Post by Macmoish on Jan 22, 2011 7:38:57 GMT
Telegraph
Aston Villa's Gerard Houllier accuses Steve Bruce and Ian Holloway of victimising him because he is foreign
Gérard Houllier has accused fellow managers Steve Bruce and Ian Holloway of victimising him because he is foreign and “an easy target”.
Sandy Macaskill
Houllier had remained dignified this week as Bruce, of Sunderland, and Blackpool’s Holloway made scathing public comments about the 63 year-old following his £24 million purchase of Darren Bent on Tuesday, and attempt to take Charlie Adam.
But enough was enough, and Houllier returned the compliment on Friday, challenging his detractors to make an official complaint if they had evidence of wrongdoing, and blaming Bruce and Holloway of ganging up on him because of his nationality.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m a foreign manager. I’m an easy target.”
Houllier’s comments came after a drip, drip of opprobrium, which started when Niall Quinn, the Sunderland chairman, insinuated that Aston Villa had tapped up Bent — a serious charge.
If that was a professional attack, Bruce followed up with a personal critique of Houllier, accusing the Frenchman of showing disrespect by breaking an unwritten code among managers by not informing him of Villa’s interest in Bent, then rubbing salt in the wound by not having the decency to call after the deal went through.
“Until this time I had the utmost respect for him,” Bruce said. “Out of respect and as a manager of his status, I would have [expected] a phone call from him. It usually is the way with the great managers I’ve had the pleasure to deal with.”
Houllier has now fired back by advising Bruce to move with the times.
Major transfers are no longer done via the old-boy network but at board level, he explained, before saying he suspected that his interest in Bent would soon have been made public knowledge had he approached Bruce directly.
Using Holloway — who accused Villa of trying to “steal” Adam from Blackpool — as an example, Houllier said: “We did the right thing, we went to the club, we didn’t go to the player and, funnily enough, it came out from their side.
“There was nothing from Villa, and Ian said we are insulting him and the player and God knows what.
“If I call [Bruce], and say, 'I’m interested in your centre forward’, and he says, 'No way, no chance’, then it will go in the press that Gérard Houllier is trying to disrupt. We did things right between the owners. We did that without unsettling the team.
“Things have changed now. I know there used to be a time when a manager would call another manager and say: 'I will buy your player for so much money.’ Now you are not the owner any more, the club is a different entity.” Warming to his theme, Houllier next questioned Sunderland’s version of events over Bent’s actual transfer.
He asserted that Sunderland had probably told the player to hand in a transfer, contradicting their story that Bent had forced the move.
“If I want to buy your house and you don’t want to sell, you just say no, whatever the price,” Houllier said.
“But if you don’t say no and accept the bid, what can you do? He was asked to do so [put in a transfer request], probably.”
In a parting shot, Houllier accused Bruce of being deliberately obtuse regarding the way modern transfers are conducted in an attempt to protect his status among supporters.
The Frenchman also suggested that Sunderland needed to improve their communication between board and manager. “When I heard it first of all, I thought it was not gracious. Our club has been more gracious in [similar] situations.
“It is not going to prevent me from sleeping, I can tell you that. I thought: 'Hang on a second, why is he having a go at me? Is he trying to protect himself from his fans?’ All he has got to do is say this is football now.
“He has made transfers before. I’m not culpable in any way. I was kept informed, step by step, during the negotiations and I would assume Niall did the same with Steve Bruce, unless he didn’t.
“If we had done something wrong, I would say 'hands up’ but we have behaved in a very proper way.”
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/8275113/Aston-Villas-Gerard-Houllier-accuses-Steve-Bruce-and-Ian-Holloway-of-victimising-him-because-he-is-foreign.html
GUARDIAN/Stuart James
Gérard Houllier hits back at Sunderland in dispute over Darren Bent
• Villa manager returns fire over controversial transfer
• 63-year-old says he is an 'easy target' because he is French
Gérard Houllier has accused Steve Bruce of a xenophobic attack as the row between Aston Villa and Sunderland over Darren Bent's acrimonious transfer becomes increasingly bitter.
The Villa manager reeled off a number of complaints, which included implying that Sunderland had lied about the way the transfer unfolded. Houllier disputed Bruce's interpretation of events and said there was regular dialogue between the clubs' chairmen over the past two weeks.
The Frenchman, who was branded disrespectful by the Sunderland manager for not calling him to discuss Bent, absolved himself, and anyone else at Villa, of any blame in relation to their pursuit of the £24m striker. He accused Sunderland of being ungracious in their handling of the transfer and said that if officials at the Stadium of Light were unhappy with Villa's conduct they should have made an official complaint.
It is, however, Houllier's claim that Bruce rounded on him on the basis that he is French that will raise eyebrows within the football world. "Don't worry, I'm a foreign manager. I'm an easy target. I am French. With another manager I am sure it would be different," Houllier said.
The Villa manager also suggested Sunderland are being economical with the truth in relation to Bent's transfer, to save face with the club's supporters because of the disappointment felt on Wearside at the departure of their leading scorer. "When I heard it [their reaction] first of all, I thought it was not gracious, and our club has been more gracious in a previous situation [with James Milner and Gareth Barry's transfers to Manchester City].
"I thought: 'Hang on a second, why is he [Bruce] having a go at me?' Is he trying to protect himself from his fans? All he has got to do is say: 'This is football now'. He has made transfers before. I'm not culpable in any way. If he feels that, well, I feel sorry for that. I was kept informed, I assume he was kept informed.
"We have done things extremely right, properly, the right way. Paul Faulkner, our chief executive, was in contact with Niall Quinn [Sunderland's chairman]. I was kept informed, step-by-step, during the negotiations and I would assume Niall did the same with Steve Bruce, unless he didn't. I was surprised by some of the declarations and thought some people are not telling the truth. Whether they want to protect themselves from the fans, I don't know."
Sunderland have claimed they had little option to sell because Bent submitted a transfer request, but Houllier suggested they could have done more to put up a fight if they really wanted to keep him. "If I want to buy your house and you don't want to sell, you just say no, whatever the price," he said. "But if you don't say no, and accept the bid, what can you do? We are happy to have the player, they had the right to say no, but in fact they just wanted [to sell] the player for a certain bid."
Houllier also returned fire on Ian Holloway, the Blackpool manager who had accused him of acting disrespectfully in relation to Villa's attempts to sign Charlie Adam. "We did the right thing, we went to the club, we didn't go to the player and, funny enough, it came out from their side," said Houllier, who admitted he is still keen on signing the midfielder. "There was nothing from Aston Villa, and he said we are insulting him and the player and god knows what."
The Frenchman, however, made it clear he would not be losing any sleep ahead of today's home game against Manchester City over the remarks Bruce and Holloway have made this week. "I don't really care what they say really, if you want to know."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/21/gerard-houllier-darren-bent1
Aston Villa's Gerard Houllier accuses Steve Bruce and Ian Holloway of victimising him because he is foreign
Gérard Houllier has accused fellow managers Steve Bruce and Ian Holloway of victimising him because he is foreign and “an easy target”.
Sandy Macaskill
Houllier had remained dignified this week as Bruce, of Sunderland, and Blackpool’s Holloway made scathing public comments about the 63 year-old following his £24 million purchase of Darren Bent on Tuesday, and attempt to take Charlie Adam.
But enough was enough, and Houllier returned the compliment on Friday, challenging his detractors to make an official complaint if they had evidence of wrongdoing, and blaming Bruce and Holloway of ganging up on him because of his nationality.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m a foreign manager. I’m an easy target.”
Houllier’s comments came after a drip, drip of opprobrium, which started when Niall Quinn, the Sunderland chairman, insinuated that Aston Villa had tapped up Bent — a serious charge.
If that was a professional attack, Bruce followed up with a personal critique of Houllier, accusing the Frenchman of showing disrespect by breaking an unwritten code among managers by not informing him of Villa’s interest in Bent, then rubbing salt in the wound by not having the decency to call after the deal went through.
“Until this time I had the utmost respect for him,” Bruce said. “Out of respect and as a manager of his status, I would have [expected] a phone call from him. It usually is the way with the great managers I’ve had the pleasure to deal with.”
Houllier has now fired back by advising Bruce to move with the times.
Major transfers are no longer done via the old-boy network but at board level, he explained, before saying he suspected that his interest in Bent would soon have been made public knowledge had he approached Bruce directly.
Using Holloway — who accused Villa of trying to “steal” Adam from Blackpool — as an example, Houllier said: “We did the right thing, we went to the club, we didn’t go to the player and, funnily enough, it came out from their side.
“There was nothing from Villa, and Ian said we are insulting him and the player and God knows what.
“If I call [Bruce], and say, 'I’m interested in your centre forward’, and he says, 'No way, no chance’, then it will go in the press that Gérard Houllier is trying to disrupt. We did things right between the owners. We did that without unsettling the team.
“Things have changed now. I know there used to be a time when a manager would call another manager and say: 'I will buy your player for so much money.’ Now you are not the owner any more, the club is a different entity.” Warming to his theme, Houllier next questioned Sunderland’s version of events over Bent’s actual transfer.
He asserted that Sunderland had probably told the player to hand in a transfer, contradicting their story that Bent had forced the move.
“If I want to buy your house and you don’t want to sell, you just say no, whatever the price,” Houllier said.
“But if you don’t say no and accept the bid, what can you do? He was asked to do so [put in a transfer request], probably.”
In a parting shot, Houllier accused Bruce of being deliberately obtuse regarding the way modern transfers are conducted in an attempt to protect his status among supporters.
The Frenchman also suggested that Sunderland needed to improve their communication between board and manager. “When I heard it first of all, I thought it was not gracious. Our club has been more gracious in [similar] situations.
“It is not going to prevent me from sleeping, I can tell you that. I thought: 'Hang on a second, why is he having a go at me? Is he trying to protect himself from his fans?’ All he has got to do is say this is football now.
“He has made transfers before. I’m not culpable in any way. I was kept informed, step by step, during the negotiations and I would assume Niall did the same with Steve Bruce, unless he didn’t.
“If we had done something wrong, I would say 'hands up’ but we have behaved in a very proper way.”
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/8275113/Aston-Villas-Gerard-Houllier-accuses-Steve-Bruce-and-Ian-Holloway-of-victimising-him-because-he-is-foreign.html
GUARDIAN/Stuart James
Gérard Houllier hits back at Sunderland in dispute over Darren Bent
• Villa manager returns fire over controversial transfer
• 63-year-old says he is an 'easy target' because he is French
Gérard Houllier has accused Steve Bruce of a xenophobic attack as the row between Aston Villa and Sunderland over Darren Bent's acrimonious transfer becomes increasingly bitter.
The Villa manager reeled off a number of complaints, which included implying that Sunderland had lied about the way the transfer unfolded. Houllier disputed Bruce's interpretation of events and said there was regular dialogue between the clubs' chairmen over the past two weeks.
The Frenchman, who was branded disrespectful by the Sunderland manager for not calling him to discuss Bent, absolved himself, and anyone else at Villa, of any blame in relation to their pursuit of the £24m striker. He accused Sunderland of being ungracious in their handling of the transfer and said that if officials at the Stadium of Light were unhappy with Villa's conduct they should have made an official complaint.
It is, however, Houllier's claim that Bruce rounded on him on the basis that he is French that will raise eyebrows within the football world. "Don't worry, I'm a foreign manager. I'm an easy target. I am French. With another manager I am sure it would be different," Houllier said.
The Villa manager also suggested Sunderland are being economical with the truth in relation to Bent's transfer, to save face with the club's supporters because of the disappointment felt on Wearside at the departure of their leading scorer. "When I heard it [their reaction] first of all, I thought it was not gracious, and our club has been more gracious in a previous situation [with James Milner and Gareth Barry's transfers to Manchester City].
"I thought: 'Hang on a second, why is he [Bruce] having a go at me?' Is he trying to protect himself from his fans? All he has got to do is say: 'This is football now'. He has made transfers before. I'm not culpable in any way. If he feels that, well, I feel sorry for that. I was kept informed, I assume he was kept informed.
"We have done things extremely right, properly, the right way. Paul Faulkner, our chief executive, was in contact with Niall Quinn [Sunderland's chairman]. I was kept informed, step-by-step, during the negotiations and I would assume Niall did the same with Steve Bruce, unless he didn't. I was surprised by some of the declarations and thought some people are not telling the truth. Whether they want to protect themselves from the fans, I don't know."
Sunderland have claimed they had little option to sell because Bent submitted a transfer request, but Houllier suggested they could have done more to put up a fight if they really wanted to keep him. "If I want to buy your house and you don't want to sell, you just say no, whatever the price," he said. "But if you don't say no, and accept the bid, what can you do? We are happy to have the player, they had the right to say no, but in fact they just wanted [to sell] the player for a certain bid."
Houllier also returned fire on Ian Holloway, the Blackpool manager who had accused him of acting disrespectfully in relation to Villa's attempts to sign Charlie Adam. "We did the right thing, we went to the club, we didn't go to the player and, funny enough, it came out from their side," said Houllier, who admitted he is still keen on signing the midfielder. "There was nothing from Aston Villa, and he said we are insulting him and the player and god knows what."
The Frenchman, however, made it clear he would not be losing any sleep ahead of today's home game against Manchester City over the remarks Bruce and Holloway have made this week. "I don't really care what they say really, if you want to know."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/21/gerard-houllier-darren-bent1