Who Do You Blame/Who Are You Angry With?

[QBVILLA]

My old man. He influenced me into following the Villa.

[ktvillan]

I personally thought Houllier was actually an intelligent attempt at modernising the club that we were very unlucky as it went badly. Randy dug us out of that hole with money in January, after the debacle of the MON departure. I think GED getting ill totally threw the board,

You can't call that bad luck though.  It would be like signing Kieron Dyer and Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Owen and then claiming it's bad luck when they only play a handful of games.  If Randy hadn't foreseen that Houllier getting ill was a strong possibility then he's a fool.

But hadn't his heart scare been 7 years prior when we appointed him? And he'd had two or three decent seasons at Lyon in between. So yeah, there was the risk of him struggling with his health but I'm sure we would have made sure his medical gave a good indication that he was ok. Bad luck surely did come into it in that case.

The fact that he himself mentioned it during his first press conference ("I'm fit,  I'm healthy,") means it was an issue.   Some basic research shows that the average life expectancy after the heavy duty surgery he underwent in 2001   is 10-14 years. 

Some will live longer of course. 

Let's say we had been fighting it out towards the top of the table (as we all hoped - and probably had the squad to do) but lost a crucial game in the run-in.  That would have been pressure of a different kind.  Would he have been able to contend with that either? 

It might seem insensitive maybe, talking about a blokes life in such cold, cynical terms.   But you'd like to think that when multi million pound contracts are being signed more care and consideration (and research)  would be carried out. 

I can see Ozzjim's point, from a football point of view Houllier was a move in the right direction, but there was always going to be a risk about his health.  I think some criticism of Houllier's year with us stems more from his ill-thought out soundbites, and his cup surrender at Man City than anything else.  I was prepared to forgive him that if he improved the football, and there were some positive signs.  We had been linked with some interesting players for that summer and I tend to think that if he'd been able to stay on and had been backed that summer by Lerner, we wouldn't be in the state we are in now.

[dave.woodhall]

I wonder what might have happened had Houllier been able to get a younger, more credible number two who could have done the legwork and been capable of overseeing day to day training, rather than McAllister who seemed about his fourth choice and was never very popular with anyone from the sounds of it.

[eastie]

I wonder what might have happened had Houllier been able to get a younger, more credible number two who could have done the legwork and been capable of overseeing day to day training, rather than McAllister who seemed about his fourth choice and was never very popular with anyone from the sounds of it.

Yes phil Thompson was poised to come as his number 2 and then changed his mind , I think if he had arrived with Gerard then things may have been better.

[Clampy]

I wonder what might have happened had Houllier been able to get a younger, more credible number two who could have done the legwork and been capable of overseeing day to day training, rather than McAllister who seemed about his fourth choice and was never very popular with anyone from the sounds of it.

I'm not one for looking back but it's a good point. Houiller did seem to have an eye for a decent player and with Cabaye saying he would have come here if Houiller had stayed, you do wonder what might have been in the long run.

[tomd2103]

I wonder what might have happened had Houllier been able to get a younger, more credible number two who could have done the legwork and been capable of overseeing day to day training, rather than McAllister who seemed about his fourth choice and was never very popular with anyone from the sounds of it.

Yes phil Thompson was poised to come as his number 2 and then changed his mind , I think if he had arrived with Gerard then things may have been better.

Yes.  We would have then had a manager and an assistant forever talking about Liverpool!! 

[Mister E]

I wonder what might have happened had Houllier been able to get a younger, more credible number two who could have done the legwork and been capable of overseeing day to day training, rather than McAllister who seemed about his fourth choice and was never very popular with anyone from the sounds of it.

Point well made, Dave, although GMac did seem to get the best out of the squad in the final run-in to the season-end.
I said somewhere else on one of these 'doom' threads that I think RL made a real gaff when he looked at the GHou / GMac 'project' and declined it (even with GHou taking a more consultative role, following his illness): the cost of following through on their plan to re-vamp the squad through the summer of 2011 would have been far more effective than what has happened since (re expensive failures, lost gate receipts / TV revenue, hiring / firing TSM, etc) ... although I recognise that 20:20 vision is useful in making this comment.

[cdbearsfan]

Has anyone said Bono yet?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Has anyone said Bono yet?

No.
But the Edge is foine.

[hilts_coolerking]

Has anyone said Bono yet?

No.
But the Edge is foine.

Da drommer is also foine.

[ez]

I'm only angry with Randy for appointing TSM. It still beggars belief now.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I'm only angry with Randy for appointing TSM. It still beggars belief now.

It does but did his 11 months in charge really leave any lasting damage? It was one long shite season of boring dull dire football in which we basically stood still. Nearly all the damage was done before.

[silhillvilla]

Has anyone said Bono yet?

No.
But the Edge is foine.

Da drommer is also foine.

Da boyce ployer is also foine.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I'm only angry with Randy for appointing TSM. It still beggars belief now.

Still think there was an element of being utterly contrary from Blandy.
It's cost him though in the long run.

[Clampy]

Has anyone said Bono yet?

No.
But the Edge is foine.

Da drommer is also foine.

Da boyce ployer is also foine.

Adam Clayton is foine.