The replacement for MON...?

[olaftab]

This is looking desperate.  Non of the Super coaches are available and Randy is too much of a gentleman to encourage someone to walk away from their contract. So the best solution is appoing Houlier as DoF with KMac staying in place as first team coach for remainder of the season. Hopefully Houlier can start making some back ground changes and start looking at  signing  some overseas players in January. He can also start sounding out some of the better Euro  Coaches with a view to an appointment in May/June.

[Gregorys Boy]

Agreed, and I think Klinsmann as Villa manager would be too much like Keegan, fine when things are going well, but unable to cope when things go the other way, he would rule too much with his heart, and might be clueless when it comes to tacktics.

[Toronto Villa]

we have to approach this with an open mind. None of us can say with any certainty how this would work, because we've neevr seen it at Villa. You also can't draw upon situations like Comolli/Jol because it isn't the same. KM is a very good coach, and if he is left to oversee all of that, and works with Houllier on development and scouting, then this may be an interesting situation for the club. I certainly don't see it as a negative, and I'm yet to be convinced it will work. I am willing to support it though if this is indeed the direction.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Fine if you want to keep putting words in my mouth then thats up to you.  Don't get me wrong if everything was ideally I would go with someone like Jol, but I am just being a little more realistic than some of you.

And the reason I think Curbs would be a decent choice is because he would be already taking over a top six club, who wouldn't need the major works like when O'Neill took change.  I also think it is a little unfair to assume he couldn't do the job just because he has only managed at West Ham and Chalton, best on his performances at those clubs doesn't he deserve a chance at a bigger club.

Isn't that the problem though? Curbishley, or "Curbs" is a "decent" choice.  The mediocre choice.  He probably won't get us relegated, indeed we'll probably still finish in the Top 10.

And if that's all we've got to look forward to, I'd rather take a risk on an up-and-coming manager - Simon Grayson perhaps. Or a proper big name like Eriksson, tarnished reputation and all.

[atomicjam]

I can see Houllier getting a 1 year deal, I think they wanted a Moyes or Hughes but would not go for them as they are both attached. So get in Houllier for 1 season, see how it (and he health wise) goes and then look at things next Summer.

[Gregorys Boy]

Well we are hardly talking about a manager pushing retirement age here, and just struggle to see how he has sudderly become a bad manager after all these years of prise.  Anyway MOVING ON!!

[Toronto Villa]

From The Guardian

Gérard Houllier could return as Aston Villa's director of football• Former Liverpool manager could link up with Kevin MacDonald
 
Gérard Houllier could make a surprise return to football with Aston Villa after it emerged last night that the Frenchman is under serious consideration for a director of football role that would see him work alongside Kevin MacDonald.

Villa have been interviewing candidates for the vacant manager's position this week, including MacDonald, who has been in charge on a caretaker basis ever since Martin O'Neill resigned five days before the start of the season, but Houllier is now the leading contender. Houllier has not been involved in management since he left Lyon in 2007 but he has extensive knowledge of English football, following the six years he spent in charge of Liverpool, between 1998 and 2004, and is highly respected within the game.

The 62-year-old has, however, suffered heart problems and it seems highly unlikely that Villa would want him to take over as manager and expose him to the considerable pressure that would accompany that position. A much more plausible scenario would see Houllier work in tandem with MacDonald, who is regarded as an excellent coach but has failed to convince that he is management material during the five games he has spent in charge.

 Graham Taylor, the former England and Villa manager, suggested such a structure would work well when he recently held talks with Paul Faulkner, the club's chief executive, to offer advice about O'Neill's successor. Taylor believes that MacDonald's skills are on the training ground and Villa appear to have accepted that is the case. MacDonald , who was interviewed by Randy Lerner, Villa's owner, on Wednesday, has indicated that he would be receptive to working in partnership with a more experienced figure.

There were suggestions last night that Villa would make an appointment today but club officials have indicated a decision is not imminent.

Although Houllier's time at Anfield will be remembered by many Liverpool supporters for the poor signings that were a feature of the latter years of his reign, he also achieved considerable success, most notably in 2001, when the club won three major trophies. His responsibilities at Villa would be wide-ranging and include setting up a worldwide scouting network to address weaknesses in that area.

[Gregorys Boy]

If any system could work it might be this way with Mcdonald as couch, a guy like GH could maybe smooth out his flaws.  I just don't think The Director of football model works in english football, but I would be happy to be proven wrong.

[Jimbo]

If it's Houllier as DOF and KMac as head coach, then it makes a lot of sense from the board's perspective. I think Randy has learned a harsh lesson from the MON situation. He had far too much autonomy and when he walked out it left a huge vacuum. Unfortunately for us, it's being filled with particularly uninspiring options.

What we need right now is a strong leader and personality to make up for a distinct shortfall in that department on the playing staff. With no chance of adding to the playing staff until January, we needed someone to galvanise, organise and inspire - to get us all pulling in the same direction. I just don't think this pair can achieve that if the going gets tough, which it will. And then, who to blame if we're dangerously under-performing?

GT seems to think that Prem clubs need two men to steer them towards success, the job of a modern-day manager being too big for just one man. Tell that to every other club in the league. Tell it to Ancelotti, Redknapp, Wenger and Ferguson.

Personally I'll be unimpressed if this is what we end up with. I've never known a manager hunt to take so long and be so underwhelming. If it were any chairman other than Randy, I think a lot of people would be very suspicious as to why the appointment was made after the closure of the transfer window. Especially if we end up with KMac as de-facto coach and team-picker all along.

We have no choice but to accept what we're given and back it. But I have to admit this state of affairs, should it arise, will be a million miles away from where many of us thought we'd be in our post-Ellis "bright future" come September 2010. 

[Muscle-Dolphin]

I can see Houllier getting a 1 year deal, I think they wanted a Moyes or Hughes but would not go for them as they are both attached. So get in Houllier for 1 season, see how it (and he health wise) goes and then look at things next Summer.

Agree wholeheartedly.  KMac gets a mentor to compensate for his inexperience.  Who knows, maybe they will complement each other.  If it doesn't work out at the end of the year, there will be a larger pool of potential managers to choose from.

[olaftab]

I'd like to believe that we are going to try and copy the Lyon model, hence the appointment of Houllier.

I agree we should try the Lyon model!
http://www.jurgita.com/models-id287023.html

[Dante Lavelli]

GT seems to think that Prem clubs need two men to steer them towards success, the job of a modern-day manager being too big for just one man. Tell that to every other club in the league. Tell it to Ancelotti, Redknapp, Wenger and Ferguson.

I'd say that Ferguson is pretty much a Director of Football.  Apparently he spends little time on the training pitch but his finger prints are all over the infrastructure and networks (as you'd expect after ?? 20 years).

One of the reasons I think he has lasted so long is because he changes his assistant manager every few years.  In my mind Kidd, Quieroz, Phelan are like the head coaches to Ferguson's DoF.

I suppose in many ways its just semantics. 

Here's a question:  If Houllier was to be DoF, would you expect him to be in the doug out on match days?

[ROBBO]

If it wasn't for his health problems he might be the man although when he coached Pool he had money to spend and players lining up to play for them. Still think the whole process smacks of amateurism.

[lessealey]

GT seems to think that Prem clubs need two men to steer them towards success, the job of a modern-day manager being too big for just one man. Tell that to every other club in the league. Tell it to Ancelotti, Redknapp, Wenger and Ferguson.

I'd say that Ferguson is pretty much a Director of Football.  Apparently he spends little time on the training pitch but his finger prints are all over the infrastructure and networks (as you'd expect after ?? 20 years).

One of the reasons I think he has lasted so long is because he changes his assistant manager every few years.  In my mind Kidd, Quieroz, Phelan are like the head coaches to Ferguson's DoF.

I suppose in many ways its just semantics. 

Here's a question:  If Houllier was to be DoF, would you expect him to be in the doug out on match days?

I agree with your point. The sme could be said about MON. He only really spoke to the players on match days and spent more time in his office than on the training pitch. It doesn't matter what you call these guys, the players just need to know who's in charge. This DOF works well on paper but has never worked well in practise. One person needs to be ultimatey responsible for buying players, picking teams and results. This guy in charge can then be held accountable and the players know who they need to impress. If we get in GH as DOF he cannot be held accountable for results as KMac is picking the team and he has not appointed Kmac. If Houllier is given DOF then he needs to be able to pick his coach, so he can be held acountable for results.
A new board often appoint a new manger when they take over a club and in the smae vein Houllier needs to be the man in charge and change Kmac if he feels fit.

[eastie]

Now the cat is out the bag apparently I would hope the club could release a statement to give us the full details of houlliers appointment.

After nearly a month it's not the greatest choice and a lot of chairmen would have gone out and paid to get their man whether in a job or not, could have been better than houllier but could also have been worse.

After almost a month of waiting I'm sure things could have been done much better , but now let's get behind houllier and see where it takes us.