Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: Legion on August 19, 2017, 10:44:43 AM
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From the Bruce Out thread.
Who is/are your worst Villa manager(s)? Plus for the sake of balance the same applies to your best one(s). Stating reasons why is optional but welcome. Caretaker and temporary custodians are included.
Worst: O'Leary, O'Neill, McNeill, Turner, Black
Best: Saunders, Barton, Sir GT, Little, Atkinson
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Best: Big Ron.
Worst. MON
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Worst: Garde, McNeill, Turner, Venglos
Best: Saunders, Taylor, Little, MON
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I'm not old enough to remember Saunders, GT Mk I or even Big Ron, so I don't have a best Villa manager really. Well OK, Sir Brian.
Worst, Sherwood.
As an aside, it's going to be fun seeing MON coming up frequently on both sides of the aisle here. I'm going to put him down as Biggest Underachiever.
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Best: Little
Worst: O'Leary or Lambert
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Best: Little, Gregory
Worst: O'Leary, Lambert, Black and Bruce
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Best,Saunders,Little,MON.
Worst,the list alas is too long.
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Best:
If you count him as a "manager", it has to be Ramsay, considering the ludicrous number of trophies we won while he was here.
Ron Saunders took us from the Second Division to the verge of being Champions of Europe. He's clearly our best manager in the modern day sense of what a "manager" does.
Graham Taylor takes third place, with honourable mentions for Atkinson, Little, Barton and Crowe.
Worst:
Billy McNeill. We've had plenty of other shite managers, but they have all, at least,.tried. McNeill gave the impression of not giving a shit, and finished bottom with a team far better than our most recent relegation exponents.
There's a whole host in contention for second place. I haven't read too much of our history in the disastrous campaigns of 1958-59 and the late sixties to know how much blame the managers of the day should receive.
Turner was pretty shite, albeit before my time.
In my time watching us, and excluding caretakers, we were probably worse than we have ever been before under Garde. However, he was given a virtually impossible task by Sherwood, who started well but fell victim to his own vanity with some suicidal team selections which mean I struggle to remember the joy of the previous cup run and escape as much as I should.
Lambert was a great "what if". Every time we seemed poised to turn the corner, he would change the tactics, with disastrous results. He might well do okay elsewhere, but his part in our decline can't be overlooked. I find it difficult to summon up too much hate for McLeish. When he was appointed we all pretty much knew that the football would be shit, we'd probably stay up, and he'd be required to trim the wage bill. He "achieved" all three and, at least, always seems to speak well of our club and fans when it would be easy for him to stick the knife in.
O'Leary's results weren't actually that awful, with the exception of his last season. However, it's hard to imagine an incumbent going out of his way like he did to annoy the fans. He spent the first season mentioning Leeds at every opportunity, and when results turned against him he couldn't wait to blame us for being "fickle". He can fuck off.
Di Matteo was a poor manager but also unlucky. The number of jammy deflections and last minute equalisers must count partly against the manager, but were also down to poor fortune. I still believe he used up all his luck with the Chavs' unbelievably fortuitous European Cup win. I could, at least, see the logic behind most of his signings, even if most of them haven't exactly set the World alight.
While he's still here, it's too early to claim Bruce as being among the worst. I think his days are numbered but would, obviously, prefer it if we won seven-nil today to start a glorious fifty game unbeaten run that proves me wrong.
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For achievements, you have to go with Ron Saunders and then Tony Barton
From my memory as being a fan, i loved the highs of Ron Atkinson's team, more than any other.....but i hated the lows of the ageing team not giving a shit.
Brian Little's highs were great also; good football, coupled with likeable players.
Graham Taylor of course.
Looking at my least favourite managers
Graham Turner and Billy McNeil - both horrific managers
Eric Black is also up there, and Steve Bruce is not far away from this i'm afraid.
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Best: Saunders
Favourite: Little
Worst: McNeill
Least favourite: O'Leary
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In my time as a season ticket holder:-
Best: MON
Worst: DOL
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Best: Saunders
Favourite: Little
Worst: McNeill
Least favourite: O'Leary
I train my staff well.
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In my time of watching the Villa my opinion on the best manager is Ron Saunders because he delivered and his teams were at many times exciting to watch.
I agree with a few of the above suggestions having watched teams managed by BFR, SGT and SBL but it's Ron for me.
An honourable mention to Joe Mercer who showed us what could be achieved using young, prodigious talent.
So far as bad managers go, it has to be Eric Black for me although I'm not really sure he qualifies as a manager, if not then Billy McNeill wins.
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Best: Saunders
Favourite: BFR or MON
Worst: Sherwood
Least favourite: O'Leary
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Best - Little
Favourite - BFR or Little.
Worst - Lambert
Least favourite - Lambert
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Best: Super Ron
Favourite: Brian
Worst: McNeill/Garde/Black
Least favourite: McNeill/Mr Fickle/Black
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Does Jim Barron count? 100% win record. I'm sure people know this but just for fun, what was the year, the score and the opposition for the game he took charge? If you can name the scorers on both sides I'll be even more impressed.
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Best Ron Saunders Worst Paul Lambert there have been poorer but their tenure was much shorter
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Does Jim Barron count? 100% win record. I'm sure people know this but just for fun, what was the year, the score and the opposition for the game he took charge? If you can name the scorers on both sides I'll be even more impressed.
Wasn't he in charge of the 4-3 at WHL?
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Were we three-nil up, then they pulled it back to three-all? I think Saunders scored the winner. Can't remember who got the other six.
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Fenton got 2 iirc
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I'm not old enough to remember Saunders, GT Mk I or even Big Ron, so I don't have a best Villa manager really. Well OK, Sir Brian.
I do feel sorry for you Monty. There are some disadvantages not many but some to being young.
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The most complete: Ron Saunders
Best football played: Ron Atkinson
Best emotionally attached: Brian
The most frustrating: O'Neil
The most hated: O'Leary
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Were we three-nil up, then they pulled it back to three-all? I think Saunders scored the winner. Can't remember who got the other six.
Yep 4-3. Our scorers were Dalian, Deano and Fenton got 2. Klinsmann, Sheringham and a Bozzie og for them akthoug the og was decided by the dubious goals panel after the game, at the time Klinsmann was credited with it.
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Best: Ron Saunders
Favourite: Ron Atkinson
Worst: Billy McNeill
Least Favourite: David O'Leary
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Best: Saunders
Favourite: Little
Worst: McNeill
Least favourite: O'Leary
I was going to mention splitting them into best/favourite etc as well. I concur with your choices exactly too.
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Got to concur with Darren,
Best: Ron Saunders
Favourite: Ron Atkinson
Worst: Billy McNeill
Least Favourite: David O'Leary
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Best: Gregory
Worst: O'Leary
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Best: George Ramsay or Ron Saunders depending on how one defines "manager"
Favourite: Brian Little
Worst: McNeill
Least favourite: O'Leary
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Best: Little
Favourite: Little, Gregory
Worst: McLeish, Lambert
Least favourite: McLeish, Lambert, O'Leary
Biggest disappointment: O'Neill. Spunked millions on dross and threw away 4th with his dinosaur tactics and signing Heskey.
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Best: Ron Saunders
Favourite: Ron Atkinson
Worst: McNeill, Lambert (too many to mention in recent times unfortunately)
Least Favourite: O'Leary
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Ron Saunders, SGT, BFR.
McNeil, Turner, Venglos.
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The most enjoyment I've ever got out of The Villa were during Gregory's first 12 months or so in charge, top of the league, fun football, supporter engagement and there seemed a real connection and relationship with the players.
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The most enjoyment I've ever got out of The Villa were during Gregory's first 12 months or so in charge, top of the league, fun football, supporter engagement and there seemed a real connection and relationship with the players.
The most fun I had as an adult (I was a kid between 1980 and 1983) was 1987-1988 and 1989-1990 under SGT and 1991-1994 under BFR. I missed the best days under Brian Little as I was living abroad.
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Best BFR worst Billy McNeil but there are a lot of the recent managers who run him close.
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Best BFR worst Billy McNeil but there are a lot of the recent managers who run him close.
Billy McNeil inherited the mess Graham Turner (aided and abetted by Doug) had made of the club. Just like the managers who followed McLeish inherited a mess. Personally, unlike a lot of people apart from the timing of their departure I don't think O'Neill or Houllier left us in a mess.
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Best BFR worst Billy McNeil but there are a lot of the recent managers who run him close.
Billy McNeil inherited the mess Graham Turner (aided and abetted by Doug) had made of the club. Just like the managers who followed McLeish inherited a mess. Personally, unlike a lot of people apart from the timing of their departure I don't think O'Neill or Houllier left us in a mess.
We'll never recover from the financial mess O'Neill tactically left us in.
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Best BFR worst Billy McNeil but there are a lot of the recent managers who run him close.
Billy McNeil inherited the mess Graham Turner (aided and abetted by Doug) had made of the club. Just like the managers who followed McLeish inherited a mess. Personally, unlike a lot of people apart from the timing of their departure I don't think O'Neill or Houllier left us in a mess.
We'll never recover from the financial mess O'Neill tactically left us in.
I thought it was Lerner who got us into a financial mess. If you give a manager money they will spend it. Houllier on Bent, McLeish on Given and N'Zogbia, Lambert on a collection of nobodies, Sherwood on various players and up to and including RDM and Bruce.
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Best: Saunders
Worst: Take your pick