Aston Villa's Gérard Houllier aims to eclipse Manchester United.

Question

Aston Villa's Gérard Houllier aims to eclipse Manchester United again. Can someone tell me the details?

Answer 1

The meeting of Aston Villa and Manchester United sounded more like a reunion than a clash, if only for a moment. Gérard Houllier, the manager of the hosts, paused on Friday to recall how Sir Alex Ferguson had been among his hospital visitors following the Frenchman's 10 hours of heart surgery in the autumn of 2001. "It was something that warmed me," he said. Houllier called his opposite number "a genius" and was also happy to itemize the traits that have underpinned the achievements, pointing to Ferguson's knowledge of the game, fierce work ethic, loyalty to the people around him and capacity to evolve so that he keeps pace with a changing sport. If these are the qualities that sustain a manager then the Frenchman must have been implying that he shares at least some of them.