I know I've mentioned this before but it is still (even more) relevant.

Every team, whether club or nation has senior players who are supposed to be the dependables, who help the less experienced, bring them through.

The problem every manager hits is when he has to dispose of them, they've hit their sell by date.

The most vivid example I can think of is the Rangers side which had won their 9 in a row titles. There was a hard core of players who had served the club, and Walter Smith admirably. They were Goram, Gough, John Brown, Gordon Durie, Ian Ferguson, Super Ally and a few others. Smith just wasn't up to the dismantling of the side. He hung on with the same players just too long. A poor Celtic side beat them to the title.

For England it happens all the time. Shilton had lost it by the end, Tony Adams was another, and there is still talk of the likes of Ince being in the side, and maybe Shearer lived off his name for too long.

The problem is how to change a side without upsetting you long term friends. It seems to me that only Alex Ferguson has done so, he was more than happy to lose Ince, Mark Hughes, Bruce, Pallister, and more lately Cantona and Schmeicel. Maybe he had confidence in his youth but it was still a brave thing to do.

We have now hit the same problem. We, and our manager, have to recognise that our senior players (Barton, Lee, Speed, Shearer and maybe Gallacher) are just not bringing anything to the team any more. If 21 year old Griffin plays he may learn and may improve, the same with Shola. If (nearly) 32 year old Warren Barton plays there is no chance he will be improving for the experience. He HAS to perform well. Speed is 31, Lee 35, Shearer 30, Gallacher 34. These players have to both perform well and carry the younger players if they have off days. Demonstrably they have not, and not for a while.

We may well not have the youth players in line to fill the places of these players, but who among us 6 months ago would have suggested Ameobi would be our only player not to worthy of a bollocking.

Shearer may have been unfit, and it is unfair to have a go at him. The others have no excuse and should be sold/released in the summer. To Robert Lee I'd like to say thank you, the others I feel you've tried hard, sometimes, but essentially you're hopeless.

To Swift I'd just say, "we were right" :0)

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Answers

MacB, I couldn't agree more. I said after Chelsea that we should sink or swim with the youngsters and I think it even more now. The problem we have is that, while positively overflowing with youthful defensive resources, we are fairly short in the middle and at the front. Incidentally, if you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette, "so be it". (as one of our very own eggs would no doubt say).

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

He could easily be talking about our side, Gerard Houllier on his job at Liverpool.

LIVERPOOL boss Gerard Houllier has admitted to being ruthless in his quest to get the Merseyside club back on the right track. The Frenchman has made many tough decisions on buying and selling players and has been relatively successful this season with the Reds still competing on four fronts this season.

Houllier revealed that when he arrived at Anfield in the summer of 1998, the attitude of some of the players at the club was cause for concern.

"If it's needed, I will be ruthless, you have to be," said Houllier. "It's like you're on a train - if you do your job and you do it well, then we all go together in the right direction.

"If, for one reason or another, somebody misses the train or he doesn't want to do his job, then he's out.

"What surprised me when I first came here was the attitudes of one or two of the players towards their job. Earning so much money, they just wouldn't do the right things for it.

"You cannot be a hypocrite all your life. You can't say you love the fans and love the job and still not do the right things by them.

"If you know that it's going to be a tough session in training, then you can't go out or stay up till midnight the night before.

"Some of my earliest decisions were the hardest - they even went against the football man within me. But I had to get rid of some good players because if they stayed my young players wouldn't progress.

"I can point to so many still here who became different players the moment others left. You have to create the best conditions, environment and atmosphere to get the best out of your players.

"But ruthlessness doesn't always mean confrontation. Sometimes the player is simply not for us but could be right for another club.

"Apart from Steve McManaman, who decided for himself that he wanted to go, nobody who has left Liverpool is currently playing at a higher level."

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

De Builder, I have been itching to post that Houlier article all the week-end, soft spoken , ruthless , I rate his style , pity Dancin Dave from the Cabbage Patch does not come on these days to give us a Scouse perspective of the man, finishes off by saying BTW I am the only manager in the premiership to purchase 2 English internationals this season. Also Ashley`s Cole revelation that individually Arsene Wen has only spoken to him once during his time at Highbury, gives the Team Talks but never singles out individuals. Houllier the Buff rates

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Very interesting article. I thought Houllier was nuts when he got rid of so many players, but results certainly show otherwise.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

q, who did Houllier sell?

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Swift one , list was in the Sunday People , surprised me the nos he got rid of , guess 15 , try to get names , but Song, Matteo,Bjornbye Friedel, Geman cf ? , Staunton?, Kvarne, spring to mind,and also losing McMaccaman on a free, From a guy not brought up in the Pool Boot Room Philosphy , his is a remarkable achievement.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

All underperforming tossers with reputations better than the final result. Even Matteo has lost his place to Ian Harte!

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

If the Charlton performance had been unique, critics of the current team could be rightly accused of being unfair. But it was not. I saw them twice in the Uk and three times on TV and they gave the same lack-lustre, uncommitted performance. We are never going to get antwhere with what we have. If any of my employees had perfomed like that, I would certainly not have rewarded them with an all-in paid holiday in the sun.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Interesting stat: Ameobi has played more games for the senior team than he has for the reserves in the last two seasons...

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Are we saying that Mr Gullit was right all along?

What did he say to Robert Lee - It may be better for you to just play once evry few games. Bobby replied along the lines of..but I'm an England international.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001

Mr Gullitt = current (mostly justified) perceptions of medical profession.

Diagnosis - spot on.

Treatment - bit brutal but effective.

Communications - arrogant and insensitive.

I'll get me stethoscope.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2001