VILLA to confirm Gerard Houllier as their new manager today
-
Gerard Houllier lands job with Aston Villa: Ex-Liverpool boss set for sensational return to England
Top of the pile: Gerard Houllier is set for a return to England
Gerard Houllier is set for a dramatic return to English football with Aston Villa.
The Frenchman, who has been out of work for three years, has held talks with Villa owner Randy Lerner about succeeding Martin O’Neill.
Houllier has jumped to the top of Villa’s wish list after the club’s decision makers began their round of interviews this week.
Alan Curbishley, Sven Goran Eriksson and caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald have all been interviewed following the club’s 1-0 victory over Everton last Sunday.
However, the former Liverpool boss is now the hot favourite to take over at Villa Park as the club tries to move swiftly following an uncertain three weeks in the wake of O’Neill’s sudden exit.
It is as yet unknown in what capacity the Frenchman will return.
Interview technique: Alan Curbishley (left) and Sven Goran Eriksson were approached by Villa
Lerner and his chief executive Paul Faulkner were mindful that several of O’Neill’s staff followed the Irishman out of the exit when he decided to call time on his four year stay at the Birmingham club.
O’Neill’s staff - including assistant John Robertson, coach Steve Walford and chief scout Ian Storey-Moore - all quit at the same time, leaving Villa with a huge gap to fill just five days before the start of a new campaign in the Barclays Premier League.
Houllier could be employed either as a manager in his own right or as a director of football with the brief to oversee a major overhaul of the club’s scouting and recruitment policy.
That area has been sadly lacking in the view of many connected with Villa and Houllier’s work with the acclaimed French academy at Clairefontaine would doubtless prove invaluable as the club seeks to move forward.
Finest hour: Houllier masteminded Liverpool's UEFA Cup win in 2001
Houllier, now 62, has struggled with his health in previous years, suffering a heart attack while in the dugout at Anfield during his six year stay at the club.
He left Liverpool in 2004 after first assuming control with Roy Evans as part of a dream team that was put together to thrust the Reds back towards the top of English football.
Houllier’s joint managership lasted just four months and he oversaw a complete overhaul of their squad after his first season at the club signing seven new players and letting 10 go.
Paul Ince and Jason McAteer were victims of the new regime and Steve McManaman left when his contract expired, so the Frenchman has no fear of radical change.
Houllier spent more than £100 million during his time on Merseyside but his finest moment came in 2001 when he landed a cup treble of the Worthington Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup in the same season.
Although there are funds available to spend at Villa Park, the transfer window has now closed but at least the lure of a recognised top name will satisfy Villa’s supporters as the club’s shortlist was resoundingly shy of star quality following O’Neill’s walk out.
-
eee, Gerard Houllier. Good luck to Aston Villa!
-
bring sven back la....would be interesting. He hasnt won anything since his Seria A success with Lazio. And that was donkey years back.
-
hello boss! long time no see, wish you all e best with villa for the entire season, beside 2 games. because it's against liverpool.
-
forget ericsson please.
-
call Maradonna lehi wan see how gd he can manage
-
dun mind houllier or curbs.....steve coppell shld be interviewd too......
-
PLAYER REVOLT IF HOULLIER GETS JOB
Frenchman's Villa role under discussion
HOULLIER: In advanced talks with VillaSenior players at Villa Park believe the arrival of the ex-Liverpool boss will spell the end of their career at the club.
Goalkeeper Brad Friedel and full-back Stephen Warnock both endured unhappy spells at Anfield under the French coach.
Friedel was sold by Houllier to Blackburn in 1999, while Warnock was shipped out on loan to Coventry before later establishing himself in the side when Rafa Benitez took the reins.
Sport of the World understands the duo will seek urgent talks with the Villa hierarchy if they press ahead with the plan to make Houllier their boss.
Previous manager Martin O'Neill left after causing friction in the dressing room, and chairman Randy Lerner will be disturbed to discover there could already be existing bad blood between key players and the next boss.
A Villa source said: "When it was revealed Houllier was the favourite for the Villa, it went down like a lead balloon with a couple of the players. You can't underestimate the strength of feeling, especially of someone such as Brad Friedel who felt he had no relationship with Houllier when he was at Anfield."
Houllier is scheduled for further talks this week as Aston Villa seek to rubber-stamp his arrival.
He returned to England yesterday to attend Jamie Carragher's testimonial at Anfield.
He was tight-lipped when pressed on the Villa vacancy, but it's clear the job interests him.
"Never and always are the two words you can't use in football," he said.
The French boss fits the Midlanders' profile due to his vast experience of European and English football.
Houllier is currently technical director of the French Football Federation and is known to be keen to return to the Premier League where he enjoyed some notable early success at Anfield.
It's believed he'd be eager to be a full-time manager rather than director of football has previously suggested.
Houllier initially moved to Anfield as joint-manager with Roy Evans in 1998 under a similar restructure of the coaching staff.
When that failed, he took sole charge.
But the unhappiness at the latter years of his reign still run deep with some of his former players.
-
FIRST CHOICE ... Gerard HoullierGERARD HOULLIER will decide today if he wants the job as Aston Villa boss.
Villa hope to name the former Liverpool chief as Martin O'Neill's successor but want caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald to stay involved in the first-team.
That could be the only sticking point for Houllier, 63, who is not keen on a director of football role.
A source close to the club said: "Mr Houllier is the first choice but there are still finer details to sort out on Monday."
Houllier, the current technical director for France, won five trophies as Liverpool manager in one season back in 2001.
-
ASTON VILLA will finally confirm Gerard Houllier as their new manager today on a three-year contract.
Villa had hoped to name him before now but various factors have led to a delay. Houllier first wants to meet the French FA, where he is a technical director, to tell them he is keen to work for Villa Park supremo Randy Lerner.
Once that has been done, the club plan to make an official announcement before they unveil their man tomorrow.
Houllier, 63, has been tight-lipped over the job but revealed: "It was the club that took the initiative." French FA president Fernando Duchaussoy said: "I will meet Gerard on Wednesday to take stock of the situation with him. I would like to continue working with him."
Houllier, whose first match will be at Stoke next Monday, had been hoping to make his former Liverpool deputy Phil Thompson his new No 2.
They worked together successfully at Anfield from 1998 to 2004 and won a UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble in 2001. But Thompson yesterday told the Frenchman he did not want to give up his job as a Sky Sports pundit.
Thompson's arrival would have complicated the role of caretaker Kevin MacDonald, who was also interviewed for the manager's job.
Villa still want MacDonald to play a key part as a coach, after a successful spell as reserve-team boss, and Tommo's no-show could open the way for the assistant's post.
But MacDonald will now have to decide if he wants a secondary role, having applied to be Martin O'Neill's successor and after a taste of first-team management.
Houllier may also consider former Reds stars Dietmar Hamann and Gary McAllister, currently coaching at MK Dons and Middlesbrough.