Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier has been admitted to a Birmingham-area hospital overnight and is expected to remain there for several days as he undergoes testing, although the 63-year-old is said to be comfortable and in communication with the club. Assistant manager Gary McAllister has taken over his duties in the interim, including leading the side out against Stoke City when Tony Pulis' FA Cup finalists come to town on Sunday. Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner relayed news of Houllier's condition, reportedly positive, and promised to pass along the fans' well wishes:
Aston Villa Manager Gerard Houllier Hospitalized But ‘Comfortable’
I’ve received a lot of good wishes from fans and I would like to thank them for their kind thoughts in wishing Gerard a speedy recovery.
I will see him this afternoon, along with Gary, and we will pass on the fans’ messages. I know they will mean a lot to him. We would ask everybody to respect his privacy and that of his family at this time.
These are those same fans who were calling for Houllier's head less than a month ago, too, so it's nice to see them have a change of heart now that Villa are in the top half of the table. Houllier has had heart problems induced by the stress of his job before (notably at Liverpool in 2001, which forced him into major surgery), but was given a clean bill of health by doctors to take the reigns at Villa in the autumn.
For more on Gerard Houllier and Aston Villa, please see SB Nation’s Villa blog 7500 to Holte.
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