macandally

I was going to take the time to construct a response, but realistically you are in denial. Look at who we played, lower mid table teams at best. If you remember, that wolves team got a 0-0 at our place. Get your head out your arse FFS. Unbeaten crap! What a tosser you are mate, Newcastle are 4th in the prem you idiot and are not a bad side, we have not lost yet and are 7th, WTF do you expect, we have lost our best players and have an average prem side...numpty. Thanks for pointing out we had lost our best players, that fact had escaped me!! You have the **** cheek to call me a tosser when you think Newcastle are a good side and that bore draws against relegation fodder are satisfactory. **** wake up. You want to satisfy yourself with scraping draws against mid to bottom of the table teams and justify that as progress then fill you boots. To me, you are delusional. I expect a manager who knows how to coach and can get the best out of the following: Given (Irish International) Hutton (Scottish International) Dunne (Irish International) Collins (Welsh International) Warnock (England International) Delph (U21 International) Petrov (Bulgarian Captain) NZogbia (French International) Gabby (England International) Bannan (Scottish International) Bent (England International) Its not a great team, but there is enough attacking quality there to beat the likes of Newcastle, Wolves, etc etc. They just need proper coaching by someone who knows his arse from his elbow. That sort of rules out McLeish.

Play them either side of Delph and that would be some midfield!! Delph has quality, trouble is, its swamped with an aging Petrov and lightweight Bannan/Ireland next to him. He is the physical prescence, on his own, in a four man midfield. Thats never going to work.

I was going to take the time to construct a response, but realistically you are in denial. Look at who we played, lower mid table teams at best. If you remember, that wolves team got a 0-0 at our place. Get your head out your arse FFS. Unbeaten crap!

Having watched another 90 minutes of dross I am confused and therefore have to ask: Do our players actually know each other? Do we have a game plan? Do the players actually want to play for McLeish because it doesnt appear so? Do the players know what McLeish wants them to do as it doesnt appear so? I have never liked McLeish, which I will not hide, but he needs to go and soon. Ridiculous appointment, dire football and all credit to Pardew as he had a weaker team playing better football. Newcastle moved the ball well, were fluid with their movement and made us look like we are, ordinary.

Played off the park on our own patch. Rubbish

I was scathing at half time and in fairness, we were lucky to even be in the game after 45 minutes. Half time team talk worked, but we need to compete for 90, not just 20 minutes per game. Very lucky and still cannot see what McLeish brings with respect to offensive play. We lucked clueless for most of the game. Screamer again from Petrov (about all he did) and one quality delivery for the goal, all game.

Yeah, much prefer to watch Petrov sat in his comfort zone of a 10 yard circle whilst the rest of the midfield have to work around him. Petrov is awful, the midfield as a unit, awful. One pass, two pass, lump it forward. Every time. Not interplay as there is no movement, no idea how to progress the play forward apart from lumping it. I think McLeish just buys attackers and expects them to turn up and do their stuff. Is there actually any coaching going on at the club?

I hope McLeish introduces his forward line to the rest of the team, that would be a start. Dire, just what I expected from this dick. Keep your defense, whats the point if the rest of the team dont appear to know each other. Threaders, what are we, four games in. If this guy is in this job at Christmas it will be a joke.

I cant think of one valid point you have made against Houllier to support your case? It is obvious you dont like him, fair enough. There are those that bother to try to put across reasoning for their stance, other than, "I dont like him". I am wondering though, why bother.

Ah that will be why then, thanks!

Yeah that is why we had so few injuries and we came 6th 3 years on the trot. Our training was terrible thank god we had Houllier come in with his 'new' methods which led to mass injuries and had us in a relegation scrap. Do you do any fitness Diego?? You are more susceptible to injuries during undertaking a new training regime. Its why your doctors recommend you speak to them before taking up new training programmes. I could also use Jon Terrys ""We knew Villa would tire after 55-60 minutes and that if we kept passing the ball, spaces would appear and chances would come," the Chelsea captain said." Quote. Our fitness under ONeill was poor as there was no fitness training per sae, a lot of his training was 5 a sides. The facts are there, you just choose not to see them for the sake of argument, or you have a short memory.

I am struggling to find any truth in any of those statements. Scholari - World Cup and a few South American trophies, not sure he had coached in Europe? McClaren - One of the most decorated coaches in Europe........really? Ferguson - Sure you have to have your UEFA A license (or be working toward it) to coach in the premier league

How has Wenger not challenged the big clubs. Are you for real?? Wenger took over a club that was defensively sound due to the work of George Graham. He then added attacking flair that was enough to make you drool and they played the type of football i wish every club could play. The one thing Wenger hasnt done is shored up his back four, if he had earlier, he would have won much more. Houllier came into a club in limbo, with a shite training regime............in fact why bother. You have your views, I have mine and it appears never the twain shall meet.

Am I right in thinking he didnt make our 23 man first team squad??

I tend to agree with you. when we play a simple game of stopper we look ok, thats alright against the lesser teams. When we play teams who have players who will move us around, thats when you will see the difference. ..not convinced we have anything other than a very average defence. + 1 to both of those posts.

I hope he hasnt.

Except you dont know what McLeish will do. No your right of course, but I dont think he has surprised anyone with the fact he has focused on the defence, plays two deeplying midfielders to supplement them and is not too bothered about Bent being a spectator. I think he has done pretty much what I expected so far!

Do you know what, you might be right, its all conjecture now isnt it? I can honestly say I would rather have seen what Houllier could have done with a full transfer window than know what McLeish will do and bring to the club.

So basically, you're accusing him of not being decent based on the fact that he didn't resign just because you didn't want him there? So if me and a few other people on here grow unhappy with McLeish as manager, it would be indecent of him to not resign just because I wasn't happy with him as manager? Ridiculous. You're entitled to your opinion on him as we all are but I don't think it's fair at all to label somebody as indecent just because you weren't happy with them and they didn't resign. This, when did you become the voice of the masses?? Huh? I was speaking for myself, hence the "I think". Not directed at you, I was agreeing with your post!

So basically, you're accusing him of not being decent based on the fact that he didn't resign just because you didn't want him there? So if me and a few other people on here grow unhappy with McLeish as manager, it would be indecent of him to not resign just because I wasn't happy with him as manager? Ridiculous. You're entitled to your opinion on him as we all are but I don't think it's fair at all to label somebody as indecent just because you weren't happy with them and they didn't resign. This, when did you become the voice of the masses??

That's the thing. You ignore the facts infront of you, ignore last season and base it all on the past. That doesn't mean it's guaranteed to work. There are managers who have done well years ago that wouldn't produce the same results now. It's ridiculous to keep claiming that because he did it in the past he'd be great for us. As is trying to point out facts and evidence to someone who ignore it all. Will do, enjoy the daydreaming while playing football manager. Jon, I am 40 years old. The only reason I even know about football manager is because people with little imagination throw it around on here. Last season began what was needed, an overhaul of overpaid, underworked players. Unfortunately, the job didnt get finished and we get to spend this season complaining about Warnock, Dunne, Collins, Petrov............... A manager get selected on previous experience and successes, how would you propose we pick them in the future. Lucky Dip???

Actually I've got no problems with allowing a manager time to build something. The thing is just giving a manager time doesn't guarantee success. Giving the wrong manager time will lead to nothing but trouble and there is no doubt in my mind that houllier was the wrong manager. His style of football was not effective, it didn't work. You can bang on all you want that it would have in the long term but there's nothing to prove that. Just you and the football manager crew repeating your delusional ideas. As I say he showed a complete lack of tactical skill, complete lack of man management skills, terrible pr skills and through his own arrogance and incompetence lost the fans early on. Still excuses get made for what was an awlful performance from an awlful manager. Nothing to suggest long term, apart from his previous record of course which eclipses McGish and his two team league success. But yep, it didnt work, your right and we are going round in circles because your blinkered. Ergo, trying to explain something to someone who refuses to listen is pointless, and for that reason, I am out. Enjoy McLeish and his tactical nous whilst us delusional people think of what might have been.

If you replace '5' with '1' it'd make perfect sense, judging on the actual facts of his reign, rather than on utopic fan visions of grandeur. The club saw that and kicked him out even though the doctors gave him a pass for his medical condition. He must thank GMac for steering the ship well in the end of the season. Yep, because he didnt deliver results in 10 minutes, he must be shit. I give up, its like trying to plait fog. Everybody wants everything immediately. It took Barcelona 20 years to build what they now have. We dont have the money like City to expedite that process, so we have to build slowly but with a clear vision of how we want to be. You mate have now got what you and people who cannot be bothered to wait deserve. Football dross from a second rate manager, enjoy it.

ONeill had the players working pretty much a three day week, where the reward for results was extra days off. Houllier introduced a revised training program which was focused on fitness and technical development. Due to the state of the squad he introduced morning and afternoon training in order to build up fitness (remember how we conceded late goals under ONeill??) Houllier took what equated to a Sunday League training regime and tried to introduce modern practices to improve both the technical ability and performance levels of the team. The squad obviously didnt like that, peferring the stupidly large wages and part time existance to working hard to become a team capable of challenging the top four. That is player power and that is ONeills legacy. He brought us top 6, but at what price? The delusions are yours John, as per usual, you see what suits you and there is no doubt to your feelings towards Houllier. Unfortunately, you are symptomatic of modern culture where everything has to NOW, NOW, NOW. The fact you cannot see where Houlliers approach could have taken us does not surprise me.

I think you are looking at this through blinkers. We did try to keep the ball, it was so obviously different to what ONeill was doing that you couldnt possibly not notice it, unless you just didnt want to. The problem we had was the lack of technical ability in the squad, we couldnt play the passing game at a tempo that regularly opened up the opposition, which often meant we kept the ball but possession floundered. Now that we have returned to a UK thump it and chase philosophy, the players look happier and you no doubt will be much more pleased. surely the flip side to that is that if you have players that are adapted to playing a certain style, you use tactics that play to their strengths rather than deciding on tactics and then trying to force your players to fit your ideas? i cant see how the old wimbledon team would have marched through the divisions if they had tried to get a team of brickies and part timers to play like barcelona! MAYBE over the course of a few years houllier MAY have been able to change the squad and its style of play enough for his philosphy to acheive results, but he would never have had chance to prove it if he had got us relegated in the mean time. You are right, maybe trying to conduct a revolution not an evolution is what caused so much angst. That said, I have absoutely no doubt whatsoever that the club would have been much more competitive with a better style of football in 5 years time than it will now.