Houllier confirmed as new manager. Press Conference p22

[Toronto Villa]

the kit situation is a balls up. No argument there.

[Risso]

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?

Are you suggesting that the position we're in where we have no idea when Houllier will actually start is PLANNED?  Where we've no assistant manager because the two people identified so far have turned it down.  Honestly?

[PeterWithe]

I'm really surprised that so many dont think its important that we failed to negotiate the release of our new manager before unveiling him, what if the French hold him to three months notice, what if Kmac wins all the games in the meantime, what if he loses them all, the list of available managerial talent could look a lot different at that time.

[hilts_coolerking]

I don't think it has been handled disastrously but, even taking the timing difficulties into account, I don't think anyone would argue this has been a model of how to appoint a manager.

[Toronto Villa]

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?

Are you suggesting that the position we're in where we have no idea when Houllier will actually start is PLANNED?  Where we've no assistant manager because the two people identified so far have turned it down.  Honestly?

Maybe pre-arranged wasn't the correct term. What I am saying is that none of this would be a surprise to Faulkner/Randy, as they would have discussed it beforehand. I don't think the first time the board knew of his remaining commitments to the FFF was yesterday. Is it a less than perfect situation. Yes. But it's not the end of the world, and not even close to a farce as some as suggesting. A farce would have been if this had never been disclosed by Houllier which I cannot for a second believe is the case.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

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?

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?

Absolutely. The one thing in modern day football I've failed to understand is the lack of importance given to first team coaching. I'm struggling to think of another industry where millions are invested in single aquisitions and then handed over to non-experts. I think Houllier does understand the importance of coaching excellence and I would hope the club will back him. I would really like to see us break the mould and bring in the best coaches possible, paying them top money if required, who could get the best out of Randy's investment. Patrice Bergues is known as a superb defensive coach, why not also bring in a top midfield/attacking coach?

It would go a long way in helping us attract the best young players, keep our existing quality players and hopefully lead to a bit of success on the pitch. Cost wise, it would less than we pay Emile Heskey.

[Toronto Villa]

Houllier mentioned KM as possibly his replacement, but that KM had declined that opportunity. Shame, but his loss. If we could attract Quieroz as an assistant with one eye on eventually replacing Houllier, that would be a great situation for the club. We need top coaches at Villa to push us on again.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Houllier mentioned KM as possibly his replacement, but that KM had declined that opportunity. Shame, but his loss. If we could attract Quieroz as an assistant with one eye on eventually replacing Houllier, that would be a great situation for the club. We need top coaches at Villa to push us on again.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, Quieroz is a great coach but lacks the leadership skills to be a top manager. Saying that, Fergie wanted him to be his eventual replacement at Old Trafford, so he must have seen something in him.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

We have mentioned about the old fashion out of date coaching staff MON had. Now we have a chance to get some of the best coaches in the world. Patrice Bergues is one of them coaches and there is still a chance he may come on board.  If not Houllier has impeccable contacts ................

[dave.woodhall]

I think if anyone else uses the phrase null7th to 12th placenull 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?

The club seems to be ticking over well enough. There's been a few problems because somebody the board placed too much faith in dumped on us from a great height, but I'm sure that'll be sorted.

It's dead easy, this theoretical management. You do whatever you want,  nothing  ever gets in your way and you're always right.

[PaulWinch again]

I'll take a slight delay in order to get Houllier in place. I think he'll be excellent for us and will get in the right coaches and in time the right players to supplement the squad. A brief delay that will lead to long term progress is ok for me. Better that than Curbishley or Bradley etc immediately.

[KevinGage]

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. 

It was always a statement that was going to come back and bite him on the arse TBF.

I'm pretty certain our rivals and certain sections of the press won't let us forget it either, particularly if things start to go tits up.

I'd take the approach that we are one of the biggest clubs in one of the best leagues in the world. Not a shoe-in for 4th by any stretch. But one of the few sides that can at least semi-realistically aim for that spot. To talk as he did pre press conference was ill advised.

New managers generally have a certain amount of grace, a honeymoon period where they can do no wrong.  Those kind of comments mean we're having the type of discussions that normally only crop up a year/18 months into the job.

Bottom line: I don't care how he perceived us previously. Maybe he did genuinely see us as mid-table dross - certainly his comments about us in 2005 when both Villa and Lyon were trying to sign Baros from Liverpool would indicate as much. I don't even care if he sees us as on a par with Walsall truth be told - providing he delivers.

[TimTheVillain]

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 not impressed with Faulkner either, I think he's out of his depth.

He looks like a back office boy trying to front a company to me and a company in a business where he has no previous experience.

I guess it depends what Randy wants from a CEO;  we aren't a plc anymore so it's more an MD position really -- see what he does going forward maybe.

[kippaxvilla2]

what the fuck does that mean?

Do you not recall nearly breaking your keyboard a few years back such was your incandescence with me over something we were arguing over.

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm glad we've decided to give the job to Houllier, I think in that sense the club have got the best man they could have got.

I do think, though, that the press conference was somewhat farcical.

We've effectively unveiled a man as our manager who isn't actually our manager. That's one thing, but then to compound the mistake, it doesn't actually emerge until during the press conference that he hasn't signed a contract yet, or that he doesn't know when he can start.

I appreciate the argument of those who say they'd have got crucified if they hadn't held a press conference, but why not at the very least, if they insisted on holding it, did PF not say something at the start about Houllier's position with the FFF and his release situation?

Or just make a statement that he's agreed to become the manager and is negotiating his release and wait until he's got an answer?

Instead what we got, in drips and drabs was . "No, i won't be here on Monday, I can't come, I've got meetings for my current job .... I don't know if i can come for the game after, but if i do, i won't be in the dug out ..... the game after is a possibility, but I can't guarantee it ..... theoretically, they have the legal right to make me work out three months notice ..... actually, even then, I might have to continue to do the odd day here and there in Paris even after I start".

Can you even begin to imagine how stupid we're going to look if now, for whatever reason, he doesn't become our manager? Unlikely but it is not really on that there's even the slightest possibility, and if there is that element of doubt, holding a press conference risks making us look ridiculous.

Then, for added surrealness, we have a situation where, the man for whom we delayed the process whilst he make his mind up if he even wanted to apply, who we interviewed and rejected for the job, and who has rejected the chance to be GH's number two, is now possibly going to be in charge of the team for another 3 or 4 games (or even longer). How motivated and up for it is he going to be? And is it fair for us, having rejected him, to ask him to continue to step in?

Before anyone weighs in with "grow some balls" or "stop being a drama queen", it is not hysterical wailing, I just find it a bit disturbing when we make ourselves look so amateurish.