http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/942451/PLAYER-REVOLT-IF-HOULLIER-GETS-JOB.htmlPLAYER REVOLT IF HOULLIER GETS JOB
Frenchman's Villa role under discussion
HOULLIER: In advanced talks with Villa
By Greg Gobere
ASTON VILLA will face a player revolt if they appoint Gerard Houllier.
Senior 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.
