The future of Houllier and McAllister?

[citizenDJ]

According to Guillem Balague, Villa want to keep Houllier and reduce the workload. But I'm not sure that's a good idea. Apparently Houllier's style is to work 12-14 hours a day. If he cannot carry on as before (in terms of workload), then I think he should quit.

Obviously, results have been poor, but I don't agree that Houllier has been a disaster. People keep refering to last season's sixth place, ignoring that what MON left behind was basically a good first eleven, but beyond that there were only failed investments (Beye, Sidwell, Davies and Heskey) and promising but not-yet-ready youngsters. Adding that our best and most important player last season was sold and not replaced; that our second best player came back in pre-season unfit and out of sorts; that the likes of Petrov, Friedel and Carew were increasingly past their best, and it's clear that Houllier was dealt a bad hand.

Even if he has made some (big) mistakes, Houllier has also brought the club's training schedule from the stone age and into the 21st century, signed a striker who can score goals and given some of our youngsters hope that they can actually break into the first eleven.

If he is to leave this summer, I hope the most level-headed supporters will remember this as well as his antics at Anfield and the surrender against City in the Cup, and realize that he wasn't all bad.

That sums up my thoughts completely, well said.

[garyfouroaks]

A hugely reliable football insider tells me that Steve McClaren will come in.

[Chris Smith]

A hugely reliable football insider tells me that Steve McClaren will come in.

Oh my giddy aunt!

[TheSandman]

Meh

[Clampy]

Hmm i dunno. Flopped for England and Wolfsburg. Did a good job at Boro and FC Twente. Like Dave said the other day, he probably needs another good season with another club abroad for people to take him seriously again. He'd make a decent assistant manager again though.

[The Situation]

Mclaren... no thanks. Would rather stick with Houllier.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't think McClaren is the way to go.

[VillaAlways]

A hugely reliable football insider tells me that Steve McClaren will come in.

I hate to say,I have heard this too.Same source said Milner was unhappy at City and was coming back straight swap for Ash

[citizenDJ]

If Maclaren comes in, then I bet Houllier would stay as Director of Football or some such. I'm not as averse to that as I probably should be. Did Schuper Schteve work with a DoF at FC Twente? If so, then I can see this happening, quite honestly. It'd certainly please Downing.

[Legion]

I'm not keen on McAllister, but I'd be very happy if Houllier were to stay on as Manager.

I concur. Thread title amendment on way.

[midnite]

McAllister leaving for McClaren to come in as number two?
Maybe houllier has to do everything and work such long hours as stated above because McAllister is so poor and Houllier had lost faith in him.

McClaren as assistant manager I'd warm to but certainly not as our manager.

[Ad@m]

I'm not keen on McAllister, but I'd be very happy if Houllier were to stay on as Manager.

I concur. Thread title amendment on way.

Legion, I can't believe you changed it!  It was meant to be a statement!

I still think that if those two clowns are anywhere near VP next season it's going to be a long and painful year.  I still haven't renewed my season ticket and Randy giving his backing to those two eejits could be enough to make me think of everything else I could spend that £500 on.

[Legion]

I can change it back if you wish. Or perhaps to something else, considering we are still none the wiser as to what is going on?

[The Situation]

I'm not keen on McAllister, but I'd be very happy if Houllier were to stay on as Manager.

I concur. Thread title amendment on way.

Legion, I can't believe you changed it!  It was meant to be a statement!

I still think that if those two clowns are anywhere near VP next season it's going to be a long and painful year.  I still haven't renewed my season ticket and Randy giving his backing to those two eejits could be enough to make me think of everything else I could spend that £500 on.

Tbf, Houllier has had to deal with lots of circumstances this season.

Why not let him start a fresh? Bring in some more players, get rid of the ones he doesn't want, get a good pre-season under his belt and lets see what we can do next season?

I can see the potential with Houllier, it's just whether his health stays in remission.

I don't know about getting rid of him only after one season, give him more time, if he can't make us progress then we should look and re-evaluate perhaps. Don't write someone off after one season.

[Ad@m]

I'm not keen on McAllister, but I'd be very happy if Houllier were to stay on as Manager.

I concur. Thread title amendment on way.

Legion, I can't believe you changed it!  It was meant to be a statement!

I still think that if those two clowns are anywhere near VP next season it's going to be a long and painful year.  I still haven't renewed my season ticket and Randy giving his backing to those two eejits could be enough to make me think of everything else I could spend that £500 on.

Tbf, Houllier has had to deal with lots of circumstances this season.

Why not let him start a fresh? Bring in some more players, get rid of the ones he doesn't want, get a good pre-season under his belt and lets see what we can do next season?

I can see the potential with Houllier, it's just whether his health stays in remission.

I don't know about getting rid of him only after one season, give him more time, if he can't make us progress then we should look and re-evaluate perhaps. Don't write someone off after one season.

I just think it's too big a risk.  In the space of one season we've gone from a team that was consistently top 6 and challenging for top 4 to one that has flirted with relegation for the whole season.  In my mind that is a massive backward step.  What happens if next year sees another backward step?  We will be relegated.

And there's nothing I've seen to suggest next year will be any different.  The players are undoubtedly better than 13th in the league yet they haven't performed to the level we know they can.  Of course an element of this is down to them but for so many players to all have bad seasons has got to be down to the management team.  They don't appear to be able to motivate, I'm not convinced they are tactical geniuses, they haven't blown me away with their transfer dealings.  Seriously, where are the positives?

Absolutely, there have been circumstances during this season which have made the job tougher but I don't even think they've done the best in the circumstances. 

And don't even get me started on the PR car-crashes we've witnessed this year.

Time to accept the appointment hasn't worked out and move on.