Houllier confirmed as new manager. Press Conference p22

[K3Villa]

Welcome to Villa Park and all the best.

[Glenn Peen]

I'd like to propose a new song to welcome Msr Houllier to Villa Park

(To the tune of Bergerac)

Ge-rard Hooooooo
Hou-Hou-Hou...lier
Ge-rard Hoooooooo
Hou-Hou-Hou...lier
He's got big feet
And hands like plates of meat
(but nice French meat)
Ge-rard Hooooo
Hou-Hou-Hou...lier
Is a manly manly man
MKH MKH MKH MKH

Welcome Gerard, and the best of brown luck from me and Bernard (Bernard doesn't really like football, but I make him watch it anyway otherwise he doesn't get any tea)

Love Glenn

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm not too keen on this:

http://www.lefigaro.fr/football-clubs-etrangers/2010/09/04/02017-20100904ARTSPO00426-houllier-vers-aston-villa.php

Gérard Houllier retrouve donc un championnat qu'il connait bien, lui qui a ramené Liverpool au plus haut niveau entre 1998 et 2004 avec notamment un triplé historique en 2001 (Cup, Coupe de la Ligue, Coupe de l'UEFA). «Aston Villa n'est pas un club du niveau de Liverpool, reconnait-t-il. Soyons objectifs et honnêtes… C'est un club qui se situe, pour moi, entre la septième et la douzième place. C'est surtout un club historique, qui a gagné la Ligue des Champions (Ndlr : en 1982). C'est un club qui a de très bonnes installations, une bonne équipe et qui ne demande qu'une chose : progresser d'année en année.» Pourquoi choisir un club de milieu de tableau anglais, après avoir goûté au plus haut niveau par le passé ? «J'ai bien sûr eu d'autres propositions, mais celle-là me semblait être la plus intéressante en termes d'environnement, de conditions de travail», assure-t-il.

Unless I'm mistaken (and I probably am), that translates as:

"Aston Villa is not a club of the same level as Liverpool" he said. "Let's be objective and honest, it is a club which, for me, finds itself between seventh and twelfth place. It is above all a historic club, which has won the European Cup. It is a club which a very good set up, a good team, and which demands just one thing: to progress year on year". Why choose a mid table English club after having tasted a higher level in the past? "I had other offers, but this seemed to me the most interesting in terms of environment, of work conditions"

Hmm.

[Reality]

Is that for real?

[Guy M]

Is that for real?

pauliewalnuts' translation is indeed pretty accurate and the article does indeed seem to be genuine with direct quotes as opposed to the very British "a source close to Houllier revealed".

Won't make it into tomorrow's papers now, but I'm sure some hack will have read this thread and paulie's find and be sticking it in their paper on Friday. Having tweeted it first of course. Because that's what everyone does nowadays.

Like I said... bof!

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I had a feeling the General had written his comments tonight when I read the line about "amazing set of fans". Glenn Peen turns up and Houllier puts his right foot in the poo-poo. Coincidence? I doubt it.

[olaftab]

A dreadful appointment but I guess we had  very few choices once MON left us  in the lurch.

[Mark H]

Good Luck Gerard - lets hope this is the start of a bright future

[Reality]

Is that for real?

pauliewalnuts' translation is indeed pretty accurate and the article does indeed seem to be genuine with direct quotes as opposed to the very British "a source close to Houllier revealed".

Won't make it into tomorrow's papers now, but I'm sure some hack will have read this thread and paulie's find and be sticking it in their paper on Friday. Having tweeted it first of course. Because that's what everyone does nowadays.

Like I said... bof!

Hmm, I dunno. He's bound to have heard that he wasn't particularly wanted here with open arms with some fans, so to say that is beyond stupidity.

[hawkeye]

i am pretty disturbed by that Paulie, why the fuck would he say that? i did a google translation, my only hope is the context under which the questions were asked, if this gets publicised i can see trouble

[olaftab]

Trust Capello to take us off the headlines by making his oh so obvious statement.

[dave.woodhall]

i am pretty disturbed by that Paulie, why the fuck would he say that? i did a google translation, my only hope is the context under which the questions were asked, if this gets publicised i can see trouble

Only on the internet would a throwaway line by a new manager raise even the slightest of eyebrows.

[pauliewalnuts]

i am pretty disturbed by that Paulie, why the fuck would he say that? i did a google translation, my only hope is the context under which the questions were asked, if this gets publicised i can see trouble

Only on the internet would a throwaway line by a new manager raise even the slightest of eyebrows.

To be honest, it wasn't a throwaway line, it was a whole paragraph of it.

And there wasn't much need to say it in the first place.

[dave.woodhall]

i am pretty disturbed by that Paulie, why the fuck would he say that? i did a google translation, my only hope is the context under which the questions were asked, if this gets publicised i can see trouble

Only on the internet would a throwaway line by a new manager raise even the slightest of eyebrows.

To be honest, it wasn't a throwaway line, it was a whole paragraph of it.

And there wasn't much need to say it in the first place.

He'll explain it away if asked, everything's sorted.

[pauliewalnuts]

i am pretty disturbed by that Paulie, why the fuck would he say that? i did a google translation, my only hope is the context under which the questions were asked, if this gets publicised i can see trouble

Only on the internet would a throwaway line by a new manager raise even the slightest of eyebrows.

To be honest, it wasn't a throwaway line, it was a whole paragraph of it.

And there wasn't much need to say it in the first place.

He'll explain it away if asked, everything's sorted.

I'm sure he will.

Still said it, though. Seems a bit silly to me. A bit disappointing.