Sack the Manager?

[not3bad]

Yeah, appoint Ray Wilkins right now.  Everything will then be fine.

[oldtimernow]

Yeah, appoint Ray Wilkins right now.  Everything will then be fine.

just so long as we remember to stay on our feet

[Merv]

10 points is realistic on face value, but our best chance of getting them are beating Newcastle, Stoke and Wigan at home and then a point away at either West Ham or Albion.  That would be a level of consistencey we've not come even close to showing so far this season.

Totally agree, John. What the season has shown us so far is that you can't any match for granted with Villa and I'm viewing the run-in with more than a touch of trepidation. We've no reason to expect this team to suddenly produce a consistent run of form. I'm just hoping that the severity of our situation has got through to the players, the majority of the squad are now available, and the Everton game has re-installed a bit of belief.

Oodman - Houllier's going nowhere, until the summer at least. Wilkins would jump at the chance of coming aboard but there's no way we'd shift Moyes from Everton in April!

[WikiVilla]

Surely with four home games and three away the target should be 21pts, not 10.

It's the kind of non-stretching target he would set
Bit like stating we are a 5th - 12th placed club

[Chris Smith]

Surely with four home games and three away the target should be 21pts, not 10.

It's the kind of non-stretching target he would set
Bit like stating we are a 5th - 12th placed club

Saying we need 10 points to be sure of survival is not the same as saying that he only wants them to pick up 10 points.

[WikiVilla]

But should he not really be saying he WANTS maximum points

same as when he took the job - he wants us to be top 4, not between 5-12th

[Concrete John]

Just a quick thing, but so far this season we've been picking up 1.1 points per game (34 from 31).  10 points from 7 remaining games is over 1.4 points per game and a 30% improvement in our form.

Is this him admitting how crap we've been so far?   

[Chris Smith]

But should he not really be saying he WANTS maximum points

same as when he took the job - he wants us to be top 4, not between 5-12th

If he'd said he wants maximum points you'd be bitching about unrealistic targets.

[WikiVilla]

Well we're certainly not sat between 5-12th so he's underperforming even by his own standards

[WikiVilla]

But should he not really be saying he WANTS maximum points

same as when he took the job - he wants us to be top 4, not between 5-12th

If he'd said he wants maximum points you'd be bitching about unrealistic targets.

Targets should be stretching, set them a 21 point target, then if they get 12 points all well and good

[Chris Smith]

Well we're certainly not sat between 5-12th so he's underperforming even by his own standards

Really, hadn't realised that.

[villa for life]

Well, 7 games to go..we've got a fantastic squad, everyone is fit...if we didn't pick up at least 10 points then we fully deserve to go down and will rightfully occupy one of the bottom three places. Let's hope it doesn't happen, but if it does, that's where we belong (for this season at least).

[Chris Smith]

But should he not really be saying he WANTS maximum points

same as when he took the job - he wants us to be top 4, not between 5-12th

If he'd said he wants maximum points you'd be bitching about unrealistic targets.

Targets should be stretching, set them a 21 point target, then if they get 12 points all well and good

I've explained that to you 5 minutes ago.

Let me ask you 2 questions.

How many points do you think a side will need to be sure of staying in the division?

How many more points do you want Villa to get this season?

[WikiVilla]

You've explained nothing to me. What I will explain to you is that its highly likely it will need a record points haul to stay up this year, could be as high as 45 pts.
I want my team to get 7 wins & i want our manager to be saying that

[Merv]

Just about every manager in the bottom half of the PL has been asked how many points they think they'll need to stay up. 10 points would do it, I believe. That's what Houllier has said publicly.

Privately, I'm sure he's saying something else to the players. Put it this way, if we win our next three I'm sure he won't be telling them to ease off. Don't think issuing war cries to the media like 'we need to win seven from seven' is going to help anyone. Least of all the players. The pressure's high enough as it is.