The replacement for MON...?

[VillaVillaVilla]

Is he my first choice? No. Do I support the appointment. Yes.

I see Houllier as a football man. Simple as that. He's not a talking head. He wants to get things done. I see him as a bona fide winner. He will have an expectation that Villa perform and win. I also think that he's not just an old dinosaur coach incapable of understanding the modern game. I bet he's more current in game strategy and tactics than MON because he's been following the world game more so than MON. The fact that he wants to leave a nice safe well paid job to manage again means he has a fire and a hunger to compete.

When he is officially appointed I will firmly enlist in his claret and blue army.

Hip Hip Houllier! Hip Hip Houllier! Hip Hip Houllier!

[hilts_coolerking]

What has Sven ever achieved while managing an English club, other than a massive pay packet?

Eriksson has had one season in the Premier League. One.

[OzVilla]

He did so well at Man City in that one season (best league placing for umpteen years) that the players threatened to strike when they found out he was leaving.

[magic monks]

The problem with Sven is he's got one eye on the door before he starts his first day at work.

Besides anyone who watched the inept Ivory Coast performance in the World Cup, and read about the catastrophic effort he made of the Mexico job, should be very wary of the man. And lets not even start on Notts County.

The man's an opportunist, and I'd be deeply unhappy if he was Villa manager right now. 

[hilts_coolerking]

The man's an opportunist, and I'd be deeply unhappy if he was Villa manager right now.

Maybe he is and maybe he isn't; what's not in doubt is that he has a more impressive career CV than Houllier or O'Neill. Or Alan Curbishley, for that matter.

[Shrek]

He did so well at Man City in that one season (best league placing for umpteen years) that the players threatened to strike when they found out he was leaving.

He spent loads of mo ey and got beat 8-1 wasn't it by Middlesborough.
Sven is a journey man, Houllier cannot be worse than Oneil, who has spent his whole career spending loads of money or throwing his dummies out the pram.

[hilts_coolerking]

He did so well at Man City in that one season (best league placing for umpteen years) that the players threatened to strike when they found out he was leaving.

He spent loads of mo ey and got beat 8-1 wasn't it by Middlesborough.
Sven is a journey man, Houllier cannot be worse than Oneil, who has spent his whole career spending loads of money or throwing his dummies out the pram.

He spent a lot of money because there was a lot of money to spend. As a result, Man City had their best league finish for years, which included doing the double over Man United. That 8-1 battering by Boro came in the last game of the season, after Eriksson had been told he was being given the poke and neither he nor the players were particularly happy about it.

[magic monks]

The man's an opportunist, and I'd be deeply unhappy if he was Villa manager right now.

Maybe he is and maybe he isn't; what's not in doubt is that he has a more impressive career CV than Houllier or O'Neill. Or Alan Curbishley, for that matter.

Yep, and he's also got nicer hair and a slightly-fitter wife probably. But all of that doesnt matter either because it's not about Sven's 2000 Scudetto versus Houllier's 2001 'treble' of sorts. It's about what he can bring to the table right now, what can he do to improve the club.

Houllier obviously came with a blueprint of how things were going to go, and Randy was obviously keen as mustard for what he heard. Sven probably came with his bank manager.   

[Shrek]

Houllier is way more suitable than Sven. GH has won 6 trophies with an English club, Sven has done fuck all with an English club.

Can't people remember watching England under Sven screaming make a bloody sub. I've had enough of that with Martin.

[hilts_coolerking]

Houllier is way more suitable than Sven. GH has won 6 trophies with an English club, Sven has done fuck all with an English club.

Sven has had one season in the Premier League ffs. Fair enough, you don't rate him but you can't have a go at him on the basis of one season. A season which, under the circumstances, was actually a pretty good one for Man City.

[magic monks]

Can't people remember watching England under Sven screaming make a bloody sub. I've had enough of that with Martin.

I still wake up at 4am screaming 'DO SOMETHING SVEN, ANYTHING'

[hilts_coolerking]

Yep, and he's also got nicer hair and a slightly-fitter wife probably. But all of that doesnt matter either because it's not about Sven's 2000 Scudetto versus Houllier's 2001 'treble' of sorts. It's about what he can bring to the table right now, what can he do to improve the club.

Houllier obviously came with a blueprint of how things were going to go, and Randy was obviously keen as mustard for what he heard. Sven probably came with his bank manager.

It's a fair point; it would appear that Houllier was more impressive at interview than Sven. The point I'm making is that for all the people pointing to Houllier's record as evidence that he was the best candidate, Sven's record is better. It remains to be seen, assuming Houllier gets the job, whether he has the ability to execute that blueprint.

[magic monks]

Yep, and he's also got nicer hair and a slightly-fitter wife probably. But all of that doesnt matter either because it's not about Sven's 2000 Scudetto versus Houllier's 2001 'treble' of sorts. It's about what he can bring to the table right now, what can he do to improve the club.

Houllier obviously came with a blueprint of how things were going to go, and Randy was obviously keen as mustard for what he heard. Sven probably came with his bank manager.

It's a fair point; it would appear that Houllier was more impressive at interview than Sven. The point I'm making is that for all the people pointing to Houllier's record as evidence that he was the best candidate, Sven's record is better. It remains to be seen, assuming Houllier gets the job, whether he has the ability to execute that blueprint.

Yeah I certainly wouldnt use that argument too quickly against Eriksson, a 30-second wikipedia solves that one without too much trouble.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Houllier is really not a bad shout. His record and contacts are far more impressive than MON. Also His ability to "find" young european talent is far superior to any previous manager we have ever had at Vp. Kevin Mac is really out of his league and we cannot afford for him to serve his apprenticeship as a premiere ship manager over a proven  established leader who has massive advantages to the position ...........

[Reality]

Ian Taylor has confirmed that Houllier will be appointed manager officially on Thursday.