Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Dave Javu on December 03, 2013, 11:29:34 AM
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...at Crawley Town.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25184994
Best of luck to him. He tended to wear his heart on his sleeve a bit too much perhaps, and it could be pretty boring watching Villa under him, but his record was pretty good. Surprised he didn't do so well in management after us.
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Plumbutt Cooper says the Creepies are the most hateable team in all the land and he knows his onions so I'm not sure if I can wish Grecian2000 all the best in his new role.
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A steady if uninspiring choice of manager .
Best of luck to him .
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That's a good level for him to be back in. Good luck to him. It's never gone right for him post Villa. Any ability he seemed to have at having a well organised unit, went. I think JG had a solid team with him here perhaps, and decent players helped too. He's one of those managers though who'll be motivational for some, but others will absolutely loath playing under.
I hope he does well though.
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Good luck to him I think he will do well there.
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Hope we draw Crawley in the FA Cup now. Best of luck to him. Really liked Gregory. Villa through and through.
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Hope we draw Crawley in the FA Cup now. Best of luck to him. Really liked Gregory. Villa through and through.
Agreed
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Hope we draw Crawley in the FA Cup now.
Me too. Brighton's great for a night out.
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I enjoyed his time as manager and he is without doubt Villa through and through. As already suggested I'd love an FA Cup tie against them he'd get a good reception I'm sure.
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Hope none of their players are depressed.
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I sat next to John Gregory at Saturday's match.
Still seemed very enthusiastic. Said that he thought the Clark 'handball' was definitely a penalty.
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Got to admit I hadn't realized Crawley were doing as well as they have been. Really chuffed for him and hope it works out well (If only we'd turned up in that bloody cup final...sigh).
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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.
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good luck to him. any one know if his still got his personalised number plate?
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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.
A bit unfair on Gregory there I think mate. Bearing in mind one minute he was managing Wycombe Wanderers then took over a huge Premiership club, I thought he did ok overall. Kept us top of the table until Christmas and took us to our first F.A Cup Final in over 40 years. No, the football wasn't always great and he did overspend on some mediocre players but he did reasonably well for someone who hadn't managed a big club before.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Good luck to him. I'll be looking out for Crawley's results now.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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
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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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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.
We didn't exactly cover ourselves in glory in 120 minutes of open play against Bolton in the semi either.
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No we were very luck in the Bolton game, Holdsworth somehow missing an open goal right at the end of extra time I remember.
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No we were very luck in the Bolton game, Holdsworth somehow missing an open goal right at the end of extra time I remember.
Ha ha. Yep now I recall. I tend to mostly remember Dion smashing in a penalty in the shootout shortly after returning from his horror neck break (first game back??).
Still, I don't think any team gets through to many finals without some luck along the way.
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Like the man. Hate Crawley, bloody awful place
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No we were very luck in the Bolton game, Holdsworth somehow missing an open goal right at the end of extra time I remember.
Ha ha. Yep now I recall. I tend to mostly remember Dion smashing in a penalty in the shootout shortly after returning from his horror neck break (first game back??).
Still, I don't think any team gets through to many finals without some luck along the way.
I was right in line with Holdsworth (albeit at the opposite end of the ground) when the ball came to him and with the goal looking like a massive target he couldn't miss. I had my head in my hands waiting for the distant cheers when I heard cheering and laughter all around me.
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No we were very luck in the Bolton game, Holdsworth somehow missing an open goal right at the end of extra time I remember.
Ha ha. Yep now I recall. I tend to mostly remember Dion smashing in a penalty in the shootout shortly after returning from his horror neck break (first game back??).
Still, I don't think any team gets through to many finals without some luck along the way.
I was right in line with Holdsworth (albeit at the opposite end of the ground) when the ball came to him and with the goal looking like a massive target he couldn't miss. I had my head in my hands waiting for the distant cheers when I heard cheering and laughter all around me.
Shocking indeed.
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Good luck to JG, I used to see him regularly in the morning walking his dogs in Windsor Great Park, always friendly and chatty and Villa through and through. I remember him most when he got the team together for a photograph on the pitch after guiding us to our best start in the league. Can't see that record being beaten any time soon.
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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.
We didn't exactly cover ourselves in glory in 120 minutes of open play against Bolton in the semi either.
Or the 180 minutes of the LC semis vs Leicester. 390 minutes of semi and final games, 0 goals scored and we rarely looked like scoring. That sums JG up, could get us so far thanks to spending a fortune, but couldn't get us going when it counted.
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Was he ever on record in later years regarding his treatment of Collymore?
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No idea why I remember this, but after his first game in charge of Villa against Liverpool, a Louise Redknapp song was played over the sound system. At the time, all I could think of it was something to do with her husband. Still think the same, but more in it was a bit of a Gregory showman type event.
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Started off really well at Villa and I'll remember the good times, but I wasn't sorry when he left.
As people have said, a Villa man and seems like a decent guy. Good luck at Crawley.
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Is it really 15 years ago and we were heading for the summit of English Football under JG.
It was sad how his time as manager ended.
I liked him as manager and wish him all the best for the futre.
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Loved JG, wish him all the best
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I hope he does well. He holds Villa so close to his heart. Unfortunately and inevitably his stay at Crawley will end sooner than he'd like.
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Good luck to him.
Apart from being a decent player, his part in Sir Brian's backroom team when we played some superb football and his early days as our manager should never be forgotten. The fact that he always demonstrates great passion for the club is a credit to the man.
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I'm always struck by the negativity surrounding Steve Stone.
He played loads of games for us, either out wide, wing-back or centre-midfield. In THAT cup win against top-of-the-table Leeds, he was outstanding in the second half, along with Boateng.
Always gave his best -just don't understand the negativity about him on here.
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I think he signed when we were desperately looking for a spark to halt the horrible start to 1999 we had which ruined both title and European aspirations.
There was a bit of laziness to the signing. Gregory again signing over-priced British players.
Stone was touted as an exciting wing-wonder at Forest but we made him into a more functional but reliable player. Did decently overall (remember him scoring a nice goal at Newcastle in the FA Cup which must have meant a lot to him, being from oop north) and history has probably been a bit unfair in largely forgetting his time at the Villa.
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I think he signed when we were desperately looking for a spark to halt the horrible start to 1999 we had which ruined both title and European aspirations.
There was a bit of laziness to the signing. Gregory again signing over-priced British players.
Stone was touted as an exciting wing-wonder at Forest but we made him into a more functional but reliable player. Did decently overall (remember him scoring a nice goal at Newcastle in the FA Cup which must have meant a lot to him, being from oop north) and history has probably been a bit unfair in largely forgetting his time at the Villa.
I agree with that. I also think that although Gregory did undoubtedly pay over the odds for a lot of players (as many other clubs were doing at the same time), some of his signings, even for a brief period, were some of the most exciting ones we've made in the last fifteen years.
Merson was one of my favourite Villa players ever. A Paul Merson type in this Villa team today would see us in the top six without question. Carbone, although a very short term fix, gave us some good moments. Angel although never really living up to his potential, the same. Alpay was never boring to have around. Dion Dublin - a top, top man who did very well for us.
I met JG when I was on work experience and did a taped interview with him. As many others have said, a good bloke, and Villa through and through.
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I bet his football wouldn't be as shit as it is now
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Good luck John.
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Corporal Punishment, our former striker Guy Whittingham has joined JG at Crawley as a coach
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Whitts was gone by the time Gregory arrived with Little, right? Whats the link with Guy...Portsmouth?
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Didn't Little swap him for Tayls or am I imagining that?
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Whitts was gone by the time Gregory arrived with Little, right? Whats the link with Guy...Portsmouth?
I think he played for Gregory at Portsmouth
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Stoney was a solid player, unspectacular but somewhat reliable and very hard working. I guess to some extent an older version of the pre-central midfield Milner. I think we overpaid, but we probably expected a bit more in the final third from him given he had a reasonable goal return at Forrest. Injuries effected his career a lot though. He kept on breaking his legs.
I often have this flash of realisation that he played for us. It's easy to forget he did sometimes. Likewise Steve Watson. I guess neither were as good or flashy as the likes of Merson, Dublin, Angel etc. Neither stick in the mind as being huge disappointments like Ginola, Hadji or Kachloul. Even Carbone is very fondly remembered for his fleeting time here, largely thanks to the Leeds game.
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Didn't Little swap him for Tayls or am I imagining that?
correct. Little brought him over from Sheff Wed. It was something like Whittingham plus a million.
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Like the man. Hate Crawley, bloody awful place
I always stay over when Im flying fro Gatwick .. yes very awful
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Stoney was a solid player, unspectacular but somewhat reliable and very hard working. I guess to some extent an older version of the pre-central midfield Milner. I think we overpaid, but we probably expected a bit more in the final third from him given he had a reasonable goal return at Forrest. Injuries effected his career a lot though. He kept on breaking his legs.
I often have this flash of realisation that he played for us. It's easy to forget he did sometimes. Likewise Steve Watson. I guess neither were as good or flashy as the likes of Merson, Dublin, Angel etc. Neither stick in the mind as being huge disappointments like Ginola, Hadji or Kachloul. Even Carbone is very fondly remembered for his fleeting time here, largely thanks to the Leeds game.
Alan Thompson was another in that mould, looked great for Bolton but largely anonymous for us.
Aside from Balaban, I thought his other foreign purchases were quite decent.
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Stoney was a solid player, unspectacular but somewhat reliable and very hard working. I guess to some extent an older version of the pre-central midfield Milner. I think we overpaid, but we probably expected a bit more in the final third from him given he had a reasonable goal return at Forrest. Injuries effected his career a lot though. He kept on breaking his legs.
I often have this flash of realisation that he played for us. It's easy to forget he did sometimes. Likewise Steve Watson. I guess neither were as good or flashy as the likes of Merson, Dublin, Angel etc. Neither stick in the mind as being huge disappointments like Ginola, Hadji or Kachloul. Even Carbone is very fondly remembered for his fleeting time here, largely thanks to the Leeds game.
Alan Thompson was another in that mould, looked great for Bolton but largely anonymous for us.
Aside from Balaban, I thought his other foreign purchases were quite decent.
Gharyib.
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Carbone is an example of a very good loan.
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Carbone is an example of a very good loan.
for the club who got rid of him.
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I liked Gregory as a bloke .Like others have said villa through and through .He is also,as far as i can recall , the the only manager to come out and have a go at Ellis .Telling everyone he was in a timewarp or something like that was the begining of the end for him
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Like the man. Hate Crawley, bloody awful place
Agreed, if I owned hell and Crawley, I'd rent out Crawley and live in hell.
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Lived there for a while - well maidenbower in the burbs. There are some really nice places around Crawley and Brighton's just down the road. I also lived in Horley which is just next door. Loved it down there. Crawley is, however, shit as are many of its residents. Shame really.