tinker Posted August 30, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 30, 2011 Ten years ago GH may have been ok, last season was a total mess and GH had alot to do with it, AM has only been with us for 3 games............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steaknchips Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Zatman, feel free to do your homework on the guy before casting your judgement...Because I did.. When you(if you) do decide to do homework on the guy, also remember he had one Jan Trans window, No pre-season, Mass injuries and half of the squad spoilt by the previous manager. He was too good for half our fan base who just ridiculed his knowledge of the game. And this thread is an insult to the man and just shows the lack of knowledge alot of our fans possess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NowDoINotLikeThat Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Houllier in fairness does have fair bit of pedigree at top end of the game but he was past it when came to us and ultimately quite detrimental at the club. Maybe he could have done something longterm for us but there wasn't that much to suggest he would. All hypothetical - as he got ill- end of. To compare him with Fergie is just bloody daft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Zatman, feel free to do your homework on the guy before casting your judgement...Because I did i have, he did well at Liverpool but his management skills are not up there with Ferguson or among the lal time greats. I backed him as Villa manager but in his short time here he didnt achieve anything, He was too good for half our fan base who just ridiculed his knowledge of the game. And this thread is an insult to the man and just shows the lack of knowledge alot of our fans possess. He insulted our fan base at Liverpool if you dont remember and if his knowledge of game was so good he would have kept his wankfest with liverpool off the pitch that night and away from media and fans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted August 30, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 30, 2011 He was too good for half our fan base who just ridiculed his knowledge of the game. And this thread is an insult to the man and just shows the lack of knowledge alot of our fans possess. What about the away supporters at Liverpool, to good for them wasnt he? More like the pink panther of managers...... the guy's a nice person but got well out of his depth @ the Villa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steaknchips Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Houllier told me the story in the bar of a Paris hotel the evening before he gave me a tour of Clairefontaine, the French football academy, which he runs as technical director of the French Football Federation. The story went as follows: He had been asked by Steve Heighway, then the Liverpool youth development coach, to come to a match where there was a promising youngster who it was felt might solve a problem position for Houllier in the Liverpool first team. But during the course of this youth match Houllier’s eye was caught by another youngster: lanky, technically gifted, and capable of taking charge of a game. Houllier asked who he was and was told he was Steven Gerrard. At the end of the game Houllier asked a surprised Gerrard to report for training with the senior squad the next morning. Houllier then went on to tell me how a year after his departure from Liverpool, as he walked into the Liverpool dressing room in Istanbul on the night of their epic 2005 Champions League triumph, Gerrard was the first to embrace him, call him “boss” and say it was his team that had won the Cup. Now, of course, it would be wholly understandable that Houllier would want to present his time at Liverpool in the best possible light. But the point about the Gerrard story was not just to embellish Houllier’s Liverpool CV. It was to demonstrate that in the English system players are often discovered quite by accident while the French have a system that leaves nothing to chance. Even meeting Houllier at the Paris offices of the FFF, before he drove me to Clairefontaine, had revealed how very different the entire French system is. I was only allowed into the inner sanctum of the FFF after I had deposited my passport with the receptionist. If this showed the security concerns in the centre of Paris then a tour of Clairefontaine, as Houllier took me round this lush, splendidly equipped academy, demonstrated why the French are not exaggerating when they call it the house of football. This French house not only has five-star hotel facilities where the national team stay before matches but the sort of cuisine Gordon Ramsay would be proud of and budding players as young as 12 developing their skills under expert guidance. The French believe that you need to get players young – one of the most remarkable of Houllier’s comments was that once a player reaches 16 a coach’s ability to improve him is limited, he can only improve another 20%. In contrast to England, where club versus country is a recurring theme, the French have a system. I saw the French Under-21 coach instructing the coaches of first division clubs – unimaginable here. As the French see it, the English don’t lack facilities but their attitude to coaching displays a distrust of anything planned or systematic. Andre Merrelle works for Houllier and coaches the boys every day from 4pm. He took me to the changing rooms before we stepped on the training ground and it was clear his charges saw him as a father figure. He has been to various English clubs, proudly showed me his Blackburn shirt and just before we met had been entertaining Liverpool officials in charge of the Anfield academy. “You know,” he said, “the Liverpool youngsters train four-and-a-half hours a week, my boys train ten hours a week. Liverpool’s training schedule is what a Paris amateur club might have.” So is it all down to a distrust of planning and systems that the English traditionally have? Houllier would not go quite that far but he did make the point that in France they would not dream of just appointing a player as the coach of a top team the moment he took off his playing boots. He went through the names – Bryan Robson, Stuart Pearce, Gareth Southgate – then wondered if a company would put someone in a top position if the person had no experience. But perhaps it was best the English did not have a system because as we were about to part, Houllier, who had told me that the FA needed to get a Clairefontaine of their own, said he was frightened that if the English did get a proper system, they would be world beaters. There was a twinkle in his eye as he spoke, making me feel that somehow he didn’t believe this would ever happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 Both shit. Maybe we should start a poll: Aids or Cancer. Not too dissimilar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrummieVillan Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 He was too good for half our fan base who just ridiculed his knowledge of the game. And this thread is an insult to the man and just shows the lack of knowledge alot of our fans possess. Coming from someone who said you don't need lots of money to win the league and then proceeded to give examples of Chelsea saying they don't dominate football. Years ago yes, but he was using us to basically get up to date with the premier league, that was confirmed by signing Pires. Granted I never chanted Houllier out or hated him, he's human after all but either way apart from the Bent purchase he was taking us down. Admittedly our fans did come across as poisoness towards him but then some could say he had it coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steaknchips Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 He was too good for half our fan base who just ridiculed his knowledge of the game. And this thread is an insult to the man and just shows the lack of knowledge alot of our fans possess. Coming from someone who said you don't need lots of money to win the league and then proceeded to give examples of Chelsea saying they don't dominate football. Years ago yes, but he was using us to basically get up to date with the premier league, that was confirmed by signing Pires. Granted I never chanted Houllier out or hated him, he's human after all but either way apart from the Bent purchase he was taking us down. Admittedly our fans did come across as poisoness towards him but then some could say he had it coming. You dont get it do you? Let me tell you something here and I hope you understand it.. We will never ever conquer Europe again without a manager that can build an infrastucture.. The sooner we start, the sooner Aston Villa can rule again..We cant compete on the money stakes, so why keep mentioning it? Ive used Chelsea as an example because after all this time and money spent, they STILL cant top Barca or Man United on a consistant basis.. Mc,Leish has never built an infrastucture to be proud of...Yet Houllier helped changed the face of French football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 .A manager that wants to be better than Fergie and prove it, a manager that will never settle with mediocracy. He is easily a manager that could walk out out in a CL final without feeling small, he can take anybody on. Are you perhaps his love child? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 .A manager that wants to be better than Fergie and prove it, a manager that will never settle with mediocracy. He is easily a manager that could walk out out in a CL final without feeling small, he can take anybody on. Are you perhaps his love child? You need at least one fuctioning testicle to have children. Given Houllier lacked a pair of balls then its highly unlikely steaknchips is his lovechild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrummieVillan Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Well you certainly stick to your opinion...I don't hate Houllier like I said I backed him all the way and everything...no really but it was obvious he'd lost face with modern day premier league football. We were just lucky Bent came. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NowDoINotLikeThat Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 steaknchips does seem to have obsession that anything vaguely European = brilliant Houllier has pedigree no denying but he was very detrimental and past it with us IMO. Why we even discussing what Houllier MIGHT have done? He was unable to work anymore and is gone. Its all hypothetical. The facts are - he was pretty much a disaster last season - am vaguely sympathetic to idea that he MIGHT have been good longterm - but there was incredibly little to suggest there was and circumstances meant because of his health was unable to get that opportunity. No McLeish imo was NEVER the answer either -far from it - but he is the manager now and this still lusting for Houllier to me just seems bizarre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 I can kinda see where steaknchips is coming from on this one. At least Houllier was trying to build something. Yes it may not have worked but it was a little different. He made mistakes but it was still early on in his regime. With Mcleish however we know exactly what we are going to get. Its Boring under Mcleish and will probably get worse. Saying that, I didnt paticularly think Houllier was the man to take us forward, just that he was trying to build an infrastructure and a philosophy. By the way, (steaknchips) I disagree entirely with the fact that money doesnt busy success. It does. And to give the example of Chelsea is ridiculous. Yes they may not be consistently above United but look at the last ten years, how many times have they been to Wembley. How many trophies have they won. Look at their team now, im sure they will finish in the top 4 this season. Whilst it may not be complete success its a hell of a lot more than clubs who can only spend 5-10m on one player each window. In truth, I really dont think who manages a club really matters much anymore. If they have money to spend, they will succeed. Football has become a joke and will not get better because the idiots who run it are in the pockets of the most powerful clubs. Mcleish or Houllier. Who really cares. We aint gonna win anything anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steaknchips Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Cannes has been an entirely appropriate setting for this week’s ninth UEFA Elite Youth Football Conference given the reputation of both France and the local academy, where the likes of Zinédine Zidane and Patrick Vieira – among many others first learnt the skills that made them famous. Oneman who is perfectly placed to give a valuable insight into the French model of youth development is Gérard Houllier, who has enjoyed considerable success at home and abroad. The 60-year-old started his coaching career with Le Touquet Athletic Club and US Noeux-les-Mines before taking charge of RC Lens in 1982, moving on to Paris Saint-Germain FC three years later. Houllier guided the club to the Ligue 1 title in his first season in charge, becoming the technical director of the French Football Federation (FFF) in 1988 and holding the post for the next decade. Under his watchful eye the likes of Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, Nicolas Anelka and more were allowed to mature and show early signs of their talents, France winning the UEFA European Under-18 Championship in 1996 and 1997. More success followed at Liverpool FC, most notably in 2000/01 with victories in the UEFA Cup, English FA Cup and League Cup. After five major trophies in six seasons Houllier left Anfield in 2004, returning to his native France to guide Olympique Lyonnais to league titles in each of his seasons in charge to set a new French record of six successive Ligue 1 titles. Having stepped down at the end of 2006/07, he returned to the FFF to pick up where he had left off almost ten years previously, once again assuming the role of technical director. uefa.com: How would you describe your approach to coaching? Gérard Houllier: My philosophy is based on skills and movement. Everything starts from the back. In football we always want to go forward quickly but it all starts from the back. You can't play the long ball, the passing and movement starts from deep. Some people like wingers, some like a big centre-forward. I very much like creativity and skill and use of players on the flanks. uefa.com: Your career as a coach has lasted more than 35 years and covers a broad range of experiences and challenges. What advice would you give to any young coaches today? Houllier: A crisis forces people to work together more, and better. It’s an opportunity. Failure is part of the road to success.Be prepared to have difficult periods. When it's a crisis it's also an opportunity to bounce back. A crisis forces people to work together more, and better. It’s an opportunity. Failure is part of the road to success. uefa.com: This is a very broad question but why has France produced so many top-class young players? Houllier: Because we have a culture of development and training. We coach coaches, and we make a point of developing the best in the best conditions. We have a long tradition in education and training the coaches; this stretches back around 30 years and was set up in response to a series of poor results at senior level. We set up training centres to improve the players aged between 13 and 19. Then we wanted to work better with players aged between 12 and 15 so we set up training pre-centres. uefa.com: Was there lots of opposition to that initial proposal at the start? Houllier: When you come up with something new, obviously you have people who are against it. As soon as you have a new idea only a small percentage of people will support you. You have to convince the rest with good results and with the quality of the work you do. uefa.com: When people discuss France's record in youth development, much of the attention focuses on the national technical centre at Clairefontaine? Houllier: People think Clairefontaine produces the players, but in fact it's there we produce the coaches. It's the academies all over the country that produce the players. Our idea at the FFF is not to replace the work done by the clubs but to work alongside the clubs, to supplement their work. uefa.com: You've returned to the FFF as technical director. Is it a different challenge thistime? Houllier: Yes, it's bigger. It's a bigger challenge now because the expectation is there and bigger. You must keep humility and work, because as soon as you stand still you are overtaken bythe others. You can become complacent, this is a cancer for football. We can't rest on our laurels– we need to keep moving forward. uefa.com: So what will you do next? Houllier: We have other projects. We think other teams and other countries work better than us at grassroots level. That’s one of the things we’ll focus on in the future. ©uefa.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NowDoINotLikeThat Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 @ Delphinho123 - decent post and pretty much agree. Also i can see where steaknchips might be coming from but lot of his posts are just bit too manically in support of Houllier. He's gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steaknchips Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Its very disappointing as a fan to see what we could have become...Had we all got behind him and seen the light and been patient, we may still have had him involved at the club. Too many fans are too rash to dismiss him when he was at the early stages of building something. McLeish is the man we are now left with, who in comparison cant build Sh1t..And this thread is all about who is the better manger> McLeish is a nothing in comparison..He wouldnt know the 1st idea on how to set up a club to become Europe's best..Houllier at least had this quality.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Its very disappointing as a fan to see what we could have become...Had we all got behind him and seen the light and been patient, we may still have had him involved at the club. Too many fans are too rash to dismiss him when he was at the early stages of building something. McLeish is the man we are now left with, who in comparison cant build Sh1t..And this thread is all about who is the better manger> McLeish is a nothing in comparison..He wouldnt know the 1st idea on how to set up a club to become Europe's best..Houllier at least had this quality.. Mate... The bloke had a heart attack.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDuck Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Had we all got behind him and seen the light and been patient, we may still have had him involved at the club. He wouldn't still be involved. His health prevents that, so it's a moot point. And thank God for that, I haven't seen anyone make such a mess of the Villa job since Venglos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NowDoINotLikeThat Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 @ steaknchips You seem to be thinking Houllier was pushed out or something?? He wasn't . His health was bad and had to go on medical grounds. And McLeish was pretty much no ones choice as manager from fans perspective. Equating criticism (and justified) of Houllier does not mean fans wanted automatically wanted McLeish. Not sure where you are coming from in those frankly odd pressumptions? But facts are McLeish is now the manager and Houllier had to go for health reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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