Hendrik Almstadt has left the club

[rob_bridge]

Gone - after all he achieved. Hard to believe.

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

Oh I don't want to hear any of it. Just want him to slink off and forget his terrible period here.

They have stated they will be appointing a new sporting director. The search for that will be interesting. When you look at the people in those roles at the sides in the top 8, they are not high profile people at all, but are clearly effective. Someone over-seeing the academy, coaching side, lining up the next manager, forward planning, having responsibility for scouting functions etc, in conjunction with the manager, would be great.

I would like Houllier in that role, especially if they plan to keep Garde on. Think we missed a trick by not keeping him on in the first place

[mr underhill]

so do I but I doubt Garde will be here or that Houllier's health would be up to it.

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

so do I but I doubt Garde will be here or that Houllier's health would be up to it.

I think his health would be up to that role, think he is currently doing similar for the red bull lot

[Risso]

Oh I don't want to hear any of it. Just want him to slink off and forget his terrible period here.

They have stated they will be appointing a new sporting director. The search for that will be interesting. When you look at the people in those roles at the sides in the top 8, they are not high profile people at all, but are clearly effective. Someone over-seeing the academy, coaching side, lining up the next manager, forward planning, having responsibility for scouting functions etc, in conjunction with the manager, would be great.

I would like Houllier in that role, especially if they plan to keep Garde on. Think we missed a trick by not keeping him on in the first place

Christ no. Look at his transfer business while he was here. Darren Bent and Jean Makoun. Look at most of the players he bought at Liverpool. A genius director of football he was not.

[Toronto Villa]

Darren Bent's goals helped keep us up and lost his effectiveness after he got injured. I also believe had Houllier remained healthy and in charge in season 2 he'd have got much more out of Makoun by partnering with players like Cabaye. I would judge Houllier on those two transfers.

[Risso]

Darren Bent's goals helped keep us up and lost his effectiveness after he got injured. I also believe had Houllier remained healthy and in charge in season 2 he'd have got much more out of Makoun by partnering with players like Cabaye. I would judge Houllier on those two transfers.

I agree completely that Bent's goals kept us up, but an £18m splurge on a player most of us on here had been banging about for years is hardly evidence of being able to spot a good un.  And no, don't just judge him on those, look at his last few years at Liverpool.  He spent a fortune on absolute rubbish.

[Ads]

I'd have liked to have seen Cabeye running our midfield, even if it would only have been for a couple of seasons, instead of some of the utter bilge we've had in there since.

[dave.woodhall]

Darren Bent's goals helped keep us up and lost his effectiveness after he got injured. I also believe had Houllier remained healthy and in charge in season 2 he'd have got much more out of Makoun by partnering with players like Cabaye. I would judge Houllier on those two transfers.

I agree completely that Bent's goals kept us up, but an £18m splurge on a player most of us on here had been banging about for years is hardly evidence of being able to spot a good un.  And no, don't just judge him on those, look at his last few years at Liverpool.  He spent a fortune on absolute rubbish.

You just linked Bent with Makoun, implying he was a bad buy, then you said he kept us up. Which is it - good or bad? Houllier also brought in Kyle Walker who did well, Michael Bradley who's had a good subsequent career and wanted the French lad (Fofana?) who failed a medical then played in the Champions League. His limited transfer dealings definitely showed promise.

[Toronto Villa]

Darren Bent's goals helped keep us up and lost his effectiveness after he got injured. I also believe had Houllier remained healthy and in charge in season 2 he'd have got much more out of Makoun by partnering with players like Cabaye. I would judge Houllier on those two transfers.

I agree completely that Bent's goals kept us up, but an £18m splurge on a player most of us on here had been banging about for years is hardly evidence of being able to spot a good un.  And no, don't just judge him on those, look at his last few years at Liverpool.  He spent a fortune on absolute rubbish.

It really depends on the role. There's lots of managers that in combining roles of manager and head of player recruitment make mistakes. Ferguson signed Taibi, Bebe, and Djemba Djemba along with signing several good players. It would be more about can he work in an advisory capacity to the current manager and use his links to access players? In any case it appears Sir Brian will be involved in player recruitment and scouting next season.

[Toronto Villa]

Darren Bent's goals helped keep us up and lost his effectiveness after he got injured. I also believe had Houllier remained healthy and in charge in season 2 he'd have got much more out of Makoun by partnering with players like Cabaye. I would judge Houllier on those two transfers.

I agree completely that Bent's goals kept us up, but an £18m splurge on a player most of us on here had been banging about for years is hardly evidence of being able to spot a good un.  And no, don't just judge him on those, look at his last few years at Liverpool.  He spent a fortune on absolute rubbish.

You just linked Bent with Makoun, implying he was a bad buy, then you said he kept us up. Which is it - good or bad? Houllier also brought in Kyle Walker who did well, Michael Bradley who's had a good subsequent career and wanted the French lad (Fofana?) who failed a medical then played in the Champions League. His limited transfer dealings definitely showed promise.

And has been well documented, Cabaye was going to sign for us had Houllier remained at the club.

[Risso]

Darren Bent's goals helped keep us up and lost his effectiveness after he got injured. I also believe had Houllier remained healthy and in charge in season 2 he'd have got much more out of Makoun by partnering with players like Cabaye. I would judge Houllier on those two transfers.

I agree completely that Bent's goals kept us up, but an £18m splurge on a player most of us on here had been banging about for years is hardly evidence of being able to spot a good un.  And no, don't just judge him on those, look at his last few years at Liverpool.  He spent a fortune on absolute rubbish.

You just linked Bent with Makoun, implying he was a bad buy, then you said he kept us up. Which is it - good or bad? Houllier also brought in Kyle Walker who did well, Michael Bradley who's had a good subsequent career and wanted the French lad (Fofana?) who failed a medical then played in the Champions League. His limited transfer dealings definitely showed promise.

My point as I explained quite clearly I thought is that I cannot see any evidence to back up the oft-repeated idea that Houllier would make a good director of football.  Bent was a good signing for that season, but a bad one overall I would say, given the actual total cost to the club.  As for Michael Bradley, well it was Houllier who chose not to play him while he was here.  And you forgot Robert Pires.

[Ger Regan]

Darren Bent's goals helped keep us up and lost his effectiveness after he got injured. I also believe had Houllier remained healthy and in charge in season 2 he'd have got much more out of Makoun by partnering with players like Cabaye. I would judge Houllier on those two transfers.

I agree completely that Bent's goals kept us up, but an £18m splurge on a player most of us on here had been banging about for years is hardly evidence of being able to spot a good un.  And no, don't just judge him on those, look at his last few years at Liverpool.  He spent a fortune on absolute rubbish.

You just linked Bent with Makoun, implying he was a bad buy, then you said he kept us up. Which is it - good or bad? Houllier also brought in Kyle Walker who did well, Michael Bradley who's had a good subsequent career and wanted the French lad (Fofana?) who failed a medical then played in the Champions League. His limited transfer dealings definitely showed promise.

My point as I explained quite clearly I thought is that I cannot see any evidence to back up the oft-repeated idea that Houllier would make a good director of football.  Bent was a good signing for that season, but a bad one overall I would say, given the actual total cost to the club.  As for Michael Bradley, well it was Houllier who chose not to play him while he was here.  And you forgot Robert Pires.

Pires is a bit of a cheap shot though, considering he was signed on a free after the transfer deadline. He wasn't successful, but it wasn't as if he was signed ahead of anyone else.

[Ger Regan]

In relation to Almstadt, my understanding was that he had no involvement in player recruitment, so I'm not too sure what he role entailed. I guess the fact that he's been slung shows he wasn't particularly effective at whatever it was that he was meant to do.

[Clampy]

Pires was brought in to help cope with the crippling injury list at the time I would have thought. It's not as if we'd paid millions for him.