Houllier released from hospital - Get well soon from all at H&V

[KevinGage]

Fantastic news that he's on the mend.

Does seem to be intertwined with his previous illness though, surely only something completely unconnected would give either him or the club the confidence to continue as if nothing had happened.

[cfetters]

Get Well GED!  Want to see you back on the touchline ASAP.  Because that means you've been given a clean bill of health - which is something we can all agree on.

-C.

[Legion]

Can't wait to post 'Houllier out!' in a few days time...

[JUAN PABLO]

released from hossie  in 3 or 4 days ??

[Nastylee]

Released from heart unit in 4 days. I wonder if any of the players who have 'played up' in the last few months are feeling really guilty that they may have contributed to his situation?

[olaftab]

Ged  get out of the hospital and get out of this mad football world. Go and retire in the Maldives or somewhere equally nice with access to watching football of course!

[villa `cross the mersey]

An aquaintance of mine was one of the team that operated on Gerard - I asked him tonight of his opinion on the diagnosis - the response - Quote "May have split the lining (dissection) of the descending aorta beyond the graft to cause his chest pain. Hopefully split will seal with no action needed. Not good though"

Gerard call it a day now and enjoy the rest of your life - some things are more important than football.

Leave Mr Lerner to make the toughest decision of his Villa tenure to secure the services of someone as good as Gerard could have been.

[spangley1812]

An aquaintance of mine was one of the team that operated on Gerard - I asked him tonight of his opinion on the diagnosis - the response - Quote "May have split the lining (dissection) of the descending aorta beyond the graft to cause his chest pain. Hopefully split will seal with no action needed. Not good though"

Gerard call it a day now and enjoy the rest of your life - some things are more important than football.

Leave Mr Lerner to make the toughest decision of his Villa tenure to secure the services of someone as good as Gerard could have been.

Well said VCTM

[brian green]

Quit while you are ahead Gerard.   You bombed them out like you said you would.   Nothing left to prove.   Live on with the affection and respect of two big premiership clubs.

[adrenachrome]

Grauniad

Gérard Houllier unlikely to return to management for Aston Villa



Stuart James
Tuesday 26 April 2011 23.01 BST
 
The Aston Villa manager, Gérard Houllier, is not expected to be in the dug-out for the club next season. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Gérard Houllier is expected to make a decision about his future at the end of the season but it looks increasingly likely that he will not be seen in frontline management again. The Aston Villa manager has been in hospital since last Wednesday, when he was admitted with chest pains, and although his condition has improved and he is set to be discharged within the next few days, there are major doubts about whether he will return to the dugout.

Gary McAllister, Houllier's assistant, will take charge of the team for the remaining four matches of the season, as the Frenchman undergoes a period of convalescence, which will initially be spent in bed at home. Mark Waller, Villa's club doctor, said that Houllier's heart is "working perfectly", although it has also emerged that the cause of his chest pains – a dissection of the descending aorta – is related to the major health scare he suffered in 2001, when he underwent 11 hours of open-heart surgery after being taken ill during his time as Liverpool manager.

Villa are in a difficult position. The club are understandably keen to avoid putting any pressure on the 63-year-old Frenchman, yet they also need to know whether he is likely to be in a position to continue in the long term. The club will wait until he has recovered before holding talks and, although McAllister has suggested the former Lyon manager will be desperate to come back, Houllier will be guided by the medical advice he receives.

In a statement released by the club on Tuesday night Houllier expressed his gratitude to those who have wished him well in his recovery. It is understood that the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, who is a good friend, has been among his visitors. "I am extremely touched by all the messages I have received and by the reaction of people throughout the world of football. It has been overwhelming actually. I'm especially grateful to the Villa fans for their genuine concern and encouragement and to the fans of clubs up and down the country. There has been a groundswell of goodwill and I appreciate this so much.

"I'm grateful to my players for their texts and messages and, of course, for their efforts in extending our recent unbeaten run on Saturday against Stoke and also to Gary McAllister and the rest of my staff – the team behind the team – for stepping in and taking the reins at this time. I'm grateful, too, to my managerial colleagues who have taken the time to get in touch with me.

"You need to know that the care I have received at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been first-class and I am in the debt of the medical staff whose expertise and human touch has helped me through these past six days. My condition is improving and extremely encouraging. Dr Mark Waller, the club's doctor, is better placed to explain things from a medical viewpoint, so suffice to say again that I am very moved by the fact that so many people have me in their thoughts just now."

Waller said: "Gérard was admitted to hospital on Wednesday last week after complaining of chest pain. The cause of his chest pain was a dissection of the descending aorta. All the tests have confirmed that his heart is working perfectly. We are extremely encouraged by Gérard's improvement over the past six days and we now anticipate that he will be discharged from the coronary care unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital within the next three to four days."

[VillaAlways]

Grauniad

Gérard Houllier unlikely to return to management for Aston Villa



Stuart James
Tuesday 26 April 2011 23.01 BST
 
The Aston Villa manager, Gérard Houllier, is not expected to be in the dug-out for the club next season. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Gérard Houllier is expected to make a decision about his future at the end of the season but it looks increasingly likely that he will not be seen in frontline management again. The Aston Villa manager has been in hospital since last Wednesday, when he was admitted with chest pains, and although his condition has improved and he is set to be discharged within the next few days, there are major doubts about whether he will return to the dugout.

Gary McAllister, Houllier's assistant, will take charge of the team for the remaining four matches of the season, as the Frenchman undergoes a period of convalescence, which will initially be spent in bed at home. Mark Waller, Villa's club doctor, said that Houllier's heart is "working perfectly", although it has also emerged that the cause of his chest pains – a dissection of the descending aorta – is related to the major health scare he suffered in 2001, when he underwent 11 hours of open-heart surgery after being taken ill during his time as Liverpool manager.

Villa are in a difficult position. The club are understandably keen to avoid putting any pressure on the 63-year-old Frenchman, yet they also need to know whether he is likely to be in a position to continue in the long term. The club will wait until he has recovered before holding talks and, although McAllister has suggested the former Lyon manager will be desperate to come back, Houllier will be guided by the medical advice he receives.

In a statement released by the club on Tuesday night Houllier expressed his gratitude to those who have wished him well in his recovery. It is understood that the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, who is a good friend, has been among his visitors. "I am extremely touched by all the messages I have received and by the reaction of people throughout the world of football. It has been overwhelming actually. I'm especially grateful to the Villa fans for their genuine concern and encouragement and to the fans of clubs up and down the country. There has been a groundswell of goodwill and I appreciate this so much.

"I'm grateful to my players for their texts and messages and, of course, for their efforts in extending our recent unbeaten run on Saturday against Stoke and also to Gary McAllister and the rest of my staff – the team behind the team – for stepping in and taking the reins at this time. I'm grateful, too, to my managerial colleagues who have taken the time to get in touch with me.

"You need to know that the care I have received at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been first-class and I am in the debt of the medical staff whose expertise and human touch has helped me through these past six days. My condition is improving and extremely encouraging. Dr Mark Waller, the club's doctor, is better placed to explain things from a medical viewpoint, so suffice to say again that I am very moved by the fact that so many people have me in their thoughts just now."

Waller said: "Gérard was admitted to hospital on Wednesday last week after complaining of chest pain. The cause of his chest pain was a dissection of the descending aorta. All the tests have confirmed that his heart is working perfectly. We are extremely encouraged by Gérard's improvement over the past six days and we now anticipate that he will be discharged from the coronary care unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital within the next three to four days."

They know about as much as we do but I would be stunned if he returned

[pauliewalnuts]

Apparently the prognosis for people who suffer the condition he has is one in four die within three years.

When you see it put that starkly,it is a reminder how unimportant football is. I hope he's ok. Apparently the op he had ten years ago has only a 30% success rate. You've got to really love football and be committed to your jib to want to continue in those circumstances

[Chipsticks]

Fantastic news, great to read that he's getting better.

I think that's it for the Houllier era then, hopefully he'll return to management someday - when the time is right. Though if I were him I'd just retire somewhere abroad and forget that football exists.

[KevinGage]

I wouldn't wish the pressures of football management -be it with our club or another- on someone who has gone through what he has.

It's difficult to view his period of time at the club to date with any fondness. But hopefully some of the things he's implemented will stand to us in the long run.

[luke25]

Its ashame really because even though its been a twat of a season, I was looking forward to seeing how we'd do next season when he could clear the deadwood out and sign his own players, his health obviously comes first though.