MacDonald managed Villa until 8 September 2010, when former Liverpool and Olympique Lyonnais manager G*rard Houllier was officially announced as O'Neill's successor. MacDonald had previously announced his intentions to apply for the position on a full-time basis, however the club opted to sign Houllier instead. MacDonald did however take charge of Villa's next two games, before Houllier officially took the reins on 22 September after fulfilling _his_ duties with the France national team. <sep>, Pronoun: his