How much we must give credit to the manager for the improvements of the team?

[UsualSuspect]

I would give him some credit and some stick.

Credit for bringing the kids through, trying to play decent football and fucking off the deadwood.

Stick for playing players out of position and out of form and not making changes til the last minute. good win on Saturday but our win ratio under him is shit

[pauliewalnuts]

For all our talk about this player or that player, both good and bad, it's largely the same bunch that were 6th last season.  OK we lost Milner and had injuries early doors, so from the Man City game (home in the league - Bent's debut) we can draw comparisons and see what each manager can do with comparable squads.   

So, it's largely the same squad - except our best player wasn't there any more, and at various points we had a great chunk of them not available to play?

Don't get me wrong, I think GH has made plenty of mistakes and is far from absolved of blame for a poor season, but to pretend he had the same bunch of players to choose from as last year is well wide of the mark.

[Concrete John]

True, but as I said the point for a true comparison is from Man City onwards.  With that we have Bent in for Milner, a swap most people would say improves us, and the injuries are largely cleared up.  What I'll be looking for is the points to games ratio from then. 

[Dave Cooper please]

True, but as I said the point for a true comparison is from Man City onwards.  With that we have Bent in for Milner, a swap most people would say improves us, and the injuries are largely cleared up.  What I'll be looking for is the points to games ratio from then. 

A 57.14% win ratio.
11 points out of 18 in the league and a cup win as well.

Stands up with nearly anyone in the league I reckon.

[Concrete John]

Fine as a snapshot and shows our improvement, but I was thinking of viewing it to the end of the season and seeing how it then stands up to the pace we would need to get 6th or better.

[The Left Side]

Fine as a snapshot and shows our improvement, but I was thinking of viewing it to the end of the season and seeing how it then stands up to the pace we would need to get 6th or better.

I have to agree with you, let's see how we do with a pre-season and summer transfer window first as these are signs of improvement there is still a long way to go.

[Merv]

Thinking about our form since the turn of the year, we've actually been pretty consistent in 2011: 11 games, won five (Sheff U and Blackburn in the FA Cup, Man City, Wigan, Blackburn in the league), drawn four (Chelsea, Blues, Fulham, Blackpool in the league) lost two (Man Utd and Sunderland in the league).

Not bad. Probably should have won the Fulham game but can't grumble at much else. Team does seem more unified these days.

[Dave Cooper please]

Fine as a snapshot and shows our improvement, but I was thinking of viewing it to the end of the season and seeing how it then stands up to the pace we would need to get 6th or better.

So what you actually want is for us to have a mini slump somewhere between now and the end of the season so you can point it out and say "I told you so"?
Now Hotlips can pick from a full squad and the players are more used to his style and tactics we have improved, both in the way we play the game and in the results we are getting, if you don't want to give him any credit then fine, but I'm quite enjoying it.

[eastie]

I'm enjoying it too and houllier will be here a long time to come hopefully, we will only improve and the football is good to watch , next season should be fun and I feel good pass and move football will produce plenty of wins with it- keep up the good work GED.

[Clampy]

He does seem to have won a few of the players over and it looks like he's bought a gem in Makoun, but he needs to get us winning a few more games before we start thinking he's cracked it.

[Salsa Party Animal]

Gerard done well with young players and most of MON players and adding few quality players in one month of transfer window. Imagine what the team will be like at the start of 2012-13 season.

Patience is the key. He have to settle in his job and had old fond memories welcome out the way with Liverpool, and build relationships with the club, players, fans and staff. 

I hope he will make us the next Arsenal (ie before Henry leave for Barcelona)

[Ger Regan]

Have to say that I'm taking great pleasure in the upturn, if for no other reason than GH has shut up those fools who seemed to want us relegated just to be proven right about the manager. I've no problems with people having concerns about the manager, but some of the stuff on here around Christmas was ridiculous.

On a serious note, the improvement in passing and ball retention is pretty obvious, and I'm confident that with another transfer window and a full pre-season behind him, we'll be back up near the top, and in a better position to properly challenge for a top 4 spot.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I still say that any chance of a good season went tits up after the Newcastle drubbing.

Houllier was firefighting when he first arrived and maybe his methods are now starting to reap dividends, we should see the full benefit of it next season.

As Ger said above, the improvement is there for all to see in passing and ball retention, so it's starting to sink in.

No reason why we can't have a good run in now.

[SteveD]

I'm not getting too carried away, we still need a few more results. We were given acres of room against Blackburn, who were pitiful and we duly punished them. Our problem has been pretty (largely aimless) football in the centre circle (exemplified my Makoun - a bit like hiring Michaelangelo to paint your ceiling when the roof is leaking). There's been too little penetration and wobbling in defence. We've been a carbon copy in recent weeks of Tony Mowbray's "total football" at the Albion, and look where it got them. For the purists, let's hope we can hit form, give Bent some ammunition and play our way out of trouble. It looks better but it will only look really good from the comfort of eighth or ninth.

[Monty]

As Clough said "if you have the ball, in their half, they can't score". There will be periods in every match for every team in which there appears to be no way through. In these periods, it's better to have the ball, even passing around aimlessly, than for the opposition to have it to attack you.