew, Ireland as well as supposedly rowed with Lichaj and Albrigthon after yesterday's game. Ok, a lot of the disharmony is rumours etc, but i think in his case there is too much smoke for there to be no fire.

Now Dunne, Carew and Ireland are far from blameless. Through a combination of bad form and attitude they have not served us well this season. However, Dunne and Carew have served us exceptionally well in the past and Ireland, the little toerag that he is, has the capability to be a top player. I note it seems to be a popular opinion to get rid of these and let Houllier get his own men in. Well Im afraid I would be of the opposite opinion and say get rid of Houllier and keep our best players, get in a new manager who knows the meaning of man-management and hopefully kick on from there.

With regret, I have to say this post represents my thoughts.

[hawkeye]

You really think the club doesnt look bad at the moment? No it doesnt look bad its a laughing stock.

And how much has that been aided by comments from our own supporters.

From some of the names being suggested to replace GH, it seems like blind panic rather than thinking about the long term future.  Sam Allardyce - I never thought I would see the day when a Villa supporter would be calling for him to be manager.

That and made up stories leading to rumours spreading around the internet.

Yes, I do agree there are many other clubs supporters and the media out there that are laughing at our situation but how much are we magnifying the issue with scatter gun solutions to the problem or perceived problems.

i dont think that opinions on the internet mean anything unless they are consistant like the reaction to our managers behaviour at liverpool, there are lots of football club sites with even less informed opinions that we see on here.

[E I Adio]

Wham want £15m plus for the journeyman Piquionne. You really think we will spend £5m plus if opportunity arises? We need a manager for the last half of the season and we got popeye with a heart problem. I like the bloke but he just aint got it and the players/fans/papers can smell it big time.

Perhaps if you cared to google dissected aorta, you might wish to adjust your tense.

[dave.woodhall]

he might be off the mark Dave but Libellous?

Saying players want the manager sacked isn't far off that.

[Clark W Griswold]

I think MON's departure along with not appointing a manager until after the transfer window meant that we could not expect to realistically kick on from last year. Losing Milner and getting Ireland also weakened us. I dont think anyone would disagree.

However, even after the above events, I dont think anyone, even the most pessismistic, expected us to be 1 point above the relegation places at the turn of the year.

The squad we have should be good enough to keep us in mid table at the very least. Granted we have had a miserable run of injuries, but players are coming back and things seem to be getting worse if not better.

Houllier has to take the blame for where we are. If we were sitting between 8-12th (where is as high as he thinks we can be), you would have to give him the benefit of the doubt of the circumstances he found himself in.

But, I dont think the circumstances were as bad as are being made out. He inherited a squad that finished 6th 3 years consecutively, albeit minus Milner. Throw in the youngsters who have matured this season into Premier League players. Do we not also have some of the best training facilities in the country?

Instead of utilising what he had at his disposal he has alienated Dunne, Carew, Ireland as well as supposedly rowed with Lichaj and Albrigthon after yesterday's game. Ok, a lot of the disharmony is rumours etc, but i think in his case there is too much smoke for there to be no fire.

Now Dunne, Carew and Ireland are far from blameless. Through a combination of bad form and attitude they have not served us well this season. However, Dunne and Carew have served us exceptionally well in the past and Ireland, the little toerag that he is, has the capability to be a top player. I note it seems to be a popular opinion to get rid of these and let Houllier get his own men in. Well Im afraid I would be of the opposite opinion and say get rid of Houllier and keep our best players, get in a new manager who knows the meaning of man-management and hopefully kick on from there.

With regret, I have to say this post represents my thoughts.

It's one of 2 options, albeit I think Ireland wants to and should go anyway.
The other option is sweeping changes to the playing staff, and not in the summer but now, which will cost Randolph a few bob.

[dave.woodhall]

I think MON's departure along with not appointing a manager until after the transfer window meant that we could not expect to realistically kick on from last year. Losing Milner and getting Ireland also weakened us. I dont think anyone would disagree.

However, even after the above events, I dont think anyone, even the most pessismistic, expected us to be 1 point above the relegation places at the turn of the year.

The squad we have should be good enough to keep us in mid table at the very least. Granted we have had a miserable run of injuries, but players are coming back and things seem to be getting worse if not better.

Houllier has to take the blame for where we are. If we were sitting between 8-12th (where is as high as he thinks we can be), you would have to give him the benefit of the doubt of the circumstances he found himself in.

But, I dont think the circumstances were as bad as are being made out. He inherited a squad that finished 6th 3 years consecutively, albeit minus Milner. Throw in the youngsters who have matured this season into Premier League players. Do we not also have some of the best training facilities in the country?

Instead of utilising what he had at his disposal he has alienated Dunne, Carew, Ireland as well as supposedly rowed with Lichaj and Albrigthon after yesterday's game. Ok, a lot of the disharmony is rumours etc, but i think in his case there is too much smoke for there to be no fire.

Now Dunne, Carew and Ireland are far from blameless. Through a combination of bad form and attitude they have not served us well this season. However, Dunne and Carew have served us exceptionally well in the past and Ireland, the little toerag that he is, has the capability to be a top player. I note it seems to be a popular opinion to get rid of these and let Houllier get his own men in. Well Im afraid I would be of the opposite opinion and say get rid of Houllier and keep our best players, get in a new manager who knows the meaning of man-management and hopefully kick on from there.

With regret, I have to say this post represents my thoughts.

The big problem here is that once you let the playaers become in effect more powerful than the manager, and able to get him sacked, you're heading for trouble. The most famous example for us was Manchester City with Ron Saunders and look what happened to them for thirty-odd years after.