Houllier - released from contract with FFF

[Genie]

I'm not just looking at 1 result, nor am I looking at just on the pitch I'm looking at the last few weeks at the club as a whole.

Off the pitch

We lose our manager 5 days before the season starts - Disaster

We don't strengthen our squad which historically collapses at the end of the season - Mistake

We have a farcical search for a manager and appoint an aging man with a history of heart trouble - Mistake

Our new manager has still not fully negotiated his release from his current job - Mistake

Our kit supplier delays shirt supply multiple times - Mistake (can you imagine Nike doing this to Man Utd?)

On the pitch

We sent the reserves to Austria - Mistake

We got spanked by Newcastle - humiliation

We pick the same team to face Everton and get battered - Mistake which we just about got away with

We don't make changes when we clearly need them to protect a slender lead at bottom of the league pointless Stoke - Mistake

We bring on Heskey to get a goal - no comment required

We look very weak on and off the pitch in my eyes at the moment.

[Hanky]

Regardless of what happened last night we were 1 dive away from a draw

Thats the crux of it. Spurious criticism of the board by people bored with their lives just doesnt wash.

We could have been a kick away from three if Reo-Coker wasn't so abject in front of goal.

[Stu_The_Villan]

Regardless of what happened last night we were 1 dive away from a draw

Thats the crux of it. Spurious criticism of the board by people bored with their lives just doesnt wash.

We could have been a kick away from three if Reo-Coker wasn't so abject in front of goal.

Im sorry but Ashley Youngs header was a better chance than Reo's.

[Hanky]

Well yes but I was going on more the last five minutes. Young and Reo-Coker then.

[AshVilla]

Think we will struggle to be the top team in the midlands let alone top 6

Proud history bright future remember.

[Risso]

Regardless of what happened last night we were 1 dive away from a draw

Thats the crux of it. Spurious criticism of the board by people bored with their lives just doesnt wash.

Ha ha! Talking of overreactions, you think that because people are fed up with the shambles that we currently find ourselves in, that they're "bored with their lives"! Well thank you Dr Freud, but my life is ace thanks, and pointing out how badly the club are handling things at the moment doesn't alter that fact.

[Stu_The_Villan]

To be fair we could have been 5 nil up at half time. We need a striker who can score BADLY. I look at other teams and i think 'why didnt we sign him?' Sunderland springs to mind. Fantastic strike force they have now with Bent and Gyan. Puts ours to shame really. We have no imagtination or cohesion up front and i only get the feeling we are going to score from set pieces. GH seriously needs to adress this situation

[billy_loes]

Regardless of what happened last night we were 1 dive away from a draw

Thats the crux of it. Spurious criticism of the board by people bored with their lives just doesnt wash.

Ha ha! Talking of overreactions, you think that because people are fed up with the shambles that we currently find ourselves in, that they're "bored with their lives"! Well thank you Dr Freud, but my life is ace thanks, and pointing out how badly the club are handling things at the moment doesn't alter that fact.

I dont think the majority of supporters believe the club to be run badly, nor it to be a shambles.

I'm glad your life is 'ace', but I've got to say you dont come across as a happy bunny.

[Rob182]

We lose our manager 5 days before the season starts - Disaster

The club couldn't prevent this. This could happen to any club.

We don't strengthen our squad which historically collapses at the end of the season - Mistake

Our squad historically collapsed at the end of a season because O'Neill never rotated his squad. This is not something that "Aston Villa" will suffer from indefinatly.

We have a farcical search for a manager and appoint an aging man with a history of heart trouble - Mistake

"Farcical" or "considered"? I'd rather we took 8 weeks to get a top quality manager, which Houllier is, than appoint someone like Phil Brown in 2 days. "A history of heart trouble"... Jeez, your glass really is half full isn't it?

Our new manager has still not fully negotiated his release from his current job - Mistake

General K said that we wouldn't want somebody who will just pack in his current job because a "bigger or better" job comes along. I'm happy that we have a manager who is willing to fulfill any previously arranged commitments. We don't want someone who will just leave AVFC at the drop of a hat if a 'bigger club' comes along. Houllier has said that his word is more than signing a contract. He'll be here but we just need to be patient.

Our kit supplier delays shirt supply multiple times - Mistake (can you imagine Nike doing this to Man Utd?)

We've been given the reasons from General K. It's not Villa's fault. We saw a problem with the product they supplied and wanted a new order. This coupled with the fact that we took time to confirm our new sponsor has meant we'll have more of a delay. When you're a 5th-8th club, you need to endure a few problems when you're aiming to become a big club. We could have settled for a poor sponsor, but instead we go for Nike - I'm happy with our ambition.

We sent the reserves to Austria - Mistake

This was an error or KMac's part. Again, he was forced into this position by O'Neill leaving and us not rushing an appointment.

We got spanked by Newcastle - humiliation

See above answer.

We pick the same team to face Everton and get battered - Mistake which we just about got away with

We won, why are you complaining? I'd have been happy with a draw against Everton tbh.

We don't make changes when we clearly need them to protect a slender lead at bottom of the league pointless Stoke - Mistake

KMac won't be our manager for more than a few more games. Houllier is experienced and will prove a hit, I'm sure of it.

We bring on Heskey to get a goal - no comment required

KMacs choice. Not AVFCs, Heskeys or Houlliers.

We look very weak on and off the pitch in my eyes at the moment.

"In my eyes" definatly being the main point of your post.

I'll admit it was sickening to lose with the last kick of the game last night. But things aren't as bleak as you make out.

This season will be tough because of O'Neill leaving with 5 days until the season.

But we're getting a great manager and he has a great squad to work with.

Also considering the fact that Houllier has a lot of contacts, a lot of experience and possibly the knowledge of some great French Youth talents and we could have exciting years at VP again!

[Risso]

Regardless of what happened last night we were 1 dive away from a draw

Thats the crux of it. Spurious criticism of the board by people bored with their lives just doesnt wash.

Ha ha! Talking of overreactions, you think that because people are fed up with the shambles that we currently find ourselves in, that they're "bored with their lives"! Well thank you Dr Freud, but my life is ace thanks, and pointing out how badly the club are handling things at the moment doesn't alter that fact.

I dont think the majority of supporters believe the club to be run badly, nor it to be a shambles.

I'm glad your life is 'ace', but I've got to say you dont come across as a happy bunny.

I couldn't even big to describe how awesome things are at the moment. But anyway, I didn't say the club was "badly run". For most of the last four years, Lerner has hardly put a foot wrong. This summer has been a shambles though, and even allowing for the timing of O'Neill's exit, they've handled things very badly. I work for an organisation with a far higher turnover than Villa's, and there's no way we'd be in the position of not knowing when a senior manager was going to start work.

[BG_Villa_Fan]

We bring on Heskey to get a goal - no comment required

KMacs choice. Not AVFCs, Heskeys or Houlliers.

Erm.. what?

Is there anything that's AVFCs choice or fault then?

[billy_loes]

I work for an organisation with a far higher turnover than Villa's, and there's no way we'd be in the position of not knowing when a senior manager was going to start work.

Do they not know? or is the fact you dont know?

[Risso]

I work for an organisation with a far higher turnover than Villa's, and there's no way we'd be in the position of not knowing when a senior manager was going to start work.

Do they not know? or is the fact you dont know?

Well, Houllier said he didn't know, so it's hard to imagine how the board would know. But I've asked the General directly on his thread, so let's see what he comes back with.

[billy_loes]

Birmingham Mail

Comment: Gerard Houllier's arrival is better late than never

Sep 14 2010 by Mat Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

12next

MARTIN O’Neill once locked me out of Bodymoor Heath for being six minutes late – so I wonder what he makes of Gerard Houllier’s delayed arrival at Villa’s training ground?

The former boss’s petty decision to punish my poor punctuality was double standards from a man with worse time-keeping than the White Rabbit out of Alice in Wonderland.

I can’t help thinking that many of the critics who are moaning about the unavoidable uncertainty surrounding Houllier’s start date are guilty of similar hypocrisy.

Last November I was 360 seconds overdue for an appointment with O’Neill and found my entry past the barrier to the main drive at Bodymoor barred by a security guard under orders from the manager.

It transpired that an earlier private conversation I had had with one of the Irishman’s closest aides about why O’Neill hadn’t returned my call for a pre-arranged interview in over 48 hours had been relayed back to the boss.

So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when O’Neill – a man whose habit of setting his watch 15 minutes fast still didn’t stop him from being late – took his timely opportunity to put me in my place.

Despite repeated phonecalls to O’Neill himself and his sidekick I couldn’t get past the voicemail on their mobiles to offer my explanation and when I did get through I was just angrily shouted down.

Which reminds me of the situation now as people line up to take swipes at the club over the Houllier hitch without stopping to fully listen to the reasons why.

My excuse was that I was late after getting stuck in heavy traffic on the M6 – one of the busiest stretches of motorway in Europe – but I accept the argument that I could have set off earlier to give myself more time.

Houllier’s explanation, however, is surely beyond question, especially by those who acknowledge that O’Neill left Villa in the lurch by walking out five days before the season. The general consensus at Villa Park is that the timing of O’Neill’s shock resignation – deliberate or not – was out of order.

It was largely agreed that if O’Neill wanted to quit the club, as had been mooted for months, he should have given his employers the respect they deserved by leaving much earlier to allow them time to pick up the pieces and plot a way forward. Probably at the end of last season, which by coincidence, would have given Villa three months.

Three months – the exact same notice period the French Football Federation require from Houllier (although France’s technical director will be at Villa long before that, hopefully by Blackburn in the Carling Cup a week tomorrow).

Remember, Houllier is poised to sign a three-year contract, not a three-week deal.

Had O’Neill treated the club with courtesy and left in May, Houllier would have worked his notice with the FFF in time to take over at Villa Park at the start of this season (supposing that an available Mark Hughes hadn’t already been appointed).

So why are the knockers causing such a fuss about Houllier’s hold-up when he is simply doing the opposite of O’Neill and leaving in a dignified manner which will help, rather than handicap, his successor?

Houllier’s honourable desire to leave his old job on good terms is a measure of the gentleman Villa have recruited as a figurehead for the football club.

And, unlike O’Neill towards the awkward end of his reign, the way Houllier confidently breezed into Villa on Friday suggests the charming Frenchman will be worth waiting for.

Just watch for those hold-ups on the M6, Gerard.

[Rob182]

We bring on Heskey to get a goal - no comment required

KMacs choice. Not AVFCs, Heskeys or Houlliers.

Erm.. what?

Is there anything that's AVFCs choice or fault then?

Of course there is :?

The actions and choices of AVFC come from the board & owner. The board temporarily left KMac in charge of the team because of the position that O'Neill left us in and the fact that KMac knows the team and the reserves inside-out.

To me, a problem with AVFC is something that will last for longer than a caretaker manager making a choice in one game.

I'd like to think that the next time we play Stoke we will do better, partly being because we'll have a better manager in charge.

[jonny-recession]

I don't think what has happened over the last few weeks is "ridiculous" by any stretch of the imagination. Ok we got beaten in matches we should have won. We got beaten badly. Fine. It's football this thing has happened since the game was invented and will continue to happen to one team or another. Success is cyclical. Success can breath more success provided that the intrinsic factors remain a constant. Unfortunately we have lost our fulcrum in the shape of MON. It's very cliche but like it or not we have to temporarily go bac to go forward. We are in a period of limbo until Gerry takes over fully. His biggest task in my opinion is to rid the players of this negative mentality of pack the box for half an hour and hold out. It's ultimately what cost us last night. And in my eyes is the difference between 4th and obscurity.

[gabbygabbygabbygabbygabby]

It's not like he left Fulham to manage us and decided to take charge of one last match.

It is a unique circumstance.

It's unique alright. I can't remember any other club doing things so arse about face.

If he does a good job who cares about 2 weeks. I'd rather him for the Blackburn game than gotten someone substandard for tonights game.

He has convinced the board so I am happy to see what he can do.

I think he's a good manager, which is why we needed him asap. Three more points chucked away because KM doesn't have the first clue as to what he's doing.

Of course we would prefer him now but in the grand scheme and away match to Stoke is far less important than making him our manager.

[billy_loes]

I don't think what has happened over the last few weeks is "ridiculous" by any stretch of the imagination. Ok we got beaten in matches we should have won. We got beaten badly. Fine. It's football this thing has happened since the game was invented and will continue to happen to one team or another. Success is cyclical. Success can breath more success provided that the intrinsic factors remain a constant. Unfortunately we have lost our fulcrum in the shape of MON. It's very cliche but like it or not we have to temporarily go bac to go forward. We are in a period of limbo until Gerry takes over fully. His biggest task in my opinion is to rid the players of this negative mentality of pack the box for half an hour and hold out. It's ultimately what cost us last night. And in my eyes is the difference between 4th and obscurity.

I think you'll find O'Neill wasnt the fulcrum but a spanner in the works.

We are in a period of limbo until Gerry takes over fully.

what that chap off the Good Life?

[jonny-recession]

I agree Billy_loes in highensight MON was a spanner in the works but you can't disagree that not just in his mind but in reality the whole club revolved around him due to the control measures that he put in place which can be backed up by the above newspaper article. Houllier may very well do the same but all we can hope for is that he won't be as petulant if things don't go his way

[billy_loes]

I agree Billy_loes in highensight MON was a spanner in the works but you can't disagree that not just in his mind but in reality the whole club revolved around him due to the control measures that he put in place which can be backed up by the above newspaper article. Houllier may very well do the same but all we can hope for is that he won't be as petulant if things don't go his way

I agree. I hope Houllier asserts but without the monumental ego.