Houllier confirmed as new manager. Press Conference p22

[Toronto Villa]

I don't get what all the fuss is about. It would have been a farce if when Houllier talking about his remaining commitments to the FFF, Faulkner looked shocked. Like "You never mentioned this before" kind of look. It was all agreed and disclosed.
 
Now that it's a official, he'll be contact with the club every day. There is a sense of certainty because the players and staff all know who the manager is. Sometimes, I honestly feel some of us get far too carried away with the detail. In business, this happens quite often, that an employee is hired and announced, yet cannot take up a new position immediately. And while football isn't exactly the same, we're not talking about 5 year olds here. We're talking about professional athletes and professional coaches that can handle this situation for a couple of more weeks. The season is a long one, and if getting a very good candidate means we have work around some minor technical difficulties, then so be it. After all, we could have hired Curbishley, who had fuck all else going on. He could have started right away but then that would have been a bigger nightmare all round.

[Oscar Arce]

So he's not here for Stoke and not in the dugout for Bolton.

What a shambles the recruitment of the new manager has been. (Even though he still isn't our manager)

No new players when we needed to strengthen either because of the lack of manager. Yes of course O'Neill is to blame for walking out, but a month later we'll still have Kevin Mac in the spotlight - Not good enough

Agree 100%. The whole thing has descended into a farce and Houllier himself has'nt a clue when he will be taking over.
This morning we have quotes that he 'hopes' it will be the local derby with Wolves, by then we could have lost three games as I don't think a manager who has been turned down by the club and is about to revert to the reserve team instils much confidence.
Randy has had many plaudits since he took over our club but this whole protracted process has been poor.

[PeterWithe]

The fuss is because we look daft, we've called a press conference to announce the not quite signing of a manager who isn't quite as available as we thought he was.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

One thing I was encouraged by was when he said "We play for the fans. Our aim is to give them pleasure, to make sure they have a style that's entertaining.", which indicates a change of heart that I think he had at Lyon - that entertainment and style is more important than he thought.

I wouldn't read too much into that, Monty. If you watch the press conference, GH had his prompter notes on his left hand side, which may go some way to explain why he looked a little nervous at first. After that, I think he looked a lot more comfortable, talking about what he knows about. Obviously the club and especially the General will have realised how important it is to have the fans onside.

It's a shame Kevin Mac is so "disappointed" at not getting the job but from the comments in the football365 article, Patrice Bergues still may be joining us if he can sort things out at his end. From all accounts, he sounds like the football brain behind Houllier's success and well worth waiting for. If he's not available I'd like us to get in Quieroz who's now available and an excellent coach. We need to use this change in management to strengthen the club to ensure that even if we can't compete with the top 4 and Man City in financial terms, we can on the football side.

As we saw with MON, it's all well and good having a good leader but the backroom staff are just as important. Houllier has great experience and I believe will get us very well organised but he needs the right people along side him. Hopefully within the next ten days, he'll have the time to find the right people to keep us in the top 6 and also playing like a top six side. MON only managed one of those and to be honest, never really looked like achieving both. I have no problem waiting until after the Bolton game providing we get the right coaching staff in to build on what we have over the next three years and beyond.

[Toronto Villa]

One thing I was encouraged by was when he said "We play for the fans. Our aim is to give them pleasure, to make sure they have a style that's entertaining.", which indicates a change of heart that I think he had at Lyon - that entertainment and style is more important than he thought.

I wouldn't read too much into that, Monty. If you watch the press conference, GH had his prompter notes on his left hand side, which may go some way to explain why he looked a little nervous at first. After that, I think he looked a lot more comfortable, talking about what he knows about. Obviously the club and especially the General will have realised how important it is to have the fans onside.

It's a shame Kevin Mac is so "disappointed" at not getting the job but from the comments in the football365 article, Patrice Bergues still may be joining us if he can sort things out at his end. From all accounts, he sounds like the football brain behind Houllier's success and well worth waiting for. If he's not available I'd like us to get in Quieroz who's now available and an excellent coach. We need to use this change in management to strengthen the club to ensure that even if we can't compete with the top 4 and Man City in financial terms, we can on the football side.

As we saw with MON, it's all well and good having a good leader but the backroom staff are just as important. Houllier has great experience and I believe will get us very well organised but he needs the right people along side him. Hopefully within the next ten days, he'll have the time to find the right people to keep us in the top 6 and also playing like a top six side. MON only managed one of those and to be honest, never really looked like achieving both. I have no problem waiting until after the Bolton game providing we get the right coaching staff in to build on what we have over the next three years and beyond.

It's getting a little concerning that we are beginning to share the same opinon on things as much as we are. Winky thing.

I don't see why people are hanging on to every word or facial expression. Off course he looked nervous. It's his first day in front a TV cameras, media etc. I'd be petrified. The media briefing is excellent where he speaks very confidently, casually and is quite funny at times.

[Monty]

It's not necessarily a case of reading things into the statement, more the fact that he said it when he would never have said it when taking over at Liverpool or Lyon. For someone who used to be known as the curmudgeonest of functional curmudgeons, this statement is quite significant - or at least could be. I have to admit, I saw a little bit of a change in him at Lyon, when he forced through the change to 4-3-3 against Lacombe's wishes and it worked very well. We shall see.

As for the coaching staff, it is good that Houllier, unlike MON, is good at surrounding himself with the right people and, as he mentioned pointedly, working as a team, a stark contrast to MON's dictatorial approach. I would love to have Queiroz as a coach, but you wonder if he'd really want to go straight back to no. 2 at a club like Villa. Mind you, his stock as a no. 1 has never been lower, so you never know.

[john e]

if he is the right man, and only time will tell on that one,
 then it doesnt matter to me if it takes 3 weeks or 3 months to get him,
i'd rather wait a few weeks than appoint someone like Curbs just because he can start straight away.

[dave.woodhall]

I think if anyone else uses the phrase "7th to 12th place" I''m going to start taking hostages.

A couple of things don't go exactly how they should - because they just SHOULD - and suddenly we're doomed. 

[Rudy Can't Fail]

It's getting a little concerning that we are beginning to share the same opinon on things as much as we are. Winky thing.

Don't get me wrong TV, there is reason for concern but I would hope the club and now Houllier know what they're doing. We desperately need to make the right appointments otherwise we're going to have serious problems.

[Toronto Villa]

It's not necessarily a case of reading things into the statement, more the fact that he said it when he would never have said it when taking over at Liverpool or Lyon. For someone who used to be known as the curmudgeonest of functional curmudgeons, this statement is quite significant - or at least could be. I have to admit, I saw a little bit of a change in him at Lyon, when he forced through the change to 4-3-3 against Lacombe's wishes and it worked very well. We shall see.

As for the coaching staff, it is good that Houllier, unlike MON, is good at surrounding himself with the right people and, as he mentioned pointedly, working as a team, a stark contrast to MON's dictatorial approach. I would love to have Queiroz as a coach, but you wonder if he'd really want to go straight back to no. 2 at a club like Villa. Mind you, his stock as a no. 1 has never been lower, so you never know.

which would be an incredible coup if he decided Villa Park was the place for him. I just don't see it.

I don't see the relevance of what he might have done at Liverpool or Lyon. I think this is a very different Houllier to one we have seen before. I think his time away from football management may have given him a different insight into doing things. I want him to get the very best assistant he can so there's less pressure on him. Also, I want the assistant to have more energy and passion. I didn't always feel that from Robertson and Walford. If Quieroz is remotely an option, and a possible future Villa manager, we should be all over that.

[Toronto Villa]

It's getting a little concerning that we are beginning to share the same opinon on things as much as we are. Winky thing.

Don't get me wrong TV, there is reason for concern but I would hope the club and now Houllier know what they're doing. We desperately need to make the right appointments otherwise we're going to have serious problems.

Maybe I'm not as bothered by it as some are. In the next 10 days, I don't think Rome will fall, because Caesar isn't in town. I think we'll be just fine. I also hope in the next 10 days Houllier finds a solid assistant (Quieroz possibly to eventually take over would be nice). My point is it doesn't all have to happen according to conventional timelines. If we have to wait a little to get the right man (or men) at this stage of the season it will hold us in good stead for the rest of it.

[olaftab]

It's not necessarily a case of reading things into the statement, more the fact that he said it when he would never have said it when taking over at Liverpool or Lyon. For someone who used to be known as the curmudgeonest of functional curmudgeons, this statement is quite significant - or at least could be. I have to admit, I saw a little bit of a change in him at Lyon, when he forced through the change to 4-3-3 against Lacombe's wishes and it worked very well. We shall see.

As for the coaching staff, it is good that Houllier, unlike MON, is good at surrounding himself with the right people and, as he mentioned pointedly, working as a team, a stark contrast to MON's dictatorial approach. I would love to have Queiroz as a coach, but you wonder if he'd really want to go straight back to no. 2 at a club like Villa. Mind you, his stock as a no. 1 has never been lower, so you never know.

That and not having a job could be persuasive if GH was to  go after  him?

[Villa'Zawg]

I think if anyone else uses the phrase "7th to 12th place" I''m going to start taking hostages.

A couple of things don't go exactly how they should - because they just SHOULD - and suddenly we're doomed. 

I'm honestly struggling to think of anything that has gone exactly how it should since we appointed the new CEO. Can you think of anything?

[Toronto Villa]

I think if anyone else uses the phrase "7th to 12th place" I''m going to start taking hostages.

A couple of things don't go exactly how they should - because they just SHOULD - and suddenly we're doomed. 

I'm honestly struggling to think of anything that has gone exactly how it should since we appointed the new CEO. Can you think of anything?

what if this was pre-arranged with the CEO's full knowledge. From his perspective surely everything is going as it should. We're not privy to all of the arrangements that have been disclosed between Faulkner/Randy and Houllier so aren't we just making wild assumptions most of the time?

[Risso]

I think if anyone else uses the phrase "7th to 12th place" I''m going to start taking hostages.

A couple of things don't go exactly how they should - because they just SHOULD - and suddenly we're doomed. 

I'm honestly struggling to think of anything that has gone exactly how it should since we appointed the new CEO. Can you think of anything?

I'm with you on that.  I'm sure he's great at marketing and the like, and is good when everything's going OK.  In the last few months though, we've had the new kit balls up, and now the new manager circus, with the latest that apparently the French Football Federation have said that they don't know how long they need Houllier for.