A new manager by Friday??

[Meanwood Villa]

Just show them the 2 world cup winning medals,

Pedant alert. He's only won the world cup once. That's still once more than many of course and I think he deservedly has a reputation as one of the greats of the last 30 years.

However a managerial record which involves doing quite well leading a home nation at a world cup then doing so godawful with the same nation's biggest club team that he gets sacked before the halfway point of the season is not good enough.

Having said which I have no idea who I do want to get it.

[EmileHefty]

Brain Kerr - Bring in Kilbane in midfiled, played for him at ROI.   

If McClaren gets the job he could morph his accent into Brummie style for his press conferences

[Meanwood Villa]

Just show them the 2 world cup winning medals,

then doing so godawful with the same nation's biggest club team that he gets sacked before the halfway point of the season

Having checked the facts after my post I now see he was actually sacked by Bayern in Apr 09, so well after the halfway point of the season. Serves me right for pointing out others' inaccuracies!
Having said which the fact remains that his one and only club job was brief and ended in failure.

[Toronto Villa]

Am I the only person here who wouldn't be upset if we got Bradley? By no means my first choice but a lot of people are being a bit harsh in pre-judging the man on little or no evidence.

I'm judging him on little or no credentials/experience of European club football, as either player or manager.

But if Mark Hughes had become manager for a lot of people that would have been ok. Yet he got his first managerial job with no experience as coach or manager. He, along with Steve Bruce have signed several excellent players that play in the PL. Just because a manager, or player for that matter has no PL experience isn't an indicator of whether they'll be a success or not. In fact, that's a very MON way looking at things. Something that led to him shopping in the UK for players for the most part. I would also bet his knowledge of North, Central and South American players would be better than most current PL managers today.

It's not going to happen anyway, but I said before that I'd have an open mind if he was appointed.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

For the record Klinsmann was sacked by Bayern 5 games from the end of his first season, with his team in 3rd place just 3 points behind the leaders. So his time there was hardly a catastrophe of course they are the biggest club in Germany but they have a very competitive league and there was every chance that they would have won the title.

[KevinGage]

We're all missing the obvious one here, I fear.

Kevin Mac - ex Ireland manager (for two games)

The forward is Keane, midfielder Ireland (or maybe Stephen Reid/ Glen Whelan/ Keith Andrews). The defender? Steve Finnan. Or Villa fan Sean St Hubbins.

Would in theory explain how we could get some of those deals done in that timeframe - working on the assumption that the OP isn't complete bollocks - which is a pretty big assumption.

[TheSandman]

We're all missing the obvious one here, I fear.

Kevin Mac - ex Ireland manager (for two games)

The forward is Keane, midfielder Ireland (or maybe Stephen Reid/ Glen Whelan/ Keith Andrews). The defender? Steve Finnan. Or Villa fan Sean St Hubbins.

Excellent point.

Where are Finnan and St Ledger these days?

[Ads]

I didn’t know that. Why sack him 3 games from the end when he could have won the title?! That’s madness

Madness you say? THIS IS MUNICH!

[Concrete John]

Am I the only person here who wouldn't be upset if we got Bradley? By no means my first choice but a lot of people are being a bit harsh in pre-judging the man on little or no evidence.

I'm judging him on little or no credentials/experience of European club football, as either player or manager.

But if Mark Hughes had become manager for a lot of people that would have been ok. Yet he got his first managerial job with no experience as coach or manager. He, along with Steve Bruce have signed several excellent players that play in the PL. Just because a manager, or player for that matter has no PL experience isn't an indicator of whether they'll be a success or not. In fact, that's a very MON way looking at things. Something that led to him shopping in the UK for players for the most part. I would also bet his knowledge of North, Central and South American players would be better than most current PL managers today.

It's not going to happen anyway, but I said before that I'd have an open mind if he was appointed.

That's not what I said:-

I'm judging him on little or no credentials/experience of European club football, as either player or manager.

Both Hughes and Bruce had great playing careers, both domestically and in Europe, which stood them in good stead when becoming managers.  Bradley does not have that.  What he does have is experience coaching American college teams and then the national side.  And it's that lack of experience in the level of the game Villa operate at that makes me question him.  Had he been a top player with in Europe then I'd be more positive about him. 

So it's not a 'MON-type view', especially as I said Europe aswell, it's a case of my not thinking he has any experience of the game at the level we operate at to suggest he's qualified to get the job.     

[Toronto Villa]

Did having good playing careers stand them in good stead for being managers? What's a good playing career got to do with being a good manager. I'd actually argue there are more good managers with average or less than average playing careers than the other way around e.g Mourinho being the best example.

[eamonn]

I was getting my hair cut this lunchtime and while waiting was reading an article about Ireland from a Saturday newspaper.  He said he consulted Dunne and Barry before coming and when he met Randy he knew he was someone who would run a football club properly.  I don't think he has any advance knowledge of the new manager, just glad to get out of the man City circus and confident we're not another bunch of clueless clowns.

I hope you didn't show the hairdresser the article with a picture of Ireland and asked ''Can you make me look like him?''. You've got lovely flowing locks John. (Do you?)

[Monty]

Did having good playing careers stand them in good stead for being managers? What's a good playing career got to do with being a good manager. I'd actually argue there are more good managers with average or less than average playing careers than the other way around e.g Mourinho being the best example.

Hugo Meisl, Arrigo Sacchi and indeed Mourinho never even played the game professionally, let alone were great players (Sacchi was barely good enough for being an amateur in his village team). A jockey doesn't have to have been born a horse. I think Klinsmann would be a good manager for us and Bradley wouldn't, but that has nothing to do with their playing careers.

[eastie]

Just seen kmac on sky saying he will decide Monday whether he wants to be considered- coincedentally the end of the window.
A great coach but not for me a man who has never been a manager- do the club a favour keV and let randy know you want to be a coach still instead of dragging it out till the window ends!

[hilts_coolerking]

I think John's point is that Hughes and Bruce had long playing careers and therefore built up plenty of knowledge of the English game, plenty of contacts, and European and (in Hughes's case) international experience. None of that is a guarantee that they would become good managers but, all things considered, surely they must find it extremely useful to have that experience to draw on. That's nothing to do with their qualities as players.

Bradley has none of that, in an English or European context. So, while lacking that experience doesn't automatically mean he'd be a crap manager, it must be a significant drawback for him. .

[Toronto Villa]

Did having good playing careers stand them in good stead for being managers? What's a good playing career got to do with being a good manager. I'd actually argue there are more good managers with average or less than average playing careers than the other way around e.g Mourinho being the best example.

Hugo Meisl, Arrigo Sacchi and indeed Mourinho never even played the game professionally, let alone were great players (Sacchi was barely good enough for being an amateur in his village team). A jockey doesn't have to have been born a horse. I think Klinsmann would be a good manager for us and Bradley wouldn't, but that has nothing to do with their playing careers.

Bradley or not, I want a football manager that is able to tactically break down the opposition given the weapons available to him. Or make appropriate changes if the situation requires it. Too often we were found wanting in that area.