Manchester City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[barrysleftfoot]

 I don't hold this "they don't want to play for the manager" theory.

 I watched the game on the internet, and thought we was just very poor against a good team.We are making stupid mistakes, Licjahs challenge to give away the penalty was ridiculous, and we was up against it after that.

  We have to accept we are not very good atm, but judge us against Bloose etc, not Citeeh, Chelsk and Spuds.

 Although paulies arguement about his constant foot in mouth comments was quite compelling.Do i want him to go, not bothered tbh, but not for Big Sam.Owen Coyle or Holloway, yes.

[VillaAlways]

How many points were people expecting out of the games against Man City (A), Spurs (H), WBA (H), L'Pool (A), Arsenal (H), Blackburn (A) and Man U (H). I would have expected 3 or 4 points. A win v West Brom and maybe a point at B'burn. And we got 4 points.

I'm still backing the manager. We have winnable games in Jan, Feb & March.

It's the way we lost today that was the worry.I don't think the players want to play for the manager

[pauliewalnuts]

There is a rumour going around that GED did not travel back with the players on the coach and was with  Lerner? anyone heard this?

also on WM GED publically saying Lichaj had a nightmare game, sure that will boost the young lads confidence!!

Houllier Out!

It's a rumour. Most probably false.

He is Guest of Honour at a dinner tonight being held by the Spirit of Shankly mob. Apparently it had been planned months ago.

Short of being snapped out on Broad Street doing sambuccas with the rest of the squad at 3am tomorrow morning, I can't think of many less public relations friendly things for him to be doing this evening.

[midnite]

Humble pie most definitely is the main course of the day for me. I've been ranting saying sacking the manager at this point is insane and arguing against you lot. Now I'm not so sure. So plainly obvious that the players don't want to be here and play for the club under GH.
A few days ago I said if we get rid of him we can kiss good bye to the likes of Ashley young. He way it's looking I wouldn't be surprised if ash already has his bags packed and moved out weeks ago and this injury is just an excuse to not play him. No one want to put on a villa shirt at the moment. I'm so disheartened to be a villa fan at the moment. Big sam isn't the answer either though. We need to move forward. Maybe tapping up hodgson before he's pushed out of liverpool. Or will he start mentioning Liverpool in every other sentence too??

[Ian.]

Let's hope Liverpool sack Woy & appoint Houllier...

I bloody wish we had Woy at the Villa now.

[Legion]

I'm never disheartened to be a Villa fan. Well pissed off at the moment, but not disheartened. We'll come good.

[pauliewalnuts]

How many points were people expecting out of the games against Man City (A), Spurs (H), WBA (H), L'Pool (A), Arsenal (H), Blackburn (A) and Man U (H). I would have expected 3 or 4 points. A win v West Brom and maybe a point at B'burn. And we got 4 points.

It isn't just about points, though. It is about performances, which suggest where we're going in a more subtle manner, and the trajectory they are eeking out for us at the moment doesn't suggest there will be many points from the next games either.

[WikiVilla]

Roy Hodgson is not the answer

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Paulie, Houllier can say what the hell he wants if the team are performing. MON used to come out with how wonderful the football was after a real dire performance but at least we got a point or all three. The problem is not what he says but what his team are not doing.

Agree in part with BLF, City were very good today, physically much stronger than us, it was like watching men against boys. We had not fight. Nothing. That concerns me far more than the GH gaffes.

[Surrey Villain]

There is a rumour going around that GED did not travel back with the players on the coach and was with  Lerner? anyone heard this?

also on WM GED publically saying Lichaj had a nightmare game, sure that will boost the young lads confidence!!

Houllier Out!

If he has said that about Lichaj that is a bloody disgrace, that will do him the world of good.  Something else I can't stand about Houllier never takes responsibility for anything.

As I said on another thread earlier that's what Liverpool fans would say. He always points the finger of blame, he never takes responsibility. Alex Ferguson always shielded his players and look at the success he has enjoyed. Blaming players or hanging them out to dry won't work.

I have to agree he shouldn't have said that about Lichaj but I wonder how many other people agree with him?
My son and I actually thought Lichaj was our best player today, as he was against Spurs.

[midnite]

I'm never disheartened to be a Villa fan. Well pissed off at the moment, but not disheartened. We'll come good.

I think u need to pick me up and dust me down.  I'm so, so gutted at the moment leigon I just don't know what to do. I go through the turn styles every home game but feel like I'm just going through the motions. I'm not getting excited like I used to. I don't get angry either. I just feel in different at the moment. I hope we do come good. Villa is my life and I just feel like the manager and players don't care.

[lordmcgrath5]

They were fucking annoying at the time, but consider again the frequent needless gaffes ('Natural position between 7th and 12th", "not a club on the same level as Liverpool", "well, I need to finish my work at the FFF first", "I might be here for Stoke, I might not", "I dont like losing 3-0, but if i have to, I prefer to do so to Liverpool", touching the Anfield sign, ignoring our fans and applauding the Kop after a shameful performance, "what is my aim? survival".

All of those were pointless, unnecessary, avoidable clangers, now he finds himself really in need of support from the fans, he's not going to get much. If he'd avoided half of those clangers, he'd probably at least have some goodwill in the bank.

That sums it up quite nicely for me. One aggravating comment after another, then this load of shite on the pitch. Very little goodwill in the bank for you, Mr Houllier.

[Dave]

Having managed to miss the game, what worries me most having read the threads and reports - for the last three months I've been saying that the injuries have been the problem and as soon as we had a full squad to pick from then everything would sort itself out.

Apart from Young (who obviously isn't going to be around much longer anyway), we weren't far off being at full strength today.

[avfcpg]

Pretty much what a few others have said. I was all for giving GH time and a window but am beginning to have my doubts. I don't mnd us losing the last 2 games but the manner in which we did is appalling.....no urgency, closing down, hassle, urgency, passion, desire...etc etc etc...

What on earth happened to that young team that played Man Yoo off the park for at least 45 minutes...?

We all want to blame someone...GH? Players? MON? probably all 3 right now...

Right now it's either back him or sack him for GH. He's under enourmous scrutiny and pressure...

[pauliewalnuts]

Paulie, Houllier can say what the hell he wants if the team are performing. MON used to come out with how wonderful the football was after a real dire performance but at least we got a point or all three. The problem is not what he says but what his team are not doing.

Agree in part with BLF, City were very good today, physically much stronger than us, it was like watching men against boys. We had not fight. Nothing. That concerns me far more than the GH gaffes.

I'm not saying the gaffes are the problem, I was just saying that now, when he could really use a bit of support, there's going to be a lot less there than there would have been had he not dropped clanger after clanger.

The gaffes were harmless and irrelevant to events on the pitch when he made them. Now we're finding our fans singing "Fuck off Houllier, the Villa is ours" at him - they'd have been far less likely to turn had he kept his mouth shut in the first place. I said at the time it was creating extra problems needlessly - we had enough already.

I think when you find the fans turning so spectacularly as that, things are approaching an end.