The replacement for MON...?

[Ads]

We cannot think as small as some are in my opinion. I don’t think we can afford to take too big a risk on the manager and besides, its a huge job, there’s already a queue a mile long, lets pick and choose the best one.

[enigma]

Is the poll going to be updated for Hitzfeld and Pelligrini

Hitzfeld ( whom i have met!) is out of our league. Pelligrini has a case, BUT , i dont think he speaks English and hasonly ever worked in a Hispanic environment, so would be operating way out of his comfort zone and would probably import a sizeable hispanic contingent which could destabilise the club.

Why is Hitzfeld out of our league? He's in semi retirement as Switzerland coach.

[midnite]

Pelligrini is a very interesting choice. He'd
Never even crossed my mind until it was commented on here. He has the experience that's for sure! Would know and understand the pressure he would be under at a club the expects like villa

[b23]

Wow ! Someone else voted for Roberto Martinez. Cheers John e ! Martinez speaks English and Spanish too. Maybe other languages as well ? 

[KevinGage]

You've talked about names and there is one. The ideal candidate is Wenger, but we know there is no chance of that happening. However Wenger was a relative unknown before coming to Arsenal. We need to find our very own version of him.

Michael Laudrup. Next year.

Svennis might do in the meantime, I suppose.
He's managed in England before and is well used to short-term gigs.

[garyfouroaks]

Why is Hitzfeld out of our league? He's in semi retirement as Switzerland coach.

I am going to back track a little here. He has had a hugely distinguished record as a manager, one of only three to have won the EC/CL with two different clubs.

On the plus side he has nothing to prove and "Der General's" legendary organsiational skills would be welcome and he certainly wouldnt lack credibility in the dressing room and he speaks English. My "out of our league" comment reflected my belief that career wise, Hitzfeld has nothing to gain by coming here.He is not going to add to his league title tally of 18, and Cl tally of 2, is he?

[cb]

We cannot think as small as some are in my opinion. I don’t think we can afford to take too big a risk on the manager and besides, its a huge job, there’s already a queue a mile long, lets pick and choose the best one.

I just want to point out that what I am suggesting  is not to think small; rather to think big and to think beyond the current awkward situation we find ourselves in, which MON is primarily responsible for I might add. We have to remember that as a club we may well be able to fund some transfer acquisitions BUT they must be accompanied by some reorganisation of the playing staff to balance the wage budget; this and only this is our limiting factor. I don't see this changing any time soon, so the manager we appoint must be someone who can operate successfully within this environment. The only way for this to work is to find a manager who will be comfortable and capable of finding young talent and even occassionally selling our best player and then replacing them. This is the reality of being a top four club in the current environment (Arsenal do this all the time). We need someone of real talent who will invest their passion and drive behind the club in a similar way to what MON did. Without this, I'm afraid we are lost. I do not see too many of the big names that have been mentioned doing that. I would see many of them thinking that Villa would be a win win job for them, wherebyu they wouldn't really lose too much if they failed here and they'd pick up a nice pay check in the process. In my opinion this is not a good recipe for success at the villa in the near future.

[paul_e]

Someone a few pages back summed things up perfectly for me (can't be bothered to find the post and quote it now though).

2 things are clear from happenings in the last few days:

1.  The press think O'Neill turned us from nothing to a top 6 side
2.  The wage bill is the major issue that needs addressing

The next appointment needs to be made with those in mind.  The 1st one is easily solved by getting someone with just as big a profile, either as a player or as a manager.  The 2nd can be solved in 2(3) ways.  We either cut the wage bill by getting rid of anyone who is on big money and can't command a regular place, or we increase turnover (or ideally we do both, to an extent).

The reducing wages has already started, with shorey now gone we must be at least 100k a week better off (than we were at the end of last season), once Milner goes that's closer to 140k, 1-2 more of the heskeys/sidwells will be enough to have that under control, particularly given the new sponsors.

So the appointment needs to focus on increasing revenue and making people take notice, thankfully these go hand in hand.  Now lets go pick up, Klinnsmann or Van Basten.  Both big names, with a world profile and with close ties to sides that finished 3rd and 2nd respectively in the last world cup.  If we're worried about their coaching ability we keep Macdonald on as assistant manager and let them be the well-known, likable figurehead leading us into our bright new future and spreading brand Aston Villa across the globe as a big up and coming star of football that are doing things the right way by building from the ground up rather than spunking oil money all over europe desperately trying to one up our neighbours.

[hilts_coolerking]

1.  The press think O'Neill turned us from nothing to a top 6 side

To be fair, there are plenty of people on here who have been arguing exactly that for a very long time.  How many times have you seen posts along the lines of "We were certainties for relegation before Martin took over" or "Martin was starting from a much lower baseline"?

[Villa'Zawg]

1.  The press think O'Neill turned us from nothing to a top 6 side

To be fair, there are plenty of people on here who have been arguing exactly that for a very long time.  How many times have you seen posts along the lines of "We were certainties for relegation before Martin took over" or "Martin was starting from a much lower baseline"?

I'm very much in agreement with the second of those when compared to the teams who are our rivals now. How else would you categorise the Villa when he took over?

[pauliewalnuts]

1.  The press think O'Neill turned us from nothing to a top 6 side

To be fair, there are plenty of people on here who have been arguing exactly that for a very long time.  How many times have you seen posts along the lines of "We were certainties for relegation before Martin took over" or "Martin was starting from a much lower baseline"?

I'm very much in agreement with the second of those when compared to the teams who are our rivals now. How else would you categorise the Villa when he took over?

He's saying that it isn't just the press who say that. Which you're proving, by, err, saying that.

[Rancid custard]

I just want someone who'll crack the Salifou conundrum...

[The Situation]

I just want someone who'll crack the Salifou conundrum...

The Togolese Zidane is a work in progress...

[KevinGage]

Actually thought he looked OK when he came on v Valencia.

He was the best of a very bad bunch out in Hamburg a few years ago too.

[Rancid custard]

I just want someone who'll crack the Salifou conundrum...

The Togolese Zidane is a work in progress...

If we could get the Togolese Mourinho?