Has Houllier changed our club for the better?

[Blackcountry Villa]

Changed us for the better? We're crap and we're two points above the relegation zone. Where would we be if he'd changed us for the worse then?

[Dave Cooper please]

he's changed quite a lot at the club, behind the scenes

While Nero fiddled Rome burned

he's changed quite a lot at the club, behind the scenes

While Nero fiddled Rome burned

Nero fiddled while Gordon Burns.

[darren woolley]

It's not really his fault the situation he came into, like i have said before i like what he his trying to do, i think we will be ok this season and in the long run he will have improved us for the better.

[TonyD]

If we go down then it would be madness to keep him.

If the next 3 games go badly he should be sacked. RL would need to step in an make the move before it would be too late.  There is no way this squad of players should go down.

[TheSandman]

So the gist of the article is that a nice man treated James Nursey to nice food and nice drink and he's all of a sudden saying nice things about him?

It started before that with Nursey, it has been very noticeable.

Someone needs to get Oliver Holt up Broad Street and spike his WKD.

From what I understand Nursey had a really low opinion of a former member of staff. Once said former member of staff departed the club he suddenly started being nice even daring to link us with better players and reciting the line sell-to-buy less often.

I just cannot help but think how attitudes on here would be different if,  long shot I know, we played a strong team against City and won the game. I don't actually think the mood would be so much against Houllier if that was the case. I know I the stubborn fickle arse that I am I would not be as actively unhappy.

[Eigentor]

Houllier has changed things for the better. It seems clear that things went too far under the previous manager: players were barely training, no discipline or unity in the squad and a lot of high-earners never playing.

Much of our problems this seasons have been due to injury problems, players struggling to adjust to a new (and stricter) regime and a new philosophy and (possibly) the fact that the club was dysfunctional in pre-season. Only part of this is Houllier's fault. The statement that he has transformed the sixth best Premier League side to relegation candidates is, thus, very simplistic (ignoring, eg, that Bent was signed six months after Milner was sold, and that other sides strengthened in the summer while we lost our best player).

Much of the current discontent (on here) seems to stem from the team selection against Man City. Before that, the consensus was that the team showed detectable improvement, and that GH deserved credit for that. It is perhaps easier to accept a transitional season if there is a cup run. Now, all that is left of the season is a relegation fight.

[Clampy]

It's not really his fault the situation he came into

What situation was that then?

He's been very unlucky with the outrageous injury list, but other than that, we should'nt be where we are.

[cheltenhamlion]

So what did the Romans do for us?

[lovejoy]

The manager's job is to get results for the first team, the be all and end all. He's got us knocked out of one cup by Blues who went on to win it and din't try in the other cup and taken a team from 6th to 3 points above relegation. To say this is an improvement suggests insanity or use of illegal substances.

[ez]

I don't expect Randy to get rid if we stop up afterall it took him a while to get the bloke. Its possible Houllier may decide he doesn't want the job anymore.

[Mister E]

The manager's job is to get results for the first team, the be all and end all.

How do you know what brief RL has given him?
I agree that you'd expect that to be the simple brief but we do not know for sure exactly what situation he inherited at the club and - with his broad football experience - the Chairman may well have given a much more multi-faceted set of objectives.

[Eigentor]

taken a team from 6th to 3 points above relegation

We were 8th (and 3 points above relegation) when GH arrived.

[Toronto Villa]

The thing for me is that we'd probably be playing a similar brand of football with similarly shit results if we'd appointed somebody like Zola or Tony Mowbray.

with the significant difference being that Houllier has a long track record of winning stuff at different clubs, while the other two have a track record of flattering to deceive.

This season might very well have gone better, and I'm sure that aside from all of the injuries and non-controllable issues, he'd like to have one or two decisions and actions back.

This was never going to be a one season project and barring disaster he isn't going anywhere. Despite this ultimately being a very disappoiting season, there are still a lot of good things happening. It is now a case of capitalizing on those things between now and the end of the season and into the summer. I firmly believe that this will be one of the most dramatic and interesting transfer windows and our squad will look very different in August to what it is today.

[lovejoy]

taken a team from 6th to 3 points above relegation

We were 8th (and 3 points above relegation) when GH arrived.

But we've finished 6th for the past 3 seasons so its fair to assume we are a "6th" team.

[lovejoy]

The manager's job is to get results for the first team, the be all and end all.

How do you know what brief RL has given him?
I agree that you'd expect that to be the simple brief but we do not know for sure exactly what situation he inherited at the club and - with his broad football experience - the Chairman may well have given a much more multi-faceted set of objectives.

I'm guessing but if suprised if he's told him to make the under 12s shit hot and fuck the rest of it.