Confirmed: Houllier is the new Villa manager

[jim]

I cannot see why he would leave Everton for Villa, we are both similar sized clubs, very similar squads in terms of quality and we both have tight budgets to work with. Unless RL is going to offer him a shed load of money and a pot of gold to spend (which I very much doubt) Moyes will not be coming to VP.

[Pilchard]

It's got to a point where I'm now 100% thoroughly bored and fed up of the situation.

The importance is that we don't use sentiment to make the obvious tricky decision. MacDonald may have been at Villa for some time, but that doesn't mean he's a good manager. Coach, he has a proven record. Manager? No. Being the first person Randy saw after Martin threw his toys out of the pram should not make him a candidate.

Trouble is, the new "new" Villa has a problem. We don't have cash to throw about, which I suggest is probably the reason why we're focusing on men out of work. Managers out of work at this time don't tend to be the best. Hence being out of work.

Houllier may not be everyone's cup of tea. He wouldn't have been my first choice. However, it's a safe pair of hands and that's exactly what we need right now. I can understand concerns about money waste on players. But as we were reminded when people looked at MON's record - every manager makes poor signings. Houllier had a decent record at Liverpool, and is still very much involved in football. He's the best of the bunch that have been mentioned so far IMO. A lot of those signings may be poor for a Liverpool team - one which at the time was expected to challenge for the title and win things, but even some of the poorer signings, in my opinion, would be good for a team currently at our level.

It's important this doesn't rattle on much longer, thats for sure. Get the club stable, preferably with Houllier or Sven in sole control (though I'd love to know how exactly Sven's interview became 'animated', and lets get some more points on the table.

At the end of the day, Randy Lerner owns the football club and can do whatever he likes with it. Hopefully after this, he'll maybe believe that a football administrator is needed to deal with the business/football crossover in the future.

[Gringo]

David Moyes would be barmy to leave Everton for Villa. Some fans really need to open their eyes to reality.

Villa aren't a small club akin to the likes of Blackburn or Wigan - we're easily as big if not bigger than Everton, so why shouldn't we go out and get a manager from that club if we choose to?

We have to show some ambition in life.

They have to want to come as well...

So, what would make you choose to change job? More money? Better prospects? Chance to achieve more? It's all about finding the right person and selling them the job. Same with Milner, same with Moyes.

How do you know we haven't done that?

We might have tried all that and he sees us as a sideways step or just loves living whoever he lives etc etc and nothing we can do....

How do you know we have? etc etc etc.

I wasn't specifying Moyes, I was saying find the right person and go for him. Is everything an attack on the board in your eyes? Do you have to defend everything even when the remark in point wasn't accusatory?

[Jez]

How do you know we have? etc etc etc.

I wasn't specifying Moyes, I was saying find the right person and go for him. Is everything an attack on the board in your eyes? Do you have to defend everything even when the remark in point wasn't accusatory?

Nope not everything is.

For whatever reason the board might have decided Houllier is the right person out of everyone god knows why mind, they got it right with MON and he got us upto a point.

People are coming out with just go and get Hiddink, just go and get Moyes as if its that easy and if we dont the board deserves some abuse.

[HJ]

However, it's a safe pair of hands and that's exactly what we need right now.

Why do we need a safe pair of hands? To stabilize ourselves to midtable? Safe pair of hands is exactly what I don't want to see, get someone excellent or who has the potential to be excellent. If the potential goes wrong and we're 15th for a season or two then so be it, at least we gave it a shot. Just plain old safe isn't going to get us anywhere in the current league, not even a Euro spot.

[Gringo]

How do you know we have? etc etc etc.

I wasn't specifying Moyes, I was saying find the right person and go for him. Is everything an attack on the board in your eyes? Do you have to defend everything even when the remark in point wasn't accusatory?

Nope not everything is.

For whatever reason the board might have decided Houllier is the right person out of everyone god knows why mind, they got it right with MON and he got us upto a point.

People are coming out with just go and get Hiddink, just go and get Moyes as if its that easy and if we dont the board deserves some abuse.

Indeed it's very poor form. People with a lack of knowledge or insight into the working state of the club who just feel free to make up stuff and cast abuse on the back of their imagination. Let's hope it stops soon hey.

[Pilchard]

However, it's a safe pair of hands and that's exactly what we need right now.

Why do we need a safe pair of hands? To stabilize ourselves to midtable? Safe pair of hands is exactly what I don't want to see, get someone excellent or who has the potential to be excellent. If the potential goes wrong and we're 15th for a season or two then so be it, at least we gave it a shot. Just plain old safe isn't going to get us anywhere in the current league, not even a Euro spot.

Do not under estimate the upheavel of the past few weeks, along with the eventual addition of new coaching staff and methods.

[HJ]

However, it's a safe pair of hands and that's exactly what we need right now.

Why do we need a safe pair of hands? To stabilize ourselves to midtable? Safe pair of hands is exactly what I don't want to see, get someone excellent or who has the potential to be excellent. If the potential goes wrong and we're 15th for a season or two then so be it, at least we gave it a shot. Just plain old safe isn't going to get us anywhere in the current league, not even a Euro spot.

Do not under estimate the upheavel of the past few weeks, along with the eventual addition of new coaching staff and methods.

A new manager tends to result in a honeymoon period where the results are better than average more often than not. I don't think the chance of getting ourselves relegated with a manager appointment at this moment in time is one worth even considering.

[Folski]

Do you think the bookies will pay out If we appoint a DOF ?

On Kevin McDonald if he's first team coach

5. In the event that Aston Villa FC change the structure of their management team and do not call the appointed individual first team manager, Betfair will settle the market on the individual who is responsible for picking the first team. In the event of any ambiguity over the appointment, Betfair may determine using its reasonable discretion how to settle the market based on all the information available to it at the relevant time.

[QuintonK6]

I want Moyes but will gladly accept Houlier as our new manager If thats what Randy and the board decide. If he Is the man then we should all get behind him & the team as we did with Taylor,Dr Jo,Big Ron,B.Little,Gregory,DOL & MON. We are the bloodline of AVFC and many more managers will come and go through our lifetimes. There will always be those that support the manager and those that don't. When MON 1st come to AVFC I was grinning from ear to ear but I had friends who were unsure. likewise I hated DOL as soon as he stepped foot into VP (I didn't give him a chance) but friends loved him (at 1st till they seen the light ) but I still sang DOL C&B army home & away season after season because that's my duty as a Villa fanatic to support my club through thick & thin.

One other thing if it is to be Houllier than If he were to bring one of the trophies he one here or in France to VP we'd all be happy.

PSG

1 × French League: 1985–86

Liverpool

1 × UEFA Cup: 2000-01

1 × UEFA Super Cup: 2001

1 × FA Cup: 2000-2001

2 × Football League Cup: 2000-2001, 2002-03

1 × FA Community Shield: 2001

Lyon

2 × French League: 2005-06, 2006–07

2 × Champions Trophy: 2005, 2006

[Gringo]

However, it's a safe pair of hands and that's exactly what we need right now.

Why do we need a safe pair of hands? To stabilize ourselves to midtable? Safe pair of hands is exactly what I don't want to see, get someone excellent or who has the potential to be excellent. If the potential goes wrong and we're 15th for a season or two then so be it, at least we gave it a shot. Just plain old safe isn't going to get us anywhere in the current league, not even a Euro spot.

Do not under estimate the upheavel of the past few weeks, along with the eventual addition of new coaching staff and methods.

To me, a safe pair of hands is what you need to manage a department that can cause lots of trouble but that you can't outsource (mgt consultant blx speak).

That does not correspond with the situation here - you want an active pair of hands - someone who creates change and mobilises.

Unless you're not going to appoint a manager for another couple of months, in which case, you want a safe pair of hands.

[snowychap]

Do you think the bookies will pay out If we appoint a DOF ?

On Kevin McDonald if he's first team coach

5. In the event that Aston Villa FC change the structure of their management team and do not call the appointed individual first team manager, Betfair will settle the market on the individual who is responsible for picking the first team. In the event of any ambiguity over the appointment, Betfair may determine using its reasonable discretion how to settle the market based on all the information available to it at the relevant time.

I should imagine that might get quite interesting if anyone on betfair stands to lose out big time due to Betfair's 'reasonable discretion'.

Mark Davies always used to try and claim that they were nothing more than the vehicle.

[dappadan]

NOTW (obviously take with a pinch of salt) that Friedel and Warnock are not very happy if it is to be houllier and will seek showdown talks.

They are reporting it as a player revolt which it quite clearly won't be but thought it was worth posting

[avfc89]

NOTW (obviously take with a pinch of salt) that Friedel and Warnock are not very happy if it is to be houllier and will seek showdown talks.

They are reporting it as a player revolt which it quite clearly won't be but thought it was worth posting

Who knows?

[VillaGoMarching]

lols, wasn't friedel frustrations just due to him having David James infront of him, aswell as Warnock who i'm not sure even broke through to the first team under Houllier.

[markavfc40]

NOTW (obviously take with a pinch of salt) that Friedel and Warnock are not very happy if it is to be houllier and will seek showdown talks.

They are reporting it as a player revolt which it quite clearly won't be but thought it was worth posting

Friedel and Warnock were both deemed not good enough by Houlier when they were at Liverpool so I doubt he'd be on there Christmas card list. Same goes for Carew when at Lyon when Hollier in his wisdom accepted Baros in a swap deal.

As for the rest of the players who knows how they'll feel but I'd guess pretty much uninspired.

[bickster]

NOTW (obviously take with a pinch of salt) that Friedel and Warnock are not very happy if it is to be houllier and will seek showdown talks.

They are reporting it as a player revolt which it quite clearly won't be but thought it was worth posting

Probably chuck Carew into the mix there too

In fact I'd forgotten Warnock played under him too, literally sent him to Coventry

[steaknchips]

Kevin MacDonald would be fine,he is a safe pair of hands...He knows the squad of players and will work well with them...Why appoint a 2nd rate manager because thats all thats available at the time?

Managers come in 3 differant catorgories;

1st."Ones that can excede the expectation"; These managers are managers that have worked miracles with what they had..ie Ron Saunders.

2nd."They do exactly what it says on the tin"; These managers are the average managers that do the expected...ie Martin O'Neill.

3rd."They are totally useless";These managers perform bad and take clubs into a dark place...ie Graham Turner.

Now the managers we are being linked with;Moyes and Jol would slip in with managers in the 1st catorgory.

Houllier and Curbishley(although he did excede the expectation but not at the top)would fall into the "They do exactly what it says on the tin"..Houllier never exceded the expectation did he? Wenger has,Fergie has...And Moyes has with what he has done at Everton season upon season..

We need a manager that can win these Carling cup finals against Man U(just like Atkinson could)..Not just turn up for a day out...

Im all with waiting until we get a manager in the 1st catorgory...Rather than another 30 yrs of "we do exactly what it says on the tin"..(Which we can get under KMac incidently)

[Mantis]

How can you call David Moyes a miracle worker but MON average? MON was way above average.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I've heard Carew thinks Houllier is shite, while Houllier obviously let Carew go............get Houllier in now!

Joking, he's shit.