Who would you have appointed straight after Houllier mutually got sacked

[fyds]

Why? He's been successful at Celtic where it's frankly harder not to be, and did well to keep Leicester afloat...aside from which, not a lot. yes he's passionate and seems intelligent but his football was not the 'pass and move' style most red fans seem to crave. I just thought we and our ambitions were way too big for him and still do.

[Gomez]

That fat fella from Real Madrid would have been OK for me.

Ronaldo?

 

Still amazed at how many people wanted O'Neill - and kev wanted Peter Reid ffs!

 

I'm amazed someone wanted O'Neill because they were fed up of Houllier's style of football?

[Guest Jack Bauer]

People were fed up of losing and being generally s**** under Houllier tbh.

[fyds]

I'm amazed someone wanted O'Neill because they were fed up of Houllier's style of football?

Well exactly...

[Guest RedLegend]

Why? He's been successful at Celtic where it's frankly harder not to be.

 

They didn't have much in the way of success in the previous decade before he arrived. One league title in 10+ years I think it was.

[hagi_complex]

 

I'm amazed someone wanted O'Neill because they were fed up of Houllier's style of football?

 

O'Neill's teams are functional but effective. Having watched his teams over the years, I think a lot of the criticisms about the style of play he goes for are wide of the mark. He likes his width, which is something that we were seriously lacking under GH.

[fyds]

People were fed up of losing and being generally s**** under Houllier tbh.

That was the perception, yet in his final year he still got us into the CL qualifiers. You have to remember what hard task masters we are - and remain. O'Neill would have done little if any better I think. It needed a full blooded, proven top-level manager to improve on where Ged had taken us - someone who had done it domestically and in Europe in a proven strong league. With the best will in the world, that was never O'Neill.

[RaoulD]

I remember that it seemed to be a straight contest between Mourinho and Curbishley initially. Rafa did not seem to be available and therefore did not figure in the early speculation. My preference was for someone within the club - I had hoped for a Gary Mac/ Kenny combo but once it became known that Rafa might be available, I was converted. The Valencia team that he managed is still the closest thing I have seen to us in the 70s and 80s except technically they were far superior!

[fyds]

They didn't have much in the way of success in the previous decade before he arrived. One league title in 10+ years I think it was.

Which in a back-handed way in a two team league proves my point.

[George Costanza]

Why? He's been successful at Celtic where it's frankly harder not to be, and did well to keep Leicester afloat...aside from which, not a lot. yes he's passionate and seems intelligent but his football was not the 'pass and move' style most red fans seem to crave. I just thought we and our ambitions were way too big for him and still do.

 

tell that to Strachan. For the quality of players at his disposal he also did rather well in Europe. He did a lot more than keep Leicester afloat if I remember. Maybe he's one of those managers that does well with an aveage bunch but until he's given some top quality to work with we'll never know.

[Guest RedLegend]

Which in a back-handed way in a two team league proves my point.

 

Yes of course it does.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

O'Neill did well with Leicester, and is doing well with a s*** Villa side (so far) which hasn't had any additions at all.

 

He got Celtic to a UEFA Cup Final as well, and they probably deserved to win more than them diving b******s, so he does actually know what he is doing in Europe.

[fyds]

I remember that it seemed to be a straight contest between Mourinho and Curbishley initially. Rafa did not seem to be available and therefore did not figure in the early speculation. My preference was for someone within the club - I had hoped for a Gary Mac/ Kenny combo but once it became known that Rafa might be available, I was converted. The Valencia team that he managed is still the closest thing I have seen to us in the 70s and 80s except technically they were far superior!

I think the team no emerging can be just like us in the 70's and 80's and THAT was nthe standard I and others knew we had to aim at if we were ever to be serious about number 19.

 

Yes of course it does.

I think it does - I'm not denying O'Neill is a good manager - and when he turns up the rather limp Rangers monopoly is overturned. I just don't think he's good enough for us as we're on an entirely different level in terms of ambition and class.

 

Strachan won it with Celtic last year playing some horrible football - so is he good enough for us?

 

O'Neill did well with Leicester, and is doing well with a s*** Villa side (so far) which hasn't had any additions at all.

 

He got Celtic to a UEFA Cup Final as well, and they probably deserved to win more than them diving b******s, so he does actually know what he is doing in Europe.

You're missing the essential point Philly - doing 'reasonably well' is what we wwere sick of under Ged - despite his six trophies in five years. We want the lot - league, Europe - the lot.

 

tell that to Strachan. For the quality of players at his disposal he also did rather well in Europe. He did a lot more than keep Leicester afloat if I remember. Maybe he's one of those managers that does well with an aveage bunch but until he's given some top quality to work with we'll never know.

Strachan won the SPL last year, and possibly will again. Again, we'd had enough of 'rather well' we wanted to win - big and often.

[George Costanza]

s we're on an entirely different level in terms of ambition and class.

 

 

 

not in 2004 we weren't.

 

O'Neill will again do a very good job at Villa. & good luck to him.

 

I'd rather look forward now & hope Rafa can finaly deliver number 19.

[hideNseek]

Interesting thread. Went on a fair few sites and most wanted O'Neill, or certainly seemed too, me included.

 

Not sure where all this I wanted Rafa talk came from as I can hardly remember his name being mentioned..................bloody glad we got him though.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

You're missing the essential point Philly - doing 'reasonably well' is what we wwere sick of under Ged - despite his six trophies in five years. We want the lot - league, Europe - the lot.

 

But if he can get s*** sides like Celtic and Villa to do well in their respective leagues, and even get one of them into a UEFA Cup final, then at a big club where he can attract good players I'm sure he would have been a success, or at least at the point where we aren't out of reckoning for the title in the first month.

Edited August 27, 2006 by Jack Bauer

[Rushian]

Given that we already knew through various sources that Benitez was joining before Houllier got dumped, isn't the question a bit redundant?

[muleskinner]

Kaizer Souze (I think) said that Rafa's agent had been touting for the job from January that year I think.

[George Costanza]

Given that we already knew through various sources that Benitez was joining before Houllier got dumped, isn't the question a bit redundant?

 

Yes but it was who would the individual wanted.

 

The imminent signings of certain players still doesn't stop discussions about other alternatives.

[Rimbeux]

But if he can get s*** sides like Celtic and Villa to do well in their respective leagues, and even get one of them into a UEFA Cup final, then at a big club where he can attract good players I'm sure he would have been a success, or at least at the point where we aren't out of reckoning for the title in the first month.

 

 

Steve McClaren could be said to have done as well

[fyds]

But if he can get s*** sides like Celtic and Villa to do well in their respective leagues, and even get one of them into a UEFA Cup final, then at a big club where he can attract good players I'm sure he would have been a success, or at least at the point where we aren't out of reckoning for the title in the first month.

That's the risk though isn't it? Of course Benitez could have come in and been poor - but in all honesty, his track record of winning La Liga twice (and the UEFA Cup) cup with a not really well funded side whom he didn't have control over additions to made it less likely. O'Neill won the SPL - so did Souness.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

Maybe, but he lucked his way through. Their luck ran out against Sevilla.

[fyds]

not in 2004 we weren't.

 

O'Neill will again do a very good job at Villa. & good luck to him.

 

I'd rather look forward now & hope Rafa can finaly deliver number 19.

You're missing my point mate - I don't mean the team or performances were, but the club as an entity, it's fans, tradition and ambitions - that's why Ged had to go despite getting CL qualifiaction (something Tottenham, Newcastle etc would kill for) and someone bigger, more able than he had to come in...somone a class or two above Ged at least to match performance and results to traditional expectation.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

That's the risk though isn't it? Of course Benitez could have come in and been poor - but in all honesty, his track record of winning La Liga twice (and the UEFA Cup) cup with a not really well funded side whom he didn't have control over additions to made it less likely. O'Neill won the SPL - so did Souness.

 

Benitez would have been as big a risk, he didn't have much experience of the English game and this was evident early on because we finished 5th in the league. Valencia though, still had good players regardless of Benitez not being able to buy them himself and were a relatively big club.

[fyds]

Maybe, but he lucked his way through. Their luck ran out against Sevilla.

Sorry mate, you've lost me there?