Confirmed: Houllier is the new Villa manager

[fran_villa]

houllier wants it im sure of that, i think he would be great

but if its macdonald with staunton as his assitant it will be a complete disaster. staunton should be nowhere near villa park. he is not welcome

Staunton is a **** cabbage..

[PompeyVillan]

If Houllier is the best manager we can realistically get then it says more about us as a club than anything else.

Not really, it also shows the current lack of available managerial talent(whether at a club or free agent). How many managers out there would be acceptable for a lot on this forum, you'd probably only get a dozen names of all managers at any club or free agent

Yes something else I have seen a lot

"Lack of good managers available currently" and "The trouble for the club is that the pool to pick from is not good currently" etc etc

Can you tell me when was the last time there was a plethora of good quality managers out of work available for free and that would constitute a good pool?

Very rarely

Good managers are normally in a job and it will take paying compensation to get themb

Absolutely right. The calibre of manager is out there, and I'm sure that they would be interested, but are the board being too 'honourable' in not approaching them because they're already under contract?

I bloody hope not.

[Cracker1234]

If Houllier is the best manager we can realistically get then it says more about us as a club than anything else.

Not really, it also shows the current lack of available managerial talent(whether at a club or free agent). How many managers out there would be acceptable for a lot on this forum, you'd probably only get a dozen names of all managers at any club or free agent

Yes something else I have seen a lot

"Lack of good managers available currently" and "The trouble for the club is that the pool to pick from is not good currently" etc etc

Can you tell me when was the last time there was a plethora of good quality managers out of work available for free and that would constitute a good pool?

Very rarely

Good managers are normally in a job and it will take paying compensation to get themb

What if we've approached the clubs of these managers Richard and they will not let AV speak to them or the managers themselves have told them no they don't want to leave the clubs they're currently in.

What do you suggest Randy does then? Entice them with cookies?

[fran_villa]

If Houllier is the best manager we can realistically get then it says more about us as a club than anything else.

Not really, it also shows the current lack of available managerial talent(whether at a club or free agent). How many managers out there would be acceptable for a lot on this forum, you'd probably only get a dozen names of all managers at any club or free agent

Yes something else I have seen a lot

"Lack of good managers available currently" and "The trouble for the club is that the pool to pick from is not good currently" etc etc

Can you tell me when was the last time there was a plethora of good quality managers out of work available for free and that would constitute a good pool?

Very rarely

Good managers are normally in a job and it will take paying compensation to get themb

Absolutely right. The calibre of manager is out there, and I'm sure that they would be interested, but are the board being too 'honourable' in not approaching them because they're already under contract?

I bloody hope not.

i agree,i get the feeling that Randy isnt ruthless enough for the football world tbh,to much of a mister nice guy and i thinki that has shown in our transfers over the years..

[Folski]

I keep going hot and cold on Houllier for manager, but today I'm warming to the idea again.

I can't see why MON arrived to such fanfare, but Houllier, it seems, will arrive to a feeling of utter disappointment.

Both managers are similar in many ways, but Houllier has won more.

I was thinking about signings each manager has made - MON has signed some absolute dross throughout his years; some of it has been absolutely baffling. At least with Houllier's signings you could kind of see the thinking in them (e.g. a promising youngster, an impressive bunch of displays in a tournament, and/or they were being chased by several top clubs).

Both managers play people out of position. Both don't have a plan B. Both are control freaks. Both play dour, boring football. Both managers arrived having been out of real management for a while.

But Houllier has won more.

Think the bigg thing with Mon was that we had just finished 16th in the league, and Mon pretty much guarenteed we would be higher than that! Albeit only 11th as he played Ash out of position for 3 months! That being said we've finished 6th the past 2 seasons and I don't think Houllier guarentees better than that!

[Chindie]

Absolutely right. The calibre of manager is out there, and I'm sure that they would be interested, but are the board being too 'honourable' in not approaching them because they're already under contract?

I bloody hope not.

I think the 'honourable' stuff is doublespeak for 'won't/can't pay the compensation'.

It's all well and good being honourable, and it's nice that we've been the nice guys of the League for a while, but there are times it's a detriment to us as a side and I believe this is one of them. It's foolish to risk our development and success for honour.

Especially when it is entirely legal and acceptable to approach clubs with intentions for their manager. Were that not the case, what the club is doing would be right and good. As it is, its overprincipled to the point that, to be honest, given the other evidence of this previous month, and arguably the months beforehand, I think it's a straight up lie.

[Cracker1234]

I keep going hot and cold on Houllier for manager, but today I'm warming to the idea again.

I can't see why MON arrived to such fanfare, but Houllier, it seems, will arrive to a feeling of utter disappointment.

Both managers are similar in many ways, but Houllier has won more.

I was thinking about signings each manager has made - MON has signed some absolute dross throughout his years; some of it has been absolutely baffling. At least with Houllier's signings you could kind of see the thinking in them (e.g. a promising youngster, an impressive bunch of displays in a tournament, and/or they were being chased by several top clubs).

Both managers play people out of position. Both don't have a plan B. Both are control freaks. Both play dour, boring football. Both managers arrived having been out of real management for a while.

But Houllier has won more.

Think the bigg thing with Mon was that we had just finished 16th in the league, and Mon pretty much guarenteed we would be higher than that! Albeit only 11th as he played Ash out of position for 3 months! That being said we've finished 6th the past 2 seasons and I don't think Houllier guarentees better than that!

No managers that we could get, employed or unemployed would guarentee you better than 6th spot.

[ChrisNichollsToe]

According to the papers Houllier needs to 'think about it'.

So instead of getting one man who wasn't too sure he wanted the job or not, it would appear we're now getting two guys who aren't that convinced.

Houllier himself does want it, otherwise he would not have been interviewed.

I read that it was actually his wife that is not to sure, because she does not want the stress of running a premier league club, becoming detrimental to her husbands health.

Very understandable.

I think we are not looking at Houlllier as a Hands on manager here. I think that will be Macca, with Houllier as a type of general Manager. With that in mind, i think it will be a short term appointment, and that they see Macca, as the long term appointment.

It could work and it could fail. But other than hiring Mourinho and giving him fifty million quid, any other appointment is a risk aswell.

[Razor]

Well im happy with Houllier anyway. This place wouldn't be happy even if we got Hiddink.

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

I think the 'honourable' stuff is doublespeak for 'won't/can't pay the compensation'.

It's all well and good being honourable, and it's nice that we've been the nice guys of the League for a while, but there are times it's a detriment to us as a side and I believe this is one of them. It's foolish to risk our development and success for honour.

Especially when it is entirely legal and acceptable to approach clubs with intentions for their manager. Were that not the case, what the club is doing would be right and good. As it is, its overprincipled to the point that, to be honest, given the other evidence of this previous month, and arguably the months beforehand, I think it's a straight up lie.

But the General specifically said that, in terms of being honourable, he was speaking as a fan, and not as a board member. He also then later said that we're looking at currently employed managers.

And also - what is evidence that you mention? How have you concluded that this is a straight up lie? Based on what solid evidence?

[picicata]

Well im happy with Houllier anyway. This place wouldn't be happy even if we got Hiddink.

I'd wager it would be a bloody sight happier than if we end up with Houllier as DOF and KMac as coach :winkold:

[deeps]

I heard the board are still interviewing???!!!!

[thejoker]

I heard the board are still interviewing???!!!!

Heard from who?? Must be someone new if true, because the interview process had finished last week according to all the papers.

[fran_villa]

settling for second best seems to be the Villa way,when it comes to playing staff,and now when we go in search of a manager it seems like we are in the same boat..

[ChrisNichollsToe]

I heard the board are still interviewing???!!!!

I think they would be stupid to turn a deaf hear to any late applications, especially if it were from somebody like Hitzfeld.

I guess its like a normal interview. You state your interest in the job, and they dont reply to you one way or the other

[MaxVillan]

settling for second best seems to be the Villa way,when it comes to playing staff,and now when we go in search of a manager it seems like we are in the same boat..

Is Randy Lerner now being blamed for players signed? jesus christ.

Nobody, except a select few know what is going on up there, I'd suggest giving Randy the benefit of the doubt until somebody is actually put in place, I'd think everything he's done since he's been here would at least deserve that.

It seems not. Fickle isn't the word.

[gabbygabbygabbygabbygabby]

No one knows a thing! This thread has become the 'make stuff up and post it' thread.

The amount of bashing of the club is frightening though, as it is based on conjecture.

[MaxVillan]

No one knows a thing! This thread has become the 'make stuff up and post it' thread.

The amount of bashing of the club is frightening though, as it is based on conjecture.

Absolutely. Nobody knows, Curbishley could be utterly made up, yet people are still slagging Randy off the back of rumours, rumours for **** sake.

It's almost like Randy hasn't spent over £100 million since coming here.

[gabbygabbygabbygabbygabby]

No one knows a thing! This thread has become the 'make stuff up and post it' thread.

The amount of bashing of the club is frightening though, as it is based on conjecture.

Absolutely. Nobody knows, Curbishley could be utterly made up, yet people are still slagging Randy off the back of rumours, rumours for **** sake.

It's almost like Randy hasn't spent over £100 million since coming here.

It's unbelievable. People just want to assume the worst.

Randy has made the last 4 years supporting Villa an absolute joy and now look at the 'vipers' out to get him!

[Chindie]

But the General specifically said that, in terms of being honourable, he was speaking as a fan, and not as a board member. He also then later said that we're looking at currently employed managers.

And also - what is evidence that you mention? How have you concluded that this is a straight up lie? Based on what solid evidence?

I wouldn't use the General as a great source of information any more.

Every name that has been consistently linked has been out of work or easily removed from said job. We've not been solidly linked to anyone that is in work. There was a brief link to Jol that quickly died a death. Moyes rumours appeared to be based on pretty much nothing (asides from which, if we genuinely did want Moyes, I think we're barking up the wrong tree entirely - we offer him nothing that could tempt him). Asides from that, all unemployed/in tentative roles (Houllier atm is in a back room role with the French national side IIRC, a director of something or other).

And I don't believe we're the sealed vessel we have gained a reputation for anymore. Inklings of our intentions come out, in this debacle it seems to have become more than inklings and instead turned into open secrets. The man that arrives in our manager's seat will be cheap.

I arrive at this conclusion based on this - we seemed exceptionally loathe to spend money this summer. Sell to buy was the word that then was spun into something that tried to make out it wasn't sell to buy when it was.

Then we had a good manager simply walk out. I don't buy the Great Satan O'Neill line, spun by the club with Krulak's pathetic digs seemingly. I maintain a belief that something changed that forced O'Neills hand, and I'm fairly sure it was money orientated, given that O'Neill appeared resigned to letting Milner go and was already sanctioning the sale of other players, like Shorey... I think something changed that made him jack it in.

It seems that we just don't want to spend anything. But just saying 'we're skint' is bad for business, so we wrap it up in other phrases. Krulak simply cannot speak solely as a fan. He's a board member. He has to reflect what the board would like. Make no mistake, his thread here is PR, it's a line spinner for us./ Sometimes it's nice and it's useful to the odd few, and gets Nicky Keye a few more calls a week. But it is PR at the end of the day and for whatever Krulak may say as a fan, he's reflecting the board as well imo.

I'd love to see us pick up a good manager in work.

Can't see it though. And imo, from what we've seen this summer, it'll be because we're not opening the wallet anymore.

Which is fair enough. But they have to realise they severely threaten the use of any investment by Randy thus far by cocking this appointment up monumentally.

Not everyone will agree with me but hey, it's what the sites for.