I would have like to see what Houlier could have done with another season or two. However I'm pretty happy with McLeish too.
Other than pure curiosity, I don't really see the point of the question tbh... it's not as anyone had a choice about Houlier's health. Sure, he might have been helped out the door, but keeping a manager who could quite possibly miss some of the season or be forced to retire wouldn't have been a good choice.