Hot off the Press

[Bottom Right 89]

Good piece Dave. Aston Villa should not have to be sold to any manager or I would suggest they are the wrong candidate - Moyes gets us he'll sign. I just hope they can get it done before Saturday.

[castlefields_villan]

He is the outstanding choice for me.  I just hope the new board can sell the club to him if he is interested.

Recently they haven't been able to sell the club to anyone, as Lerner will tell you 

  made me laugh (at a time when we smiles are few and far between).

[darren woolley]

Another good read Dave.

[Risso]

I certainly agree it seems the right man for the right time, but can it be done? Does he want to come and can we convince him we've hit rock bottom in terms of off the field shambles and are on our way back up?

I don't think there would be too many better offers from the premier league in the summer. Most of the managers seem safe, or there are replacements already lined up for those that are going. Swansea, Guidolin was just a stop-gap I think; Everton if they don't win the cup?; Saints or Watford if their managers want to move up to the next level?

He won't want to go back to Everton and who have more chance of top six and trophies regularly with the right manager - Villa or any of those you mentioned?

I think that any of those clubs has just as much chance to be honest Dave. The new TV deal has been a welcome leveller, and notions of 'big club' are going to be increasingly less relevant. A club like Soton will never have as many fans as us, but with ticket money making up an ever decreasing percentage of revenue, I'm not sure it makes much difference. Unless I've misunderstood your point.

Outside money has only been a factor for about ten years but the big clubs have invariably been the big clubs. That's why I said "regularly". Smaller clubs will have their time in the sun - Ipswich, Forest, now Leicester - but the natural order will eventually hold sway.

I agree, but there's a big shift happening I feel. The TV money is such that the big difference is going to come from Champions League qualification and having ultra-rich owners. Even then, a good manager is bridging that gap as Spurs are proving. Unfortunately I can't see that we have much of an advantage over the likes of Southampton, such that our place in the natural order is above them.   

[Ad@m]

I certainly agree it seems the right man for the right time, but can it be done? Does he want to come and can we convince him we've hit rock bottom in terms of off the field shambles and are on our way back up?

I don't think there would be too many better offers from the premier league in the summer. Most of the managers seem safe, or there are replacements already lined up for those that are going. Swansea, Guidolin was just a stop-gap I think; Everton if they don't win the cup?; Saints or Watford if their managers want to move up to the next level?

He won't want to go back to Everton and who have more chance of top six and trophies regularly with the right manager - Villa or any of those you mentioned?

I think that any of those clubs has just as much chance to be honest Dave. The new TV deal has been a welcome leveller, and notions of 'big club' are going to be increasingly less relevant. A club like Soton will never have as many fans as us, but with ticket money making up an ever decreasing percentage of revenue, I'm not sure it makes much difference. Unless I've misunderstood your point.

Outside money has only been a factor for about ten years but the big clubs have invariably been the big clubs. That's why I said "regularly". Smaller clubs will have their time in the sun - Ipswich, Forest, now Leicester - but the natural order will eventually hold sway.

I agree, but there's a big shift happening I feel. The TV money is such that the big difference is going to come from Champions League qualification and having ultra-rich owners. Even then, a good manager is bridging that gap as Spurs are proving. Unfortunately I can't see that we have much of an advantage over the likes of Southampton, such that our place in the natural order is above them.   

Exactly, the natural order was underpinned by the financial power a larger fan base gave over the long term.  In a world where collectively bargained TV money (ie entirely unrelated to a club's individual fanbase) is going to account for upwards of 80% of a club's spending power it becomes less relevant whether you have a 40,000 seater stadium or a 20,000 seater stadium. 

It comes down to how good the club is run and a little bit of luck.  Oh...

[AVH87]

Good piece Dave. Aston Villa should not have to be sold to any manager or I would suggest they are the wrong candidate - Moyes gets us he'll sign. I just hope they can get it done before Saturday.

Can't see the rush myself, the season is dead, no lift or result on Saturday is going to change that.

[West Derby Villan]

Accurate report Dave. I dont quite see the urgency of the sacking as no manager will want to have Villas relegation on his CV. With this in mind there will be no new manager appointed until relegation is a mathematical certainty and just hope it Moyes

[four fornicholl]

I certainly agree it seems the right man for the right time, but can it be done? Does he want to come and can we convince him we've hit rock bottom in terms of off the field shambles and are on our way back up?

I don't think there would be too many better offers from the premier league in the summer. Most of the managers seem safe, or there are replacements already lined up for those that are going. Swansea, Guidolin was just a stop-gap I think; Everton if they don't win the cup?; Saints or Watford if their managers want to move up to the next level?

He won't want to go back to Everton and who have more chance of top six and trophies regularly with the right manager - Villa or any of those you mentioned?

I think that any of those clubs has just as much chance to be honest Dave. The new TV deal has been a welcome leveller, and notions of 'big club' are going to be increasingly less relevant. A club like Soton will never have as many fans as us, but with ticket money making up an ever decreasing percentage of revenue, I'm not sure it makes much difference. Unless I've misunderstood your point.

Outside money has only been a factor for about ten years but the big clubs have invariably been the big clubs. That's why I said "regularly". Smaller clubs will have their time in the sun - Ipswich, Forest, now Leicester - but the natural order will eventually hold sway.

I agree, but there's a big shift happening I feel. The TV money is such that the big difference is going to come from Champions League qualification and having ultra-rich owners. Even then, a good manager is bridging that gap as Spurs are proving. Unfortunately I can't see that we have much of an advantage over the likes of Southampton, such that our place in the natural order is above them.   

Exactly, the natural order was underpinned by the financial power a larger fan base gave over the long term.  In a world where collectively bargained TV money (ie entirely unrelated to a club's individual fanbase) is going to account for upwards of 80% of a club's spending power it becomes less relevant whether you have a 40,000 seater stadium or a 20,000 seater stadium. 

It comes down to how good the club is run and a little bit of luck.  Oh...

When I was growing up the natural order had us 3rd,
behind Aldershot and Arsenal

[brian green]

Moyes would be more successful, professional and respected but Pearson would be more engrossing. One thing Villa Park would not be with Pearson is boring.

I shall always think that Remi Garde  was the right man at the wrong time.  If we cannot have the right man (Moyes) let's have  a grotesque (Pearson) and laugh away the misery of the past six years.

[cheltenhamlion]

It has to be a big name this time.  Nothing else will corner the waiverers into complicity. Some are too far gone. I would spend a huge chunk of money on Bielsa as I have said before. We wont though. The next manager is nailed on from these Isles.

[Drummond]

Moyes is now odds-on favourite. I can't see it being anyone else, it's the natural fit. Successful on a shoe-string at Everton and proven to have been not that shabby at Man Utd given what happened after he left.

[Chico Hamilton III]

 I remember listening to Moyes on Danny Baker's show a few weeks ago. He came across as a decent sort and when Baker asked if he'd been approached by other clubs he said that he wouldn't speak to any clubs who still had their manager in the job. Maybe things might start happening now? I was actually quite impressed with the way he spoke. Not that it has any baring on how good a manager he is but he sounded like a good bloke. Baker was saying how amazed he was with Moyes' knowledge of players when they worked together at the World Cup in South Africa.

[Steve67]

Good article Dave. I really hope the club are monitoring these pages!

[Toronto Villa]

Moyes and us. We both need reinvention and a return to relevance.