Who Should be Aston Villa Manager ? Now with new, revised poll

[eastie]

As a general comment why has everyone thrown the towel in on getting into the top four? The gap from 5th to 4th (which 5 years ago was about 20 points and shed load of goal difference) is now smaller than it's been for a decade or more.

You can't just give up. We didn't know 2 years ago that Arsenal were going to falter, but we were in a position to profit from it when they did.

I don't like to hold Redknapp up as an example (God knows, I can't stand the dog-faced gimp) but he's right when he says you have to go for the top four every season if you're a club like Tottenham, otherwise what are you playing at? Spurs are no bigger than Villa, so the same appiles to us.

You can't just keep letting your best players leave and making 'safe' managerial appointments.

And if you think we can't be relegated under Mark Hughes then you're wrong.

The gap is bigger than ever for us to bridge in my opinion and the top 4 have wealth far beyond anything we can dream about, sadly the game is very much about money these days.

[Merv]

BUT there's no way Mark Hughes would see a move to Villa as 'bobbing along' and avoiding relegation. It would be the big job he's craved since City dumped on him. He's fiercely ambitious and he'd have bigger plans for us than treading water. There's no way he'd walk in through the door and claim 'Villa belong 8th-12th in the PL', as GH did when he arrived. He'd be targeting top six - and up.

My post was a reflection of Aston Villa's ambition if Hughes is appointed, not the ambition of Mark Hughes. I couldn't give a toss what his ambitions are or might be. He might believe Villa belong in the top six, he might have bigger plans for us than 8th to 12th, (he might have plans for his missus and the Au Pair to deep-throat him every morning before he goes to work), but what he will achieve with us is 8th to 12th place.

And what is all this gubbins about him being able to attract players? It was money that attracted big name signings to Wastelands, not Mark Hughes. I just don't see this appointment inspiring anyone - fans, players, sponsors - anyone.

Eh?

But if you acknowledge that Hughes may well have ambitions to get us into the top six again, why does that mean we'd only finish 8th-12th? He took Blackburn higher than that, took City higher than that. Why could he not take Villa back into the top six? It's not a huge leap away and I certainly haven't given up on us cracking the big four.

You might want to aim your 'gubbins' comment at someone else. I haven't made any comments about Hughes attracting players to clubs. What I do think about him is that he might well strike up a stronger rapport with players than Houllier did.

[Chris Smith]

As a general comment why has everyone thrown the towel in on getting into the top four? The gap from 5th to 4th (which 5 years ago was about 20 points and shed load of goal difference) is now smaller than it's been for a decade or more.

You can't just give up. We didn't know 2 years ago that Arsenal were going to falter, but we were in a position to profit from it when they did.

I don't like to hold Redknapp up as an example (God knows, I can't stand the dog-faced gimp) but he's right when he says you have to go for the top four every season if you're a club like Tottenham, otherwise what are you playing at? Spurs are no bigger than Villa, so the same appiles to us.

You can't just keep letting your best players leave and making 'safe' managerial appointments.

And if you think we can't be relegated under Mark Hughes then you're wrong.

What had Redknapp won before joining Spurs that made him such an ambitious appointment?

[glasses]

Redknapp had taken Portsmouth from obscurity to FA Cup winners in a decade. (I accept that they are now heading back to obscurity, due, in part/entirely to the money thrown at Redknapp to get them there.)
Redknapp nevertheless, built a team that won the FA Cup.

[JJ-AV]

Always rated Hughes, would be happy enough but considering some of the names available he wouldn't be my first choice.

[Chris Smith]

Redknapp had taken Portsmouth from obscurity to FA Cup winners in a decade. (I accept that they are now heading back to obscurity, due, in part/entirely to the money thrown at Redknapp to get them there.)
Redknapp nevertheless, built a team that won the FA Cup.

So, he'd done a decent job with a low ranking English club. It's hardly fits into the statement of intent bracket that so many people seem to think is so important.

He's been a good appointment for them yet by the criteria many are suggesting he should not have been considered.

[Merv]

Several websites - Sky Sports, Setanta - reporting Moyes making comments that he's staying at Everton.

As for Redknapp, I get Chris Smith's point. Which is, that for the majority of his career, Redknapp managed clubs in the lower end of the PL. His pedigree was always that of a manager who did reasonably well at smaller clubs.

[eastie]

Always rated Hughes, would be happy enough but considering some of the names available he wouldn't be my first choice.

I feel exactly the same but i am warming to the idea of hughes , have browsed fulham and everton forums today to get their view and almost to a man fulham fans are happy with him and would hate to see him him go, saying they play good football under him surprisingly, whereas everton fans seem split almost 50-50 and there are quite a few hoping moyes goes to villa.

[JJ-AV]

I do like Hughes (as I said earlier) but I'd be a bit disappointed if we didn't get another option (Moyes, if he's preferred) because we don't wish to upset Everton.

[abc123cox]

every site i am trying to get into to read about moyes rejecting villa ha been taken down immediately!!!

anyone know whats going on??

it's very strange

[dave.woodhall]

I do like Hughes (as I said earlier) but I'd be a bit disappointed if we didn't get another option (Moyes, if he's preferred) because we don't wish to upset Everton.

Given that Gerard doesn't seem to be going as willingly as first appeared, I think we can say that upsetting people isn't a problem.

[Damo70]

If we are considering Martinez then we should consider Paul Jewell and Steve Bruce because they both had better records at Wigan. As for his style of football, I will have to study Wigan a bit more closely in future because I don't remember ever being blown away by them.

[abc123cox]

every site i am trying to get into to read about moyes rejecting villa ha been taken down immediately!!!

anyone know whats going on??

it's very strange

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6961795,00.html

http://news.tradingedgemaster.com/moyes-rejects-villa-rumours/

and more.....

[hilts_coolerking]

At least Redknapp has won something, which is more than Moyes or Hughes have achieved.  Their records are unremarkable, save for one season (out of nine) by Moyes.

[UsualSuspect]

Redknapp had taken Portsmouth from obscurity to FA Cup winners in a decade. (I accept that they are now heading back to obscurity, due, in part/entirely to the money thrown at Redknapp to get them there.)
Redknapp nevertheless, built a team that won the FA Cup.

Didn't over achieve at Wet Spam

Was shit at Southampton

John Sillett won the FA Cup with Coventry - Doesn't make him a potential England manager