picicata

Because, apparently, it wasn't important to sort out the defence until the summer.. :?

He has done an excellent job, but he still needs to learn alot which he will do by coming up through the divisions. i don't think he is ready for the jump from league 2 to Prem.

Well they are English...

if he wins us trophies i couldnt give a damn! I agree with the sentiment but I doubt Rafa would win us any trophies. Personally, I think he would be even worse than having Houllier in the job.

Reasons why I would like to see Houllier stay on in some capacity, help the new manager settle and provide some advice + make them aware of the youngsters properly. Houllier + Moyes seeing as they are meant to be good friends. I would imagine that if Houllier does have to call it a day then the hand over to a new manager will be much better than the hand over at the beginning of this season! I'm sure Houllier will let any new manager know his full opinions on each and every player in the squad and recommendations as to what he would have done if he had the chance to continue. Whether the new manager would act on these would be entirely down to how much he respects the opinion of Houllier, but at least he would have a head start over most new managers coming into a team.

Shawcross went for it but missed it, so offside. If he had made no move for the ball then he would not have been offside.

You don't remember Hodge do you?

There are very few things you can say on this board and be safe in the knowledge that everyone will agree with you, but Garth Crooks and his complete lack of understanding of football, coupled with his general persona falls neatly in that narrow category.

Hello Top Half, I have missed you.

Well done Mr Bent. Fortunately, West Ham's defence is as shite as ours!

I think it is of no surprise that we are playing a bit shit. We've been shit all season.

Its quite a simple poll really... do you approve of the sequence of results and the manner they were achieved? How anyone can approve of what has happened in the period amazes me. Even if you are the most ardent supporter of Houllier I just cannot see how you vote 'Oui' when the results have been so poor.

But was definitely an Everton goal just before our 2nd so kind of equal in the end. As expected. Team were a shambles at the back and despite Everton missing their best attacking players they were able to cut through us as if we weren't there. Generally a poor game but we got a point and can now only hope we can keep on scoring enough goals to cancel out the weak defensive abilities of the side so that we can stay in the division, get rid of the useless manager, and start again next season.

The Ref **** up twice. Once in our favour and once against us. Need to hang on for the point.

Excellent. Now keep pushing cos there is not a hope in hell that we won't concede at least one more.

I have absolutely no sympathy for Houllier. He has faced challenges and has failed to deal with them. We can pass a little better in the middle but are no threat upfront and shit at the back. He had the opportunity to get new defenders in the January window and decided not to. He instead chose to spend 24m on a striker and then we have no supply line to him. Sympathy? No way!

Shit in defence. Shit up front. SHit in the middle. Shit.

Exactly how I felt. I didn't even swear or anything, I think an eyebrow may have raised but that was about it.

Well there's a surprise.

Challenge for what though? :winkold:

.. very constructive The thing is though Rob next year Houllier will continue to face problems that are not of his own making and its he how copes with these problems that is important. It is how he earns his money. Every manager has to face a series of different challenges and beat them in order to be considered a good manager and so far Houllier has made a right pigs ear of it. The thing is alot of the problems Houllier has had to face are of his own making.

Hated him as a Villa manager -and I use the word hate deliberately. But he -like Evans- played a big part in our good form under Sir Brian. JG was the foil to the more measured, slightly necrotic BL. JG was one of the lads, a players coach - and it's no accident that he got a decent response when he came back initially. When he had money to spend he was largely a nightmare though. That bright opening in 1998 aside, he presided over some of the most tepid, dull safety first football it has ever been my misfortune to endure, the nadir of which being not even mustering a shot on target v Chelsea in the 2000 Cup Final. I still haven't watched highlights of that game and I have no intention of doing so. He had put many supporters off long before that, I lost count of the amount of long term season ticket holders around me who had given up the ghost during his tenure. He also set the template for previously unheard of managers enjoying their 15 minutes of fame with his rent a quote approach -since equalled (and possibly bettered) by Phil Orange and Holloway. If only his football had been as spicy as some of his press conferences. But JG as an assistant did a decent job for us. That should never be overlooked. I don't think his ego would allow him to play second fiddle to anyone now though. I agree with your general sentiments but I don't think people are suggesting him as a long term manager, just as an 8 game kick up the arse. As you state one of his main attributes was the dogged, defensive, bust a gut tactics. Those are the sort of tactics we need now in order to dig us out of the shit we are in. Scrape a couple of 1-0 wins and a couple of draws and we will probably be safe.

John Gregory - 8 Game contract.

Coyle is a good manager but there is no way on earth that he would leave Bolton at this point to come and manage us. Maybe in the summer, but not now.

Stay for now. Should have replaced him back in December but it didn't happen. Come the summer get rid and find someone who actually wants to do the job. Never has a permanent manager felt so temporary.