Villa Apoint Houllier As Boss

Quote :

Former Liverpool and Lyon boss Gerard Houllier has been appointed the new manager of Aston Villa.

The 63-year-old left the post of technical director at the French Football Federation to return to English football after six years away.

He takes over from caretaker Kevin MacDonald, who had been in charge since Martin O'Neill left on 9 August.

Chief executive Paul Faulkner said: "He [Houllier] understands the ethos of our club and shares our core values."

No announcement has yet been made on the future of MacDonald who stepped up from his position of reserve-team coach when O'Neill left before the start of the season.

Phil Thompson, Houllier's number two at Anfield, had been linked with the assistant manager's role at Villa Park but has decided to continue working as a television pundit.

The length of Houllier's contract has also not yet been revealed.

He will be formally presented to the media on Friday, with his first game in charge away to Stoke on Monday, 13 September.

"Two of the key qualities which we identified as being of crucial importance in our search for the new manager were experience of managing in the Premier League and a strategy for building on the existing strengths in our current squad," stated Faulkner.

"Gerard Houllier comfortably satisfies these criteria."

Houllier admitted it had been a "very difficult decision" to leave his post in France but he was "very happy and proud to join this great and historic club.

This is a tremendous challenge and one I am very much looking forward to taking o

"I could not turn down the opportunity to manage a club whose approach, both on and off the pitch, I have long admired," he said.

"Aston Villa is one of England's biggest clubs and has an amazing set of fans.

"This is a tremendous challenge and one I am very much looking forward to taking on."

Houllier has an impressive record in club management, having led Liverpool to the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup Treble in 2001.

After leaving Anfield, he managed Lyon between 2005 and 2007, winning two league titles.

His other former clubs include Paris St Germain and Lens, and he also coached France between 1992 and 1993, when he failed to secure qualification for the 1994 World Cup finals.

Interesting, still just confirms my belief Villa are doomed for mediocrity for the next decade...

I always rated him at Liverpool. He seems to know his stuff. Weather he can get the best out of Villa players, we'll wait and see.

Decent appointment, I reckon.

He's done well wherever he's managed, experienced, and if Villa keep McDonald as his assistant, a ready-made replacement in a couple of years.

As for Villa headed for mediocrity, don't agree with that at all. Without the resources of Man City or Chelsea, the starting 11 of Man Yoo or the squad of Spurs or Arsenal, 6th is the best they can aim for. They'll still finish Top 10 easily.

The last two years of his time at Liverpool seem to have convinced everyone that he is a poor manager, he did have a crap last two years but before that he did very well at Liverpool, it was essentially his team that won the European Cup in 2005 as well, he also did right good at Lyon as well, its easy saying anyone can do well with them but since he left they have not been anywhere near as good

hes a decent manager, he pulled off some fantastic signings for us for relatively low fees, just have to persuade him to keep away from the french prospects

And baseing his signings on the world cup as well...