Gerrard Houllier is set to meet French Football Federation president Fernando Duchaussoy tomorrow amid reports that he will become Aston Villa’s new manager.

Duchaussoy will speak to the former Liverpool and Lyon boss when he returns from France’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo tonight.

Betting for the encounter has France at 2.70 to win in 90 minutes, with Bosnia-Herzegovina 2.62 and the draw 3.20.

Houllier, who currently holds the position of technical director of French football, is expected to confirm he wants to return to English football and become Martin O’Neill’s successor at Villa Park.

“I will meet Wednesday to take stock of the situation with him Houllier, I’ll ask him,” Duchaussoy told reporters.

“I would like to continue working with him.”

Houllier, 63, is set to join Villa as manager rather than in a director of football-type position and could be in charge of the team before their next Premier League engagement which sees the side make the trip to play Stoke on Monday 13th September.

Full Time Result betting for that match has Villa at 3.10 to get  the away win, with Stoke at 2.37 and the draw 3.25.

Villa are believed to want caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald to stay involved in the first team set-up in a coaching role.

But the former Liverpool player will have the final say on whether he wants this sort of involvement or would prefer instead to return to being in charge of the reserve team.

Houllier is said to have created a favourable impression on Villa owner Randy Lerner after being interviewed by the American multi-millionaire.

Houllier left Anfield six years ago and has been employed as France’s technical director since leaving Lyon in 2007.

He enjoyed considerable initial success with the Reds and led them to a UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble in 2001.

Villa believe he has the reputation and CV to keep Villa on an upward curve after three successive top-six finishes in the Barclays Premier League.

Before he moved to Liverpool, the Frenchman also enjoyed title success with Paris St Germain and spent a decade overseeing the development of French football.

Former West Ham boss Alan Curbishley and MacDonald have also been interviewed for the post by Lerner and Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner.

Aston Villa are currently 11.00 to finish in the top four of the Barclays Premier League 2010/11.

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Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has set his sights on silverware this season, despite the current hard financial times at the club.

With the future ownership of the club still undecided and the deadline looming for the Royal Bank of Scotland’s £237million loan, due to be repaid by Tom Hicks and George Gillett in early October, Hodgson is still looking on the bright side.

“The club is up for sale and nobody knows what direction it will take if and when new owners are found,” he said.

“A few years ago when the situation was far more stable, the money to buy new players was available.

“When that situation arises I’m pretty sure that it won’t be difficult for us to start achieving things again but at the moment the task is really to hang on to the players we’ve got and make certain we don’t have a situation where we have got a total rebuilding process.”

Hodgson believes staff and players will not be lowering their expectations as they seek to win a first trophy for four years.

“The stature, traditions and ability of Liverpool to attract players certainly makes it an achievable task even though we are in strange times,” he told the League Managers’ Association’s magazine The Manager.

“You should never try to dampen people’s enthusiasm and optimism.

“Furthermore every season we see teams not expected to win titles winning them.

“It doesn’t always go to the favourite in any country so we should never play down the Liverpool fans’ incredible desire and passion to keep winning trophies – and the Barclays Premier League in particular – and keep their noses in front of Manchester United.”
 
Liverpool are currently 26.00 to win the Barclays Premier League and 2.75 to finish in the top four.

One player to publicly back Hodgson in his first season in charge is defender Jamie Carragher, who believes his new boss has done well in the transfer window despite the financial restrictions he has had to work under.

Despite the sale of Javier Mascherano to Barcelona Hodgson managed to persuade stars Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard to remain at the club, as well as bringing in Fulham defender Paul Konchesky, Porto’s Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles, ex-Chelsea star Joe Cole, goalkeeper Brad Jones, Serbia’s Milan Jovanovic, Denmark’s Christian Poulsen and young Rangers centre-back Danny Wilson and the re-signing of Fabio Aurelio.

Of the rest of his first-team squad he also sold Albert Riera to Panathinaikos, goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri to Cesena and sent left-back Emiliano Insua and Alberto Aquilani out on loan.

Carragher told Press Association Sport: “I think he has done very well but time will tell. You have to judge signings after Christmas – good or bad.
 
“We’ve started quite nicely and hopefully the couple of players we have brought in (late on) will help.

“Everyone realised we needed a left-back so Konchesky came in and Raul Meireles coming in is something we can all look forward to.

“Maybe he can replace the Xabi Alonso/Aquilani-type of player so I think it is looking okay.”

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New Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart has claimed Liverpool were interested in signing him this summer but has dismissed reports Bayern Munich also wanted him.

Van der Vaart last week completed a dramatic last-gasp £8million transfer deadline day move to Premier League Tottenham from Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had suggested Bayern had bid £18million for the Holland midfielder but this was denied by Madrid, while Van der Vaart said the German club had not made a “concrete” offer.

The 27-year-old now says Bayern were not interested but that Liverpool had wanted to secure his services.

He told Sky Sports News: “Liverpool were interested, Bayern were never interested, but you have to have a good feeling and this manager gave me a good feeling and I am really happy to be going to Spurs.”

Van der Vaart revealed his international team-mates who already played for Barclays Premier League clubs were pressing him to join them in England.

“They were telling me that I should come to England; now I am going to be playing in England and am very proud,” he said.

Van der Vaart is likely to make his Spurs debut on Saturday 11th September as the London side travel to take on West Brom.

Betting for the Premier League clash has Tottenham at 1.90 to get the away win, with West Brom 3.75 and the draw available at 3.25.

Don’t forget, all Premier League matches are covered by the bet365 100% Euro Soccer Bonus, where you could earn a bonus of up to 100% on your returns on pre-match accumulator bets.

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Ian Holloway has revealed that Blackpool missed out on a deadline-day deal for David Nugent because the striker did not answer his phone.

The Bloomfield Road manager had agreed a deal with Portsmouth for the 25-year-old, who spent time on loan at Burnley last season.

But, as the deadline arrived at 6pm last Tuesday, Nugent could not be contacted and Holloway was left disappointed as he had prioritised the forward over other transfer targets.

“If the player hadn’t gone missing, we’d have had David Nugent,” Holloway told the Blackpool Gazette.

“With 20 minutes to go, we had Nugent signed on, but no-one could locate him, so he couldn’t sign his contract and it all fell through.

“So that’s one that wriggled out of the net. But it happens.

“I thought he was one that was worth trying to get, so because of that we put some other deals on hold.

“Nugent was the main one we targeted. We didn’t miss many, but unfortunately that was one we did and it wasn’t possible to get a back-up with 20 minutes left.”

Holloway has also indicated that he is less than impressed with the transfer deadline rules, which are governed by UEFA president Michel Platini.

“Should I have had to worry about that? Not really, I don’t think. These rules are stupid. They should be banned,” said Holloway.

“I heard Michel Platini was coming to our friendly game in Latvia the other night, but unfortunately I couldn’t find him, which is just as well for him because I’d love a word about the rules!”

Liverpool are sweating over the fitness of Dirk Kuyt after he picked up a shoulder injury on international duty with Holland.

Kuyt is reported to have sprained his shoulder after landing awkwardly during a training session on Monday ahead of the Euro 2012 qualifier with Finland.

The versatile forward has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game and has been sent back to Liverpool for more tests on the injury.

Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk believes Kuyt faces several weeks on the sidelines with the injury.

“He will probably have a few weeks off and at 4pm today he will step on to the plane to Liverpool”, van Marwijk told De Telegraaf.

Liverpool’s medical staff will assess Kuyt’s injury before determing the full extent of the problem.

The news will be a blow for Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson as he is already short of attacking options after missing out signing several strikers during the transfer window.