We've not had a Martin O'Neill argument in ages...

[Holte L2]

This thread is depressing!!!!!

[LeeB]

This thread is depressing!!!!!

You know you're in the shite when you're pining for the halcyon days of Gerard Houllier.

[Mister E]

Not getting a natural successor to Houllier was a huge mistake. He'd planted seeds for something that by now could have seen the club flourishing again. Once he'd put Bent up top he had the man at the fulcrum to find the space and put away the chances Young etc were creating, that previously Gabby and Heskey weren't really putting away. We looked good once we had Bent.
His summer transfer plans could have helped us too, and I think he'd have better replaced Young and Downing.

McLeish came in as Randolph felt we needed someone more like O Neill (deemed more successful obviously in a blinkered view, whilst Ged was clearly more progressive). He comes in, makes a few O Neill type signings, drags our football back into the dark ages and the rest is history.

Lambert comes in. We experiment with the young, cheap and hungry experiment. It's frankly a disaster. Lambert is also in the O Neill mould. Outdated, stubborn and unable to learn from and rectify his mistakes. This season his transfer policy was very O Neill-esque.

So, following your argument, who could fulfil the GHou role now? - what managers should we be slotting in to replace PL; who's affordable, available?

[Meanwood Villa]

Not getting a natural successor to Houllier was a huge mistake. He'd planted seeds for something that by now could have seen the club flourishing again. Once he'd put Bent up top he had the man at the fulcrum to find the space and put away the chances Young etc were creating, that previously Gabby and Heskey weren't really putting away. We looked good once we had Bent.
His summer transfer plans could have helped us too, and I think he'd have better replaced Young and Downing.

McLeish came in as Randolph felt we needed someone more like O Neill (deemed more successful obviously in a blinkered view, whilst Ged was clearly more progressive). He comes in, makes a few O Neill type signings, drags our football back into the dark ages and the rest is history.

Lambert comes in. We experiment with the young, cheap and hungry experiment. It's frankly a disaster. Lambert is also in the O Neill mould. Outdated, stubborn and unable to learn from and rectify his mistakes. This season his transfer policy was very O Neill-esque.

So, following your argument, who could fulfil the GHou role now? - what managers should we be slotting in to replace PL; who's affordable, available?

Who would have been a "natural" successor at the time even? An aloof Liverpool fan whose health wouldn't hold up for a full season?

[supertom]

Not getting a natural successor to Houllier was a huge mistake. He'd planted seeds for something that by now could have seen the club flourishing again. Once he'd put Bent up top he had the man at the fulcrum to find the space and put away the chances Young etc were creating, that previously Gabby and Heskey weren't really putting away. We looked good once we had Bent.
His summer transfer plans could have helped us too, and I think he'd have better replaced Young and Downing.

McLeish came in as Randolph felt we needed someone more like O Neill (deemed more successful obviously in a blinkered view, whilst Ged was clearly more progressive). He comes in, makes a few O Neill type signings, drags our football back into the dark ages and the rest is history.

Lambert comes in. We experiment with the young, cheap and hungry experiment. It's frankly a disaster. Lambert is also in the O Neill mould. Outdated, stubborn and unable to learn from and rectify his mistakes. This season his transfer policy was very O Neill-esque.

So, following your argument, who could fulfil the GHou role now? - what managers should we be slotting in to replace PL; who's affordable, available?

Who would have been a "natural" successor at the time even? An aloof Liverpool fan whose health wouldn't hold up for a full season?

You could argue Martinez in terms of footballing philosophy would have been a natural successor. Would it have been a year too early for him in a job like that? Perhaps.
But this is where a better structure in the clubs hierarchy would help us. So we can identify a Pochettino or a Koeman, as opposed to just blindly going for different variations of the same mould.

As for now it's difficult really. The trouble is, with our budget you may have to account for the fact a change in the way we play might see an initial drop off. That drop off could indeed take us down. But in the long term it would be better.
Klinsmann perhaps. That would only happen under new ownership.

Under Randy I'd just go for someone like Pulis. Nothing progressive, just solidifying us until we can get Randy out and someone with (hopefully) some more interest in. I don't think a progressive manager would come to us under current restrictions. Nor do I think Randy could identify the right sort of manager.

The sooner we get taken over, the better, then we can start afresh.

[Holte L2]

This thread is depressing!!!!!

You know you're in the shite when you're pining for the halcyon days of Gerard Houllier.

Ha I know.  I hated Houllier.  I hated his arrogant entry, and the hold up from leaving his semi-retirement position on the French FA.  I hated his we're a team that usually finishes 8th-12th comment. The City 4-0 hammering when we couldn't get out of our own half, the Anfield love-in. I was at all of those abject away performances. The signing of Pires, the ability to throw away points. 
It's only with hindsight that I realised he had a plan.  If only he'd have wanted a DOF role. 

[paul_e]

Not getting a natural successor to Houllier was a huge mistake. He'd planted seeds for something that by now could have seen the club flourishing again. Once he'd put Bent up top he had the man at the fulcrum to find the space and put away the chances Young etc were creating, that previously Gabby and Heskey weren't really putting away. We looked good once we had Bent.
His summer transfer plans could have helped us too, and I think he'd have better replaced Young and Downing.

McLeish came in as Randolph felt we needed someone more like O Neill (deemed more successful obviously in a blinkered view, whilst Ged was clearly more progressive). He comes in, makes a few O Neill type signings, drags our football back into the dark ages and the rest is history.

Lambert comes in. We experiment with the young, cheap and hungry experiment. It's frankly a disaster. Lambert is also in the O Neill mould. Outdated, stubborn and unable to learn from and rectify his mistakes. This season his transfer policy was very O Neill-esque.

So, following your argument, who could fulfil the GHou role now? - what managers should we be slotting in to replace PL; who's affordable, available?

I hate this argument, how is a fan on a forum supposed to know who is and isn't available.  An owner of a club should be able to find out though.  I'm pretty certain that a few calls to some agents would produce a list of managers who'd have an interest pretty quickly, then it's up to the owner to decide how to use that info.

[pauliewalnuts]

Not getting a natural successor to Houllier was a huge mistake. He'd planted seeds for something that by now could have seen the club flourishing again. Once he'd put Bent up top he had the man at the fulcrum to find the space and put away the chances Young etc were creating, that previously Gabby and Heskey weren't really putting away. We looked good once we had Bent.
His summer transfer plans could have helped us too, and I think he'd have better replaced Young and Downing.

McLeish came in as Randolph felt we needed someone more like O Neill (deemed more successful obviously in a blinkered view, whilst Ged was clearly more progressive). He comes in, makes a few O Neill type signings, drags our football back into the dark ages and the rest is history.

Lambert comes in. We experiment with the young, cheap and hungry experiment. It's frankly a disaster. Lambert is also in the O Neill mould. Outdated, stubborn and unable to learn from and rectify his mistakes. This season his transfer policy was very O Neill-esque.

So, following your argument, who could fulfil the GHou role now? - what managers should we be slotting in to replace PL; who's affordable, available?

I hate this argument, how is a fan on a forum supposed to know who is and isn't available.  An owner of a club should be able to find out though.  I'm pretty certain that a few calls to some agents would produce a list of managers who'd have an interest pretty quickly, then it's up to the owner to decide how to use that info.

Indeed, I absolutely hate it, too, it is such a pointless, reductive argument.

I would have no idea how to identify and find managerial candidates, and appoint them, but that's because I run a software company, not a Premier League football club.

If I ever get to run a Premier League football club, I will make it top of my list of "things to be good at", though.

[LeeB]

Not getting a natural successor to Houllier was a huge mistake. He'd planted seeds for something that by now could have seen the club flourishing again. Once he'd put Bent up top he had the man at the fulcrum to find the space and put away the chances Young etc were creating, that previously Gabby and Heskey weren't really putting away. We looked good once we had Bent.
His summer transfer plans could have helped us too, and I think he'd have better replaced Young and Downing.

McLeish came in as Randolph felt we needed someone more like O Neill (deemed more successful obviously in a blinkered view, whilst Ged was clearly more progressive). He comes in, makes a few O Neill type signings, drags our football back into the dark ages and the rest is history.

Lambert comes in. We experiment with the young, cheap and hungry experiment. It's frankly a disaster. Lambert is also in the O Neill mould. Outdated, stubborn and unable to learn from and rectify his mistakes. This season his transfer policy was very O Neill-esque.

So, following your argument, who could fulfil the GHou role now? - what managers should we be slotting in to replace PL; who's affordable, available?

I hate this argument, how is a fan on a forum supposed to know who is and isn't available.  An owner of a club should be able to find out though.  I'm pretty certain that a few calls to some agents would produce a list of managers who'd have an interest pretty quickly, then it's up to the owner to decide how to use that info.

Indeed, I absolutely hate it, too, it is such a pointless, reductive argument.

I would have no idea how to identify and find managerial candidates, and appoint them, but that's because I run a software company, not a Premier League football club.

If I ever get to run a Premier League football club, I will make it top of my list of "things to be good at", though.

To be honest, a couple of nights researching Football Manager and Wikipedia would probably tell you what you need to know.

[supertom]

Not getting a natural successor to Houllier was a huge mistake. He'd planted seeds for something that by now could have seen the club flourishing again. Once he'd put Bent up top he had the man at the fulcrum to find the space and put away the chances Young etc were creating, that previously Gabby and Heskey weren't really putting away. We looked good once we had Bent.
His summer transfer plans could have helped us too, and I think he'd have better replaced Young and Downing.

McLeish came in as Randolph felt we needed someone more like O Neill (deemed more successful obviously in a blinkered view, whilst Ged was clearly more progressive). He comes in, makes a few O Neill type signings, drags our football back into the dark ages and the rest is history.

Lambert comes in. We experiment with the young, cheap and hungry experiment. It's frankly a disaster. Lambert is also in the O Neill mould. Outdated, stubborn and unable to learn from and rectify his mistakes. This season his transfer policy was very O Neill-esque.

So, following your argument, who could fulfil the GHou role now? - what managers should we be slotting in to replace PL; who's affordable, available?

I hate this argument, how is a fan on a forum supposed to know who is and isn't available.  An owner of a club should be able to find out though.  I'm pretty certain that a few calls to some agents would produce a list of managers who'd have an interest pretty quickly, then it's up to the owner to decide how to use that info.

Indeed, I absolutely hate it, too, it is such a pointless, reductive argument.

I would have no idea how to identify and find managerial candidates, and appoint them, but that's because I run a software company, not a Premier League football club.

If I ever get to run a Premier League football club, I will make it top of my list of "things to be good at", though.

To be honest, a couple of nights researching Football Manager and Wikipedia would probably tell you what you need to know.

You mean what Randy does?

[LeeB]

I doubt they've got that far, Tom.

Still awaiting further instruction from Siralex.

[supertom]

I doubt they've got that far, Tom.

Still awaiting further instruction from Siralex.

Yeah. I'm expecting Brian Kidd to be unveiled as our new manager in a years time, as we push for promotion.

[Gareth]

Would imagine the next one would be recommended by Wenger rather than Fergie.

Gilles Grimandi?

[eamonn]

I remember seeing GHou at the Emirates last year where I think he was working for French tv. I couldn't believe how frail and gaunt he looked, not to mention huge circles under his eyes. Easy to imagine that he sleeps and breathes football. I think we would have been the last long-term project for him to get his teeth into and as has been said before, it really is a shame that his management consultant style wasn't explored further when he left. Instead we went back to the old-fashioned approach that O'Neills, McLeish's and Lamberts' all adhere to. Given the fact that he's pretty outspoken I'm surprised Houllier hasn't spoken about his troubles at the club that season.

[pauliewalnuts]

Not getting a natural successor to Houllier was a huge mistake. He'd planted seeds for something that by now could have seen the club flourishing again. Once he'd put Bent up top he had the man at the fulcrum to find the space and put away the chances Young etc were creating, that previously Gabby and Heskey weren't really putting away. We looked good once we had Bent.
His summer transfer plans could have helped us too, and I think he'd have better replaced Young and Downing.

McLeish came in as Randolph felt we needed someone more like O Neill (deemed more successful obviously in a blinkered view, whilst Ged was clearly more progressive). He comes in, makes a few O Neill type signings, drags our football back into the dark ages and the rest is history.

Lambert comes in. We experiment with the young, cheap and hungry experiment. It's frankly a disaster. Lambert is also in the O Neill mould. Outdated, stubborn and unable to learn from and rectify his mistakes. This season his transfer policy was very O Neill-esque.

So, following your argument, who could fulfil the GHou role now? - what managers should we be slotting in to replace PL; who's affordable, available?

I hate this argument, how is a fan on a forum supposed to know who is and isn't available.  An owner of a club should be able to find out though.  I'm pretty certain that a few calls to some agents would produce a list of managers who'd have an interest pretty quickly, then it's up to the owner to decide how to use that info.

Indeed, I absolutely hate it, too, it is such a pointless, reductive argument.

I would have no idea how to identify and find managerial candidates, and appoint them, but that's because I run a software company, not a Premier League football club.

If I ever get to run a Premier League football club, I will make it top of my list of "things to be good at", though.

To be honest, a couple of nights researching Football Manager and Wikipedia would probably tell you what you need to know.

You mean what Randy does?

At least it distracts him from firing up MS Paint and designing us a new badge.