Tag Archives: Houllier

Houllier makes Anfield return

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Gerard Houllier and Roy Hodgson are two managers that have not found life easy at their new clubs and on Monday Aston Villa travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool as the Frenchman returns to his old stomping ground (Liverpool 3/5, draw 11/4, Villa 5/1).

Villa are really struggling for wins in the Premier League in recent weeks and have only picked up one victory in their last nine games in the top flight.

Houllier’s job has not been made easy by an injury list as long as the former Lyon manager’s arm with nine first-team players all sidelined at one point. At the moment Marc Albrighton, Fabian Delph, Emile Heskey, Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker are all out of action.

Houllier will not want to be looking at Villa’s stats against Liverpool as they have only managed one win in the last 17 meetings between the two sides but that was a 3-1 win last season. Villa have the worst record in the Premier League this season against sides in the top half of the table as they have only managed to pick up three points from a possible 24.

As for Liverpool they have started to slowly turn their season around after a poor start to the campaign under Hodgson. The Reds have won their last three games at Anfield including an impressive 2-0 win over Chelsea which has started a run of poor form for the Blues.

Pepe Reina made some crucial saves for the Merseyside club in that clash and he will pick up his 100th clean sheet for Liverpool if he can keep a clean sheet on Monday night.

Unfortunately for Liverpool fans they will be without skipper Steven Gerrard who is still out of action with a hamstring injury which he picked up whilst playing for England in a friendly against France.

The Reds will also be without key defender Jamie Carragher as he is expected to have an extended period on the sidelines after suffering a shoulder injury.

With injuries to key players on both sides this is going to be a close game between two inconsistent sides that have played some good football this season, in spells.

It gets said often but it could be that man Fernando Torres (4/1 to get the first goal of the game) that could be the difference between the two sides as he looks to get back to his best form which he has started to show but again, in spells.

Liverpool should edge this one at home in front of their home fans so it looks unlikely that Houllier will have a happy return to Merseyside.

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Houllier confirms striker absence

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Aston Villa have confirmed that striker Gabriel Agbonlahor will miss the weekend’s game with Spurs (20/21 to win the clash) as he goes under the knife for a groin operation.

The 23-year-old Birmingham-born forward is set to have a minor operation on Monday after boss Gerard Houllier stated he had to leave training on Friday as the problem was “too painful” for him to continue or be considered for the game at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Villa (13/5 to win the game, draw 12/5) have had an up-and-down start to their season and the recent appointment of Houllier seems to have given them more consistency than they had under caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald.

Similarly, England striker Agbonlahor has had a frustrating opening to his campaign.A calf problem ruled him out of the opening three weeks of the Premier League season and he has yet to score this campaign.

The latest injury setback will be a huge blow to the pacey star, but the Villa backroom staff are hoping he can return to the first team for their clash with Chelsea on October 16. If this fails to happen they remain confident he will be back to face Sunderland a week later.

Agbonlahor, who has three caps for his country, will also miss England’s Euro 2012 qualifier (England 9/1 to win tournament) against Montenegro on October 12. Despite his poor form this season he may have been considered by Fabio Capello due to injuries to Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Bobby Zamora.

Villa manager Houllier confirmed: “Gabby will have a minor operation on Monday evening on his groin.

“I think the England squad is given on Monday and that has definitely ruled him out. He wouldn’t be able to play.

“It is not just a niggle, it is real pain and hopefully the operation will heal that.”

He added: “He could be available for the Chelsea game but, if not, definitely for the Sunderland game.”

The loss of Agbonlahor will be a blow to Houllier but he is able to welcome back Norwegian striker John Carew into the squad after the giant forward recovered from a back injury.

Irish defender Richard Dunne is also back in contention after a knee problem as Villa (11/1 to finish in the Premier League top four) look to get their first successive victories in the league since April of this year.

The experienced centre-back said earlier this week he would have “no complaints” if he were named on the bench at Spurs, as he was impressed by the “brilliant” partnership of James Collins and Carlos Cuellar in Villa’s win over Midlands rivals Wolves last weekend.

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Houllier sets Young example

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New Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has penned as three-year deal at Villa Park and believes winger Ashley Young will soon follow suit and pledge his future to the club (Villa 6/4 to beat Wolves).

Houllier has replaced Martin O’Neill in the Aston Villa hot-seat after the Irishman quit his position just five days before the start of the Premiership season, following a difference of opinion with owner Randy Lerner.

Houllier spent six years in charge of Liverpool between 1998 and 2004 before moving back to his homeland to coach Lyon for a couple of seasons.

He then became technical director for France before deciding to move back to the Premiership with the Villans, penning a deal to remain at the club until 2013.

The 63-year-old failed to guide Liverpool to the Premiership title but did mange to secure the Uefa Cup and Uefa Super Cup in 2001, while also claiming both the FA and League Cups in the same year.

And it may well be that his ability to put together cup runs was a factor in Lerner opting to employ the French veteran.

Villa have seven points from their first five matches and face West Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, looking to build on last weekend’s 3-1 success over Blackburn Rovers.

One of Houllier’s first tasks will be to persuade Young to pen a long-term deal at the club to prevent one of the bigger clubs luring their prized asset away from the Midlands.

And the former Paris St-Germain boss is confident that the 25-year-old will sign a new contract sooner rather than later, after discussions about the role that he needs to play in the team as a whole.

“Am I hopeful Ashley will sign a new contract? Yes. It’s going on well,” he said.

“The discussions are positive. We had a chat and all I told Ashley is that I thought he could be a leader not only in terms of quality but in terms of effort.

“He can be a star but a star as a team player. His input must not be only making goals and scoring goals. It’s his work-rate and his attitude that can improve the rest of the team.”

Houllier’s appointment has not been met with universal approval by the Villa fans, with many wary of the style of football he might play.

But victory over Wolves on Sunday will go a long way to winning over his doubters and moving his new club up into a European spot in the table (Villa 5/2 to finish in the top six).

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Houllier gets Heskey backing

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Emile Heskey is hopeful that his former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier ‘can bring good times’ to Aston Villa (10/1 Premiership Top 4 Finish) following his recent appointment as Martin O’Neill’s successor at Villa Park.

Former England striker, Heskey, revelled under the Frenchman’s stewardship at Anfield 10 years ago when he bagged an impressive 22 goals in his first season alongside the prolific Michael Owen after being signed by Houllier for £11million from Leicester City.

Ironically, Heskey immediately found his golden touch in Houllier’s first game in charge of Villa on Wednesday when he scored one and set up two Ashley Young goals as a second half substitute in the side’s 3-1 Carling Cup (Villa 7/1 Outright) win against Blackburn Rovers.

And the 32-year-old is now backing Houllier to emulate his record at Liverpool – where he won an FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup treble in 2000-01 – to bring some long-awaited success to the Villains.

Ahead of Houllier’s first Premier League game in charge at Wolves on Sunday (Wolves 17/10, Villa 7/5, draw 12/5 90 Minutes), Heskey said: “It’s nice to be reunited with the manager. I know all about him and fingers crossed he will bring good times back to Villa.

“He did brilliantly at Liverpool and I am sure he can do the same here.

“He has many qualities and discipline on and off the park is one thing he definitely brings.”

Meanwhile, Heskey is now looking to try and have more of an impact with Villa, where he has struggled to play regular first-team football since being snapped up from Wigan in January 2009.

He added: “I’ve been working hard in training to be ready for when called upon.

“Even when (caretaker manager) Kevin MacDonald was in charge, he said ‘make sure you are ready’ so I’ve been working on that.”

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Houllier preparing Owen bid

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New Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier has paved the way for a January bid for Manchester United striker Michael Owen by admitting he is a big fan of the former England ace (Aston Villa 13/5 – Top 6 finish).

The pair enjoyed a fruitful relationship at Liverpool when Houllier was in charge at Anfield between 1998 and 2004, with the vast majority of Owen’s 118 league goals for the Reds coming between those years.

Houllier, who will officially begin work at Villa Park next week following the home clash with Bolton, appears keen on luring Owen, 31 in December, to the west midlands.

The Frenchman believes he can still do a job in the top flight, despite his well-documented injury problems over the years and his lack of action for United since his shock move there last summer.

“He has always been in my thoughts,” Houllier told reporters in France. “I like him, as a player and a man.”

He added: “I went to Liverpool on September 4 for Jamie Carragher’s testimonial, and I saw Michael play.

“He still has the legs for it.”

Owen’s possible move to Villa comes as the former Real Madrid and Newcastle forward hinted he may have to look at where his future lies if he is not getting enough games for United.

“You can only do your best and prepare and train well, so that you are ready when the manager calls on you,” said Owen.

“After that, it’s up to the manager who he chooses.

“It sounds easy, but probably the most difficult thing is not playing for a couple of weeks and then all of a sudden getting called up and being mentally and physically right to perform well.”

He added: “At the end of the season, I’ll look and think, ‘Was I happy with the amount of games I was available for?’, ‘Did I score enough goals in the games when I played?’ and ‘Did I play well enough in those games?’”

Owen may get the chance to put one over his former side, Liverpool, on Sunday when the Merseysiders make the short journey east to Old Trafford (Liverpool 19/5 – 90 minutes).

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Petrov wants Houllier situation resolved

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Stiliyan Petrov has called for the Aston Villa (12/1 to finish in the Premier League top four) board to resolve the complications surrounding the appointment of new manager Gerard Houllier – but he is confident the Frenchman can bring success to the club.

The Bulgarian star was brought to Villa Park by former manager Martin O’Neill, but was as shocked as anyone when the former boss walked out only five days before the start of the Premier League campaign.

Kevin MacDonald acted as caretaker manager for the opening weeks of the season, but the Villa board have now announced Houllier as the new permanent manager.

Despite Houllier being given the job last week, MacDonald had to take charge for Villa’s defeat to Stoke City on Monday as the Frenchman’s move has been held up due to prior commitments from his role as technical director with the French Football Federation.

Petrov is hoping the new manager can bring some stability back to the club, although it is unlikely that Houllier will be sat on the bench when Villa take on Bolton at home on Saturday as he is still unable to state a definite starting date at the club (Villa 4/5 to win, Bolton 10/3, draw 12/5 Match Betting).

That means MacDonald is set to take charge again, and Petrov has told the Birmingham Mail he thinks the caretaker boss has done a “tremendous job” at the start of this season and the entire Villa side will try to win “for him”.

“It is complicated. Complicated for the new manager, complicated for Kev as well, but there is a solution and we will see the new manager soon,” said Petrov.

“He has been at the top level for a long time. He managed Liverpool, had success and has been manager of Lyon. He has knowledge of football. He knows what he needs to do. We wait to see how we can improve.

“We try to do our best for Kev because he has been at this club for a long time and we don’t want to see him putting his head down,” he added.

MacDonald is reported to have turned down an offer from Houllier to take the role of his assistant at Villa Park when he finally starts his new role.

The Frenchman is now expected to offer the position to Gary McAllister, who he signed when in charge at Liverpool (13/8 for a Premier League top four finish) over a decade ago.

The former Leeds boss is currently holding a similar position under Gordon Strachan at Middlesbrough and the Riverside boss has admitted to Sky Sports there has “been contact” between the two clubs.

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Downing hands Houllier backing

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Aston Villa midfielder Stewart Downing believes new boss Gerard Houllier will do well at the club and says his past record proves he is a top manager (Villa 9/1 – top four finish).

The former Liverpool and Lyon boss is hoping to officially take charge of Villa this week and his first game in charge could be against Bolton at home on Saturday.

Caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald will remain in control for Monday’s Premier League trip to Stoke City (Stoke 6/4, draw 9/4, Villa 9/5 – 90 minutes) as Houllier finalises his departure from his role with the French Football Federation, where he was technical director.

Houllier guided Liverpool to second in the Premiership in 2002 and also famously won the FA Cup, Worthington Cup and Uefa Cup with the Reds in 2001 before then guiding Lyon to the French title in 2006 and 2007.

Some Villa fans have questioned whether the 63-year-old was the right choice to succeed Martin O’Neill but winger Downing has backed him to do well.

“If you look at what he did at Lyon and Liverpool he’s got a good record,” the former Middlesbrough star said.

“It’s a great club, with good players and great facilities, so everything is in place for him to do very well.”

Downing was impressed by Houllier’s press conference last week and believes he can improve Villa’s fortunes.

“I saw his press conference when it got announced that he was the new manager and he came across very well,” he added.

“If you look at his past record as a manager, you don’t get jobs like that if you’re not very good.”

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Houllier targets top four

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Aston Villa boss Gerard HoullierNewly appointed Aston Villa (9/1 to finish in the top four) boss Gerard Houllier believes that the club is set for a new era as they target a top four finish in the Premier League this season.

Villa have been on the hunt for a new manager since Martin O’Neill walked out on the club just five days before the start of the new season.

USA boss Bob Bradley was the favourite to become the next manager at Villa Park but Houllier has been given the challenge of getting the Midlands side into the Champions League qualifying positions.

The Frenchman has been given a three-year-deal as he looks to stabilise the club after the surprise exit of O’Neill.

The club and Houllier’s representatives are still finalising terms but the 63-year-old is expected to be in the role after the match against Stoke City on Monday.

The former Liverpool (6/4 to finish in the top four) boss has stated that he is keen to get on with the job as the club looks to move forward.

He said: “I’m pleased, I’m proud, I’m hungry, I’m healthy and I can’t wait to come.

“I had several offers but it looked as if Aston Villa like to do things as a team. I like to work as a team and I can feel that we are going to be in this together.

“It’s a new era, in terms of training, in terms of habits, in terms of everything,” he added.

Houllier has not managed in the Premier League since he left Anfield back in 2004 but the former Lyon boss believes he can still make an impact in one of the toughest competitions in the world.

When asked if Villa could challenge for a top four finish Houllier stated that given time the club can achieve that target.

He said: “The team will probably improve in the long run and if we are spared by injuries and also manage to get one or two players at the right time, then why not?

“But the aim of course is Europe, places of honours and silverware.

“We know where we want to go, we know it will take time, that’s why I was passionate about getting back into management,” he added.

Houllier looks likely to take charge of the side ahead of their Premier League clash against Bolton Wanderers at Villa Park on September 18.

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Houllier relishing ‘challenge’

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Gerard Houllier is looking forward to the ‘tremendous challenge’ of trying to take Aston Villa to the next level (9/1 Premiership Top 4 Finish) after the club confirmed him as their new manager.

The 63-year-old former Liverpool manager will return to the Premier League following a six-year absence after ending his current position as technical director for the French Football Federation. And Houllier he is now aiming to carry on helping Villa progress from Martin O’Neill’s reign in which time he guided them to a regular top-six finish and Europa League football.

Houllier said in a statement: “I am very happy and proud to join this great and historic club.

“It was a very difficult decision for me to leave the FFF [French Football Federation].

“But I could not turn down the opportunity to manage a club whose approach, both on and off the pitch, I have long admired.

“Aston Villa is one of England’s biggest clubs and has an amazing set of fans.

“This is a tremendous challenge and one I am very much looking forward to taking on.”

It is not known who will become Houllier’s assistant after his former Liverpool number two Phil Thompson ruled himself out of the running in order to stay working as a television pundit.

The future of Kevin MacDonald, who took over as caretaker manager when O’Neill quit Villa a month ago, is also uncertain as Houllier might want to bring his own backroom team in to Villa Park.

However Villa are delighted to have secured Houllier’s services with chief executive Paul Faulkner revealing that the Frenchman met their requirements of managing a Premier League club and having ‘a strategy for building on the existing strengths in our current squad’.

He added: “In fact, he stands out as a football man who understands the ethos of our club and shares our core values.

“We look forward to working with Gerard and supporting him.

“We ask our supporters to get behind the new manager and the team as we look to build on the progress we have made over the past four years in all areas of the club.”

Houllier’s first game at the Villa helm will be on Monday when they travel to face Stoke City (Stoke 7/5, Villa 9/5, Draw 9/4 – 90 Minutes) in the Premier League at the Britannia Stadium.

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Houllier silent on Villa job talk

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Former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier is staying tight-lipped over a possible return to Premier League management with Aston Villa (9/1 – top four finish).

The Frenchman is reportedly in line to take over at Villa Park and is thought to be on owner Randy Lerner’s shortlist to replace Martin O’Neill, who unexpectedly quit just before the start of the Premier League season.

There are suggestions the former Lyon boss could come in as director of football in a move that would see current caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald remain in charge of first-team affairs.

Houllier, who left Anfield in 2004 following six seasons in charge of the Reds, was back at Liverpool on Saturday for Jamie Carragher’s testimonial but he refused to be drawn on the speculation linking him with Villa.

When asked about his future, the current technical director for the French Football Federation said: “Never and always are two words you can’t use in football.”

Alan Curbishley is also said to be in the frame for the job while the likes of former England and Man City chief Sven Goran Eriksson, Everton boss David Moyes and even Birmingham manager Alex McLeish have all been linked with the post.

Villa (50/1 to be relegated this season) are next in action when they take on Stoke a week on Monday.

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