• Premier League

Houllier struggling at 'tense' Villa - Pires

ESPN staff
January 5, 2011
Gerard Houllier brought Robert Pires to Aston Villa © PA Photos
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Robert Pires has offered a revealing insight into the "tense" dressing room atmosphere at Aston Villa, admitting that several unhappy players have held showdown talks with Gerard Houllier. Pires also believes that Houllier's job could come under threat if Villa fail to win their next two fixtures.

Houllier has failed to recapture the success of the Martin O'Neill era since taking control of Villa, with the club just one place above the relegation zone. His tenure has been blighted by several reports of player unhappiness, most recently after Richard Dunne was dropped from the squad for the clash with Tottenham.

Now Pires, one of Houllier's signings, has hinted that the manager is about to enter a do-or-die period. "What's certain is that the two games coming up against Sunderland and Sheffield United in the FA Cup will be very, very decisive for Gerard's future," he said. "It's true [that] it's a bit tense. Gerard is having trouble getting his message across.

"He is used to a certain way of working and he arrives with new methods. From what I've understood, there have been several meetings between Gerard and the players who didn't really agree with him."

According to Pires, Houllier is set to try and make his mark on the Villa squad by overhauling it during the January window. "There will be a lot of departures, some arrivals," he said.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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