Houllier: No quick fix for England

Houllier: Continuity has been the key for France

Gerard Houllier speaks exclusively to BBC Sport Online's chief soccer writer Phil McNulty about the lessons the English can learn from French football academy.

Houllier, who is now manager of Liverpool, was the French national coach until they failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup - and became France'sTechnical Director at their football academy until1998.

Since the French Football Association set up their academy in Clairfontaine, the national team has reaped the benefits.

Not only did they win the European Championship in 1984 they went onto excel as a side in the late 1990s, winning France 1998 and Euro 2000.

It is a model that has worked well for us and if the FA do introduce it can only be good for English football

  Gerard Houllier

The two main things we looked for in setting up our system was both continuity and stability.

In France we try to maintain this continuity by having a technical director who oversees between six and ten top national coaches who are effectively in charge of the teams from under 16 to under 21 level.

Youth

As well as the coaches who run the youth teams, there are also the two managers who run the national team itself.

The continuity is essentially achieved by the fact that whenever the head coach steps down as manager of France, the system in place for someone to take over from him. We can have a natural succession.

One important point is that none of these coaches are with contracted to any clubs, they are placed on long term contracts by the French Football Federation.

This system gives us continuity and a line of succession. It started with Stefan Covacs and went onto Michel Hidalgo. He then passed the job onto Henri Michel before Michel Platini, who I worked with.

This system gives us continuity and a line of succession

  Gerard Houllier

I worked with him and then I took over as manager of France before Aime Jacquet took over. He then guided France to the World Cup in 1998 before Roger Lemerre took over from him and won Euro 2000,

Even if the Federation suddenly decides to appoint a different national coach, the team the philosophy and the continuity are already in place. The coach will have the support and ideas of the other coach - it is all there for him.

Philosophy

The technical director gives his philosophy on what he believes. It is important to have a guideline.#

He would then throw the floor open to the rest of the national coaches who will become involved in a tactical discussion.

In France, we call it the 'house of football' and I believe that is what the FA are going to try to put in place in England.

It works really well because coaches can go back there to further their football education. In fact, they encourage everyone who has been there at any point to go back to do refresher courses in case anything new is introduced.

If they want to introduce this in England it will certainly take time to develop - the French academy has been running since the 1960s.

But it is a model that has worked well for us and if the FA do introduce it can only be good for English football.