Houllier quits Lyon

[dada]

.....Houllier steps down at Lyon

http://images.skysports.com/images/playerpics06_07/Managers/France/houllier_suave.jpg

Gerard Houllier has stepped down as Lyon coach despite having steered the French giants to two successive titles since succeeding Paul Le Guen.

Speculation has been rife of late with regards Houllier's possible return to the Premiership, with the Frenchman thought to have been a contender for the Newcastle job, prior to their appointment of Sam Allardyce.

However, with the Manchester City job still available, it seems likely the former Liverpool chief will now be strongly fancied to be installed at Eastlands.

"For a number of reasons I have decide to leave," Houllier told a news conference.

"I have lived two exceptional years here which, in many ways, reminded me of the six years I spent at Liverpool.

"This club has a new project over three years with a new stadium. I didn't feel like getting involved for another three years.

"I am proud of what we have achieved over the past two years. This club has improved and belongs to the best in Europe."

While Houllier has maintained Lyon's dominance on the domestic scene, in Europe they have struggled to make any real impression in the UEFA Champions League.

Houllier has a wealth of experience of English football and having overseen a Liverpool side that collected a plethora of trophies under his tenure, including the Uefa Cup, it seems unlikely that he will be out of work for long.

Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas has claimed Houllier will now take a year-long sabbatical before deciding on his next career move.

[dimz]

You beat me to it. :D

Not sure what to say about this. I guess he didn't really produce enough in the CL, but it is hard for any team to break into the big boys of Europe isn't it? (having said that, the CL semis with Monaco, Depor, Chelski and Porto springs to mind...)

I think a move to City would be decent for both. I don't see him able to turn them into a top 6 team, but then again, i don't see how city are going to break into the top 6 no matter who's in charge. What with Big Sam at Newcastle and Sparky at Blackburn......and Keano at Sunderland!!

[dada]

I honeslty dont think his lack of CL glory should be a reason for pressure on his job. If not for a series of injuries to key players they may well have reached the final this year. When they came back you could tell they were a step or two behind which really disturbed their on pitch chemistry so teams really just got lucky they werent playing them in rhythm.

[Silas]

Not sure what to say about this. I guess he didn't really produce enough in the CL
Yeah, they absolutely annihilate the group stages, then they crash out.

[Butterfly]

I've heard Houiller could become the National Technical Director of France (a very important job)...

[TheLionLyon]

That's the only reason why he's out. Because of his inability to produce decent results in Europe. This was the exact same situation with Le Guen. He resigned after winning four straight titles in Ligue. I knew a change would happen, I wasn't expecting it to be this early, but I guess the earlier, the better.

[usagi]

That's the only reason why he's out. Because of his inability to produce decent results in Europe. .

Ok they lost against Roma in a premature way this year which was unexpected but they lost in the semis last year....I wouldn't call that undecent results.....Plus except for this year, each year in the CL has been a crescendo for the team, like the few years in the Ligue 1 before they became champions for good

[Butterfly]

Ok they lost against Roma in a premature way this year which was unexpected but they lost in the semis last year....

lol Lyon never went in the semi final of UCL and never will!!! :p
According to me something happened between Houiller and the players during december cause january, february and march were the worst period I've ever seen of Lyon! Moreover if Lyon didn't sell Essien and Diarra, maybe they could have done better in the UCL!
Houiller was a great coach but some at Lyon are too dumb to admit it :D

What are the choices of Aulas now...?
Puel? He said he won't!
Trappatoni? lol
Deschamps? That would mean the end of Aulas and Lacombe leadership over Lyon cause Deschamps will want all the power and will come with all his staff! And Aulas won't allow it!
Perrin? Maybe he'll be the next coach of Lyon but what's the point of letting Houiller leave if it was to take Perrin... :confused:

[cavenaghi]

Perrin? Maybe he'll be the next coach of Lyon but what's the point of letting Houiller leave if it was to take Perrin... :confused:
First, Houiller couldn't stay one more season, his relationship with many players were over. One more year could have been dangerous for the club.
Second, Houiller is a good manager but not an excellent one. Who cares about the FA Cups, UEFA Cup...? This guy has been overrated for too long. You will never win any UCL with this guy. And any coach can win the french league if he's Lyon's coach with Aulas as a president.
Third, Perrin is a young coach who already knew the UCL with Marseille. He had many different experiences (good or bad, in france or in england) and now begins to be a real good coach. But more than that, he's much less expensive than Houiller and you can think he'll do what he's told (more than DD or Houiller).
Plus, he wears nice suits :D

Bye, Gérard... and good riddance! :cool:

[Butterfly]

Of course I know Perrin but honestly Houiller is far better than Perrin! Houiller won the UEFA Cup and he also won Ligue 1 with PSG which is unbelievable :D
Puel or Deschamps could be great for Lyon... but the fact is that Aulas knows that he'll be able to control Perrin and that's why he'll choose him...

[cavenaghi]

Houiller is a joke! He was signed for his experience and failed in this very domain against Milan last year. This guy is useless and any Perrin will be as good as this piece of shit!

Mmmm... maybe I forgot to say that I hate Houiller :rolleyes: :D

[Butterfly]

Of course we all hate Houiller! :D
On the contrary I like Perrin and I think at the time it was a mistake to fire him to put le nigo :rolleyes: However Perrin only won one Intertoto Cup and one French Cup... so I don't feel like he can win the UCL just like Aulas and his huge ego would like to...

[cavenaghi]

On the contrary I like Perrin and I think at the time it was a mistake to fire him to put le nigo :rolleyes:
:confused:
WTF!?! He was fucking a female assistant in front of children!!!! :D
However Perrin only won one Intertoto Cup and one French Cup... so I don't feel like he can't win the UCL just like Aulas and his huge ego would like to...
Neither do I, but he will be as good as Houiller => QF ;)

And think about it, maybe he was sent by Diouf to destroy the Evil Empire! :cool:


Yeah, I know I'm stupid... :o

[Butterfly]

Hopefully Perrin will fuck Coupet's wife like Wiltord did and this will blow up everything at Lyon :D

[deviant]

Hopefully Perrin will fuck Coupet's wife like Wiltord did and this will blow up everything at Lyon :D
wha??? explain to me plz

[Butterfly]

Wiltord (aka the anaconda :D ) is said to have fucked Coupet's wife (http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/6167/x001869ah3.jpg) (Coupet is the goalkeeper of Lyon)!!! That could be why Wiltord didn't play for Lyon lately and why he'll leave Lyon this summer...

[Silas]

Why "The Anaconda"? :o

[dada]

Wiltord (aka the anaconda :D ) is said to have fucked Coupet's wife (http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/6167/x001869ah3.jpg) (Coupet is the goalkeeper of Lyon)!!! That could be why Wiltord didn't play for Lyon lately and why he'll leave Lyon this summer...Gah! Couldn't he find a better looking wife to blaze?:o

[Butterfly]

Why "The Anaconda"? :oThe anaconda is a long and big snake :D

Gah! Couldn't he find a better looking wife to blaze?:oIndeed he totally messed up here...

[usagi]

lol Lyon never went in the semi final of UCL!! :p
:

oops!...my bad!

Wiltord shagged Coupet's wife?!!! When was that? During last year celebration for the title?:rolleyes:

[kaku]

oops!...my bad!

Wiltord shagged Coupet's wife?!!! When was that? During last year celebration for the title?:rolleyes:
In a moment of despair.:D :o

[Silas]

The anaconda is a long and big snake :D
I know, but why you name him "The Anaconda"? :o

[Butterfly]

In a moment of despair.:D :oThe only rational explanation is that Wiltord was totally drunk! :D

I know, but why you name him "The Anaconda"? :oOkayyyy... mmmmmm... what part of Wiltord's body can be long and big? :rolleyes: (some help : it's not his arm neither his leg :p )

[Silas]

Okayyyy... mmmmmm... what part of Wiltord's body can be long and big? :rolleyes: (some help : it's not his arm neither his leg :p )
That's it! How do you know it's long and big? :D

[Butterfly]

At Lyon Wiltord is well known to like women and women like him very much! :p
And you know women about talking, they can't keep their mouths shut... :D

[shreyas]

Woah..you seem to be very well informed about that!:eek::D

[Butterfly]

Héhé I really laught my ass off when I heard some Lyon's fans talking about it lol
Who would have thought such a thing about Wiltord???

The new coach of Lyon should be Alain Perrin but it's not official for the moment...

Edit : it's now official!!!

http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/9193/247iq4.jpg

[Ziegler1988]

Perrin was shit at Portsmouth, but I could probably win the title with Lyon :p.

[shreyas]

heh..i swear..they seem to be steamrolling their opponents worse year after year..should see how things change once juninho leaves..