Tony's Tweets

[ciggiesnbeer]

Well watching Sam Allardyce on Sky and he's just ruled himself out of any job. Says he spoke to the Palace chairman. Doesn't mean money and the right opportunity wouldnt turn his head.

Great news.

I don't see much difference between Big Sam & Steve Bruce.

I would like our new manager to have us play football that is halfway enjoyable to watch and modern. I don't want to go up again only to be smashed by more progressive managers in the Premier League. The build has to start now.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

Which is why you need someone who has managed a big club, with high expectations, for them to stand a chance.

Houllier managed Liverpool, Lyon and French national team so fitted that criteria comfortably yet chose to go down the DOL of downplaying things around the club.

We also looked to be turning into a decent team with a very prolific striker.

No we didnt

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Which is why you need someone who has managed a big club, with high expectations, for them to stand a chance.

Houllier managed Liverpool, Lyon and French national team so fitted that criteria comfortably yet chose to go down the DOL of downplaying things around the club.

We also looked to be turning into a decent team with a very prolific striker.

No we didnt

We finished the season with wins against Liverpool and Arsenal playing some good football. If memory serves one of the goals was a 16/17 touch move. However, Gary Mac was in charge those last few games but there's no denying we were evolving.

[paul_e]

As I remember it we had a really tough time from about the start of November until Bent arrived in mid January because you had players in revolt against the coaching and a fuckton of injuries but once we got a focal point up front and some energy into the team (from Walker) we improved a lot. the last 16 games were 7w, 5d, 4l - which would be around 60 points for the season not ground breaking but certainly a big turn around from where we'd been.  Given so many of the problems were due to fitness I think he's one that could've done with a pre-season to get the players to the fitness level he wanted.  my feeling was that we were on the right track and that we should've followed him up with a manager with a similar style.  If we had I think the next few seasons would've played out very differently.

[dave.woodhall]

Shall we change this thread title to Flogging Dead Horses?

[Drummond]

Neigh

[tomd2103]

As I remember it we had a really tough time from about the start of November until Bent arrived in mid January because you had players in revolt against the coaching and a fuckton of injuries but once we got a focal point up front and some energy into the team (from Walker) we improved a lot. the last 16 games were 7w, 5d, 4l - which would be around 60 points for the season not ground breaking but certainly a big turn around from where we'd been.  Given so many of the problems were due to fitness I think he's one that could've done with a pre-season to get the players to the fitness level he wanted.  my feeling was that we were on the right track and that we should've followed him up with a manager with a similar style.  If we had I think the next few seasons would've played out very differently.

I must admit I wasn't too unhappy to see Houllier go, but considering what followed it might have been worth keeping him even if it was in a Director of Football role or something similar.  I think he had rumbled a lot of the wasters at that point and would have got them out that summer and he had apparently been lining up the likes of Cabaye.  We were awful around Christmas, but had a lot of injuries and were relying on a lot of kids.  When some of the more senior players came back (although not spectacular, the experience of the likes of Luke Young, Reo-Coker and Petrov was important) and we signed Bent, the results began to pick up.  We finished against Liverpool with a team of:

Friedel, Walker, Dunne, Collins, L Young, Downing, A Young, Delph, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Bent


   

[Chris Smith]

Shall we change this thread title to Flogging Dead Horses?

With this as the theme tune https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pmUKmW4BYXM

[chrisw1]

Think next one need to be a ex Villa player. For character and passion Olof Mellberg would be ideal.

No it does not.  How often does that sort of appointment work?

[passitsideways]

Unfortunately, I think the Houllier hypothetical would've been scuttled by lack of money in the end. I mean, we were going to raise money by selling Young that summer for sure, and probably the likes of Collins and Dunne and any other high wage earner we could convince another team on, but we basically needed an entirely new back 4 and a goalkeeper as well as N'Zogbia and Cabaye, who were both reported as being nailed-on to sign for us had Houllier stuck around. I don't know if Downing would've committed himself had Houllier stayed either - I think there was a chance. But no way Lerner would have sanctioned that sort of a spend.

[Jimbo]

Houllier was all kinds of awesome. So was Doug Ellis. That Steve Hodge was massively misunderstood as well.

[Chris Jameson]

Whoever the next manager is needs to show some PASHUN.

[Villa75]

Houllier was all kinds of awesome. So was Doug Ellis. That Steve Hodge was massively misunderstood as well.

I'd have all of them back, if it meant the end of this year upon year of tedious shite! 😜

[Canadian Villa]

As much as it pains me, having someone like Big Sam or Pardew isn't a bad choice at the moment. We need someone that can instill discipline and desire that isn't afraid of the pressure. Both Big Sam and Pardew fit that mold and with the players that we have, I can see them working their socks off. Bruce just doesn't seem like he can motivate at the moment. Not opposed to someone completely out of the blue like a Wagner. Someone with new ideas and impetus.

[TonyD]

Dr T.  We are FED UP.   And your money is going down the drain. 
The time is now.