A new manager by Friday??

[Hookeysmith]

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!

AS much as i like Kev Mc and will support him for the short and long term if need be

Does he now not come across as being a little "arrogant" especially with the "I will let the club know if i want to be considered"

If you dont know by now mate then i can tell you that you aint the bloke for the job - simple

THis is the villa mate - we will keep you waiting not the other way round - pish!!

[Toronto Villa]

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. .

But then again hilts, Bruce has picked up some cracking players in Central/South America and brought them to England without having any prior knowledge of that market. If you or I could pick out a good player in Europe, surely a professional could?

[eastie]

Agreed hookey- we can't wait around 3 weeks to let kmac decide whether or not he wants to be considered - let's get a manager in who has managed!

[Small Rodent]

Agreed hookey- we can't wait around 3 weeks to let kmac decide whether or not he wants to be considered - let's get a manager in who has managed!

It's all smoke and mirrors. He's saying this to keep the journalists at an arms length.

[DannyN]

I heard from an ex Blues player (him of "Shit on The Villa" t-shirt fame) some time ago that Giovanni Trappatoni was VP bound. Stephen Ireland, Richard Dunne connection.
I know he fell ill a while ago and this could easily explain the delay.

[Concrete John]

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.

True, but a a sucessful playing career means you experience how to run a successful team by being part of that team and observing the manager.  You also get a picture from the inside of how football clubs are run and what being a manager of one entails.  Mourinho may not have played, but he got this by working under Sir Bobby Robson for a number of years.

Bradley has not real understanding of how European football clubs are run, from any perspective other than being a fan and watching games. 

[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.

True, but a a sucessful playing career means you experience how to run a successful team by being part of that team and observing the manager.  You also get a picture from the inside of how football clubs are run and what being a manager of one entails.  Mourinho may not have played, but he got this by working under Sir Bobby Robson for a number of years.

Bradley has not real understanding of how European football clubs are run, from any perspective other than being a fan and watching games. 

You're right about Bradley, but Hughes, Ince, Bruce never "worked" for Ferguson unlike Mourinho under Robson. I have no doubt Mourinho learnt a lot, but a lot of that was down to Mourinho. Otherwise Robson's other coaches at the time would all have had great careers. There are lots of good players that have played for top clubs under top mangers, that flopped as managers themselves. It doesn't neccessarily translate or get passed down.

My point is, there is no one formula for success as a manager. So to discount someone like Bradley based on our assumptions of what it takes to be a successful manager is doing him an injustice in terms of what he has achieved, or potentially could achieve given the opportunity. It's no different to giving KM a "manager" job, even though like Bradley he's only ever been a coach.

[Concrete John]

Each to his own, but I'd rather K-Mac to Bradley as i think he's better equipped for the job.

[Shrek]

Each to his own, but I'd rather K-Mac to Bradley as i think he's better equipped for the job.

Agree!

[Toronto Villa]

Each to his own, but I'd rather K-Mac to Bradley as i think he's better equipped for the job.

I have no problem with anyone having that opinion. As I said I'm not for or against Bradley, but whoever we do appoint I hope we all give him a chance to succeed.

[Concrete John]

Each to his own, but I'd rather K-Mac to Bradley as i think he's better equipped for the job.

I have no problem with anyone having that opinion. As I said I'm not for or against Bradley, but whoever we do appoint I hope we all give him a chance to succeed.

I can't thing of any candidate for the job I wouldn't get behind and give my support to.  Similar to a view I have on players we sign and may not rate - the very least they deserve is a chance to prove you wrong.

My point on Bradley though is that he has done nothing to suggest he can take the job on and succeed.  All the other non-player managers that were mentioned had to build up there careers first, which wwere done as coaches etc. learning the professional game from the inside and even then started at lesser clubs as the main man.  Would we accept a non-league footballer who was doing great things with the likes of Tamworth?  because that is the level Bradley has experience of, other than managing the American side.  Imagine an African coach of a similar background within his own country only - wouldn't even be a consideration.

As I said, he'll get a chance to prove me wrong if it is him, but I think it's the wrong way to go and I would have thought Randy a better chairman tha to make such a decision.

[Toronto Villa]

It won't happen anyway John, as if it was going to it would have already. You know I was playing devil's advocate.

[Irreverent ad]

From the Independant in the last hour...Looks like it will be Kmac to me

Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald has admitted that managing the club on a permanent basis would be a "great opportunity" for him.


But the Scot remains steadfast in his pledge to decide whether he will apply for the job after Villa's match against Everton on Sunday.

MacDonald said: "It's got to be thought out very, very closely.

"It would be a great opportunity for me, but it would be a great opportunity for anybody who could take over this job because it is a big club."

MacDonald added that he does not think Sunday's 6-0 defeat at Newcastle harmed his chances, but he understands why some would disagree with him.

"I think people on the outside would probably look at it that way," he said.

"But from my own point of view it hasn't changed my stance towards what I was trying to do.

"Whether it's damaged my opportunity, I've not thought of it as that yet."

Villa defender Carlos Cuellar also claimed the Newcastle defeat would not become a factor in the appointment process.

"I don't think one result can change the thinking of the owner," he said.

"I think the responsibility (for the defeat) was with the players. We were trying to do our best but we had a bad day.

"But we now have another opportunity. Every player is with him and every player is trying to do as well as possible."

The caretaker boss also said he would also be monitoring how the players treated him between now and next week.

"The players, at whatever level you're working with, have to have respect for you," he said.

"I will know if they've got the respect for me or not come the weekend.

"If they don't have that respect then I'll have to maybe look at things in another light."

Villa take on Rapid Vienna in the second leg of their Europe League play-off on Thursday.

MacDonald would not reveal whether he would stick with the inexperienced side that drew 1-1 in Vienna, or call upon fit first team regulars such as Cuellar, James Collins and Gabriel Agbonlahor after the regained their fitness.

"I've thought about throwing more of the youngsters in," he said.

"They performed very well in a very hostile atmosphere (in Vienna).

"I've also thought about playing a few more of the senior players. But whatever team I put out, the big point for us is that we actually qualify and get through the tie.

"Whether it's youngsters, whether it's seniors, that is the most important thing.

"I'm thinking about both sides, but I can't tell you the team yet."

MacDonald's hand may be forced by injuries to senior players, particularly in defence.

Richard Dunne and Luke Young have both picked up knocks, while Stephen Warnock and winger Stewart Downing are being rested after playing three games in nine days.

[avfc_1874]

Bob Bradley it is then.

[Irreverent ad]

I will hopefully be proved wrong....but if KM gets the nod, I think it will end in tears within 12 months.