Ginko

I wasn't aware you were a psychic, or perhaps that you know better than someone who has been in the industry for as long as Houllier has? Even if Houllier does make a hash of it, will it really be satisfying to say "I told you so"? Either way, I'm happy by the appointment, he has so much experience and he's a proven winner. I would rather give it to an experienced head than any of the other applicants or an up-and-coming manager who it could turn out may not be able to hack it in the Premier League.

A lot of happy posters posting I think you will find....That is the question afterall. If your not happy, tough...He's our new manager! Agreed. Even if you don't like the appointment (which I personally am excited by) what's the point of still moaning about others being excited by it? The decision has been made now, we might as well be optimistic.

Means papers cover it tomorrow. That way we get two days worth of coerage at least (tomorrow and Sat) probably the Sundays if there's a press conference tomorrow. Ah I suppose that makes sense so that they can put it in the paper first thing in the morning but this hold up is starting to make me worry a little. I hope it's more to do with the FFF and the paperwork etc. rather than there being a player's bust-up :?

He's had to have a meeting in France and then presumably fly to B'ham or whatever. Where's TT? ....What's Randy's jet up to today? Longest... meeting... ever. Don't get me wrong, I know these things take time, but all day? I thought it was just supposed to be an official announcement and that Houllier was staying in France tonight, flying first thing in the morning tomorrow to meet the staff and players and then have a press conference. I wonder what's taking so long and putting them off making an official statement, I thought he signed for 3 years hours ago.

It's a bit late isn't it? If they've left it this late you'd think they might as well wait for first thing tomorrow.

Are you ITK? If so, got any proof?

I wonder what the hold up with the announcement is. I've seen a few places now that he has signed a 3 year contract with us, signing a contract makes it official right? Why has the OS not posted an official statement? Maybe they're trying but because the new site is so crap it's not updating.

Reports seem to be saying he's still in France and will be until tomorrow. Was sorting out stuff with the FFF from the sounds of things. I think I heard earlier the club will officially make a statement of it and then have a press conference tomorrow when he's in the country.

If what was said about Houllier bringing Thompson back to Liverpool because he knows the club inside out is true, perhaps the same could be done concerning KMac. Villa Insider on twitter seems to think Thompson is still in the frame for being the assistant though, although you would think Sky would know since they are Thompson's current employers.

It always seems to take Donkey's years for the Villa to announce anything doesn't it? Last day of the transfer market and now this manager malarky. Don't get me wrong, I realise it's a big decision to make and Houllier already has a job but crikey O'Reilly is it dragging on. Roll on the press conference. I hope KMac stays with us, I agree that he shouldn't have been publicised so much or encouraged to try for the job as much as he was because it has to be disappointing for him. Hopefully he will buck up and stick with us, I think he will be invaluable when the new manager and coaches come in.

i dont want him here at all.but managers are going to like other clubs.if you want a manager to love Villa etc,we should be going for the likes of Little or someone like that.. If this were the case then every club would be managed or run by an ex-player, that's just daft. Hm, Brian Little or Jose Mourhino... decisions decisions, well Jose hasn't played for us, what a no-brainer! I'm pretty sure it was during his time at Liverpool where he developed such a love for the club. If he had a long and successful stint at Villa I'm sure we would have a large place in his heart too. Like someone said earlier, he's not going to throw games against Liverpool just 'cos he loves them.

Think the media linked Moyes pretty strongly and I'm sure I've seen it in the papers that we asked about his availablitiy and got a flat no as an answer. No-one knows to what extent we pursued Moyes or any other managers in employment. Saying, oh well, we probably didn't try hard enough knowing us, is just pure speculation and nay-saying, for all we know they may have worked their arses off trying to convince Moyes to come. Fact is this... the sort of managers all the negative people in here are banding about are generally with teams that are on par or are just simply better than us, or atleast in better situations. Saying we should pay out for the most important man, well I agree... but if you have no cash to do that then what choice do you have? We don't know the financial status of Villa, yeah we got 18 million or so for Milner but running a football club costs more money than most of us can dream of. There hasn't been any statement from Everton regarding an approach bu Villa for Moyes. The fact that no one knows how hard we've pursued any manager currently employed is my point. Why hasn't any approach to a club been reported. Running Villa does cost a massive amount but it costs a lot less now than it did in January, having sold three players and released two high earners and bringing in one new signing. '> There hasn't been any statement from Everton regarding an approach bu Villa for Moyes. The fact that no one knows how hard we've pursued any manager currently employed is my point. Why hasn't any approach to a club been reported. Running Villa does cost a massive amount but it costs a lot less now than it did in January, having sold three players and released two high earners and bringing in one new signing. Moyes came out pretty early on after MON left saying he wouldn't leave Everton so that's one official statement, as for anything else, maybe they felt they didn't have to or maybe they didn't want the press interfering constantly for fear of unsettling anyone? Same could go for any other target still employed, but regardless of this, we may just not have the money, I don't understand why people don't accept this. As for running a football club, I hardly think having 3 less players is going to save that much in the long run. Costs extend from players all the way down to the stewards at the game and everyone in between. It's a phenominal amount of money, especially gor a big club like Villa. Maybe Randy just wants to stabilise his investment a little, the whole sell to buy policy suggests we don't have the funds for players, let alone to release a manager from his contract with another club. Do you want us to end up like Pompey?

Think the media linked Moyes pretty strongly and I'm sure I've seen it in the papers that we asked about his availablitiy and got a flat no as an answer. No-one knows to what extent we pursued Moyes or any other managers in employment. Saying, oh well, we probably didn't try hard enough knowing us, is just pure speculation and nay-saying, for all we know they may have worked their arses off trying to convince Moyes to come. Fact is this... the sort of managers all the negative people in here are banding about are generally with teams that are on par or are just simply better than us, or atleast in better situations. Saying we should pay out for the most important man, well I agree... but if you have no cash to do that then what choice do you have? We don't know the financial status of Villa, yeah we got 18 million or so for Milner but running a football club costs more money than most of us can dream of.

I couldn't give a **** what they think to be honest. Agreed. Besides, it's not like many of them support clubs whose managers have won anywhere near as much silverware as Houllier has.

Our manager walked out with 5 days to go before the season opener, we sold our best player to Man City in the summer transfer window... I don't think we were going to get top 6 again no matter who came in, there's always an adjustment period. It's been said time and time again, if people don't want to come to the job, what else can you do? Moyes clearly wasn't an option, Jol is in the CL, Hitzfeld is probably too busy concentrating on the Euros and again probably does not want to come. You can't make people come to your club unless you are a top top team and Villa are no Man Utd or Chelsea, I hate to break it to some of you. Truth is no-one has a clue where we will finish or what sort of style Houllier will implement when/if he does take over.

The fact that he is arguably more successful means he is better. He's already won more silverware in this league than MON ever did, and we will play a lot better football now. One things for sure, it will give a few of our passengers a good kick up the arse. Everyone will be playing for their future, which can only do us well in the short term. In the long term, we have January and no doubt Houllier will know what we need, everyone can see we need a new striker but perhaps one can be got from the continent that is better than some of the British based players MON was linked with. However I reckon top 8 should be the target and see what we can do next season. I see your point but he has been around longer and the Premier League was a lot different back then when he won things than it is now. But I will accept that Houllier has experience of being a winner and I like to think that since his last silverware, he has been keeping up to date with how the game has progressed, along with how the Premier League is different. I don't think his appointment is the grey cloud that a lot of people here seem to think it is.

Ok mate this is a fantastic apointment, gonna add about another 8,000 season ticket holders right? Dont mug yourself off, FFS i would rather take neil warnock or lambert than this clearing in the woods... You'd rather have Neil Warnock? Get a grip mate! Seconded. Neil Warnock is a muppet, even his wife picks up on his hypocrisy! Besides, what has Warnock won? I think if you put his trophy cabinet side by side with Houlliers your jaw may drop.

Exactly. He's a better manager than MON, so its a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. And he has superb connections with continental academies so I can see a fair few talented foreigners finally coming this way. I don't know about better... different and arguably more successful, but maybe not better. As for the contacts, that's what I'm really looking forward to in the future when we have some money to spend. It's been a little too long since I've had a name I can't pronounce on the team sheet! Agbonlahor probably being the last but even he was only born just down the road!

I think it took 3 weeks because they were exploring and assessing all the realistic options... and I stress the word realistic. I have no doubt they had a look at managers in work but considering the timing of O'Neill leaving, the start of the season and the well known news that we don't have the cash to splash about, it limited us a fair bit. I personally think Houllier is the best we could go for... realistically.

Ooo, this should be interesting... cue the Houllier haters...

Doubt it's true. But there is one thing that is important, and that is Lerner not listening to the players regarding the new manager. And first sign that the players try to take control, he has to take quick action against those who act as troublemakers (sell them or put them in the reserves). Heh well we would be pretty screwed if any of our players did have a problem with him if Houllier was appointed. We can't even fill a 25 man quota, can't imagine anyone winning if there is trouble. Houllier and the management would be down 3 players and the 3 players would be fresh outta luck since they probably wouldn't play and they can't transfer now since the window just closed. I like to think even if there was some bad blood that either bygones would be bygones or at least professionalism would take over from both sides. Probably just the papers trying to stir it a little as they always do, probably think the whole manager situation is going a little stale so they had to twist things.

Maybe Randy's interviewed him but at the same time he's also trying to get someone like Klinsmann? Maybe... who knows? Well except for the people involved. I'm just saying, if they got wind of Houllier and everyone is reporting on him as much as they are then you'd think there would be as much coverage of another option. Maybe not though, maybe the other contenders, if they exist, are just a lot better at hiding stuff from the media.

True, but they were only really linking him strongly, Houllier has got the job as far as the papers are concerned it would seem. Not saying it's true, although the fact he refused to comment about us, well that always smells a bit fishy. If there wasn't something going then he would just deny it straight away wouldn't he?

Someone said a few pages back that Houllier could just be plan B. Makes sense if you ask me. I pray to God you're right Mantis. Does this mean you are also a PRAYING Mantis too? Good one Ha, I bet you're so sick of that joke by now As for Houllier being plan B, wishful thinking I reckon. The media are pretty good at sniffing stuff out, I can't see them finding out "Plan B" and reporting it so heavily when there's nothing about a Plan A like a Klinsman or a Hitzfeld. Not that I'm not wishfully thinking the same way of course. Everyone here seems to be going about the past... he signed these guys back when he was at Liverpool... did this and that at Lyon... fact is, you don't get to be successful in any industry without having the capacity to learn and adapt. I'd be surprised if Houllier hadn't learned from past mistakes and gotten a little wiser in his years since he last managed a team properly. I'm not saying it's unwise to consider the past and look for patterns, but it seems like people are condemning every person we've been linked to due to these things... focusing too much on the negatives. Perhaps we should have a little faith. We should save the bitching for when (hopefully if) whoever comes in screws up royally.

My head hurts from all the rumours and speculation and all the same points being made over and over again. I think they must have reached a conclusion by now and hopefully there will be some movement on monday. We have to give whoever it is who comes in at least a week to bed in before the Stoke game surely?