Gerard Houllier

**NeilMcD** · 27/01/2008, 10:46 AM

Panel beaten down as farm hands get ready to pluck their turkey
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Sunday January 27 2008

P erhaps the defining moment of the ongoing process to appoint a successor to Steve Staunton came last Tuesday when the reporters gathered outside Abbotstown were informed they would not be allowed access to the FAI's headquarters as it was a "working farm".

It is, of course, heartening to know that something is working properly at the FAI. Yet the images this phrase conjures up of Milo Corcoran shooing some chickens out before delivering some blue sky thinking or David Blood doing some milking in the multi-media suite are, at the very least, unfortunate for an association trying to convey an impression of modernity. Yet it may be seen as a high point as the search enters the endgame.

Last year, I wrote that if Gerard Houllier wanted the Irish job he would get the Irish job. That was a long, long time ago when we were young and the process had yet to be explained. Once the process was outlined, it should have become clear that Houllier was, in fact, unstoppable. He was, it is now clear, the outstanding candidate.

A process built around the dark arts of corporate craptalk, of interviews and panels, of consultation and hand-washing was always going to play into the hands of the King of Bull****.

Our only hope now is the great civilising force that is French bureaucracy. The idea that the French Football Federation would prevent Houllier from taking the job is all that sustains us. The signs are not good. Houllier was linked with Newcastle before they appointed Kevin Keegan.

"Whenever a club is in crisis my name is mentioned," he said (not strictly true: sometimes a club was in crisis because he was named as manager). At that point, the FFF said they would not stand in Houllier's way. This was the first recorded instance of an association delivering a 'come-and-get-him' plea. It looks like we're doomed.

The men delegated to find an Irish manager are no match for Gerard Houllier. A process forced upon Irish football out of the notion that if no one is seen to be in charge, there can be no one to blame, may now end up with the appointment of the great manipulative genius of European football.

He was at it again recently. This was Houllier's attempt to place all the credit for Liverpool's European Cup on the shoulders of Rafael Benitez during a recent interview with a slightly unctuous interviewer

Questioner: "You were in Istanbul, how proud were you of that team? A lot of credit goes to Rafael Benitez but most of the credit perhaps should go to you. All those players were bought by you so explain how you felt when that happened?"

Houllier: "Thanks very much for saying that but . . . it's true that when you have memories of your career one of the best memories I have is when I went into the changing room after their win against Milan, winning the fifth-time trophy. (It was) mainly because of the warm welcome of the players. One of them said, 'boss, it's our team, it's your team.' It's true that 12 players out of 14 because, apart from Alonso and Garcia, all the players had been either signed or developed by us . . . The aim of a manager is to get success and bring success to the club . . . and to leave a legacy. That means the players you sign and the philosophy of play and so on will bring success even for the future and also to make the players progress both as players and as men. I would say that I was very proud and thought 'at least we've left some players to win the Champions' League'. But all the credit goes to them and to Rafa of course."

Amazingly, Liverpool have yet to mint a commemorative medal celebrating Houllier's achievement in 2005 and we look forward to the Frenchman welcoming Steve Staunton into the dressing room to celebrate another triumphant scoreless draw.

But we should not condemn the three-man panel for falling for him. It is easy to see his appeal to three men sent on a thankless mission, easy to see how attractive his talk of making "the players progress both as players and as men" would be when you've got personal experience of Stephen Ireland.

Houllier's supporters point to the positions he has held, the clubs he has managed, as if a man of bull**** has never attained high office

If they are running scared of Terry Venables, the only alternative to a reign of Houllier spoof is a management team of Liam Brady and John Giles. Many managerial appointments are made as a reaction to what has gone before, but rarely would one be so specific. Steve Staunton believes he was undermined by the criticism of the RTE panel so now the FAI may look to employ that panel. Or at least the members that are employable.

Houllier's appointment would prevent their break-up and if we thought we had seen paranoia under the last two managers, just wait.

But right now he is talking the talk. Houllier's message is a seductive one. The talk of structures, the corporate coaching patter honed on a thousand UEFA courses. There is a hint of sophistication, of fine dining and a life beyond our wildest dreams. There was only going to be one winner. How you going to keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?

**Qwerty** · 27/01/2008, 1:36 PM

Despite all the negativity towards the FAI process you have to admit that we may finally have a world class manger, Venables or Houllier manage the team.
Both are top notch managers with very impressive resumes, personally I would go with Venables. Fanning is just spouting nonsense.

Houllier's record at Liverpool is being reclaimed if that is the word with every passing week by Benitez, it's not easy to make Liverpool into league contenders. Sadly.

When all the hyperventillating is over we'll have a maanger who probably has minority support just because there are so many names in the frame but we'll have an experienced man who has a record of success as manager.

**osarusan** · 27/01/2008, 1:48 PM

Originally Posted by Qwerty

Despite all the negativity towards the FAI process you have to admit that we may finally have a world class manger, Venables or Houllier manage the team.

I don't have to admit that at all.

Venables, if he ever was, is hardly a world-class manager now. He's over the hill to the point where people like Hodgson are no longer available because other teams wanted them, but Venables remains available, because nobody wanted him. Even the Bulgarians didn't want him. A team we hope to be better than in the same qualification group have decided they don't want him as manager. That should tell us something.

**Noelys Guitar** · 27/01/2008, 2:51 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

I don't have to admit that at all.

Venables, if he ever was, is hardly a world-class manager now. He's over the hill to the point where people like Hodgson are no longer available because other teams wanted them, but Venables remains available, because nobody wanted him. Even the Bulgarians didn't want him. A team we hope to be better than in the same qualification group have decided they don't want him as manager. That should tell us something.

The first 2 away matches and beyond will tell us if the new manager is a bluffer or the real deal.

**shakermaker1982** · 27/01/2008, 3:31 PM

what is Fanning's problem?

**Qwerty** · 27/01/2008, 3:52 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

I don't have to admit that at all.

Venables, if he ever was, is hardly a world-class manager now. He's over the hill to the point where people like Hodgson are no longer available because other teams wanted them, but Venables remains available, because nobody wanted him. Even the Bulgarians didn't want him. A team we hope to be better than in the same qualification group have decided they don't want him as manager. That should tell us something.

Bar-stool blarney! So you know all about the process the Bulgarians use to find a manager do you? Assuming he was really ever even a candidate for the Bulgarian position, and assuming he was rejected by a process we don't know anything about that rejection should rule him out of the Ireland job. Only a man with a pint in one hand could make so many leaps of fancy and connect so many imaginary dots. Have another one

**NeilMcD** · 27/01/2008, 3:56 PM

Supposedly Venables wanted to managed Bulgaria from England and watch the Bulgarian league on TV, thats the electronic box in the corner and not himself.

**Stuttgart88** · 27/01/2008, 5:07 PM

I see Fanning this morning had a problem with the 2 away fixtures at the start. I thought Croker was unavailable in Sept and Oct. Did he want us to go to Italy, Bulgaria or Cyprus first?

**NeilMcD** · 27/01/2008, 5:09 PM

Its just unavailable in September we are playing at home in October. Its also unavailable in June and the following September.

**geysir** · 27/01/2008, 7:18 PM

The international dates are fixed, In September we have to play at least one game.

The only manouvering might have been one away game in Sept and 2 at home in October.

It's a wierd betting market, on Betfair, Houllier with �586k staked on him, is available at 8/1
and Tigana with only �37k staked is available 6/1.

**eekers** · 27/01/2008, 7:45 PM

one good indication from the fanning article is that its obvious he knows houllier has been 'offered' the job

**cheifo** · 27/01/2008, 9:40 PM

On a lighter note Houlliers comments regarding Liverpools last champions league are very funny and I can recall him on several occasians giving quite bizzare interviews. Despite resevations any of us may have regarding main candidates its gotta be a major improvment(surely?).So there will be no complaints from me.I just wish they would get on with it.We should start up a poll to show our frustration.How about one with "how many haircuts have you had since the FAI "process" began.I think I have had three.

**osarusan** · 27/01/2008, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by Qwerty

Bar-stool blarney! So you know all about the process the Bulgarians use to find a manager do you? Assuming he was really ever even a candidate for the Bulgarian position, and assuming he was rejected by a process we don't know anything about that rejection should rule him out of the Ireland job. Only a man with a pint in one hand could make so many leaps of fancy and connect so many imaginary dots. Have another one

Qwerty, according to you, Venables is "a world class manager" with " a very impressive resume" and has "a record of success as a manager".

Given you think he is such hot property, doesn't it worry you that while the FAI have been looking for their manager, nobody (apart from Bulgaria, a story you're skeptical of) has been interested in hiring Venables.

**Stuttgart88** · 28/01/2008, 7:37 AM

According to today's Indo Houllier has done a U-turn and turned the job down, leaving the process in chaos.

**shakermaker1982** · 28/01/2008, 8:16 AM

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...i-1275563.html

yep there's the link. Forget him so.

**geysir** · 28/01/2008, 9:38 AM

The O'Donnell article says that Houllier declined on Friday, that would coincide in with the sudden appearance of a few punters offloading small stakes on Houllier at 100/1 on Betfair.
If the Friday date is correct then there were only a few punters in the know and they hadn't bet much on Houllier.

It's a setback but hardly chaos, we have been facing setbacks since 2002, we know the difference between a setback and chaotic process. At least the panel aimed high and did their best to get him.