Gerard's gaffes

[5ft811st2 Durham]

More of his quotes from the E & S, which gives a bit more detail than the edit to cause a fuss version from the Mirror.
 

He said: “This will be dealt with internally but it is through that we have conceded too many goals on set-pieces and we need to address that.

“I came to this club on September 18, they had their habits for four years and I am not going to change it in the middle of the season but next year it is obviously something I will address.

“For now I will probably stick with it for the rest of the season. We missed Richard, James and Carlos at the same time because they are three experienced players.

“I think what we missed was not just their aerial ability but their experience and probably on set-pieces we showed we were a bit naive.

“Their presence in the air is so good but it is not the first time we have had to play without them.”

Sorry Chris, but how is that you think that that's in any way better?  He's still going on about "four year habits" even though none of the defence have been there that long.  And sticking with something for the rest of the season that clearly isn't working?  Suidical, surely?

A bit rich from the guy who turned up 2 weeks late and than radically changed our training programme to now be advovating a laissex faire approach.

[Mazrim]

I disagree there maz , walford has been mons defensive coach at Leicester , Celtic and villa and all 3 had pretty solid defences- to say he did fuck all seems a tad harsh on that evidence.

I'm only passing on fairly reliable reports that I've heard. Apparent tactics of any kind were not of great importance in training then. Also, for only one MON season did we have anything like a solid defence in my opinion.

[eastie]

The football is better and we are creating chances and looking dangerous going forward and more solid in midfield- it's coming together , but we have got to stop conceding such stupid sloppy goals,we had the problem to a lesser extent under mon but the number of late goals conceded happened under him as well.

Fitness levels are now higher but concentration is poor and we look jittery whenever a cross comes in - that cannot wait until the summer and needs to be worked on very hard over the next 2 weeks, teams know our weakness and will look to exploit it.

[Shrek]

From 5th - 29th Jan we conceded 5 goals in 6 games. Things were better.  Injuries since then have cost us again.

Currently our only 3 experienced centre halves are injured, I think all sides would struggle under those circumstances - see Manu yesterday for an example.

There are clearly issues but we cannot just ignore the part that injuries and suspensions have played.

Exactly people are only seeing what they want, If we had had Dunne and collins fully fit all season and in the same form as last year we would be fine.

[Risso]

I've just been speaking to a Liverpool supporting friend who says:

"The one thing that Houllier did well at Liverpool was install a mean defence. He signed Hyypia, Henchoz and Riise and we won the treble in 2001.
I think he’ll come good at Villa, he’s a great manager and he just needs to be given time. As you say, in the summer he needs to put his stamp on the team."

Patience.

He might have been a good manager ten years ago when they won those cups, but he isn't any more.  I work with at least a dozen Liverpool fans, and they'd all laugh their arses up if I suggested they might like Houllier back as Liverpool manager.

[5ft811st2 Durham]

Hmm deluded?

Yes deluded.  A  David Icke level of delusion in fact.


"13 of our 22 man squad injured at one stage" And have things massively improved now the injuries have cleared up?  Are we out of the relegation scrap?

"Overwieght Dunne in shit form".  And when Cuellar came in and had a great game against Wolves, he dropped him for the overweight, shit Dunne.

"Young lads totally inexperienced, because they were totally underused by previous regime."  I can't see that the young lads having played a few games last season would have made much of a difference to be honest.

"Houllier has bought a Goal scorer which we have needed for years" Fair enough, but who's to say that O'Neill wouldn't have bought a goal scorer given £20m to spend on one player.  Houllier may have bought Bent, but he's given away Carew and ruined Gabby, with no overall improvment in results or league position.

"Houllier has bought a quality fullback we have needed for years".  No he hasn't, he's loaned one.  And we had a quality right back last season, he just didn't get much of a look in.

"Houllier has bought a quality Midfielder we desperatly needed" - Bit too early to say if Makoun is quality or not.  And he's also loaned Bradley, who frankly, looks dire.

"Houllier has dropped the useless Warnock".  Awesome.  Not much managerial skill needed to drop an underperforming player.  Bit more needed to stop them underperforming in the first place.

"Houllier has dropped Petrov whose legs have gone." Petrov needed to be used more sparinly for sure.  Again it's hardly a stroke of brilliance though.

"Houllier has changed our style of play which is getting better and better."  More tippy tappy football, that's mostly ineffective, and leads to lots of goals being conceded.

"He isnt perfect but has done alot more to be positive about than to be negative about."  The negatives far, far outweigh the positives.  We're conceding an average of two goals a game, are a gnat's cock away from the relegation places, can't keep a clean sheet, have conceded more goals under Houllier than we did in the whole of last season, surrendered the FA Cup, lost to Small heath on the way to them winning a trophy, waved like a drowning man to Liverpool fans, but ignores Villa fans totally, plays Gabby completely out of position, and blames everybody else except himself.

"It's like your all willing to take the good, but not accept the bad that coincides."  There isn't really an awful lot of good though is there?  I mean, I don't walk into work with a smile on my face because Stephen Warnock is earning £40K a week in the reserves.

Brilliant post.

[Mister E]

I've just been speaking to a Liverpool supporting friend who says:

"The one thing that Houllier did well at Liverpool was install a mean defence. He signed Hyypia, Henchoz and Riise and we won the treble in 2001.
I think he’ll come good at Villa, he’s a great manager and he just needs to be given time. As you say, in the summer he needs to put his stamp on the team."

Patience.

I buy this, Maz, except for the issue that time is running out for us this season - as I said above, I think that we will struggle to close out the 9 remaining games and may only garner 7 points from them. So, what is happening NOW to ensure that we do not concede from set pieces (particularly in the light of injuries and suspensions)?

[Hopadop]

He's getting paid on awful lot of money to, basically, make us happy.

Not to piss us off at what seems like every available opportunity.

[Mazrim]

His Lyon successes were more recent Risso. And he cant be hammered if he's had a non managerial yet senior role in football since then.
There isn't any way you can dress him up as a shit manager against his record I'm affraid, whoever you work with. I can find you just as many Liverpool fans who admire him.
I wouldn't want Big Fat Ron back either even though I thought he was ace, not because he's out of touch but because it's done and I dont think you should go back.

The point is, he addressed their defensive problems and they won loads of silverware. Pretty much "nuff said" as they say. Football hasn't changed that much in a few years. And he was/is known as something of an innovator in any case. He's not out of touch.

Against that I will weight that he wasnt my first choice or even in my top ten and he might not work out, I dont know yet. But he is very much capable.

[Shrek]

Very deluded there Risso!

I'm on iPhone so can't comment every question.

MON bought injured Downing instead of Bent!

Simply facts are Houllier has addressed the areas most of us had been screaming for, Martin had 4 years and over 100million and couldn't do it.

We have had a nightmare with injuries this season, with no experience in reserve and yes experience does count for an awful lot.

If you don't like Houllier Risso that's fine he never put Warnock on 40k a week.

We were stale under MON and were going nowhere but a financial nightmare.

This tippy tappy football has created alot more chances than sit back and counter every did.

When Houllier has spent a fortune and Bought 5 CB and 4 full backs then let our most promising CB in years leave (Cahill) and let Bouma go for free, then I'll blame Houllier for our defence aswell.
Until then give him a chance.

[TonyD]

He's getting paid on awful lot of money to, basically, make us happy.

Not to piss us off at what seems like every available opportunity.

That's what I don't get.   It is like he just can't help himself.    Almost as if it is an ego thing.   "I will do and say as I like"  - "I will be obeyed" etc.  No wonder the players got pissed off at the start of the season.   He seems very stick and no carrot.   You can get away with this if you are winning.

[Mazrim]

I've just been speaking to a Liverpool supporting friend who says:

"The one thing that Houllier did well at Liverpool was install a mean defence. He signed Hyypia, Henchoz and Riise and we won the treble in 2001.
I think he’ll come good at Villa, he’s a great manager and he just needs to be given time. As you say, in the summer he needs to put his stamp on the team."

Patience.

I buy this, Maz, except for the issue that time is running out for us this season - as I said above, I think that we will struggle to close out the 9 remaining games and may only garner 7 points from them. So, what is happening NOW to ensure that we do not concede from set pieces (particularly in the light of injuries and suspensions)?

I would hope that we are doing something about it. Working on it in particular. I would say that is a certainty.
It will also help having senior players back.

I do think we'll pick up a fair amount of points in the remaining fixtures. Certainly enough for midtable.
It's not great by our standards but there it is. From thee on we start looking to the future and get our shit together.

[PaulTheVillan]

Let's start Heskey, he always heads away corners from the near post.

[Concrete John]

Think I don't get is that if Gezza has addressed all these glaring errors MON left in the squad and style of play, then why are we so much worse than last season?

[supertom]

Hmm deluded?

Yes deluded.  A  David Icke level of delusion in fact.


"13 of our 22 man squad injured at one stage" And have things massively improved now the injuries have cleared up?  Are we out of the relegation scrap?

"Overwieght Dunne in shit form".  And when Cuellar came in and had a great game against Wolves, he dropped him for the overweight, shit Dunne.

"Young lads totally inexperienced, because they were totally underused by previous regime."  I can't see that the young lads having played a few games last season would have made much of a difference to be honest.

"Houllier has bought a Goal scorer which we have needed for years" Fair enough, but who's to say that O'Neill wouldn't have bought a goal scorer given £20m to spend on one player.  Houllier may have bought Bent, but he's given away Carew and ruined Gabby, with no overall improvment in results or league position.

"Houllier has bought a quality fullback we have needed for years".  No he hasn't, he's loaned one.  And we had a quality right back last season, he just didn't get much of a look in.

"Houllier has bought a quality Midfielder we desperatly needed" - Bit too early to say if Makoun is quality or not.  And he's also loaned Bradley, who frankly, looks dire.

"Houllier has dropped the useless Warnock".  Awesome.  Not much managerial skill needed to drop an underperforming player.  Bit more needed to stop them underperforming in the first place.

"Houllier has dropped Petrov whose legs have gone." Petrov needed to be used more sparinly for sure.  Again it's hardly a stroke of brilliance though.

"Houllier has changed our style of play which is getting better and better."  More tippy tappy football, that's mostly ineffective, and leads to lots of goals being conceded.

"He isnt perfect but has done alot more to be positive about than to be negative about."  The negatives far, far outweigh the positives.  We're conceding an average of two goals a game, are a gnat's cock away from the relegation places, can't keep a clean sheet, have conceded more goals under Houllier than we did in the whole of last season, surrendered the FA Cup, lost to Small heath on the way to them winning a trophy, waved like a drowning man to Liverpool fans, but ignores Villa fans totally, plays Gabby completely out of position, and blames everybody else except himself.

"It's like your all willing to take the good, but not accept the bad that coincides."  There isn't really an awful lot of good though is there?  I mean, I don't walk into work with a smile on my face because Stephen Warnock is earning £40K a week in the reserves.

Brilliant post.

Indeed. Sums it up. Houlliers regime on the whole, aside from signing Bent, has been wholly unexciting and just very disappointing. For all O Neills style faults, we at least had a good fist of it each season and something to play for. But more so there was a great sense of spirit and dynamism about the team. Players bust an absolute gut for O Neill and at our best, our counter attacking was a joy to watch (mostly 07-09). In Ash Young for one season, as well as Laursen for one, we had as close as we have since losing them, to finding our new Yorke and McGrath.

I think we're a club with enough quality and potential in place, to expect a top 6 push, year in year out. With that bit more we can push for top 4. However, under Houllier, I foresee mid-table at best. That goes for next season as well.

The tippy tappy football was the best part of the previous post. It's all well and good keeping it better in the first 2/3 of the pitch, but we don't score enough goals, make enough chances and at the back, we're fucking diabolical.