Gerard Houllier Leaves Aston Villa, Sparky Favourite To Step In

Chris Wright

2nd, June 2011

4 Comments

By Chris Wright

Shortly before close of play last night, Aston Villa released a statement to confirm that Gerard Houllier had indeed left the club on health grounds after only nine months in charge at Villa Park.

Houllier was forced to miss the last five games of the Premier League season after his dicky ticker played up again in April, with assistant manager Gary McAllister overseeing Villa’s late run to 9th spot.

Villa exec Paul Faulkner publicly stated last night that the club have already
’embarked upon the process which will lead to the appointment of a new manager’, with Fulham boss Mark Hughes (whose rolling contract with the Cottagers apparently expired at midnight last night) by far and away the favourite to replace Houllier – though it was Everton manager David Moyes that topped the Birmingham Mail’s supporters poll with a 44% majority.

Any thoughts? Reckon Sparky’s about to do the dirty on Fulham and up-sticks for Villa? And, with Ashley Young and Stewart Downing both teetering on a summer exit, just how attractive a proposition are Villa at the moment?

Posted in Aston Villa, Fulham, Transfers & Rumours

Share this article: Email

4 Comments

  1. Not Hughes, Villa need a statement of ambition and he certainly isn’t it.

  2. Joe says:

    Hughes should stay at Fulham, most other clubs would have sacked him after a debacle like the West Ham game, but we didn’t. Time to repay the faith, Mark. Otherwise, Martin Jol wouldn’t be a bad idea for us…

  3. Rich says:

    This is sooo lucky for villa Houllier i’m sorry is not a good enough manager,

    Moyes would be damn good for villa

  4. 'Sota Dan says:

    Well, he hasn’t signed the extension and he’s exercised his “opt-out” clause or whatever. Fulham is lookin’ for another manager again. Chris Hughton? COYW!

Leave a Reply to 'Sota Dan