We're not fickle..

[Irish villain]

In fairness, the player who fired us up the league in 03/04 was JPA and Graham Taylor did not fancy him at all the year he was at villa.

[supertom]

In fairness, the player who fired us up the league in 03/04 was JPA and Graham Taylor did not fancy him at all the year he was at villa.

I think Taylor in part will struggle to live down coming in halfway through a season and dropping our top scorer. The following season I think Japes started about 3 games didn't he? He had 16 goals in all comps at the point GT took over from Gregory. I think he'd have passed 20 goals had Gregory seen out the season, and perhaps because of that been held in slightly higher regard among some fans. That said the JPA diehards (admittedly myself included) can't be swayed on the fact he was a very talented player, often not used correctly.

That's the one thing O Leary did right and why we did well in his first season. He played to JPA's strengths and got rewarded for it. The following season I think JPA had an injury early on and was somewhat rushed back. When he did come back he'd lost a yard or two and was never quite the same player (though I felt he played well from Aug-Nov under O Neill, before being inexplicably dropped in favour of either Sutton or Baros). But in 04-05 most of our side, probably Nol Solano excluded, were pretty dour in the second half of the season. We'd started where we'd left off really. The whole of 04 was good. Then when we had been worked out, O Leary's only response to counter that was to have us hoofing the ball.

[SoccerHQ]

I view Houllier differently, to me, despite everything that went wrong, he had the right idea of what needed doing and, importantly, he was a good choice given the circumstances.  The season we really had to concentrate on looking at managers who weren't with a club and had the skills to come in and make a go of it without being able to add anything significant to the squad for 3-4months.  In that light I can understand his appointment and I'm slightly more forgiving towards him.  As I see it, at the time, we needed him more than he needed us, I can't think of another time where that has been the case.

Houllier had the right ideas but he was just too old for the job (maybe not age but away from the premier league and full time management for a while) plus the health issues always stood a chance of cropping up again.

I didn't agree with his fawning over Liverpool after we were stuffed 3 nil up there or his Man. City cup selection either.

He would've been much better as a DOF with say a younger european coach like a Pochettino in charge. Or even Martinez who I'm convinced would've been great for us in the 2010-12.

McLeish seemed a decent fellow who respected our traditions. His awful football philosophy was a bit of a problem though.

[SamTheMouse]

I liked Houllier, and was disappointed when his illness meant he had to go. His man-management skills are shite, and the Liverpool love-in was annoying as hell, but it was clear what style of football he wanted the team to play, and it was starting to show towards the end. I think had his health not failed, he'd have turned us into a good side, with Cabaye as it fulcrum by all accounts.

[SoccerHQ]

Yes Cabaye would've been a great addition and a good replacement for Stan.

Pretty sure we were linked with Gago or Banega (always confusing the two) so the midfield would've had a proper overhaul.

I'd say Young would've left regardless as it's difficult to turn down Man. United but Downing would've probably given us another year as he enjoyed playing under Houllier.

[pauliewalnuts]

I liked Houllier, and was disappointed when his illness meant he had to go. His man-management skills are shite, and the Liverpool love-in was annoying as hell, but it was clear what style of football he wanted the team to play, and it was starting to show towards the end. I think had his health not failed, he'd have turned us into a good side, with Cabaye as it fulcrum by all accounts.

When we talk about the mistakes our current benevolent overlords have made, people usually suggest it is appointing McLeish (admittedly, a cataclysmic act of stupidity), but I think the real error was broader than that.

It wasn't about McLeish per se, it was the fact that we'd made some real progress at the end of the Houllier year, we'd started to play some decent football, so the clever thing to have done would have been to appoint a manager with a style which suggested that could be carried on.

When it was mooted they wanted Martinez, a lot of us were far from convinced, but you could at least see a hint of footballing continuity there. To then get knocked back (and, whichever way you look at it, being offered an interview for a job and turning it down is a knock back) by Martinez only to turn to someone with a football style which was entirely the opposite of what we'd been trying to do was nuts.

The Houllier season was horrible in parts, and he was an unlikeable, offensive old bastard at times, but we came out the other end towards the end of the season and looked like we'd started a journey.

We then managed to throw away all that progress, the stress of that season was for nothing, and we took another two steps back by appointing McLeish.

[not3bad]

I liked Houllier, and was disappointed when his illness meant he had to go. His man-management skills are shite, and the Liverpool love-in was annoying as hell, but it was clear what style of football he wanted the team to play, and it was starting to show towards the end. I think had his health not failed, he'd have turned us into a good side, with Cabaye as it fulcrum by all accounts.

When we talk about the mistakes our current benevolent overlords have made, people usually suggest it is appointing McLeish (admittedly, a cataclysmic act of stupidity), but I think the real error was broader than that.

It wasn't about McLeish per se, it was the fact that we'd made some real progress at the end of the Houllier year, we'd started to play some decent football, so the clever thing to have done would have been to appoint a manager with a style which suggested that could be carried on.

When it was mooted they wanted Martinez, a lot of us were far from convinced, but you could at least see a hint of footballing continuity there. To then get knocked back (and, whichever way you look at it, being offered an interview for a job and turning it down is a knock back) by Martinez only to turn to someone with a football style which was entirely the opposite of what we'd been trying to do was nuts.

The Houllier season was horrible in parts, and he was an unlikeable, offensive old bastard at times, but we came out the other end towards the end of the season and looked like we'd started a journey.

We then managed to throw away all that progress, the stress of that season was for nothing, and we took another two steps back by appointing McLeish.

Thankfully they appear to have realised their mistakes in this regard, as the notes from the recent Villa Trust meeting with PF show.

[supertom]

Had Houllier had a less abrasive number than McCallister things may have been easier with the squad. I think Gary Mac also had his fair share of problems during his stint here. The fact that neither the number 1 and 2 were very popular with the squad didn't help.
If you have a stand off-ish manager who doesn't take much shit, then I'd have thought the rule of thumb would be to have a right hand man who can play the good guy.

I thought Houllier had good ideas though. In retrospect, the injuries he suffered (possibly in part down to his new training regime) did not help him. The teams we had to put out in the middle third of the season were very thin on experience and quality. The fact too that we "lost" John Carew the second O Neill left, didn't help either. As inconsistent as he was, he was mercurial and a match winner. But with his fitness and attitude to grafting, he was never going to get on with Houllier (as had been proven at Lyon). We were just too predictable early on in the season. Carew could often, when he wanted to, do something from nothing. With AY struggling somewhat that year, playing as the second striker, we were quite easy to defend against. Heskey actually played quite well for a time under Houllier but obviously because he doesn't score many (despite him going on a little purple patch of 5 goals in 9 at one point) you need goals from midfield. So in that regard, we missed Jimmy M in CM.

When we had Bent come in, we seemed to have that missing link to turn our decent play in the first 2/3 of the pitch into goals. We were starting to take a step forward, before the McLeish appointment ended up being an almighty leap back.

[PeterWithe]

When we talk about the mistakes our current benevolent overlords have made, people usually suggest it is appointing McLeish (admittedly, a cataclysmic act of stupidity), but I think the real error was broader than that.

It wasn't about McLeish per se, it was the fact that we'd made some real progress at the end of the Houllier year, we'd started to play some decent football, so the clever thing to have done would have been to appoint a manager with a style which suggested that could be carried on.

I was deleting some PMs the other day and noticed one from my brother, returning after a holiday, asking whether I thought there was likely to be any truth in the rumours of TSM coming here, 'Not a chance' I assured him, 'anyone even giving voice to it happening should be sectioned'.

[Chris Jameson]

When we talk about the mistakes our current benevolent overlords have made, people usually suggest it is appointing McLeish (admittedly, a cataclysmic act of stupidity), but I think the real error was broader than that.

It wasn't about McLeish per se, it was the fact that we'd made some real progress at the end of the Houllier year, we'd started to play some decent football, so the clever thing to have done would have been to appoint a manager with a style which suggested that could be carried on.

I was deleting some PMs the other day and noticed one from my brother, returning after a holiday, asking whether I thought there was likely to be any truth in the rumours of TSM coming here, 'Not a chance' I assured him, 'anyone even giving voice to it happening should be sectioned'.

Do you feel a tinge of guilt about having your brother sectioned?

[ez]

When we talk about the mistakes our current benevolent overlords have made, people usually suggest it is appointing McLeish (admittedly, a cataclysmic act of stupidity), but I think the real error was broader than that.

It wasn't about McLeish per se, it was the fact that we'd made some real progress at the end of the Houllier year, we'd started to play some decent football, so the clever thing to have done would have been to appoint a manager with a style which suggested that could be carried on.

I was deleting some PMs the other day and noticed one from my brother, returning after a holiday, asking whether I thought there was likely to be any truth in the rumours of TSM coming here, 'Not a chance' I assured him, 'anyone even giving voice to it happening should be sectioned'.

I was at work when it was said on the radio that we were talking to McLeish. I really did laugh it off as it was obviously nonsense.

[not3bad]

I don't like going back there.

[Pat McMahon]

I was in Shanghai finishing a hard day's work when Chico sent me a message to say TSM was in talks with us. He also sent me a text to break the news that MON had left.

He's the grinning head of death that Chico.

[caster troy]

How I wish O'Neill had gone to Liverpool instead of Roy Hodgson (July 2010). We'd have saved money on compensation and had all summer to line up a decent replacement. He'd also have ruined the scousers with the likes of Aiden McGeady. Even if we'd still got Houllier we could have made some signings in that summer to shake things up and maybe even kept Milner for another season. You'd think Stephen Ireland wouldn't have happened at least.

Failing that my other wish would be that McLeish hadn't won the league cup with Blues and that might have been enough to stop him getting the Villa job. Hopefully whoever we'd got instead would have taken Lambert's approach and we'd now be a year further on with our recovery. No Given/Hutton/N'Zogbia is reason enough to gamble on someone else.

[Irish villain]

I was in Shanghai finishing a hard day's work when Chico sent me a message to say TSM was in talks with us. He also sent me a text to break the news that MON had left.

He's the grinning head of death that Chico.

I was running for a train in a sunny Maynooth when a friend, who I subsequently fell out with, texted me with the news MON had quit Villa. I was on my way to a wedding in Athlone when I got the text, from the same friend, with news that Houllier was arriving. It was also a sunny day.

I was in Southend visiting friends when I first became aware of the dark rumors linking us with TSM. It was all quite a shock as I hadn't been logging in here while I was away in Southend. When I flew back to Dublin he was installed. Oddly, when I think back to the TSM year, I always remember things being dark/grey. By coincidence I moved house around the time he became villa manager and it was in the corner of an estate, surrounded by trees so very little light used to get through. Sums up that season.

May as well complete the ha-trick...I was working in my office on the day Lambert signed and I was just thrilled, it felt like we were finally back on the right road.