Houllier in talks to succeed Hiddink
Gerard Houllier is still in talks with Australian officials over
the job of succeeding Guus Hiddink as national team boss.
Hiddink will quit after the World Cup to take charge of Russia and
Football Federation Australian chairman Frank Lowy is desperate to
secure a big-name replacement.
Martin O'Neill's name has also been linked with the post, which
would require the successful candidate to spend six months of the
year Down Under helping with the development of the game and
watching matches in the revamped A-League.
FFA chief executive John O'Neill confirmed discussions are
currently on hold until after the World Cup and admitted a new
appointment was unlikely to be made until after the August 16 Asian
Cup qualifier with Kuwait, when current assistant Graham Arnold
will be in charge.
`Talks are continuing with Gerard Houllier, as they are with a
number of interested parties,' said O'Neill.
`But we don't want anything to distract the team from what is
happening on the pitch at the moment and I doubt very much we will
have someone in post by the Kuwait game.'
With interest in football at an all-time high Down Under, O'Neill
talked optimistically of an Australian bid to host the World Cup in
either 2018 or 2022.
However, his hopes of getting all the Socceroos back Down Under for
a ticker-tape parade in Sydney prior to the Kuwait game seem
certain to fail as Premiership clubs are unlikely to let players
undertake such an arduous journey three days before the start of
the new season.
