The replacement for MON...?

[Chris Jameson]

One of the websites has Danny Murphy at 284-1.  How marvellously random is that?

If that's the case I must be in at about 250-1.

How much shorter are the odds on Fletch, Chico and myself?

[Risso]

I know the season starts in a few days, but appointing a manager within two days isn't the best idea is it?  Surely some sort of calm reflection first would be a good idea?

[ozzjim]

Sven advising on the manager search? Or advising McDonald with team selection. I would prefer him as manager to DOF but as manager with a bried to bring through McDonald to take over in 2 years for example might be worth a look.

Sven did well at City, the wheels fell off when they had a stupidly bad injury list and were forced to play Elano at right back, while having no strikers fit and the flop Bianchi not scoring goals and going back to Italy early.

Plus Bojinov got injured and never played I don't think.

[Monty]

Actually the fact that it was the Fake Sheikh is significant. Sven was willing to come and work for a club that would basically be Man City-like in wealth.

[Concrete John]

I really don't know what to make of Sven.

Yeah, it's one hard anangram to crack.  Could we get away with a combination of plural and an abbreviation and go with 'Nevs'?

[Toronto Villa]

There's no way they would be idiotic enough to appoint him would there?

As I said before, depends which Sven turns up:

Multi-trophy winning genius, or

mony grabbing mercenary who'd turn up anywhere

If you gave Sven a plan over 3 years with a modicom of assured stability then he'd be a great choice. At man City he had started something very good and it all crashed. I believe he'd still be there today if there wasn't such back room volatility. I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't be open to working at Villa under the current board provided they can agree on a working relationship and budgetary framework. The man has links all across the world and like I said before, not perfect, but 3 or 4 years it would be very interesting.

He was willing to come to Villa and work under Doug wasn't he?

Fake sheikh thing. Can't remember how long ago that was exactly.

I actually think he still has a point to prove, and this could be his last big opportunity to do it. He's only 62, and he'd have a few good years left.

[pauliewalnuts]

I really don't know what to make of Sven.

Yeah, it's one hard anangram to crack.  Could we get away with a combination of plural and an abbreviation and go with 'Nevs'?

*chuckle*

[JJ-AV]

If we want to just get someone in for the season and then re-asses it next Summer Sven (or Klinsmann) would be a good choice.

It'd raise some of the gloom around the place because they're big names and keep people talking about us.

If we're going to just put someone in for the season it HAS to be a big name. Otherwise we risk dropping off the radar a bit.

[Concrete John]

One of the websites has Danny Murphy at 284-1.  How marvellously random is that?

If that's the case I must be in at about 250-1.

How much shorter are the odds on Fletch, Chico and myself?

I'm afaid you're right down there in the ,000s with Jack Duckworth, Paul Tait and Jessica Rabbit. 

[eastie]

if it is sven then lets all get behind him and give him our full support as we did with mon when he arrived.

sven has great contacts worldwide in the game and i would welcome him , his club record is very good and having seen mclaren and capellos failures it makes svens england record not that bad either, he is high profile and much better than bradley, curbs or southgate!

i would hope he would be given a 3 yr contract as there is no point bringing anyone in for one season.

[Monty]

Nobody's stopped taking bets so far have they? If a few do that then I'll get seriously worried.

[pauliewalnuts]

I realise you probably didn't mean it, but nobody has actually said anything about balancing a budget, have they?

That's the implication of all this living within our means stuff.

Not really.

Balancing the budget means spend only what we earn. All we've heard is the need to do something about the wage bill.

That's splitting hairs, the point I was making is that Sven would not be the obvious candidate if you are looking to reduce the percentage of turnover spent on wages. At Man City he bought about a zillion players on the strength of watching a few DVDs if I remember rightly.

That's what I thought you said, and is why I said you probably didn't mean it. I agree, he's not the type to go somewhere where prudence is required. I was just flagging up that balancing the budget is some levels further on than that.

DVDs? Christ, how low tech. I think most scouting gets done on dodgy chinese feeds these days. "This winger's ok, but he's a bit jerky and keeps stopping for three minutes".

[Brend'Watkins]

I can't remember, did Ireland figure under Sven's reign at Man City?

[Monty]

DVDs? Christ, how low tech. I think most scouting gets done on dodgy chinese feeds these days. "This winger's ok, but he's a bit jerky and keeps stopping for three minutes".

SWP?

[pmk1981]

apparantly sky sports news have just said that svens odds have been slashed significanlty in the last hour or so,  most sites are on evens now !!!