Confirmed: Houllier is the new Villa manager

[Richard]

People are yet to give a good reason why they dislike Thompson so much?

Just because he is a Liverpool fan? Do you think Alex Ferguson is a Man Utd fan? Do you think Mourinho hesitated putting one over his old team when he is clearly and always will be a Chelsea fan? Christ...he refers to them as ''my team''! But did that stop him knopcking them out the Champians League...did it ****!!!

These guys are professionals, i could care less if Phil Thompson still has a season ticket at Anfield, as long as he does well for Villa.

People just need to remember that these guys are more than capable of seperating their support for a team with there job!

For me it has nothing to do with who he supports or what accent he has. It is to do with the fact that he has not one positive, and quite a few negative, things to say about Villa in all the time he has been a pundit.

When he talks about Villa it comes across as we are a nothing club, something of not much relevance who have never achieved and will never achieve anything and who should be grateful for merely being in the premier league

Have heard Thompson call us a big club that has greatly underachieved in 20 years. He is just giving his opinion.

Also it is Pot Kettle Black with you as im sure Thonpson has been more positive about us in last few months than you

How irritating that people seem unable to distinguish between two trains of thought.

I tell you waht you go away and search my posts and tell me where I have not had one positive thing to say about ASTON VILLA. Or where all I am saying is negative things abour ASTON VILLA or where I have suggested that we should be happy to merely be in the premier league, ASTON VILLA, that is.

Keep searching.

I have been highly critical of Randy Lerner, I have been critical of Krulak, I have been critical of the board and their PR and handling of this whole affair, I have even been critical of MON at times and his decisions, I have been critical of the appointment of Houllier and especially Thompson. I have been critical of Macdonald when he was caretaker and the choices he made.

Tell me is that Aston Villa, or individuals charged with various functions in the club?

I was critical of Doug Ellis, I was extremely critical of David O'leary did that make me negative towards Aston Villa at that time do you think?

In fact let me tell you it didn't then and it doesn't now.

Randy Lerner is not Aston Villa

Krulak is not Aston Villa

Oleary was not Aston Villa

Ellis is not (and never will be) Aston Villa

there is a huge difference between being critical of people involved in the running of the club and being negative towards the club, never saying one thing positive REGARDLESS OF THE PERCEPTION OF SOME, or the myth that others would like to perpetuate.

Being critical is allowed. Having an opinion which is not the popular one is also allowed and should continue to be allowed without people getting all shirty that because you are not happy with their beloved Randy that you hate Villa and are being negative about the club.

There is a world of difference and the difference between my opinions and those that I have said I do not like by Thompson is, quite frankly, a universe apart.

The fact that some people on here cannot understand that is to their immense discredit

[limvillian]

but ask and Liverplop fan and he'll tell you Houllier destroyed modt of the youngfellas at their club but not being a man manager which is one of the main things up and comming players need IMO.

I have asked Liverpool fans and they know about the failures, the Biscans, but they also point out Carragher and Gerrard and his total transformation of the youth setup, and Hyypia, Hamann, McAllister as transfer successes. I don't disagree that young players need an arm around and that's why I'm just as excited at the news that K-Mac might be hanging around because he has a proven track record of developing the youth. Whatever it is they need, he seems to have it in spades. So I think we have everything in place now.

Hopefully K-Mac can continue to be that link between youths/reserves and the first team and it all works out well, that's what I'm hoping for but I have my doubts.

[villan-scott]

With everybody listing Houllier's poor signings for Liverpool I think we should try and collate a list of all Wenger's, SAF's, and Mourinho's doughnut buys, I'm sure there are also some pretty scary names on that list.

How about:

Reyes

Grimandi

Manniger

Jeffers

Djemba x2

Kleberson

Forlan (who is class in Spain)

Tiago

Pizarro

Belletti

Sidwell

Del Horno

Jarosik

The list is endless. Those 3 managers are the most successful in the Premier League era, and have signed their fairshare of crap, so judging Houllier on his bad signings is neither here nor there. We need to give him a chance and allow him time, as I'm sure he has what it takes to make us a success.

[HJ]

but ask and Liverplop fan and he'll tell you Houllier destroyed modt of the youngfellas at their club but not being a man manager which is one of the main things up and comming players need IMO.

I have asked Liverpool fans and they know about the failures, the Biscans, but they also point out Carragher and Gerrard and his total transformation of the youth setup, and Hyypia, Hamann, McAllister as transfer successes. I don't disagree that young players need an arm around and that's why I'm just as excited at the news that K-Mac might be hanging around because he has a proven track record of developing the youth. Whatever it is they need, he seems to have it in spades. So I think we have everything in place now.

Gerrard and Carragher went through the youth system before Houllier got there, they became 1st team players at that time (Carragher a year before really). So if Houllier changed the youth set up it wouldn't have affected those two.

Since Houllier did such a fantastic job making Liverpools youth system brilliant, why have they not got a single good player out of since he Houllier touched it?

[Richard]

With everybody listing Houllier's poor signings for Liverpool I think we should try and collate a list of all Wenger's, SAF's, and Mourinho's doughnut buys, I'm sure there are also some pretty scary names on that list.

How about:

Reyes

Grimandi

Manniger

Jeffers

Djemba x2

Kleberson

Forlan (who is class in Spain)

Tiago

Pizarro

Belletti

Sidwell

Del Horno

Jarosik

The list is endless. Those 3 managers are the most successful in the Premier League era, and have signed their fairshare of crap, so judging Houllier on his bad signings is neither here nor there. We need to give him a chance and allow him time, as I'm sure he has what it takes to make us a success.

This cannot be true I thought only MOn ever made bad signings :winkold:

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

I don't see the obsession with transfers, agents whore their players out and other agents bite.

It's just a big swindle, so to judge a manager on that alone is silly. There is a problem with the transfer system as a whole.

[bannedfromHandV]

People are yet to give a good reason why they dislike Thompson so much?

Just because he is a Liverpool fan? Do you think Alex Ferguson is a Man Utd fan? Do you think Mourinho hesitated putting one over his old team when he is clearly and always will be a Chelsea fan? Christ...he refers to them as ''my team''! But did that stop him knopcking them out the Champians League...did it ****!!!

These guys are professionals, i could care less if Phil Thompson still has a season ticket at Anfield, as long as he does well for Villa.

People just need to remember that these guys are more than capable of seperating their support for a team with there job!

For me it has nothing to do with who he supports or what accent he has. It is to do with the fact that he has not one positive, and quite a few negative, things to say about Villa in all the time he has been a pundit.

When he talks about Villa it comes across as we are a nothing club, something of not much relevance who have never achieved and will never achieve anything and who should be grateful for merely being in the premier league

Have heard Thompson call us a big club that has greatly underachieved in 20 years. He is just giving his opinion.

Also it is Pot Kettle Black with you as im sure Thonpson has been more positive about us in last few months than you

How irritating that people seem unable to distinguish between two trains of thought.

I tell you waht you go away and search my posts and tell me where I have not had one positive thing to say about ASTON VILLA. Or where all I am saying is negative things abour ASTON VILLA or where I have suggested that we should be happy to merely be in the premier league, ASTON VILLA, that is.

Keep searching.

I have been highly critical of Randy Lerner, I have been critical of Krulak, I have been critical of the board and their PR and handling of this whole affair, I have even been critical of MON at times and his decisions, I have been critical of the appointment of Houllier and especially Thompson. I have been critical of Macdonald when he was caretaker and the choices he made.

Tell me is that Aston Villa, or individuals charged with various functions in the club?

I was critical of Doug Ellis, I was extremely critical of David O'leary did that make me negative towards Aston Villa at that time do you think?

In fact let me tell you it didn't then and it doesn't now.

Randy Lerner is not Aston Villa

Krulak is not Aston Villa

Oleary was not Aston Villa

Ellis is not (and never will be) Aston Villa

there is a huge difference between being critical of people involved in the running of the club and being negative towards the club, never saying one thing positive REGARDLESS OF THE PERCEPTION OF SOME, or the myth that others would like to perpetuate.

Being critical is allowed. Having an opinion which is not the popular one is also allowed and should continue to be allowed without people getting all shirty that because you are not happy with their beloved Randy that you hate Villa and are being negative about the club.

There is a world of difference and the difference between my opinions and those that I have said I do not like by Thompson is, quite frankly, a universe apart.

The fact that some people on here cannot understand that is to their immense discredit

Trouble is though Richard, by the admittance of your own timeline of negativity it's been some serious years since you were last positive about any aspect of the incumbents of what are the most important positions at the club (i.e. Manager, Chairman, Board Member etc).

Whether you like it or not RL owns this club now, he stumped up millions of pounds to buy them when many of our 'fans' can't even be arsed to pay £25 (odd) for a matchday ticket.

Whether you like it or not, he is Aston Villa at the moment. He makes all the decisions that effect us greatly, this line of "I was here long before and I'll be here long after" just doesn't actually mean anything, it's been made up by fans to justify their obsession as being more important than an owners millions.

[Shillzz]

I think the idea that because a manager has made certain mistakes in the past then he will continue to do so in the future is a little pessimistic.

As much as I liked Oneill (i really did); for all the money he spent, he actually achieved nothing that he will be remembered for. In reality, we achieved nothing over the past 4 years that we havent been achieving with semi-regularity since the premiership began. For this reason, Im quite happy to give change a chance. Whether we finish 6th or 10th with Houllier in charge, is fairly immaterial, but theres always the chance that we could lift some silverware, which would be more than we've achieved in the last 14 years, so why not.

[limvillian]

With everybody listing Houllier's poor signings for Liverpool I think we should try and collate a list of all Wenger's, SAF's, and Mourinho's doughnut buys, I'm sure there are also some pretty scary names on that list.

How about:

Reyes

Grimandi

Manniger

Jeffers

Djemba x2

Kleberson

Forlan (who is class in Spain)

Tiago

Pizarro

Belletti

Sidwell

Del Horno

Jarosik

The list is endless. Those 3 managers are the most successful in the Premier League era, and have signed their fairshare of crap, so judging Houllier on his bad signings is neither here nor there. We need to give him a chance and allow him time, as I'm sure he has what it takes to make us a success.

My point wasn't about transfers at all though it was about young players comming through .

[Richard]

Trouble is though Richard, by the admittance of your own timeline of negativity it's been some serious years since you were last positive about any aspect of the incumbents of what are the most important positions at the club (i.e. Manager, Chairman, Board Member etc).

Can you not read? "timeline of negativity" what utter rubbish.

Oh and fwiw

Randy came I was (and have been for the first three years of his tenure) - highly pleased with what he has done and said so on numerous times. I still am to a large degree and thankful that he rescued the club from Ellis

MON came and I was at VP that day renewing my ST thrilled that he was our manager and was throughout the time he was with us.

Is that some serious years of negativity? Nope

Criticsm does not equal negativity. Despiet, as I have said, the wish for some to perpetuate a myth

[Jon]

Trouble is though Richard, by the admittance of your own timeline of negativity it's been some serious years since you were last positive about any aspect of the incumbents of what are the most important positions at the club (i.e. Manager, Chairman, Board Member etc).

Not correct.

Trickie was very posistive about MON, and thought he was the right manager for Villa. He thought MON needed more backing.

Trickie is very positive about Villa, but he can also see where things are not quite right, which is to his credit.

[wiggyrichard]

Richard...are you for or against the Houllier appointment, if it is true that Thompson and KM will both be assistant/coaches for the 1st team?

[Richard]

Well I have doubts about Houllier and he would not be my choice. I have extremely strong reservations about Thompson and do not want that man anywhere near Aston Villa, hateful blinkered individual who has not had one good word to say about us in all the time I have seen him comment about football.

Macdonald did a good jo as reserve team manager so happy enough if he retains that position.

I hope that all three are incredibly successful and it becomes the most successful managerial appointment in the history of football because I support Aston Villa and want the club to be successful.

To answer the question about how I feel re Houllier etc, I posted this on page 598.

[CVByrne]

I wish I shared some of your optimism about this Brian but I'm rather downbeat about this appointment.

[brommy]

Well I have doubts about Houllier and he would not be my choice. I have extremely strong reservations about Thompson and do not want that man anywhere near Aston Villa, hateful blinkered individual who has not had one good word to say about us in all the time I have seen him comment about football.

Macdonald did a good jo as reserve team manager so happy enough if he retains that position.

I hope that all three are incredibly successful and it becomes the most successful managerial appointment in the history of football because I support Aston Villa and want the club to be successful.

To answer the question about how I feel re Houllier etc, I posted this on page 598.

Of those manager's said to be interested in joining Aston Villa - Houllier, SVG, Curbishley and K Mac, who would be your first choice? If non of the above, who else would you persuade and how?

[wiggyrichard]

Well I have doubts about Houllier and he would not be my choice. I have extremely strong reservations about Thompson and do not want that man anywhere near Aston Villa, hateful blinkered individual who has not had one good word to say about us in all the time I have seen him comment about football.

Macdonald did a good jo as reserve team manager so happy enough if he retains that position.

I hope that all three are incredibly successful and it becomes the most successful managerial appointment in the history of football because I support Aston Villa and want the club to be successful.

To answer the question about how I feel re Houllier etc, I posted this on page 598.

Thats good enough for me Dick!

[omariqy]

I'm underwhelmed by it all but I what can I do. I'm sure RL and co have taken utmost care and diligence in finding the right candidate available. They want the club to succeed obviously and so do I so i'm more than happy with houillier. We have a good squad of players and we can still do well in the league. Will be interesting to see how we do with a new manager as a comparison to how well MON did.

[wiggyrichard]

I would really like to know who all the doubters would have prefered?

And for the record...Moyes and Jol where never ever a goer

[CVByrne]

I would really like to know who all the doubters would have prefered?

And for the record...Moyes and Jol where never ever a goer

An appointment until May. We spend the season trying to find a better candidate and appoint them. Unless the man we gave the job to did well enough to earn an extension.

What I fear this appointment will do is result in stagnation and a parting of ways that leaves rebuilding to do. No matter what any of you want to say about O'Neill he left us with a solid team that requires no rebuilding.

Ranierie did well for Chelsea but they got rid of him because Mourinho was far far better.

I don't want to settle for a manager because he was the best we could get at this point in time when the long term damage to the club would be worse than waiting to make the right appointment.

[BOF]

An appointment until May. We spend the season trying to find a better candidate and appoint them. Unless the man we gave the job to did well enough to earn an extension.

Isn't every appointment effectively until the end of the season? Managers on contracts get fired all the time. I'm sure if Houllier comes in and manages to get us to 15th in the league he'll probably be on the high road soon enough. Anyone actually brought in on a one year contract (as distinct from MON's habitual rolling contract) is already a dead man walking and instantly commands less respect from the players if they know he's not around for the long haul. If the players think he might be around for longer then they're more inclined to try harder for him. It's basic psychology. It's why managers never reveal mid-season if they're leaving/retiring because they instantly 'lose' the players.