thunderball

In Irelands defence, he joined when we were in turmoil. KM must have had his doubts because he only had a couple of cameo appearances (I know he wasnt fit), but the team just hasn't been settled at all, so its difficult to see where he would be a natural fit. I would honestly rather see Downing leave (or drop out of the 1st 11), Young move back to the left and Ireland find his feet 'in the hole' in a 4-5-1 or a 4-3-3. Whilst Downing is a decent player, and been one of our best this season, his purchase was always strange to me, Young hasn't really been the same since - surely if it ain't broke, don't fix it?

The best thing for Ireland and Villa is he goes nowhere in January. For all the clamour about Adam, lets not forget we have Ireland and Delph in our own squad - the envy of most in the prem. Hopefully we will can now kick-on and get a few results, and settle into a system and if he stays put and knuckles down his chance will come when we are not fighting for every point. I think Bent and Makoun's arrival, together with a renewed feel-good factor will work wonders on his fragile mind-set.

Even at a straight £24m & £80K/wk I could justify it in the f*cked up world that is the current Premier League. The press need a story, they'll be onto something new by the weekend. At last it looks like we are making that last step towards a credible top team, the step that Spurs made when 'Arry arrived. To know there is more to come makes me even happier.

All his penalties in exactly the same place, surprised no one has realised this yet? Shhhhhhhhhhh!

I've just had to switch him off and put corrie on as he's done my nut in the tool... :evil: I just switched him off too - he's on crack tonight, somethings wound him right up! Collymore: "£18m on a striker is all eggs in one basket, blowing the kitty on one player" Two minutes later: "what's wrong with a cheeky £20m bid for Andy Carroll and Benzema on loan?" He also says we need strengthening in every department - duh? He forgets Walker, Makoun and doesn't he know about Adam, Figerola and Samba. I thought Stan was 'connected', VT have better insight than than Collymore!

He certainly wasn't playing on the wing - just because he pops up wide doesnt make him a winger. Theres not much of an issue here is there? The sooner GH gets a decent striker the better that will settle this, and I'll nail my colours to the mast: I not a big fan of Gabby - great in the squad but should should aspire to better to move us forward, for me he hasn't kicked on from beginning to blossom two seasons ago.

In fairness, that line-up yesterday was the only choice with Young and Heskey missing, and I suspect Gabby was picked not on form because he can't hit a barn door at the moment, but because he is a senior player now with a good record against the blues and understands what the derby is all about. It was about 11 players with as much experience as we could muster to go into a battle. It didnt really strike me as though playing Gabby on the left (Downing?), he was popping up all over the place, his first missed shot was him drifting in from the left, but he also popped up all over the pitch. Houllier wants to play a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 like the majority of teams finding success at the moment, and Gabby was in the hole with JC the target man? I do feel the GH knockers are grabbing at anything - for me Gabby and Carew were lucky to start and if we had alternatives they wouldn't have played. If all our forwards were earning their money this season we wouldn't be where we are now and I would go as far as to say that our predicament is more their fault than the manager - they were doing a good job at losing and letting in goals for KM before GH arrived.

Big_John_10 I respect your views, and would be happy to debate all of what you raised but this is a Houllier post not MON. My views on MON won't alter and genuinely think it was time for change. But I'd rather look forward than back and I am sure you want GH to succeed as much as I do. He gets my support for now, and I am looking forward to remaining season. I would make the point that as a club we seem to be doing a lot of dirty washing in public for some reason this season, which hasn't helped, the club have a PR problem which need sorting.

And your basing this on what? Playing the same 11 players irrespective of form all season resulting in second half of season collapse; only ever having plan a "a"; refusing to use substitutes; not bothering to buy a right back for a year; playing RB's at LB, and centre backs at RB; having no scouting system to speak of; having no confidence in our youth system and thus refusing to invest in continuity; squandering resources bringing in second rate players on scandalous wages and not playing them; generally struggled in the transfer market; lost the dressing room (GH never had the dressing room as the lunatics were already running the asylum)..... and so much more. This is not good management. I will admit MON was the right man when he joined and credit is due for a wembley final, finishing 6th 3 times, buying Ash, Milner and Delph, always showing passion on the touchline and in interviews and generally respecting the fans, but he did not build an empire, he was an of-the-moment manager. He ran off like a coward - it was his bed and didn't fancy lying in it, says it all. I lost all respect for him after that.

Its taken this seasons debacle to show what a rotten regime MON had put in place. It was sub-standard at every level. Yes MON finished 6th, but should have done so much better, and his project was finished, redundant hence his departure. It remains to be seen whether GH is the right man, but he inherited a very poisoned chalice, and we should never judge a manager until the season's end. We look more settled already, and with a few new faces wanting to play for the manager, I am sure we will see Houlliers team (rather than MON's) will finish with much promise for next season.

All credit to GH today, MON would never have subbed Carew and NRC. The players gave 100% today for the team and manager and thats surely a good sign. The right sort of names are being mentioned as transfers, and with a decent striker we should be OK (Carew and Gabby were shocking today). The time to sack GH was Christmas if at all, but now its very much time to get behind him and he must stay until the seasons end whatever happens.

A decent manager should be able to get something out of him. I would suggest at present GH has bigger problems to sort than squander a first team place on someone who lacks concentration - he can't afford the indulgence of bedding him in yet as he needs 90 minute of fight from every player?

I seem to be the only one with the view that behind a terrible result we played quite well at times, but with 10 men it was always going to be tough, especially as we have played all season with a sub standard strike force. But he's definitely lost the senior side of the dressing room, and if the rumour about Rangers keeper arriving is true, that will be the final straw

In another world (two months before the season started) GH would be the right man for Villa, I am sure of that - he knows football, he's been round the block, has the contacts, knows the prem and commands respect, and seems a good bloke too. But for many reasons it just isn't working and we just don't have time to indulge ourselves, right man, wrong time: I fear this is Venglos all over again. At the very least the board needs to throw money at the problem, preferably to buy us goals. I fear three years of substantial investment will come to nothing.

In fairness he's had long enough now, injuries or not, I was (just) in support of him until tonight. Lerner or Faulkner need to grow some b*llocks and hit this head on tonight, we need to think only about the last 15 games and WHATEVER IT COSTS to get through them, because most of this team will be like rats off a sinking ship if we go down. Most scary of all we need goals, we don't have a forward of note, and Heskey off means 3 games out for a straight red. Look where Spurs are for investing where it counts and having Keane, Crouch, Dafoe, Pavlyunchenko and Dos Santos.