Several players at Villa believe the arrival of Houllier could be the end of their career at Villa Park, according to News of the World.
Goalkeeper Brad Friedel and defender Stephen Warnock had unhappy spell at Liverpool while Houllier was in charge.
A Villa source told News of the World: “When it was revealed Houllier was the favourite for the Villa, it went down like a lead balloon with a couple of the players.
“You can’t underestimate the strength of feeling, especially of someone such as Brad Friedel who felt he had no relationship with Houllier when he was at Anfield.”
