Sack the Manager?

[Clampy]

Will the 9 or 10 people are here be happy if we are relegated?

  I'm not happy with results but at this stage of the season making a huge change - again - would be a huge gamble considering how low the confidence is within the squad.

Mind you, would'nt it be even more of a gamble to expect a manager to suddenly lead us to 4 wins out of the last 8, when he's only managed 6 league wins since September?

I don't know, what do you think should happen? He's not going anywhere anyway.

I'd let him go personally. I thought he should have gone after the Man City away game in December, although i can understand why he was given a bit more time. At the end of the day, this club can't afford to go down.

It's no guarantee of course that we'd stay up if we brought someone else in but I remember when Little left and John Gregory came in and we went on a really good run and finished in a decent position. There's no reason why that scenario could'nt happen again.

[TopDeck113]

Well, I've just logged on and gather Houllier's still our manager.

For all his faults, Doug would have watched Saturday's performance, read the runes and taken him for a walk around his rose garden this morning, regardless of the fact that there's not a bloom to be seen.

In fact, with a big dollop of hindsight I would say that for all the new customer-friendly PR that comes out of Villa Park post-HDE, when it came to the big decision, Doug usually acted at the right moment.   Of all the managers he sacked (as oppose to those who couldn't work with him any longer and resigned...), perhaps the only one he got spectacularly wrong was Tony Barton.

Don't forget some of the utter dross he appointed as well though, on the cheap.

He got rid of some managers at the right time and hired some wrong people at the wrong time.

He may have appointed some managers that turned out to be utter dross, but at least his record wasn't 100% dross, which is Randy's track record at present.

[Clampy]

Thing is the sensible, non emotional view would be to stick, give him a bollocking, get the 2-3 wins to stay up and then fire him come the summer.

I like to think after the Liverpool debacle and the Man City surrender, that he's been given one or two bollockings already. They don't seem to have worked though.

[Stu]

Will the 9 or 10 people are here be happy if we are relegated?

Where does it end though? If we get someone else in and certain players won't play for him either, what then? What if the next bloke can't get the fans onside, who next?I'm not happy with results but at this stage of the season making a huge change - again - would be a huge gamble considering how low the confidence is within the squad.

Would you rather be relegated without Houllier or with him? Its just as much a hypothetical question as yours.

I'd rather be relegated without him, I'd rather he not be near our club anymore or have any decision making ability inside Aston Villa. He is clearly not a very good manager for Aston Villa.

Fair enough, then who is? I've seen some mental suggestions on here since last night: Sid, KMac, Laursen to name a few. I don't really care too much if Houllier fucks off at the end of the season as long as we stay up, but yet again Aston Villa are steaming through managers and it boils my fucking piss. We'll never have any consistency and therefore the bigger trophies if we don't stick to our guns. Fine, if relegation happens then give him the bullet, Randy's idea failed and he has to take some of the blame, but the next appointment has to be utterly correct. From my experience of the Villa, the next bloke will be gone in about 4 years as well.

Harrumph.

[koreanmeatballs]

Will the 9 or 10 people are here be happy if we are relegated?

Where does it end though? If we get someone else in and certain players won't play for him either, what then? What if the next bloke can't get the fans onside, who next?I'm not happy with results but at this stage of the season making a huge change - again - would be a huge gamble considering how low the confidence is within the squad.

Would you rather be relegated without Houllier or with him? Its just as much a hypothetical question as yours.

I'd rather be relegated without him, I'd rather he not be near our club anymore or have any decision making ability inside Aston Villa. He is clearly not a very good manager for Aston Villa.

Fair enough, then who is? I've seen some mental suggestions on here since last night: Sid, KMac, Laursen to name a few. I don't really care too much if Houllier fucks off at the end of the season as long as we stay up, but yet again Aston Villa are steaming through managers and it boils my fucking piss. We'll never have any consistency and therefore the bigger trophies if we don't stick to our guns. Fine, if relegation happens then give him the bullet, Randy's idea failed and he has to take some of the blame, but the next appointment has to be utterly correct. From my experience of the Villa, the next bloke will be gone in about 4 years as well.

Harrumph.

I don't know who is mate - Every manager I suggest there could be 10 reasons not to choose them.

However, what I do though is that Houllier hasn't been good enough. He doesn't deserve to be where he is.

[TonyD]

GED has the backing from the club.

Just been on BBC NEWS24.  Statement came from PF.

Iceberg, what iceberg?

[WikiVilla]

I'd like to see Gregory back at the helm, I liked his positive energy and he has a way with players

Or is he still on the run ?

[eastie]

It takes a brave man to admit he was wrong and a fool to bury his head in the sand - over to you Faulkner and randy!

GED has the backing from the club.

Just been on BBC NEWS24.  Statement came from PF.

Iceberg, what iceberg?

[Cuz]

16 people hang your heads FFS!!!!
Has he gone yet ?

[mozza]

Seriously contemplating going on holiday away from UK on the morning of the
Liverpool game -

Will be cheering the team at Everton, Albion and West Ham and all being well
at penultimate match at that wonderful stadium The Emirates (hoping that we
will be playing there again next season)   

Honestly don't think I could either watch my team relinquishing their place in
the top division or, if the worst doesn't happen, Gerard Houllier walking around
the pitch with a smug grin of satisfaction on his face.     

[Legion]

16 people hang your heads FFS!!!!
Has he gone yet ?

Can't you just accept the fact that 16 people (plus another 28) simply disagree with you?

[paulcomben]

GED has the backing from the club.

Just been on BBC NEWS24.  Statement came from PF.

Iceberg, what iceberg?

How about RL sacking PF & GH? Rick Parry & Rafa Benitez need jobs and won the greatest prize together...?!

[TonyD]

GED has the backing from the club.

Just been on BBC NEWS24.  Statement came from PF.

Iceberg, what iceberg?

How about RL sacking PF & GH? Rick Parry & Rafa Benitez need jobs and won the greatest prize together...?!

Some actions need to be taken.  PF said he believed GH was the man to keep us up.  Muppet

[phantom limb]

On the Guardian's podcast their French correspondent said that the board were sticking with Houllier as it is part of a long term plan scheduled for the next couple of years. He said that there is a split in the camp as some players don't like Houllier or his training methods whereas some of the other players have responded well, so nothing new there then. Deals are apparently already in place for new players in the summer, and you would imagine that a fair few of the current squad will be told to do one whatever our fate is at the end of the season.

I was super pissed off after the Wolves game but can see the board are clearly going to stick with him to try and avoid being relegated so he can sort the squad out. It would be interesting to see if Houllier could actually turn the club around without the constant infighting and bickering behind closed doors, which he would be able to do (in theory) with more of his own players. However most of the fans hate him now, which is obviously going to be a stumbling block.

[Cuz]

He has made me and many of my Villa mates dislike him with what HE has done, what long term plan that WAS in place must now be ripped up as he is clearly not the man the board thought his has zero popularity
He must go 

On the Guardian's podcast their French correspondent said that the board were sticking with Houllier as it is part of a long term plan scheduled for the next couple of years. He said that there is a split in the camp as some players don't like Houllier or his training methods whereas some of the other players have responded well, so nothing new there then. Deals are apparently already in place for new players in the summer, and you would imagine that a fair few of the current squad will be told to do one whatever our fate is at the end of the season.

I was super pissed off after the Wolves game but can see the board are clearly going to stick with him to try and avoid being relegated so he can sort the squad out. It would be interesting to see if Houllier could actually turn the club around without the constant infighting and bickering behind closed doors, which he would be able to do (in theory) with more of his own players. However most of the fans hate him now, which is obviously going to be a stumbling block.