Has Houllier changed our club for the better?

[Chris Smith]

we should be challenging for top 6 next season and top 8 at worst - i have faith that houllier will have us in that area next season and kick onwards from there.

I don't think we can be certain about that. It looks like a number of players will be on their way this summer and until who is leaving and who is replacing them how can we make predictions on where we might finish?

Predictions?  Maybe not.  But given that we know he WILL be backed by Randy, then I think we can justifiably have expectations.

Besides, I thought he needed to bring a few more of his own players in so that his style would work better, so surely this would be to his benefit? 

I hope that we don't lose our best players and I hope that he gets the backing and I hope that we can get the players he wants and I hope that they do the job they are bought to do but there are too many unknowns there for me to be able to turn those hopes into expectations.

[Concrete John]

I hope that we don't lose our best players and I hope that he gets the backing and I hope that we can get the players he wants and I hope that they do the job they are bought to do but there are too many unknowns there for me to be able to turn those hopes into expectations.

The only player in the bracket of 'best' we're likely to lose is Ash.  OK, that's a blow, but it happens in football and you replace him, for which money won't be an issue, and get on with it.  Just like we did when Barry left.

As for getting the players he wants, that's pretty much down to him and his ability to sell the club and his vision to a transfer target.  OK, if he goes after Messi then he'll fail, but within reason that's part of being a good manager.

And if they don't do the job they're bought for then that again is his responsibility.  I never hid from the fact that MON bought some naff players, so I won't give Gezza any greater protection in that area either.

It seems to me that we're looking for 2011/2012's excuses already.  Yes, there have been issues this season that he's had to cope with, and next year is the time to form some rational and meaningful judgements, but I want us to be able to do that and not be arguing about more reasons for failiure. 

[TheSandman]

we should be challenging for top 6 next season and top 8 at worst - i have faith that houllier will have us in that area next season and kick onwards from there.

I don't think we can be certain about that. It looks like a number of players will be on their way this summer and until who is leaving and who is replacing them how can we make predictions on where we might finish?

Predictions?  Maybe not.  But given that we know he WILL be backed by Randy, then I think we can justifiably have expectations.

Besides, I thought he needed to bring a few more of his own players in so that his style would work better, so surely this would be to his benefit? 

I hope that we don't lose our best players and I hope that he gets the backing and I hope that we can get the players he wants and I hope that they do the job they are bought to do but there are too many unknowns there for me to be able to turn those hopes into expectations.

This. I don't see us getting in top class players in the summer simply for the fact that we are going to need to bring in at least 5 or 6 of them even accounting for youth players moving up. We cannot expect to sign that many top class players and we cannot expect Randy to bankroll the vast amount of cash we need to do this. We will need to find the odd hidden gem or rough diamond to make it work. I can't see us splurging £20million on Gary Cahill for example for good or for ill.

I'm more concerned about our defence than Ashley going. We will probably see him replaced easily with a combination of Albrighton, Downing, Delph, Gardner and Bannan with maybe a back up wide player coming in. But to replace the majority of our back five (probably only Clark will stay as a regular) will be very difficult. Last season we were lucky that Collins, Dunne and Warnock hit the ground running and to be so lucky is very rare. Say what you like about MoN's transfer policy but we did sign three experienced premier league players in that case which helped. We will look abroad this window and we can't really expect a player new to the league to hit the ground running. So they will three or four players in particular need to get used to new teammates, a new league and playing together.

I'm not that excited about this window. I don't expect us to sign top class exciting players but rather and hopefully good ones who can do a solid job. If we weren't needing this rebuilding job we could have an exciting window as we could get in two or three top class players who can make the difference rather than 5 or 6 replacements. I'm not making any predictions but my money is either on it going right, and back into the top six we go, or spectacularly wrong resulting in a Ramos at Spurs type situation only without a league cup and with slightly poorer players.

[WikiVilla]

Whilst I dont want us to lose Ash, the positives are that some of the other talented lads may get a look in at corners, free kicks, pens etc etc etc

[TonyD]

Every Villa fan I know feels that GH has been a disaster this season.   So do all the non Villa fans I know.   The non forum community definitley feel he hasn't improved us this season - quite the opposite.

[eastie]

i think ash and maybe gabby too will go , but ash is not suited to his current position and gabby has been very poor this season and not adapted to his new role so if we replace them with someone who can play that role better then i dont have a problem with them going.

there will be a lot of ins and out but that is needed to progress , and i think houllier will spread his net wide.

[Ads]

I can't help but feel this season is part of the traditional Villa cycle. Expect us to finish 6th again for the next three or four years, before another lower-mid table finish in 2015.

[Mazrim]

Every Villa fan I know feels that GH has been a disaster this season.   So do all the non Villa fans I know.   The non forum community definitley feel he hasn't improved us this season - quite the opposite.

You mean"the non forum community" that you know personally. Which probably consists of a fraction of a fraction of 1 percent of Villa fans.
For what it's worth, the Villa fans I know are of mixed opinion that varies between hanging him from the Flyover or giving him a few years to see how he does. As you'd probably expect.

Again, he's improved some things, not improved others and others still have been beyond his control.
The question is has he "changed Vila for the better" and once there are no more parasites mugging us off, lousy half arsed training regimes, a better standard of football, a scouting network and some silverware and pride, yes, he will have done.

Work in progress. It cannot and should not be answered yet.

[Risso]

The question is has he "changed Vila for the better" and once there are no more parasites mugging us off, lousy half arsed training regimes, a better standard of football, a scouting network and some silverware and pride, yes, he will have done.

I have to say, I really don't feel proud of having Houllier as boss.  That may change of course, but half the pride that needs regaining is due to his own stupidity, like at Anfield and Man City.

[Chris Smith]

It seems to me that we're looking for 2011/2012's excuses already

Not at all, but would you have predicted or expected us being where we are today in March last year?

There are so many variables that trying to look that far ahead can make you look a bit of an ass.

[Merv]

I can't help but feel this season is part of the traditional Villa cycle. Expect us to finish 6th again for the next three or four years, before another lower-mid table finish in 2015.

Yes, I get that feeling. And I think we all feel that frustration - so many times we've seen Villa reach top six, sit on the cusp of breaking into the top pack, then there's a managerial change and we slide back down before rebuilding, reaching top six again...

Consolation is that we have proved we are capable of picking ourselves up and turning ourselves back into contenders. We've done it before and we'll do it again.

As for Houllier... I'm sticking to a positive view of the long-term. With O'Neill, short term was good - it was the longer view I had concerns about; had he taken us as far as he could, were his tactics, modus operandi, transfer policy, a wee bit dated? I feared yes. And I think the answer was looking to be yes, towards the end of the season, although we'll never know for sure.

Houllier's got more vision, I believe. He's made mistakes, no question, and some of us tactical quirks irritate me as much as O'Neill's. But I think I'm just beginning to realise what a rotten core of a squad he's inherited. Reminds me a bit of The Damned United.

[WikiVilla]

The problem with the MON era was it was too much about MON and his CV. If left unchecked and in place he would have crippled the club beyond repair.

I'd agree GH seems to have a longer term "vision" which is good, its the short term that is the pressing concern though.

[Concrete John]

It seems to me that we're looking for 2011/2012's excuses already

Not at all, but would you have predicted or expected us being where we are today in March last year?

There are so many variables that trying to look that far ahead can make you look a bit of an ass.

I don't think anyone would have predicted such a huge slump in our form.  But as my original post said I'm talking about expectations as opposed to predictions.  So in the same way I'd expect more of Houllier with what he's had to work with so far, I'd also expect an improvement next season based on the backing he will get from Randy.

[eastie]

Agreed John , in a years time he will have had 3 transfer windows and a pre season and 18 months in the job and the expectation should be at least top 8 , champions league is an unrealistic aim for at   The very least 3 or more years and I'd be expecting similar positions to o neill achieved but more better quality football.

[Salsa Party Animal]

let say in 3 years time the squad and finances, footballing would be much better shape and make us very very attractive to top notch managers.

But who know what will happens in 3 years time.