Houllier's presence

[PeterWithe]

I can understand, and agree with,  people being pissed off at MON for the manner of his leaving but anyone would think we were battling relegation under him going on some of these posts.

I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't want to work again, he'll never get the type of freedom he enjoyed under Randy and he just seemed not to need the hassle anymore.

[Jimbo]

I think his ego might accept the Liverpool job before he even knows he's been offered it.

[Mac]

I think it was Andy Gray who said that neither O'Neill nor Randy had come out and said he was staying. It's hindsight but there was an obvious problem.

Does that mean Randy had an idea he'd be off? Should he have lined up our Gezza sooner, saving crucial time, and possibly avoiding the Newcastle and Vienna debacles?

The rumour is that Mark Hughes was lined up.  MON had heard that we were lining up someone to replace him if he departed to Liverpool and, miffed,  delayed his departure until after Hughes got another job to screw us up further.

[Jimbo]

In that case MON did us a big favour. I'd much rather have Houllier than Hughes. Cheers Marty.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Liverpool turned him down in the summer and everyone in football knows it. He'll have to swallow a lot of pride to take the job now.

I didn't know it and I also don't believe it.

[eastie]

I'm no great fan of the man mac but surely mon couldn't be that vindictive, or could he?

[dave.woodhall]

Liverpool turned him down in the summer and everyone in football knows it. He'll have to swallow a lot of pride to take the job now.

I didn't know it and I also don't believe it.

You don't have to, but it's the truth.

[Brend'Watkins]

In a short space of time GH's presence is already showing.  I'm pleasantly surprised so far but it is too early to make a judgement that everything is that much better than before.  The signs are good though.

[bob]

Liverpool turned him down in the summer and everyone in football knows it. He'll have to swallow a lot of pride to take the job now.

I didn't know it and I also don't believe it.

You don't have to, but it's the truth.

Where did you hear this?

[Somniloquism]

Didn't one of the players mention something about as a possible reason when they were saying he had been distracted and didn't seem to have the same thing about him in pre-season.

[KevinGage]

I think one of the players (Bannan) even mentioned the Liverpool job as part of the reason for that distraction.

Regardless, there were too many reports coming from different factions within the game and media for there not to be anything to it. It wasn't just the odd isolated report.

[dave.woodhall]

Where did you hear this?

Take your pick. Press, club staff, informed supporters.

[bob]

Club staff.

[bob]

Regardless, there were too many reports coming from different factions within the game and media for there not to be anything to it. It wasn't just the odd isolated report.

No smoke without fire?
What about smoke machines?
Dry ice.

I didn't hear it. However I don't read the papers.

[sfx412]

Houlliers no Messiah that's for sure. He's not the man O'Neill is, and as yet has done little to show he's going to be any better in the long run.
However, he's switched on to football, modern day football, has already changed dramatically the football regime at Villa. He's also articulate when interviewed as he doesn't need to be ultra cautious with every word he sprouts.
He's brought in a group of talented and mostly young coaches, full of new ideas, has used more players in the few matches he's had than O'Neill did in a full season, and is gaining the respect if not adulation of fans.
I'm sure those who idolised O'Neill, will expect far more than he can offer with the squad left behind and as views expressed above show, the blindness caused by the O'Neill aura has not worn off for some, poor sods.
Houllier is not the sort of manager to sprout how good he is, he has no ego to build, he doesn't need that sort of weak adulation, or continual justification, he just does it to the best of his ability, without too much of a shout.
As a result, the club will gain a much lower profile, unless he produces a higher level of success. I for one welcome his tenure even though I doubt the combined ability of the Board and him to produce enough of the goods now that O'Neill has frittered so much of the finance away and then in his own inimitable spiteful way ran off to suit his own warped agenda, leaving the club and especially those fans who blindly and foolishly followed him in the shit, with nothing but their hollow pride and obvious failings to dwell on
Does O'Neill care about Villa, does he care about those fans he left suffering the continual humiliation, does he fck, he cares for one thing alone, himself, and that's another bonus of Houllier as manager.