The future of Houllier and McAllister?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

What's annoyed me about GH and GMac is that just as you thik they're starting to make some kind of progress, they always make an almighty fuck up. Man City in the cup was the main one and Saturday's bizarre sub was another. Personally, as harsh as it would be, if we get 3 points on Saturday, i'd let them both go straight after the game and put Sid in charge for the last two games.

While a clean break has some appeal, sacking a bloke while he is off sick would be a pretty shit thing to do. Clearly some big decisions need to be made this summer but it can wait a month.

Quite right Chris it is a very shitty thing to do, nearly as bad as running away from a club as the season starts but these things happen.

However, sometimes they need doing in, of course,  the most sympathetic way possible. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made for the overall good, and starting a fresh with plenty of time to do so is what we need above anything else, now.

That you think a bloke walking out of his job after a row is worse than sacking a seriously ill man says more about you than it does about those concerned.

I expect Randy to show his customary integrity in how he deals with this situation.

After a row? That's a new one for me, not that it matters now.

The problem is we are in limbo. Nobody knows what's going to happen regarding the manager, so many senior players are due to leave/expected to leave/need replacing. What we really need but won't get until the summer is some stability. Even then, if a new manager is brought in, how will he make an assessment of the squad's strength, who to let go, who to bring in, who's contract to renew? The easiest transition would be somebody like Moyes with GH moving upstairs, if only for a year, assuming Moyes and GH do have a good relationship. That way GH can pass on all his 'insider' knowledge and list of potential transfer targets without having another wasted season. And let's face it, for various reasons, this season has been a complete waste.

[not3bad]

The uncertainty isn't ideal but if we do know for definite by mid June then that's good enough for me.

[Risso]

The problem is this , if Houllier is given the all clear and resumes his duties then, in say October his problem reaccurs  we are really left with
looking for a new manager when all the decent options have already commited themselves.

Then we should get a competent assistant in. Possibly someone with a long term chance of getting the top job.

That's a nice idea in theory, but I can't think of too many teams where you'd expect to see the no.2 taking over if the main man left. 

[pauliewalnuts]

Personally, as harsh as it would be, if we get 3 points on Saturday, i'd let them both go straight after the game and put Sid in charge for the last two games.

I don't really see the point in that, to be honest.

Barring a miracle, we are not going to be relegated, so there's not much reason to change the management team for the last two games of the season.

It would also cloud the issue of the permanent succession if we were to have a caretaker in charge.

[Rodders]

The problem is this , if Houllier is given the all clear and resumes his duties then, in say October his problem reaccurs  we are really left with
looking for a new manager when all the decent options have already commited themselves.

Then we should get a competent assistant in. Possibly someone with a long term chance of getting the top job.

http://tinyurl.com/3trhxnn

[Risso]

The problem is this , if Houllier is given the all clear and resumes his duties then, in say October his problem reaccurs  we are really left with
looking for a new manager when all the decent options have already commited themselves.

Then we should get a competent assistant in. Possibly someone with a long term chance of getting the top job.

http://tinyurl.com/3trhxnn

Oh god, the age old "suggest a good former player as a coach" argument.  Laursen has said that's happy with TV media duties as it allow him to spend time with his family.  Even if changed his mind, there's no evidence to date that suggests he'd be any good at it.

[supertom]

At the very best we'll be mid-table under Houllier. I'm sure of that. He's wrong for this club, not to mention long past his sell by date. We're safe now anyway, but lets not kid ourselves, it's been piss-poor.

As for these 5 games unbeaten, who did we play? We picked up points that given our quality we most certainly should be doing. Furthermore we should be beating the likes of Stoke and West Brom. In fact our two wins were a tight win against Newcastle, who we should be turning over on our patch, and a piss poor West Ham. We made hard work of those narrow, narrow victories. The Everton point was good, granted. But this season, with a few exceptions, we've not given a decent account of ourselves against top 6 sides, nor really turned anyone over.

Scored too few, conceded far too many. The tactics aint right, the organisation isn't there, and STILL some players don't look interested. Many who bust a gut and would throw themselves in front of a train for MON, just don't for Houllier.
Fuck him off, get some passion and youth in. And someone with a gameplan and the ability to organise and fire off a few rockets up a few backsides.

[Rodders]

The problem is this , if Houllier is given the all clear and resumes his duties then, in say October his problem reaccurs  we are really left with
looking for a new manager when all the decent options have already commited themselves.

Then we should get a competent assistant in. Possibly someone with a long term chance of getting the top job.

http://tinyurl.com/3trhxnn

Oh god, the age old "suggest a good former player as a coach" argument.  Laursen has said that's happy with TV media duties as it allow him to spend time with his family.  Even if changed his mind, there's no evidence to date that suggests he'd be any good at it.

http://tinyurl.com/6d6sg9c

tee-hee

(Sorry Risso)

[Clampy]

Personally, as harsh as it would be, if we get 3 points on Saturday, i'd let them both go straight after the game and put Sid in charge for the last two games.

I don't really see the point in that, to be honest.

Barring a miracle, we are not going to be relegated, so there's not much reason to change the management team for the last two games of the season.

It would also cloud the issue of the permanent succession if we were to have a caretaker in charge.

On reflection, maybe you're right Paulie, but i hope even if we get the win we need at the weekend, Randy will have already made his mind up to look elsewhere for next season.

[Olneythelonely]

The problem is this , if Houllier is given the all clear and resumes his duties then, in say October his problem reaccurs  we are really left with
looking for a new manager when all the decent options have already commited themselves.

Then we should get a competent assistant in. Possibly someone with a long term chance of getting the top job.

http://tinyurl.com/3trhxnn

Oh god, the age old "suggest a good former player as a coach" argument.  Laursen has said that's happy with TV media duties as it allow him to spend time with his family.  Even if changed his mind, there's no evidence to date that suggests he'd be any good at it.

Exactly. Our current assistant was a very good player too.

[TheSandman]

The thing that gets me in this is the effect Houllier's illness has had. Flash back to the game before that and we had started to pick up and were getting points. People were much more positive about Houllier due to that run as we were all but safe.

I really do think had his illness not happened we might have beat Stoke and West Brom and would probably not be calling for him to be sacked.

[KevinGage]

What's annoyed me about GH and GMac is that just as you thik they're starting to make some kind of progress, they always make an almighty fuck up. Man City in the cup was the main one and Saturday's bizarre sub was another. Personally, as harsh as it would be, if we get 3 points on Saturday, i'd let them both go straight after the game and put Sid in charge for the last two games.

While a clean break has some appeal, sacking a bloke while he is off sick would be a pretty shit thing to do. Clearly some big decisions need to be made this summer but it can wait a month.

Agreed.

I hope Houllier sticks around in some capacity (although realistically I cant see it being as manager) but any new manager is going to have his work cut out for him to put it mildly.

We seem to be sounding out targets already, nice and early, as Houllier is known to do. A new manager needs to give them his seal of approval and set his own targets. We could do with all the turmoil this summer will naturally bring whatever happens to be sorted by end of June at the latest so that we have a genuine chance to send a settled, reinvigorated and prepared squad into the new season and challenging back where we belong again.

Houllier in some low key, less stressful role might have it's benefits. And it could well be that if we're a long way down the track re that free transfer for the bloke from Lorient (and other similar deals) a new manager might welcome the kind of knowledge and input that can secure those kind of purchases.

Ultimately though, most managers worth their salt will want to make their own decisions in that regard. It's their head on the chopping block after all. Even seemingly cheap deals like that one (and the earlier touted move for Fofana) will tie up resources vis a vis the wage bill and so on.

For that reason, I probably wouldn't want to see us action any of those moves until we have the new bloke on board, if  that even occurs.

[cheltenhamlion]

Fofana only failed to go through due to his injury issues by the way.

[Steve67]

The problem is this , if Houllier is given the all clear and resumes his duties then, in say October his problem reaccurs  we are really left with
looking for a new manager when all the decent options have already commited themselves.

Then we should get a competent assistant in. Possibly someone with a long term chance of getting the top job.

That's a nice idea in theory, but I can't think of too many teams where you'd expect to see the no.2 taking over if the main man left. 

CoughTonyBartoncough!! 

[Salsa Party Animal]

I would like to see Randy, Gerard and Sir Graham get together and appoint the manager to work with Gerard (as DOF) and set up proper policy for Aston Villa to play a system all the way like Barcelona  or Ajax.