Who will be the new Aston Villa manager? Hughes, Moyes, Benitez, Ancelotti and more lined up for the job

Gerard Houllier has left his post as Aston Villa manager with owner Randy Lerner and the board not wanting the Frenchman to step back in to the role after his serious health scare. Houllier was keen to return, but with unsettled stars Ashley Young and Stewart Downing looking set to leave, Villa will urgently need to replace him with a new manager in what will be a frantic summer transfer window for the Birmingham club.

Here talkSPORT takes a look at the top candidates for the top job at Villa Park…

NAME: Mark Hughes

AVAILABILITY: Fulham boss Hughes has two-years left on his contract, but has a get-out clause which can be activated this summer if he so wishes.
POSITIVES: The Welshman has lots of experience managing in the Premier League and was unlucky to be given the boot at Man City. Rumours have surfaced that Hughes has become disillusioned with the Fulham board's handling of his contract situation.

NEGATIVES: Fulham are trying their best to warn Villa off, knowing they cannot prevent Hughes from breaking his contract. Hughes could also be put off by some of Villa's top stars leaving and, having seen his ground work at Craven Cottage pay dividends in the second half of the season, would be forced to start all over again at Villa Park.

NAME: RAFA BENITEZ

AVAILABILITY: Free agent, sacked from Inter in December 2010.
POSITIVES: Benitez is looking for a move back into Premier League management. "The priority is the Premier League," he said recently, "because the style is better for me." Rafa also turned down the opportunity to lead Atletico Madrid in favour of holding out for a job in England.

NEGATIVES: Benitez had a very turbulent spell at Inter and it is rumoured that a British manager will be favoured at Villa Park.

NAME: CARLO ANCELOTTI

AVAILABILITY: Free agent, recently sacked from Chelsea.
POSITIVES: Ancelotti is a very successful manager at the top level and, like Benitez, has also expressed a desire to stay managing in England.

NEGATIVES: Ancelotti has been in charge of very powerful clubs such as Chelsea and AC Milan, Despite their size and history, Aston Villa would currently be a step down. 

NAME: David Moyes

AVAILABILITY: Everton gaffer Moyes has two years left on his contract.
POSITIVES: A well-respected and experienced manager who is looking for a new challenge, but not neccessarily right now.

NEGATIVES: It could be a sideways move for Moyes who has done well with limited funds at Everton.

NAME: MARTIN JOL

AVAILABILITY: Free agent, Jol left Ajax in December 2010.
POSITIVES: Dutchman Jol was relatively successful at Spurs and has since managed big clubs like Ajax and Hamburg, picking a Dutch Cup in Amsterdam. After nearly getting Spurs in to the Champions League and taking Hamburg to the Europa League semi-finals in 2009, he has the experience that could help Villa compete for European spots.

NEGATIVES: The competition at the top end of the league is much tougher than during Jol's spell at White Hart Lane and, despite relative success in Germany and his native Holland, he didn't exactly pull up any trees. This wouldn't be an appointment to excite Villa fans.

NAME: STEVE McCLAREN

AVAILABILITY: Free agent, McClaren was sacked by Wolfsburg in February 2011.
POSITIVES: Took Dutch side FC Twente to a surprise Eredivisie win which proves he can turn clubs around with little money spent and is undoubtedly a wiser manager than during his last spell in the Premier League with Middlesbrough.

NEGATIVES: After p*ssing off most England fans during his time as the 'Wally with the Brolly', it's hard to see the Villa fans warming to him quickly.

NAME: ANDRE VILLA BOAS

AVAILABILITY: Porto manager Villa Boas has two-years left on his contract, but there is a possible buy-out clause… a whopping £13m!
POSITIVES: Take away the 'A' in Boas and replace it with the 'S' from Villas and there you have it: Villa Boss! He's a bloomin' great young manager who guided FC Porto to the Europa League and an undefeated Portuguese title this year. What a scoop it would be for Villa to get the best new manager on the block.

NEGATIVES: Let's be honest, barring some completely unforeseen circumstances, there's not much chance of a man whose stock is so high that Europe's premier clubs have got their eye on him joining the Villa right now. Sorry Villa fans.

Who would you like to see as the next Villa manager? Let us know by commenting below…