Confirmed: Houllier is the new Villa manager

[DANVANDAL]

No disrespect to KMac but i bet he didn't think 3 weeks ago he'd be in charge of Villa's beginnings in eruope this year and our start to the Premiership.

[lmarsha_926]

http://tinyurl.com/39p64ad

Aston Villa: Kevin MacDonald still favourite for Villa job ahead of interview process next week

KEVIN MacDonald is still the leading candidate to fill Villa’s managerial vacancy on a permanent basis – despite Sunday’s 6-0 shocker at St James’ Park.

MacDonald will be in charge of Thursday’s Europa League qualifier second leg against Rapid Vienna and Sunday’s Premier League clash with Everton.

And the claret and blue hierarchy will not begin to formally speak to his rival contenders until next week when the forthcoming home games are out of the way.

Bookies’ favourites Bob Bradley, Jurgen Klinsmann and Ronald Koeman have all but been ruled out of the running to succeed Martin O’Neill in the Villa Park hotseat.

Far from being put off by MacDonald’s credentials after Sunday’s embarrassing defeat to Newcastle, Villa’s power-brokers were impressed with the caretaker’s response.

The temporarily-promoted reserve team boss bravely took the rap for the heavy losing margin and admitted he might have been a bit ‘naive’ with his team selection.

But MacDonald spoke to chairman Randy Lerner at Bodymoor Heath yesterday and he and chief executive Paul Faulkner hope Sunday’s scoreline was a freak result.

Villa’s board are ready to resist any clamours for a ‘razzmatazz’ big name and prefer to continue with a safer option, like MacDonald who knows the English game.

It is thought they wish to employ a manager who can continue their steady progress rather than risk undoing four years’ good work with a knee-jerk populist ‘A-List’ appointment.

There have been plenty of preliminary discussions with agents acting on behalf of applicants, but the next stage of the recruitment process will start in earnest next week.

Villa are still reeling from the shock timing of O’Neill’s resignation five days before the start of the season and have made trying to negotiate the busy fixture list their priority.

But after the Everton game at Villa Park on Sunday there is a fortnight’s gap before the next match at Stoke on Monday, September 13, because of the international break.

The claret and blue top brass hope to use that time to appoint O’Neill’s permanent replacement so that they can start to plan for the season ahead with a degree of certainty.

With transfer deadline day now only a week away, Lerner and Faulkner will meet with MacDonald today to discuss the prospect of any arrivals or departures.

There is unlikely to be much business through the Villa Park entrance or exit doors with the managerial situation up in the air, but deals have not been completely ruled out.

One player unlikely to be leaving Villa any time soon is Luke Young with reports that West Ham have bid for the right-back believed to be wide of the mark.

Meanwhile, Ashley Young is backing Villa to bounce back from their “uncharacteristic” collapse at Newcastle when they host Vienna on Thursday.

“To go down to such a heavy defeat in the way that we did, in the manner that we did, is unlike us,” said Young.

“Everyone was unhappy in the dressing room and everyone was upset. We’ve got to put this behind us.

“We’ve got an important game on Thursday and that is what we have got to look forward to now.

“You never want to go through this ever in your career. It was extremely disappointing and uncharacteristic.”

[Jez]

Where is that from?

[Folski]

Jols just resigned

I read that and got very excited.

Don't think we'll get Jol, but plenty have managers have done that and left only days later.

Sorry about that lads!

[roscoe]

Bastard Folski!! I also got my hopes up to astronomical levels there. Too good to be true unfortunately!

Have an awful feeling it's going to be Bradley unfortunately.

Please PLEASE surprise us Lerner

[Pilchard]

“To go down to such a heavy defeat in the way that we did, in the manner that we did, is unlike us,” said Young.

Which I'd say is incorrect. We must have had more hoofings in the past few years than we have in ages.

I will be very disappointed if MacDonald gets it. How can they complain about no one turning up to games when they put a block on signings, sell our best players and appoint rookies in charge of the team?

[MYSTERYMAN]

I don't know , have no insider information at all on this who is going to get the job just know that Sven and Bob Bradley are not in the running .

I think that if we get through Thursday they will give it KM evenb though I look at his body language and he looks awkward in the role doesn't like the limelight .

I just think there is a derth of worthwhile candidates and ONeil's timing has completely fxxxxx it up as Hughes would have been ideal .

[Richard]

“To go down to such a heavy defeat in the way that we did, in the manner that we did, is unlike us,” said Young.

I will be very disappointed if MacDonald gets it. How can they complain about no one turning up to games when they put a block on signings, sell our best players and appoint rookies in charge of the team?

By the time they get to interview next week our season could be severly damaged

[Jez]

By the time they get to interview next week our season could be severly damaged

You would prefer a panic appointment?

Or someone that is considered and researched?

[John]

Far from being put off by MacDonald’s credentials after Sunday’s embarrassing defeat to Newcastle, Villa’s power-brokers were impressed with the caretaker’s response

:shock:

It is thought they wish to employ a manager who can continue their steady progress rather than risk undoing four years’ good work with a knee-jerk populist ‘A-List’ appointment

I think not making a populist ‘A-List’ appointment runs a real risk of us undoing the previous 4 years progress.

And the claret and blue hierarchy will not begin to formally speak to his rival contenders until next week when the forthcoming home games are out of the way

I thought the whole idea of a caretaker appointment would have been to have allowed us to make a decision on the next manager whilst the temporary manager looked after team affairs. We really cannot afford to delay a decision further and past this transfer window.

[lmarsha_926]

The thing with hiring a A list manager undoing the previous 4 years progress. Is to do with the new manager selling all the players and buy a whole new squad, which we dont need. I would hate a new man coming in and selling all or better youngsters.

[Ulver]

It makes absolute logical sense not to bring in an A lister who will tear up the squad and start from scratch again. We're 4 years into a rebuild, we've already established ourself as the 6th best side. The last thing we need is to dismantle and start again setting us back years. We need to continue and progress with whats already been built

[John]

You would prefer a panic appointment?

A panic appointment would have been one made within a couple of days Jez. I think we should have had enough time to have made a considered and researched decision on who we want to take over by now and to have at least got to an interview stage but it seems not.

[danceoftheshamen]

I don't know , have no insider information at all on this who is going to get the job just know that Sven and Bob Bradley are not in the running .

I think that if we get through Thursday they will give it KM evenb though I look at his body language and he looks awkward in the role doesn't like the limelight .

I just think there is a derth of worthwhile candidates and ONeil's timing has completely fxxxxx it up as Hughes would have been ideal .

^^^ Have to agree here!

For me it is the proverbial impossible situation... Nobody is to blame but Mr O'Neill for the timing... I mean could he have timed it worse if he had tried?.... Just before a new season & at a time when just about every manager worth his salt is safely employed elsewhere?!

For part of being a Premier manager is to at least safeguard the immediate future of that institute even if you do decide to leave? Surely that is part of the responsibility that comes with the territory? That is why you get such massive wages as you have the burden of that responsibility?

Well i don't care what the reasoning was he should not have walked at that time it was irresponsible.

& by all accounts it was something to do with "speed of growth" or something along those lines which had no necessity to cause such an action at such a bad time for the club as a whole.

So i do feel for RL as he does have an impossible situation.. or as near as damn it at any rate!

[avfc89]

I'm really worried for future after reading that article, I just hope most of it isn't true.

[robitee]

Nobody want Curbishley or Big Sam?

[John]

I see your points lmarsha & Ulver but with the window fast closing a new manager would not have much opportunity to buy or sell and at interview stage I would guess we would make it clear that money is tight and we are looking for someone who is prepared to work mostly with what we already have.

[Jez]

John that is an article, i hope your not taking any of it as fact as the only quotes it has are from a player about the performance i think.

The OP has not even posted a link from where its come from, might be goal.com!

[John]

Nobody want Curbishley or Big Sam?

Both are familiar with working within a limited budget of the two I would prefer Big Sam but I guess the money we would need to find to bring him in would present a similar problem to the money we would need to find to bring in Jol. By the way, I doubt that having to bring in Mido due to cash issues has done much to show Jol wants to stay there but the lack of funds here might make him reluctant to join us as well.

[lmarsha_926]

I see your points lmarsha & Ulver but with the window fast closing a new manager would not have much opportunity to buy or sell and at interview stage I would guess we would make it clear that money is tight and we are looking for someone who is prepared to work mostly with what we already have.

I did not mean now or in January, but next summer also a top manager willw ant some funds to buy players.