Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Sat Feb 07, 2004 11:48 am**

I used to like Houllier. I still do really, he gave us some sense of structure and has bought some decent talent to the club. Not all the siginings have worked, but there is a core of maybe 8 players that you can build a top class squad around.

But I have now decided that one of Houllier's main assets is the one weakness that he cannot overcome and is stoopping us going to the next step.

He is not mean enough !

Ferguson is not buddy buddy with all his players, I am sure Wenger gets the boot in now and again. I am sure Paisley, Shankly and Dalglish did as well.Houllier gets on with most of the players really well. He always looks after them in the face of criticism from the press etc. He is always backslapping and laughing with other managers. phoning them with support etc. That is great, but a coach is not supposed to be the buddy of everyone. He has to have the respect, NOT the mateship of the players.

I think Houllier is too nice a guy to change. Good for him as a man for sticking to his principles. But in my mind the players have taken and continue to take advantage of the good nature of him. And that continues to mean we give 10% less in most games compared to the talent we have.

I hope I am wrong and most supporters would like to see us back as kings of Europe with Houllier there I think. But I cannot see it.

Steven O'Neil
Perth, WA

Posted: **Sat Feb 07, 2004 1:45 pm**

Hmmm, that may be it. I don't know,I've never met him.

Posted: **Sat Feb 07, 2004 6:24 pm**

Iscah I don't agree that he always looks after them, there have been many instances where he's left them out to dry. He seems to stand by them when they do something totally over the top like spitting on celtic fans. If Id been Diouf's manager I'd have chinned the disgusting wee beastie several of the managers you named would have done likewise. Additionally no one was as close to his players as people than Shankly but he knew how to manage them as footballers first and foremost. The boss can be the boss but he can also be a friend if the boss is totally honest and upright.

Posted: **Sat Feb 07, 2004 7:33 pm**

Spot on, big Al! You are right about that, so well said.

Posted: **Sun Feb 08, 2004 12:56 am**

I would say that he has been over the top in publicly looking after them.

Owen and his frequent barron goalscoring runs, Stevie G and his lack of form over the last 2 years, Diouff and his lack of impact given his fee, ALL the new players he bought in the last 3 years who have failed to live up to expectations (excuse was they are finding it hard to cope with english style), Dudek when he ws going through a horror stretch. Heskey and his low goalscoring ratio. I am not sure where to stop ..

Basically he takes the pressure of them with his public utterances. They have taken advantage of that and I think they lose even more respect for him if he also behaves like that one on one with them in the dressing room.

A successful manager cannot be always be the buddy of the players. Respect is totally different to being a mate. Shankly had respect and I am sure all the great managers had the respect of their players, but Houllier does not have that hardness. These players are grown up and need to be treated like hard professionals, I don't see that happening and succes cannot follow with that style in ANY sport.

Steven O'Neil
Perth

Posted: **Sun Feb 08, 2004 10:10 am**

"nice guy" - isn't that something you could say about Roy Evans?

Liverpool FC Forum

Houllier's main problem - His main weakness

Houllier's main problem - His main weakness