Martin O'Neill's decision to step down as Aston Villa boss over the summer came as something of a surprise, even taking into account the murmurings of discontent which had started to filter out of the camp towards the end of the 2009/10 campaign.To some the exit of the Ulsterman came at the perfect time, with there a feeling that Villa had gone as far as they could under the guidance of a manager adept at bringing out the best in unfashionable sides.It was felt that a change in management could be just the shot in the arm the club needed to take the next step and really start pushing for a place inside the Premier League's top four.Many names were touted as possible candidates for the role, but ultimately former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier was handed the reins - with his prior experience of life in England and profile within the global game edging him ahead of his rivals.The arrival of the Frenchman was greeted by optimism from the Villa faithful, with Houllier's record during his time at Anfield proving that he knows what is required to land major silverware and challenge towards the top of the table.However, a few short months into his tenure and the wheels are in danger of falling off the Villa bandwagon.Houllier announced his arrival at Villa Park by promising to make his side 'entertaining', although he acknowledged that it was important to get points on the board before he started to tinker too much.He said: "Will we be playing in a different way? Obviously it won't be done overnight. You can't change habits in the middle of a competition. It has got to be gradual. The first mission is to get results, the second is to be entertaining."You would expect nothing less from an incoming manager, with no-one having faced up to the media and admitted that the team they have inherited is rubbish, they intend to play six men across midfield every week and hope relegation can be safely wrapped up by Christmas.Houllier, though, is yet to deliver on either aspect of his initial mission statement and grumbles of discontent have begun to emerge.Right now Villa are failing to entertain their loyal supporters and are far from adept at picking up points - at least to the level Houllier would have expected when he arrived.Since he officially signed up, Villa have won one of eight Premier League fixtures, and even that success, a 2-1 derby day victory over local rivals Wolves, required a dramatic late strike from Emile Heskey to wrap up the points.Since seeing off Mick McCarthy's men, Villa have gone five games without a win, during which time they have scored a miserly two goals.Only Wigan and West Ham, who sit inside the relegation zone, have found the target on fewer occasions than Villa this season, meaning an impressive defensive record, which stands alongside those currently occupying a much loftier standing, counts for little.Houllier is the man charged with the task of turning this situation around, but at the moment he is being forced to fight fires left, right and centre.Admittedly he could not have foreseen the injury problems which have afflicted Villa, with a number of key men currently spending more time on the treatment table than out on the field.There is, however, a sense that Houllier is doing little to help his own cause at present, with in-house fighting having become an alarmingly regular theme at Villa Park.The Frenchman is understandably keen to make it clear who is boss, and will want to show owner Randy Lerner that he is no puppet on a string, but public outcries are not the way to go about stamping your authority.Quite what Houllier expected when he openly questioned Stephen Ireland is anyone's guess, with a comforting arm around the shoulder and a quiet word in the ear surely more productive than the approach taken."He needs to work harder," said Houllier."He played against Chelsea and did well. He played against Sunderland and was not good enough to me. Simple as that. He needs to work harder. The skill is one thing but you need to compete. It's a difficult period for him but we back him, we support him."We know he's a good player. I don't want to say 'he's a good player, but'. But he doesn't defend. But he doesn't run back. But he loses too many balls in crucial areas. It's that but. He needs to get rid of these buts. Then he will be a good player."Ireland, who arrived as part of the deal which took James Milner to Manchester City, must have wondered what he had let himself in for and probably contemplated throwing his toys out of the pram in an effort to force through another move.He is not the only one to have incurred the wrath of Houllier, though, with John Carewslipping further and further down his manager's Christmas card list by the day.An innocuous comment from Houllier regarding Carew's chances of earning a new contract drew a stinging rebuke from the Norwegian striker, who said: "If he wants me to fight for a contract, he should speak to me directly and not through the media. This is disrespectful to me and to the fans who sing my name week in week out."Not prepared to sit back and let such comments lie, Houllier responded after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Fulham by branding Carew 'stupid' - always a good way to raise morale and heal rifts!"I think he is stupid," he said."How can he say that? I didn't lack respect to him or anybody. Somebody asked me if it was a good chance for him and I said yes. What do you want me to say? No?"I think John is living in the past at the moment. He should look at the figures, how long has he played and how many goals have we scored when he has been playing."This is now getting a bit childish, with Carew expected to come out in the next few days and claim that Houllier smells and runs like a girl.While this may be amusing to the neutrals, there must be real concern within the Villa ranks that a season which promised plenty is in danger of self-destructing.It appears as though the success enjoyed under O'Neill may have been taken for granted somewhat, with Villa able to secure European qualification on a regular basis and make positive inroads in domestic cup competitions.The rewards they were able to take from such achievements allowed them to remain competitive and ensured that the coffers were kept ticking over.A bottom half finish would undo much of that good work in an instant, with fears already raised as to how long the club can retain the services of their star turns.The likes of Ashley Young will not want to hang around for much longer if the tide starts to turn, while youngsters such as Marc Albrighton, Barry Bannan and Ciaran Clark will inevitably draw interest from afar should Villa hit the skids.It is, of course, far too early to write Villa off yet, with only two points separating them from Bolton in sixth, but they need to get their house in order before the chill of winter sets in and Houllier needs to start delivering on his promises if the 2010/11 campaign is to avoid becoming a French farce.
It is, of course, far too early to write Villa off yet, with only two points separating them from Bolton in sixth,
I can't think of anybody on H&V who has been complaining about negative tactics.