Confirmed: Houllier is the new Villa manager

[claret75]

The reaction to Phil Thompson from some borders on the pathetic.

To be fair, people are perfectly entitled to think he's a clearing in the woods

He hasn't exactly been complimentary to our club over the years. Including the last few weeks

Thompson says we overachieve, but guess which club is the fifth on the all-time Premier League table, only behind Manu, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool?

My post not jellybean's, whoops.

[fran_villa]

The other thing with Thompson I am very unsure of is his commitment.

I think it is obvious why he was succesful at Liverpool, coz he absolutely bled for the club. It is heart and soul and would crash cars into walls at 200mph for them.

Would he at Villa - or will he just be going through the motions.

Thats the worry for me.

Its swings and roundabouts, but I would take Staunton over Thompson to be honest. However, I'd take McInally (who has all his coaching badges) over both of them

Can you imagine Carew trying to cry off with a snivvle with Rambo standing over him !

Just commitment? You wouldn't be worried that he has been negative towards the club?

like Curbs eh..

[Cracker1234]

General's thread has been locked, what's going on?

He has decided not to post for a while.

Posted this about 30 mins ago:

General Krulak here:

1. Having spent a good deal of time trying to keep Fans up to date on the current situation at the Club...and having many of my comments end up in the Press (normally out of context or simply misquoted and wrong)...and having some on the site either 1) not believe me or 2) continue to say the same things after being provided the best facts I can give, I have decided to drop off this site until things have settled down a bit. It is unfair to the Club to have me misquoted in the paper...and it is unfair to the Fans. As I have said all along, Randy will do the best he can to get the "right" man for the job. There is not much more I can say.

Whilst I think that is the right decision I have to ask does that just apply to this site or all Villa sites?

3 AV fan sites Richard, This site and another I've seen him post that message on, but on the other site he did say 3 sites he was stopping posting on.

[DelboyVilla]

The other thing with Thompson I am very unsure of is his commitment.

I think it is obvious why he was succesful at Liverpool, coz he absolutely bled for the club. It is heart and soul and would crash cars into walls at 200mph for them.

Would he at Villa - or will he just be going through the motions.

Thats the worry for me.

Its swings and roundabouts, but I would take Staunton over Thompson to be honest. However, I'd take McInally (who has all his coaching badges) over both of them

Can you imagine Carew trying to cry off with a snivvle with Rambo standing over him !

Just commitment? You wouldn't be worried that he has been negative towards the club?

I think he is probably putting his underpants on outside his trousers now ready to make his grand entrance when he arrives to save us and turn us into a mirror image of the mighty plop!!

[markavfc40]

General's thread has been locked, what's going on?

He has decided not to post for a while.

Posted this about 30 mins ago:

General Krulak here:

1. Having spent a good deal of time trying to keep Fans up to date on the current situation at the Club...and having many of my comments end up in the Press (normally out of context or simply misquoted and wrong)...and having some on the site either 1) not believe me or 2) continue to say the same things after being provided the best facts I can give, I have decided to drop off this site until things have settled down a bit. It is unfair to the Club to have me misquoted in the paper...and it is unfair to the Fans. As I have said all along, Randy will do the best he can to get the "right" man for the job. There is not much more I can say.

Whilst I think that is the right decision I have to ask does that just apply to this site or all Villa sites?

All Villa sites. I'm just hoping that it isn't because he knows that an appointment is still a way off or that one is around the corner that isn't going to go down too well.

[DelboyVilla]

General's thread has been locked, what's going on?

He has decided not to post for a while.

Posted this about 30 mins ago:

General Krulak here:

1. Having spent a good deal of time trying to keep Fans up to date on the current situation at the Club...and having many of my comments end up in the Press (normally out of context or simply misquoted and wrong)...and having some on the site either 1) not believe me or 2) continue to say the same things after being provided the best facts I can give, I have decided to drop off this site until things have settled down a bit. It is unfair to the Club to have me misquoted in the paper...and it is unfair to the Fans. As I have said all along, Randy will do the best he can to get the "right" man for the job. There is not much more I can say.

Whilst I think that is the right decision I have to ask does that just apply to this site or all Villa sites?

3 AV fan sites Richard, This site and another I've seen him post that message on, but on the other site he did say 3 sites he was stopping posting on.

Bloody hell it Vietnam all over agian?? :oops: (sorry Gen no offense meant)

[DANVANDAL]

I wonder even if GH comes in whether we'll bring in a Director of Football as well? If nothing else all this new manager / back room staff gives us something to talk about.

[Jez]

All Villa sites. I'm just hoping that it isn't because he knows that an appointment is still a way off or that one is around the corner that isn't going to go down too well.

Its probably more to the abuse and general ungratefulness people have expressed to him.

He has always been for discussing the pros and cons and never shied away imo apart from when it comes to abuse that some fans have thrown at Randy for god knows what reason.

[julzdyer]

Ok whats happening.. The markets have disappeared from Paddy Power and SkyBet.

Gone.

It was like that on a few this morning Gaz.

Balls. I was about to cover my bet with a few quid on Moyes.

still betting on betfair

[DANVANDAL]

Who are the front runners on betfair?

[rjenkins]

The way I see it, if Randy and the board have sought advice from outsiders before drawing up a shortlist, and then conducted interviews with all of their favoured applicants where possible, then for Houllier to come out as favourite as a result of this process is surely encouraging, whatever we think of his past record.

Hell, I know I've been in interviews where, at first glance of the competition I've thought 'I'll be lucky to get this', but there's a tried and tested process involved in filling vacancies in all businesses. Randy is not an idiot and he'll know this. Keep the faith, at the very least we still have a good team of players and Houllier is a manager with a track record of winning trophies. UTV!

[Richard]

All Villa sites. I'm just hoping that it isn't because he knows that an appointment is still a way off or that one is around the corner that isn't going to go down too well.

Cheers, just looked n one or two and see a similar post so looks like all

The first right thing he has done / posted since during this whole situation, in my opinion.

[DelboyVilla]

Who are the front runners on betfair?

I would imagine GH and PT have their noses in front??

[AVFCDAN]

Who are the front runners on betfair?

Its pretty much all Houllier, he is odds on everywhere.

[AshVilla]

even if PT was at 600/1 odds he would be a nose ahead of the rest.

[rjenkins]

Houllier is odds on everywhere now isn't he?

[cheltenham_villa]

Ok whats happening.. The markets have disappeared from Paddy Power and SkyBet.

Gone.

It was like that on a few this morning Gaz.

Balls. I was about to cover my bet with a few quid on Moyes.

you best off covering your bets by laying on betfair. bets wouldnt be covered by betting on Moyes.

[markavfc40]

All Villa sites. I'm just hoping that it isn't because he knows that an appointment is still a way off or that one is around the corner that isn't going to go down too well.

Its probably more to the abuse and general ungratefulness people have expressed to him.

He has always been for discussing the pros and cons and never shied away imo apart from when it comes to abuse that some fans have thrown at Randy for god knows what reason.

Abuse. Come of it Jez he is a man not a **** mouse. Sure the board have come in for a bit of stick, some justified some not, but nothing that he shouldn't be able to handle.

In all fairness he as given as good as he has got also.

Facts are we have not had a manager for four weeks, sold our best player, made one signing during the transfer window and in the opinion of many gone into the new season weaker than we finished the last one and added to that those around us have strengthened. Gone out of Europe at the first hurdle and been humiliated by a piss poor newly promoted side.

People are understandably a little pissed and the club shouldn't pass the buck for all that happening on the ex manager leaving. They have to take a fair share of the responsibility something for me the General has been somewhat unwilling to do.

[stato]

All Villa sites. I'm just hoping that it isn't because he knows that an appointment is still a way off or that one is around the corner that isn't going to go down too well.

Cheers, just looked n one or two and see a similar post so looks like all

The first right thing he has done / posted since during this whole situation, in my opinion.

The thing is, the second MON resigned the thread was inundated with people 'demanding answers'. If he had said nothing he would accused of hiding, bottling it etc.

Unfortunately, this very rare method of communication between a club and it's fans has been abused by some and has resulted in the General now taking time out. It's a shame, in my opinion.

[Chindie]

On the sub theme of the General's temporary leave... I can't say it's that big of a deal. The thread is 99% sycophantic pandering to his ego or, at the opposite end of the scale, inane ranting.

The General never provides particularly good answers to the big questions, perhaps because he can't, and shouldn't. Fair enough. It's not a big loss if thats gone, unless people are desperate for placation to such an extent that having the General repeat 'We'll get the right man' for a month is enough. The big questions he either tended to avoid (he has recently point blank ignored some pertinent questions from a few members, and downright ignored a good post to him that was somewhat constructively critical by Risso, for instance) or simply not answer with anything other than PR, and at times recently has verged on the rather offensive to fans.

The more inane stuff, like problems experienced in the ground or with ticketing or so on, he was more useful, but thats such a small amount of the threads worth it's no great loss (and for the record, people, if theres an issue with tickets of any sort, call Nicky Keye, and tell her the General sent you).

I personally believe, even if his break is temporary, it's no great loss. He initially was here to smooth fan/owner relations, and has kept it up spinning the line the club would like, which sometimes is accurate and sometimes, I would consider, is a bit of a rosier outlook than it might otherwise be, for 4 years. His thread has probably served it's purpose.