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# Randy Lerner's No 2 defends under-fire Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier
## Randy Lerner's right-hand man at Aston Villa has felt compelled to counter
growing criticism aimed by supporters at manager Gerard Houllier following the
club's 3-0 defeat by Liverpool on Monday night by stressing that the Frenchman
still enjoys the confidence of the board.
![Randy Lerner?s No 2 defends under-fire Aston Villa manager Gerard
Houllier][1]
Flak attack: the fans are losing patience with Aston Villa manager Gerard
Houllier Photo: AP
By Sandy Macaskil 10:34PM GMT 08 Dec 2010
[Comments][2]
It comes as fans flooded message boards after Villa's latest defeat to express
their outrage at how the former Liverpool manager allegedly applauded the
Anfield support at the expense of his own, before saying that, if he was to
lose to anyone, he would rather do so against his former club.
Houllier's comments triggered a backlash, to which the 63 year-old reacted by
releasing a statement explaining that his controversial comments, made in a
post-match interview, was an attempt to lighten the mood after another defeat.
It only infuriated supporters already upset that their club are two points off
the relegation zone having won just two league matches under Houllier and
prompted General Charles Krulak, a Villa director and close confidante of the
club's American owner, to join the fray.
Krulak, who communicates with fans via posts on online fansites, said: "Those
who are looking for Gerard's head have the right to feel that way. At the same
time, Randy and the board need to keep focused on the overall goal and we
believe Gerard plays a key role in achieving that goal.
"I am not going to try to minimise what he said, or make excuses. Nothing can
be done to retract what happened, it is what it is.
## Related Articles
* [Houllier explains Liverpool comments][3]
08 Dec 2010
* [Houllier struggles to jump-start Villa][4]
07 Dec 2010
* [Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 0][5]
06 Dec 2010
* [Houllier: Villa lack confidence][6]
07 Dec 2010
* [Liverpool v Aston Villa: as it happened][7]
06 Dec 2010
* [Houllier set for Anfield return][8]
06 Dec 2010
"[But] I have seen his devotion and passion for the club, and all are at odds
with what took place. We are working our bums off to get the ship back on
track. We must not throw in the towel at this point."
It was not long ago that Houllier was tipping back in his chair, shooting the
breeze and winking at members of the press as he shrugged off his team's
dismal results. But, if he has oozed serenity, it has only been possible
because of the supporters' patience.
The one axe they have had to grind with Houllier has been his paean to
Liverpool on returning to management in September.
"Aston Villa are not a club on the same level as Liverpool, let's be objective
and honest," he said then. If that was tweaking a raw nerve, showing further
reverence on his return to Merseyside was giving it a good hard tug."
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