Aston Villa are said to be on the verge of appointing former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier as their new manager, despite reports some players are against the Frenchman taking charge (Villa 12/1 – top four finish).

Houllier last worked in the Premier League in 2004 when he left Liverpool after six seasons in charge on Merseyside, but he is keen to return to England and has been lined up by Villa owner Randy Lerner as a replacement for Martin O’Neill, who left suddenly before the start of the season.

Alan Curbishley and current caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald are the other leading contenders for the post but the latest suggestions are that Villa could name Houllier in the next couple of days and he would take charge of the clash against Stoke City a week on Monday (Villa 13/8, Stoke 11/8 to win).

The former Lyon chief has yet to comment on the possibility of him taking over at Villa Park but he apparently impressed when interviewed by the club’s board on Friday and has emerged as the frontrunner.

However, some reports on Sunday have said several Villa stars are not happy with the prospect of the 63-year-old getting the job and would prefer MacDonald to take over permanently.