What a difference four days make

Jesus, after that performance at Chelsea I think almost everyone went into the Sunderland game with renewed hope that we were about to turn things around, well that was proved wrong.

We didn't play good at all tonight. Heskey was the only one who looked bothered - but then he got sent off for a push in the face to a Sunderland player.

I've had a bit of time to reflect after the game and sit down with a cup of tea so these are my perspective views.

It's too easy to sit back and say "Houllier Out!" looking at the league table, the results and the performances, but it is evident there are underlying problems at the club. We are in a BIG mess at the minute, and Houllier is clearing up the mess left by Martin O'Neill and doing what should have been a long time ago - i.e. making some of the players who travel to and from places such as London and Manchester every day, move local. The players aren't happy, but surely it needs to be done.

Martin O'Neill bought a team of players who could play to the strengths he wanted to use them for. Houllier has not yet had this chance. Houllier has tried to play O'Neill's team of players to the way he wants the team to play. It has obviously not worked. How many managers come in and stick to the ways of a previous manager? Almost every manager, if not all, try to get the team to play the way they want to. Every team goes through a bad run, some longer than others, but teams usually tend to come out of them. I know I shouldn't be comparing us to them but look at West Brom. They were on a great run at the start of the season and have now lost five games in a row and just about outside of the relegation zone. If that's a bad example look at Chelsea, and if that's a bad one look at Everton.

I guess what I'm trying to say is trying to do your job with someone elses tools isn't easy until you can buy your own, which Houllier WILL be given the chance to do. He won't be sacked tonight, tomorrow morning, or at the weekend. The only way he will be sacked is if we get relegated or he no longer wants the job and agrees to leave.

Until then, Gerard Houllier is our manager, and I think we will turn this around. Probably later rather than sooner but we will just about dodge relegation in my opinion. Our fixture list once we get past Man City at home is a lot easier than the games we've had to play under him.

Oh and some more on O'Neill - of course he has to take some of the blame, not all, but some, considering he left his group of players in the lurch and walked out on us so close to the season starting. He knew this would happen this season due to player revolt and high wage bill (when he found it difficult to make it any lower) so left at the first opportunity. He has a decent CV and doesn't want to tarnish it by a relegation battling season at Aston Villa when he could much rather take a year out and look at options.

Have faith, I know it's difficult at the minute and 99.9% of Villa fans want Houllier out and I know no one will agree with me but the board see something in him, and this is why we don't own a football club and they do.

Oh and the chanting during the game tonight of "Sacked in the morning" by the same fans who were chanting "Houllier's claret and blue army" five minutes before was completely uncalled for and probably something the media will have a field day on, so well done.

Up the Villa