bannedfromHandV

What I'm hoping for is that it's a trial period for Houllier. That at the end of the season we can all reassess the season we had. That There can be an amicable split if it's not working out with say half the remaining contract being paid up. Then someone else can be approached. Maybe the club realise that there isn't any way the can get a manager they really want at the beginning of a season like this, and Houllier has the potential to be either a success or failure. Bloody hell mate, every single game is a trial period for a football manager, they can be fired just as quickly as they're hired! What makes you think GH would leave a cushy number in his home country to come and manage Aston Villa on a 'trial period', he's earned the right to be treated with the respect of not being put on a probation period.

What I'm hoping for is that it's a trial period for Houllier. That at the end of the season we can all reassess the season we had. That There can be an amicable split if it's not working out with say half the remaining contract being paid up. Then someone else can be approached. Maybe the club realise that there isn't any way the can get a manager they really want at the beginning of a season like this, and Houllier has the potential to be either a success or failure. Bloody hell mate, every single game is a trial period for a football manager, they can be fired just as quickly as they're hired! What makes you think GH would leave a cushy number in his home country to come and manage Aston Villa on a 'trial period', he's earned the right to be treated with the respect of not being put on a probation period.

I was all up for Staunton to come on board but then it was mentioned that he has a drink issue? In that he does.......a lot........

For me it has nothing to do with who he supports or what accent he has. It is to do with the fact that he has not one positive, and quite a few negative, things to say about Villa in all the time he has been a pundit. When he talks about Villa it comes across as we are a nothing club, something of not much relevance who have never achieved and will never achieve anything and who should be grateful for merely being in the premier league Have heard Thompson call us a big club that has greatly underachieved in 20 years. He is just giving his opinion. Also it is Pot Kettle Black with you as im sure Thonpson has been more positive about us in last few months than you How irritating that people seem unable to distinguish between two trains of thought. I tell you waht you go away and search my posts and tell me where I have not had one positive thing to say about ASTON VILLA. Or where all I am saying is negative things abour ASTON VILLA or where I have suggested that we should be happy to merely be in the premier league, ASTON VILLA, that is. Keep searching. I have been highly critical of Randy Lerner, I have been critical of Krulak, I have been critical of the board and their PR and handling of this whole affair, I have even been critical of MON at times and his decisions, I have been critical of the appointment of Houllier and especially Thompson. I have been critical of Macdonald when he was caretaker and the choices he made. Tell me is that Aston Villa, or individuals charged with various functions in the club? I was critical of Doug Ellis, I was extremely critical of David O'leary did that make me negative towards Aston Villa at that time do you think? In fact let me tell you it didn't then and it doesn't now. Randy Lerner is not Aston Villa Krulak is not Aston Villa Oleary was not Aston Villa Ellis is not (and never will be) Aston Villa there is a huge difference between being critical of people involved in the running of the club and being negative towards the club, never saying one thing positive REGARDLESS OF THE PERCEPTION OF SOME, or the myth that others would like to perpetuate. Being critical is allowed. Having an opinion which is not the popular one is also allowed and should continue to be allowed without people getting all shirty that because you are not happy with their beloved Randy that you hate Villa and are being negative about the club. There is a world of difference and the difference between my opinions and those that I have said I do not like by Thompson is, quite frankly, a universe apart. The fact that some people on here cannot understand that is to their immense discredit Trouble is though Richard, by the admittance of your own timeline of negativity it's been some serious years since you were last positive about any aspect of the incumbents of what are the most important positions at the club (i.e. Manager, Chairman, Board Member etc). Whether you like it or not RL owns this club now, he stumped up millions of pounds to buy them when many of our 'fans' can't even be arsed to pay £25 (odd) for a matchday ticket. Whether you like it or not, he is Aston Villa at the moment. He makes all the decisions that effect us greatly, this line of "I was here long before and I'll be here long after" just doesn't actually mean anything, it's been made up by fans to justify their obsession as being more important than an owners millions.

Wasn't/Isn't he head of French youth development or something......

If you think the Charity Shield and the European Super Cup are actual honours you are mistaken. One is a one legged pre-season exhibition game the other is a two legged exhibition game that rarely attracts even a TV camera Eh? Euro super cup is a one off match and attracts cameras easily. Been on the BBC for past few years and was on Sky this time round. I was trying to see where he was coming from with that one myself. So what really, its still an exhibition game. Oh well, I'll disregard it from our plethora of European titles then.

If you think the Charity Shield and the European Super Cup are actual honours you are mistaken. One is a one legged pre-season exhibition game the other is a two legged exhibition game that rarely attracts even a TV camera Eh? Euro super cup is a one off match and attracts cameras easily. Been on the BBC for past few years and was on Sky this time round.

I think it's an interesting one. I'm neither elated nor disappointed, time wil tell obviously as to the overall merit of the decision but I certainly think we can and should try to look at this positively and get behind the new manager, let's get some more bums on seats at VP and start moving on as a club again.

What's the latest from our resident itk'ers? Mysteryman et al?

At least we were seemingly unified behind O Neill at the time of his appointment, Houllier will have a real tough time to win over some of you lot! Can't wait to see the meltdown on here if he doesn't get off to a positive start.

At least houllier should satisfy the thirst of some for foreign playing staff

What a winner you are

Nah mate didn't attempt to come across like that. However, if you read some of her tweets you would naturally come to the conclusion that their information is very often way off the mark. She said Bannan might play, after the squad was announced and it looked very likely he would. She said Ireland would be number 8. He is number 9. She said Hull made a bid for Beye, they never. And the other "information" she posts is often already in the public domain. Backtrack....backtrack..... Maybe if we all "come to terms" with it though Reality eh? She blatantly doesn't work for the club and is definitely full of shit.

I think the fact is people will read what they want to read, see any religious literature for proof. Religious literature. Grow a set you twonk. Believe what you want to believe. The majority of people on here have read her tweets and laughed at them. Read into that :@! I think you seem to take things a little too literally for an internet forum, perhaps if we drew pictures alongside the words we type you might start processing the information.

I think the fact is people will read what they want to read, see any religious literature for proof.

How do you know they're "full of shit" any more than they know what's going on at VP?

Never managed in the Premier League though. A pre-requisite of becoming our next manager as stated by the club. All these links with Donadoni etc, why? We already know you have to have managed here before FFS!

That was from this morning. The sensationalist headline doesn't actually match what the story says. Stupid daily fail... Yeah it's bollocks basically......thought it worth posting but pretty much bollocks.

DailyMail are reporting he's got it though http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1308543/Gerard-Houllier-lands-job-Aston-Villa-Ex-Liverpool-boss-set-sensational-return-England.html Sorry, don't know how to do short links.....apologies if already posted.

Nice quick edit. All the bloody stoke and everton fans in the office wound me up, sent a fake story round on email but made it look dead official like it'd been copied and pasted from BBC....twunts

confirmed Houllier according to my mate EDIT - I've been wound up by my mate, sorry

:notworthy: Donadoni makes Phil Brown look good. Isn't this a complete non-starter though being as the main criteria for our new manager is that they must have Premier League experience? Unless I'm being thick and have forgotten him having managed someone here already.....

Yes, you've looked and found what you wanted IMO. Here are the names that weren't on the top of your head who also disagreed with your opinion. Gazton, Wiggy, Hanky, nedster, villan007, CoopsAVFC, gilbertoAVFC, villanmike, Pieface, tezzaleed & omariqy. I think you 'could be wrong' as well Bof, I never, at any point, tried to make out that it was only Irish based people who were in favour of SI.

Don't talk pish. well were not. Just look at the names linked. Regardless of the timing, if we as big as a lot on here think we are, the greatest managers would be jumping through hoops to get the job. But the point quite clearly is that we're not as big as some people on here think we are.

I think you are attributing or seeing a national bias that simply isn't there. Every Villa fan, irrespective of nationality, wants him to succeed and after 2 games they are probably giving him the benefit of any doubt. If you are then choosing to read into the Irish contingent who are affording him the very same leeway, then I'm afraid that's your prerogative but it's wrong for the reasons I've just outlined. I'm not trying to generalise Bof nor am I assuming that just because SI is Irish that he therefore warrants the unconditional support of any and all Irish people, but, upon posting yesterday my initial thoughts on SI, I was quickly met with firece opposition from the likes of yourself, Reality and P3TE, just to name a few off the top of my head. The same happened when I queried the transfer initially under the previous SI thread, upon posting my opinion that I didn't think much of the lad I was met with staunch resistance from the likes of the aforementioned plus Zatman etc.... Hence my belief that he appears to have captured the imagination of most of this forums Irish subscribers, I could be wrong but it's how it's appeared to me.