Liverpool FC Forum

[JBG]

My two cents:

Houllier is an ok/decent manager who's had his day at Liverpool and is showing up his weakness and limitations by failing to drag Liverpool out of their two year rut.

O' Neill appears to be an exciting manager who has succeeded everywhere he has gone despite limitations and he's as good as anyone available on the market at the moment. However, I admit that he hasn't managed a top side (although I am beginning to think that his Celtic side are one of the best in the UEFA Cup draw at the moment) nor has he had the experience of managing top stars, with the possible exception of Henrik Larson. He hasn't won a serious trophy nor has he ever had a big transfer kitty to work with and we don't know if he would spend big money well. However, despite all the hype and the people who think he's the Messiah, I highly rate O' Neill. I think he's as good as any manager that we could hope to appoint in replace of Houllier, and better than most.

For every success that Houllier has achieved, there's a failure.

Stu: GH did BRILLIANTLY for us in getting us to the quarter finals of the CL in 2002 (and we almost and probably should have reached the SF, where chances are we would have beaten Man UTD, over whom we had the devil's luck at the time), but we were absolute rubbish the following year when Valencia whiped the floor with us home and away, and we failed to do the business against Basle.

Houllier had modest to reasonable success in France with one league championship and a cup or two to show for something like 12 or 13 years of management. He was an absolute disaster at managing the French national team in the 94 World Cup qualifiers before earning plaudits in France for his technical and administrative work at under age level.

He did extremely well at Liverpool from ealry 2000 until mid 2002, and since then his team has gone into serious decline.

He's not a bad manager, but he is not a great one either, and for every success that people might point to, there are plenty of failures.

[woof woof !]

Tell me where Kewell wouldn't get in??? I can't think of any side in the world he wouldn't get into.

Madrid,AC Milan, Arsenal, to name but three.
Don't get me wrong Stu, I think Kewell and Hypia are two of our better players. I just don't rate them as highly as you.
By your assesment Kewell should have had clubs queing round the block when he was up for sale (especially at that price !)
And Hypia never seems to be at his best without Henchoz in tandem.

[JBG]

As for Hyppia and Kewell....

Hyppia: Stu and others: quit living in 2001 and 2002. Hyppia is well past his best. Maybe in his heyday he was in the top five or six in Europe, but I can think of 5 or 6 currently better than him on form in England (Southgate, Toure, Campbell, Terry, Upson, Gallas etc) and the Premiership is laughed at around Europe for the quality of defending. There are about twenty teams in Europe that Hyppia wouldn't get into.

As for Kewell, in 2000 and 2001 he was one of the most exciting players in Europe, but has struggled to recreate that form and while I hope we see him at his best, at the moment he is a long way off the qaulity of the likes of Valencia, Milan, Juventus, Arsenal, Bayern, Madrid etc.

[115-1073096938]

Madrid,AC Milan, Arsenal, to name but three.

Who do Arsenal play in midfield? Ljungberg? Your suggesting Kewell wouldn't get in there ahead of him? You are having a laugh aren't you? Milan? Who've they got who's so special on the left wing? Madrid? I'd take Kewell over the aging Figo now.

Hyypia... wouldn't get into Madrids team wouldn't he? You're having a laugh, i'd get in at the back, Arsenal... Toure or Keown, no sorry don't even suggest they are better players.

Milan, maybe fair enough on Sami, Nesta's probably the worlds best and what all know about Maldini.

As for Hyppia and Kewell....

Hyppia: Stu and others: quit living in 2001 and 2002. Hyppia is well past his best. Maybe in his heyday he was in the top five or six in Europe, but I can think of 5 or 6 currently better than him on form in England (Southgate, Toure, Campbell, Terry, Upson, Gallas etc) and the Premiership is laughed at around Europe for the quality of defending. There are about twenty teams in Europe that Hyppia wouldn't get into.

As for Kewell, in 2000 and 2001 he was one of the most exciting players in Europe, but has struggled to recreate that form and while I hope we see him at his best, at the moment he is a long way off the qaulity of the likes of Valencia, Milan, Juventus, Arsenal, Bayern, Madrid etc.

JBG my point is form is temporary, class is permanent. Hyypia isn't past his best, he's playing in a different system which isn't to his strengths anymore and exposes his only real weakness as a footballer. He's be ok once he gets a good partner playing alongside him and we have a settled defence.

I can't agree with you saying Toure, Southgate, Terry and Upson are better players though. Not a chance. Hyypia's played most of this season with Biscan for gods sake, think about the effect that would have on you.

What you are saying about Kewell is just wrong imo. He's struggling for form and confidence as most of the team are. WHEN this changes you'll see him at his best. Great players don't just become bad overnight. Kewell and Hyypia are two of the best in europe in terms of ability. If you have great ability dips in form don't last.

[Paul C]

Personally I'd like to see John Toshak come in, he has good european experience, he's a red and he had respect from the big names in european football if we wanted to sign big names

[greenred]

O`Neill wont come to Anfield.He has passion,Liverpool directors havent,He has vision,Liverpool directors havent.He has ambition,Liverpool directors havent.Lets face it,we have supporters who think Houlliers Liverpool are better than O`Neills Celtic.Why would he come here?

[Owzat]

O' Neill appears to be an exciting manager who has succeeded everywhere he has gone despite limitations and he's as good as anyone available on the market at the moment. However, I admit that he hasn't managed a top side (although I am beginning to think that his Celtic side are one of the best in the UEFA Cup draw at the moment) nor has he had the experience of managing top stars, with the possible exception of Henrik Larson. He hasn't won a serious trophy nor has he ever had a big transfer kitty to work with and we don't know if he would spend big money well. However, despite all the hype and the people who think he's the Messiah, I highly rate O' Neill. I think he's as good as any manager that we could hope to appoint in replace of Houllier, and better than most.

It is refreshing to get a down to earth, head out of the clouds summation (although I still believe O'Neill's achievements are overstated, big fish in small pond does not mean big fish in big pond)

[JBG]

But Owzat, I still think O' Neill is the man for the job, but I'm not saying he's perfect.

There are not a huge amount of managerial talent available within our pulling power at the moment and I think O' Neill is near the top of the second tier of managers around (the first tier includes Ferguson, Wenger, Heitzfeld, Coppello, Lippi etc, with the likes of Mourinho, Koeman, Deschamps, Ranieri, Scolari etc in the 2nd tier).

Of course there would be an element of risk taking O' Neill on as he would have a huge job at Liverpool with the kinds of pressures he never experienced at Celtic, but its a risk thats worth taking in my opinion.

[Woollyback]

O'Neill's advantage is he's British and knows our league and our footballing culture better than most with the exception obviously of Wenger & Ranieri. It's unfortunate though that some feel it will be like the second coming of the messiah if he arrives (remind you of somebody..? "The next Zidane..."). Personally I think he IS the man for the job but it's dangerous to hype him up to saviour-status

[Leonmc0708]

Diggers Nan, the kind of pressures he never felt at Celtic.

Re-think required here I think.

Have you been to Parkhead for a game, or do you know any Glaswegians, there as nuts as scousers on football, and their previous success, although in weaker scottish league, rivals the reds for leagues won etc...

Dont jump on the Scottish league is ***** bandwagon, they can only beat who is put in front of them.

But the pressure he felt as Celtic boss is similar if not equal to that of Mr Houllier.

[greenred]

I dont think fans are over hyping MON.We are just letting Liverpools blind bunch of directors know that he is the fans choice.

[The_Rock]

Stu the Red, you really think Kewell and Hypia would walk into ANY side in the world
Fks sake what planet are you from
Sorry mate but you're talking b%llocks. And that also applies to your comparison between GH an M O'N:D

Yeah, the more i see hyppia, the more i have have doubts about him. Take the match against Leicester, Marcus Bent goes past hyppia who merely jogs away from Bent and carragher (who was further away from the Bent) has to rush back to put pressure on the striker. Can't really describe it well here but If you guys see the highlights, u would understand.  If you think back, whenever there is any problem in the liverpool defence, hyppia is nowhere near it........ Quite shocking if u think about it.

Eventually, there are 2 options. Stick with hyppia and play the 2001 treble winning style or ditch him and play attacking football.

[The_Rock]

GH did BRILLIANTLY for us in getting us to the quarter finals of the CL in 2002 (and we almost and probably should have reached the SF, where chances are we would have beaten Man UTD, over whom we had the devil's luck at the time), but we were absolute rubbish the following year when Valencia whiped the floor with us home and away, and we failed to do the business against Basle.

Well GH did get us into the quarter finals (but thommo had a big part to play in it).  But why did liverpool lose the 2nd leg against B.Lever ?

GH made a major blunder by subbing Hamann. If Hamann was still playing we would have beaten B.Lever. Confirm, liverpool would have beaten Manure for the 4th time that season in the semis. And then on to the final against Real Madrid.


Thommo played a big part in getting liverpool into quarter finals. GH played a huge part in getting liverpool knocked out. I might have put it a little harshly, but that is the truth.

[Woollyback]

I dont think fans are over hyping MON.We are just letting Liverpools blind bunch of directors know that he is the fans choice.

The only way to get those tw#ts to listen and take action is if we had somebody fresh on the board to end the current status quo that seems to be going on upstairs.

[greenred]

Yeah,I agree.The present board seem happy to let Liverpool sink further and further away from the top three.