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Author Topic: John Gregory back in management  (Read 9898 times)

Offline eastie

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #15 on: December 03, 2013, 07:28:59 PM »
I like JG, but he also pisses me off. Seems a real nice bloke and seems to care about us. Was a shit manager though overall. Spent a fortune on milk bottle players on massive wages (MON light if you like), used smart arse quips and comments in interviews  to cover his own shitness. Was as negative, if not more so at times, than McLeish. I doubt even AM would go 5 at the back against bottom of the football league Chester City.

I still can't help but like him as  a person though, but fuck me I was happy when he left.

I tend to agree, considering he managed the likes of collymore, Merson , ginola and others the football was quite negative, but I suppose if we are judging by results he did a fair job.

Offline PeterWithesShin

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #16 on: December 03, 2013, 07:37:39 PM »
That's the thing though. he did okay. Which is fine if he hadn't spent a fortune buying players, most of which we lost a fortune on. And destroyed our wage bill.
Much like MON we had nothing better than a losing cup final, 6th place and the club suffering for years afterwards. Maybe shit was a bit harsh, pretty shit would be fairer. As shown by his record since he left us. And the football was often dire, apart from the first 12 months. Especially when you consider it was his expensively assembled team that was producing such shite.

Online Clampy

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #17 on: December 03, 2013, 07:45:03 PM »
I thought he spent the Yorke money wisely when he brought Merson and Dublin in and Alpay, Mellberg and Delaney were really decent signings as well but then the likes of Steve Stone, Alan Thompson, Steve Watson and Bosko came along and they didn't really contribute.

Offline Nev

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #18 on: December 03, 2013, 07:56:13 PM »
If I couldn't see Villa win the FA Cup, the next best thing would be to see us in a final at the old Wembley.

I grew up with great envy as I watched team after team have their big day so just to sing Abide With Me and watch us walk out was something I will always be greatful to JG for. What happened after I'd rather not dwell on.

I've always seen him as a Villa man, and he likes Springsteen so I wish him the very best of luck.

Offline PeterWithesShin

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #19 on: December 03, 2013, 08:00:17 PM »
Even some of those you class as buying wisely, Alpay, Merson and Dublin. Well over £20 million in fees and wages for a few years decent service. And zero money back. I'm guessing that would be the equivalent of £35mill(ish) these days. A hell of a chunk of cash.

Online ez

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #20 on: December 03, 2013, 08:04:19 PM »
We never finished lower than 8th under him. I wouldn't mind that now and he did get us to an fa cup final, something many villa managers were unable to do.

Online Clampy

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #21 on: December 03, 2013, 08:06:52 PM »
Even some of those you class as buying wisely, Alpay, Merson and Dublin. Well over £20 million in fees and wages for a few years decent service. And zero money back. I'm guessing that would be the equivalent of £35mill(ish) these days. A hell of a chunk of cash.

He had to go out and replace Yorkie with the money we got for him and Dublin and Merson did well for us in fairness. Picking up Luc Nillis could have been a masterstroke. He messed up not buying Robbie Keane though.

I don't want to knock the guy too much because like I said, it was his first job at a big club and overall he handled it well. I think his biggest mistake was taking the Derby job straight after leaving us.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2013, 08:08:40 PM by Clampy »

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #22 on: December 03, 2013, 08:07:46 PM »
He did very well for us in the period of 98-2000, football was of a good standard and it felt like we were going places even if as ever we couldn't quite take the final step.

The dismal loss in the cup final was pretty much the end, key players wanted out and his last 18 months in charge were largely forgettable as the football became ridiculously defensive.

From memory he did o.k at QPR on a shoestring before Briatore sacked him straightaway and since then he's been on a random tour of middle east football.

Still I'd like to see him do well at Crawley.

Offline peter w

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #23 on: December 03, 2013, 08:08:50 PM »
Good luck to him. I'll be looking out for Crawley's results now.

Offline eastie

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #24 on: December 03, 2013, 08:32:45 PM »
Even some of those you class as buying wisely, Alpay, Merson and Dublin. Well over £20 million in fees and wages for a few years decent service. And zero money back. I'm guessing that would be the equivalent of £35mill(ish) these days. A hell of a chunk of cash.



He had to go out and replace Yorkie with the money we got for him and Dublin and Merson did well for us in fairness. Picking up Luc Nillis could have been a masterstroke. He messed up not buying Robbie Keane though.

I don't want to knock the guy too much because like I said, it was his first job at a big club and overall he handled it well. I think his biggest mistake was taking the Derby job straight after leaving us.

A very good point  clampy, I think the decision not to bring in Keane was possibly his biggest mistake , Merson and Dublin were excellent signings and there's nothing he could really have done to keep dwight - all managers make a few poor signings , even sir alex and Gregory was no exception with the likes of stone and Thompson , etc although they seemed good deals at the time .

No question , taking the derby job so quickly was a mistake.

Offline eamonn

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #25 on: December 04, 2013, 02:58:53 AM »
I think he needed Brian and vice versa. Villa Spring '98, winning 10 out of 13 games, played the best football I've seen from a Villa side over a concentrated period of time (can only comment on 90's onwards).

Offline Damo70

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #26 on: December 04, 2013, 07:42:13 AM »
He did very well for us in the period of 98-2000, football was of a good standard and it felt like we were going places even if as ever we couldn't quite take the final step.

The dismal loss in the cup final was pretty much the end, key players wanted out and his last 18 months in charge were largely forgettable as the football became ridiculously defensive.

From memory he did o.k at QPR on a shoestring before Briatore sacked him straightaway and since then he's been on a random tour of middle east football.

Still I'd like to see him do well at Crawley.


QPR were bottom when he took over and he kept them up then lost his job early the next season. He seemed to be out of favour and out of fashion in this country after that.

Offline supertom

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #27 on: December 04, 2013, 07:53:20 AM »
His record wasn't too shabby overall. Played 190. W82 D 52 L 56
Win% 43 (Better than MON and SBL)
He had a certain steadiness I suppose, where-as even more regarded managers like BFR and Brian Little, had the moments it all started going wrong and they got the can.
In fairness that would have come with JG. He didn't have enough nous for it not to happen but considering he never finished outside the top 8, I thought that was remarkable for a manager who's actually quite limited. Part of it probably was the fact he really cared and for better or worse wore his heart on his sleeve for us.

The cup final will forever be a stigma for him. It was such a wretched display and we never looked close to scoring. Nearly but not good enough. I think that's the difference between a BFR and a manager like Gregory. Ron could mastermind a game like Utd in the LC final. Big occasion against a better side. Gregory didn't have that in him I don't think. Chelsea weren't even that brilliant. They were favourites but I wouldn't have necessarily called us underdogs that day.

Online john e

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #28 on: December 04, 2013, 08:10:48 AM »
liked Gregory as a player, and comes over as a nice chap and Villa man
but didn't like his brand of footaball, his 8-1-1 formations were a tad negative

but hey we didn't concede many, although there was a reason for that,  because most of the players were in defence

Offline eastie

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Re: John Gregory back in management
« Reply #29 on: December 04, 2013, 08:11:41 AM »
His record wasn't too shabby overall. Played 190. W82 D 52 L 56
Win% 43 (Better than MON and SBL)
He had a certain steadiness I suppose, where-as even more regarded managers like BFR and Brian Little, had the moments it all started going wrong and they got the can.
In fairness that would have come with JG. He didn't have enough nous for it not to happen but considering he never finished outside the top 8, I thought that was remarkable for a manager who's actually quite limited. Part of it probably was the fact he really cared and for better or worse wore his heart on his sleeve for us.

The cup final will forever be a stigma for him. It was such a wretched display and we never looked close to scoring. Nearly but not good enough. I think that's the difference between a BFR and a manager like Gregory. Ron could mastermind a game like Utd in the LC final. Big occasion against a better side. Gregory didn't have that in him I don't think. Chelsea weren't even that brilliant. They were favourites but I wouldn't have necessarily called us underdogs that day.

I agree , there was little between villa and Chelsea at that time I think they finished one place above us?
Had we won that game JG would have achieved legendary status for me and realised my greatest dream - it is a day that will forever leave me cold when I think  back to it :(

 


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