Would you be happy with Ole Gunnar Solskjær? Now with added poll.

[KevinGage]

Houllier wasn't good, but at least I can see some logic to it.  Really speaking, it was his health issues that were most concerning.

But that wasn't (or shouldn't have been)  a side issue.

Why is it that posters on this thread and elsewhere could soon find that the average life expectancy after the kind of heavy duty surgery GH underwent in 2001 is ten years, but the board either didn't know that or overlooked it completely?

Set aside emotion, when multi million pound contracts are being handed out  (and GH was on more than McLeish and MON) those kind of little details should factor into the equation somewhere. 

[john e]

Houllier wasn't good, but at least I can see some logic to it.  Really speaking, it was his health issues that were most concerning.

But that wasn't (or shouldn't have been)  a side issue.

Why is it that posters on this thread and elsewhere could soon find that the average life expectancy after the kind of heavy duty surgery GH underwent in 2001 is ten years, but the board either didn't know that or overlooked it completely?

Set aside emotion, when multi million pound contracts are being handed out  (and GH was on more than McLeish and MON) those kind of little details should factor into the equation somewhere. 

Harry Redknap still got a top job after heart surgery,
 if the media are to be believed he was the nations favourite for the England job, plenty of people have heart problems and carry on in presurised jobs,
 i feel the board should have been comended rather than pilloried for not letting such a health issue stand in his way, there is a lot of discrimination in this field about peoples ability to do certain jobs.

admitedly you will always win this particular argument because in the end he left because of the very problem you say he shouldnt have been hired for.

i still dont agree with you on this one though, which is rare because i normaly do agree with most of your posts

[ozzjim]

I john, agree with you. Houllier tried to get us playing in a way that long term would have been great, and the kids were integrating well into that in some cases. Bent was clearly loving it too, and his deals in January were good. I think the board need someone with that mentality but at 40, not 65. Someone we can call our David Moyes, for example. I still think Poyet could be that man, but equally Lambert or OGS would work. We have options this summer, but Houllier had the right philosophy.

[PaulWinch again]

I john, agree with you. Houllier tried to get us playing in a way that long term would have been great, and the kids were integrating well into that in some cases. Bent was clearly loving it too, and his deals in January were good. I think the board need someone with that mentality but at 40, not 65. Someone we can call our David Moyes, for example. I still think Poyet could be that man, but equally Lambert or OGS would work. We have options this summer, but Houllier had the right philosophy.

Quite, it's essential we move towards that sort of vision.

[KevinGage]

Houllier wasn't good, but at least I can see some logic to it.  Really speaking, it was his health issues that were most concerning.

But that wasn't (or shouldn't have been)  a side issue.

Why is it that posters on this thread and elsewhere could soon find that the average life expectancy after the kind of heavy duty surgery GH underwent in 2001 is ten years, but the board either didn't know that or overlooked it completely?

Set aside emotion, when multi million pound contracts are being handed out  (and GH was on more than McLeish and MON) those kind of little details should factor into the equation somewhere. 

Harry Redknap still got a top job after heart surgery,
 if the media are to be believed he was the nations favourite for the England job, plenty of people have heart problems and carry on in presurised jobs,
 i feel the board should have been comended rather than pilloried for not letting such a health issue stand in his way, there is a lot of discrimination in this field about peoples ability to do certain jobs.

admitedly you will always win this particular argument because in the end he left because of the very problem you say he shouldnt have been hired for.

i still dont agree with you on this one though, which is rare because i normaly do agree with most of your posts

Fair enough John.

I'll admit to not knowing exactly what type of heart surgery Redknapp received. Maybe the longterm prognosis was similar and his clubs since then should be commended for taking that chance. 

Personally, I'd err on the side of caution,  if it was me handing a manager a contract at £3.5 million per year for 3 years. Aside from the monetary concerns, a manager is such a crucial aspect of any clubs medium>long term strategy.

[Neil Hawkes]

Would appreciate a quick update, is OGS dead and buried or still in the frame?

[PaulWinch again]

Would appreciate a quick update, is OGS dead and buried or still in the frame?

Almost certainly dead and buried, but you never know. It'll be curious to see what happens after their game on Tuesday.

[john e]

Would appreciate a quick update, is OGS dead and buried or still in the frame?

Almost certainly dead and buried, but you never know. It'll be curious to see what happens after their game on Tuesday.

all go home and eat some Lutefisk would be my bet

[Neil Hawkes]

Bugger................and thanks for the update.

[preston28]

Houllier wasn't good, but at least I can see some logic to it.  Really speaking, it was his health issues that were most concerning.

But that wasn't (or shouldn't have been)  a side issue.

Why is it that posters on this thread and elsewhere could soon find that the average life expectancy after the kind of heavy duty surgery GH underwent in 2001 is ten years, but the board either didn't know that or overlooked it completely?

Set aside emotion, when multi million pound contracts are being handed out  (and GH was on more than McLeish and MON) those kind of little details should factor into the equation somewhere. 

Harry Redknap still got a top job after heart surgery,
 if the media are to be believed he was the nations favourite for the England job, plenty of people have heart problems and carry on in presurised jobs,
 i feel the board should have been comended rather than pilloried for not letting such a health issue stand in his way, there is a lot of discrimination in this field about peoples ability to do certain jobs.

admitedly you will always win this particular argument because in the end he left because of the very problem you say he shouldnt have been hired for.

i still dont agree with you on this one though, which is rare because i normaly do agree with most of your posts

Houllier didn't have a heart condition - he had an aortic dissection. This is completely different to coronary artery disease witha much higher mortality. The club were right to not let him carry on - he was more likley to die from it than if he'd just got angina or a heart attack.

[charlie]

Fair enough with Houllier but he did have a philosophy based upon decent attackin footie. Not sure ozz that I want our Moyes, he is somewhat of a curates egg to me, very worthwhile but don't inspire me to think great things are on the horizon.Lambert seems in that vein, whereas Poyet may have more inspiration, OGs  caught the imagination, Martinez is a gamble for us or Pool, 2nd half of season tickets would sell well!!!,, FSW would also be interesting for the cloob, and I would be intrigued by him, as long as Mick mc, or strewth its bruce don,t wash up on witton lakeshore we should be ok....... maybe

[PaulWinch again]

The reason I'm curious to see what happens after Tuesday is, that everything from ITKs and all that has gone very very quiet since Solskjaer announced he's staying. Then you get the thing from Nursey saying Villa are happy to be patient, and are not waiting for Liverpool to complete their search. It's highly unlikely, but it seems very odd that everything has gone very quiet. I wouldn't be totally surprised if he still becomes our manager.

[KevinGage]

It's not completely out of the question Paul.

The kind of statement he made the other day stops the feeding frenzy (at the Norwegian end) and allows him to get on with the job there up until the mid season break. Unlikely, but not impossible.

[James]

I hear the sound of straws being grasped!

He said himself that he rang Randy and took himself out of the running. Now I like a good conspiracy theory (see my posts on the other manager thread re:Grayson) but this would be a U-Turn of mega-proportions wouldn't it?

It's goodnight Kristiansund, over and out!

[Villa in Denmark]

I'm pretty convinced Solskjær had his arm twisted by Kjell Inge Røkke, Moldes largest financial backer through Aker Solutions.

Found an article from a Norwegian journalist who I'm paraphrasing, but basically said he behaves like a spoiled brat when he thinks he can't get his own way and quoted a wonderful example of his time as a large investor in another large Norwegian company Kværner.  At the time Kværner were in serious trouble and risk of bankruptcy.  The board aided by their Russian majority shareholder had negotiated a rescue deal with the richest man in Russia.

Røkkes response.  But enough shares to ensure the deal couldn't go through even though it would almost certainly cost him a fortune and put 10.000 people out of work. 

His parting shot to one the Kværner board when he'd finally got his own way "If I was as thick as you I'd sue my own parents"

Edited as I'm still shit at typing