PS Mr Lerner

[bertlambshank]

I'm trying to imagine the line-up if we qualify for Europe...

Marshall
Herd
Petrov
Lowry
Tea Lady
Pires
Petrov
Johnson
Programme Seller
Petrov
Groundsman

The Groundsman has some mowing to do a month later,so I would swap him with a bag of sand.

[eastie]

I agree with that chris, calls for him to be sacked are insane, he has done himself no favours and alienated many again but I have been behind him until last night and although deeply shocked And angered by his selection see no point in him being sacked.

We have been showing good signs in recent games and let's hope we can put this setback behind us and get a good result at Bolton .

[Ian.]

I can't believe the team selection last night, I think he screwed up big time.
I said after the weekends match on here we are so inconsistent in our play we'll still lose some daft games. Probably because of new brand of football Houllier is trying to get us to play. But last night was totally down to team selection.

I still believe he will turn us around given time though. But it does seem to be 1 step forward and 3 back.

It's a frustrating season as we have had in a long time. Roll on the summer.

[NeilH]

You keep missing the point, Eastie. I don't fully support his selection, I think he made a couple too many changes. What I am saying is that I understand why he did it and accept that he, as the manager, has every right to pick the team he sees fit without getting all the abuse he has and that calls for him to be sacked because of it are verging on insane.

Yes he is the manager and yes he can select whom he wishes, but 3 thousand or so fans travelled up to Manchester last night and rightly feel pretty damn aggrieved (as those that travelled to Moscow did), that the team they went to support simply decided that they had other fish to fry.
I understand the reality we are in when the spectre of relegation coupled with our wage bill could send us into administration, but it does not make it any more palatable to me
AND as Dave said earlier, when 22k turn up for a crucial FA Cup game you begin to realise that the world's greatest cup competion means nothing to many people right now as opposed to the league games and that for me is a rotten description of the modern football game.

[frank black]

You keep missing the point, Eastie. I don't fully support his selection, I think he made a couple too many changes. What I am saying is that I understand why he did it and accept that he, as the manager, has every right to pick the team he sees fit without getting all the abuse he has and that calls for him to be sacked because of it are verging on insane.

I have tried to understand his rationale for making the 8 changes, from his perspective. I really have. I wondered if any other mid table team would do the same. I tried to remember other examples of this outside of Villa. Bearing in mind our road to wembley was mapped out, beat City in one very difficult match, then an easier tie against a championship team. It's not like he thought god were playing City then Man u next. I simply can't understand it at all. Baffling. I find no way to defend Houllier.

I wonder if he's going to invite the away following to an apology meal (I think mon did this after Moscow?)

[Clampy]

Eastie, you're not making any attempt to understand.

I sat down at the time and made an effort to understand why MON played a weakened side in Moscow and although i thought he made too many changes, i understood why he did it.

I sat there at work today and tried to understand why Houiller did the same last night, but i can't.

Let's face it, I did'nt see too many people suggesting in the pre match thread that we should play a weakened side and concentrate on the league.

[eastie]

Until mon did that in Moscow I was delighted with him but after that I saw him in a different light, I'm hoping that GED can turn around the fans disappointment but he has again caused his own problems just as he did at Liverpool.

Maybe a win at Bolton and we can all breathe easier but last night was a very bitter pill to swallow- as I've said whatever the reasons for it, what must the likes of Ashley young be thinking? It's hardly likely to convince him to stay - players want to win things just like we do and it's sent out a hugely negative message of us as a club.

[mattjpa]

   Ok, so I can see both sides of the argument here and I didnt spend money going to city last night but I did spend 60quid going to see us beat blackburn at the weekend. I saw one of the best displays from our boys in a long time, controlled, passing, incisive football. Just like I argued would come when you were all calling for GH to be sacked three months back. In all honestly, do you believe that without cuellar, collins, makoun and bent we stood a really decent chance of getting a result last night? Honestly? I dont.
   We have notably collapsed in the last 10minutes several times this season and are 3days away from going to one of the fittest, physically strongest teams in the PL. Relegation is still a possibility but so is europe and with the run in we have, I think the latter is more likely if we are smart with how we handle the rest of the season.
   Yes its the cup, and yes, ive got all my ticket stubs in my top drawer in the hope that we got to wembley but circumstances went against us last night.
   I criticised MON heavily for not rotating as im sure did others, so im not going to be hypocritical enough to critise GH for rotating....several players were individually very good last night and deserved their chance. I just hope the decision is vinidicated and Ashley/Downing combine for an 85th min winner at the weekend.
   Ill be looking out for a few names on the post match thread....

I think you're deluding yourself about the Blackburn game because Blackburn are utter garbage and let us play in the same way that we let Man City play last night..

It may be more relevant to point to recent games against Man City  Fulham and Blackpool and we didn't play well in any of those.


In my view we will never achieve anything with Houllier as manager and any progress we are alleged to have made in recent weeks is just an illusion

well a difference in opinion is what makes supporting a football team interesting and the reason we are all on here. But I see losing sidwell, davies, and an uninterested Carew as progress. I see makoun and bent as progress. I see bannan, herd and Clark getting valuable experience and integration into the first team against one of the most expensive teams in the world as progress. I see method in GEDs selections, trial and error, right and wrong. At least it's not stubborn 1980s methods like the last idiot.

[Dave Cooper please]

My point Is that the manager wanted to rest some players and have a look some others so took the opportunity. He can't leave them all out but he did what he thought would be best for the squad. You don't have to like it but I would expect that you at least make an effort to understand it.

Again, and I know it's an argument that is going around in circles, there is resting players and looking at other players (squad rotation) and then there is ripping apart a winning team in an FA Cup tie with Reading at home waiting for us in the quarters.
I have made an effort to understand it but I just can't, it was a fucking pathetic decision based on either cowardice (no confidence that we will stay up if we lose a couple of players), or contempt for the FA Cup.

[alan_clarke]

ive bought my last ticket for a long while.

[dave.woodhall]

I think you're deluding yourself about the Blackburn game because Blackburn are utter garbage and let us play in the same way that we let Man City play last night..

It may be more relevant to point to recent games against Man City  Fulham and Blackpool and we didn't play well in any of those.

While not losing any of them and getting eight points from the above four games.

[5ft811st2 Durham]

I think you're deluding yourself about the Blackburn game because Blackburn are utter garbage and let us play in the same way that we let Man City play last night..

It may be more relevant to point to recent games against Man City  Fulham and Blackpool and we didn't play well in any of those.

While not losing any of them and getting eight points from the above four games.

My point is in response to people claiming that the style of football has improved under Houllier and I disagree. Whilst we did pick up 4 points in our home games with Man City and Fulham our actual play  was very poor in both those games.

[Clampy]

I think you're deluding yourself about the Blackburn game because Blackburn are utter garbage and let us play in the same way that we let Man City play last night..

It may be more relevant to point to recent games against Man City  Fulham and Blackpool and we didn't play well in any of those.

While not losing any of them and getting eight points from the above four games.

Which i suppose is even more reason why he should have tried to keep the momentum going last night.

[brian green]

There is only one way this debate about whether Houllier is or is not a competent manager will be resolved.     We scrape survival in the Premiership and he gets a whole summer to discard those he considers to be dead wood, to bring in new wood and to get them all playing the way he wants them to play.

If we start the new season with good football and good results those of us who think he is years past his Best By date will have been proved wrong and those who say he should be given more time and those who disagree are insane will be proved right.

I feel very strongly that he is yesterday's man and should never have been appointed in the first place and I fully expect the autumn of 2011 to be every bit as bad as the autumn of 2010.   I really hope that I am wrong.

[5ft811st2 Durham]

You keep missing the point, Eastie. I don't fully support his selection, I think he made a couple too many changes. What I am saying is that I understand why he did it and accept that he, as the manager, has every right to pick the team he sees fit without getting all the abuse he has and that calls for him to be sacked because of it are verging on insane.

Are you suggesting  that a manager should be able to pick any team he likes , however perverse, whilst remaining immune from criticism from the supporters who pay his wages?