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

[Steve67]

When Hughes walked from fulham didn't they say we're not interested in him?

from what I remember a journalist said this, not the club, however when I asked a few pages back someone said it was a club statement however there is nothing on the website.

This is the problem with people reading papers, watching SSN and listening to that pile of crap Talkspunk.  They say something and it suddenly becomes Gospel.  I honeslty think that Villa will approach Hughes as part of the process but will follow the rules because that's what we do.

[charlie]

If Randy is in US and has been for 2 days does this suggest Hughes, or a deal done last week in Corsica which is being tied up behind the scenes, ie Moyes.,  if we accept the Bent model of secrecy and the Whelan statement of letters being out days ago, is it not fair to expect folk have already been sounded out without the media knowing. Accepting that to do so without telling SSN is a capital offence, had Whelan not grabbed a chance to blaze his own publicity no matter how nicely dressed up, no one would have known of Martinez being offered a chance to have talks. Too much media driven panic here especially on Talk Sport where the Pie eater with a pea brain is stirring like mad, and on SSN where someone stationed like a lemon in the AVFC car park has to justify his existence. Lets face facts, players on holiday, Young off anyway, we were not going to buy Henderson or Jones. Too much panic.

[Nev]

As much as it pains me to say it, the Express article is correct in one thing and that is the criticism of Lerner with regards to the post of Chief Exec.

Lerner needs a capable and experienced right hand man to translate his ideas into positive and effective action. As I have posted before, I have a long held belief that Faulkner is at the centre of a lot of what has gone wrong at Villa Park in the last 12 months. Not through any deliberate action or lack of effort but from the fact that he has no real experience or contacts in the game.

Although it would be churlish to lay the blame at the door of the CE for MON's departure, it's a situation that, by all accounts, wasn't handled particularly well behind the scenes and mystery still surrounds the issues at the heart of that story.

While the hyperbole around the two attempts to appoint a manager have distorted the facts, it can't be denied that, on both occasions, things have not been handled very well.

It certainly wasn't easy for the club last summer with the timing of O'Neil's walkout, and they can be forgiven for certain elements of the pursuit of a replacement but this year the situation is very different. In any business succession planning is vital and with the events since April the club can hardly claim not to have been given any warning this time around.

[Concrete John]

We really do look like a small time club right now. 

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/252065/Slow-Randy-Lerner-must-act-fast?

Strange that he seems to focus on everything negative to the point where he states "The money is not there anymore" as a fact, which totally ignores the Bent signing just 5 months ago.

At the moment Villa-bashing seems to be the favoured sport of the media, but what we need to do is separate the fact from their opinion and spin.  All that's actally happened is we were given permission to talk to Martinez and include him in our interview process, but he declined.  That's it.  There is nothing else.  So anything beyond that is just what they think and is probably less informed than any of us on here.

[Nev]

When Hughes walked from fulham didn't they say we're not interested in him?

from what I remember a journalist said this, not the club, however when I asked a few pages back someone said it was a club statement however there is nothing on the website.

This is the problem with people reading papers, watching SSN and listening to that pile of crap Talkspunk.  They say something and it suddenly becomes Gospel.  I honeslty think that Villa will approach Hughes as part of the process but will follow the rules because that's what we do.

Last nights E+S clearly stated that we were in talks with Martinez. Pat Murphy's assertion that McClaren was dithced due to internet chat has also been adopted as fact.

Despite my criticism of the club in the previous post, there ain't 'alf a lot of opinion being quoted as fact.

[richard moore]

If Randy is in US and has been for 2 days does this suggest Hughes, or a deal done last week in Corsica which is being tied up behind the scenes, ie Moyes.,  if we accept the Bent model of secrecy and the Whelan statement of letters being out days ago, is it not fair to expect folk have already been sounded out without the media knowing. Accepting that to do so without telling SSN is a capital offence, had Whelan not grabbed a chance to blaze his own publicity no matter how nicely dressed up, no one would have known of Martinez being offered a chance to have talks. Too much media driven panic here especially on Talk Sport where the Pie eater with a pea brain is stirring like mad, and on SSN where someone stationed like a lemon in the AVFC car park has to justify his existence. Lets face facts, players on holiday, Young off anyway, we were not going to buy Henderson or Jones. Too much panic.

Excellent post Charlie and why I spend my time reading H and V and not going anywhere near the moronic scribblings of such papers as the Express

[Cracker1234]

The medias intent on turning the fans against the club so the club have to come out and say something, they're not telling the media nothing and it's eating away at the media. So out comes out everything negative again about Aston Villa.

[Steve67]

So Randy "must act fast" then eh?  If Mark Hughes is indeed our first choice, despite sounding out the likes of Martinez et al as part of the process, we can't "act fast" due to the rules around his contract.  So they press make up yet more bollocks and ignore the facts.  What was it someone once said about never letting the facts get in the way of a good story?

[davevillan]

Putting local rivalry to one side, I think McLeish has been a decent manager throughout his career. He did a good job at Hibs, Rangers, the Scotland national team, and up until April he'd done a good job at Small Heath. He's had to work with limited funds there so has had to cut his cloth accordingly.

I'm actually reconsidering my opinion of McLaren. A well respected coach at Man Utd, won Middlesbrough the only cup in their history and got them to a UEFA Cup final, and won the Dutch League with Twente, their first ever title. Yes, he failed as England manager but so has every other manager since Alf Ramsey. And yes, he failed at Wolfsburg, but it was the clubs decision to sell their goal machine Edin Dzecko which did for him.

You are rightabout Mclaren, he is well respected by people in the game as a very good coach, who also likes to bring young players through, and he is regarded as forward thinking. In many ways he ticks the right boxes, and he has won trophies, unlike a lot who are favoured by many. his biggest problem is people taking too much notice of the tabloids, ie wally with brolly, and that dutch interview. Take those out the equation, and what have you got. someone who spent yrs as SAF assistant, has won trophies here and abroad, is regarded as forward thinking, has a track record of bringing youth through, has contacts abroad as well. Could he do a good job at Villa? Who knows, but thats the same as with anyone. I think at our club, he could do well, thats just my opinion!

[olaftab]

Opinion, rumour and perceived positions have to be managed in this media frenzy to allow reality to get a grip. We don't show enough dexterity to deal with the demand.

[Walmley_Villa]

It has to Moyes, Hughes or SM in my opinion. All this talk of foreign managers who have never managed in the PL is madness. We need somebody who can hit the ground running and start filling in the gaps in the squad. By losing GH we have no players lined up. As such getting a competitive squad in place for August is a priority. How could a Klinsman or Rijkaard come in and have a clue where to start? Our options are limited and I certainly don't want the ginger jock from SHA.

[andyh]

Absolutley Aftab.
We are 'perceived' to be a club in turmoil.
I had people coming over to me yesterday who know bugger all about football in general, but saying, 'I see that bloke at Wigan has turned down the Villa job AS WELL!!!'.
And then when Central news introduce the piece in which Dave W was interviewed, they sad something along the line of, 'Is the Villa job unfillable ?'

WE all know its all media bullshit, but to everyone not connected or involved with the club, we are being made to look like we are a very unattractive proposistion who couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.

I'm not particularly bothered about getting someone in quickly, I just want us to make the right appointment (not motes,not moyes,not moyes) BUT, I fucking hate to see our great name being pummelled in the media with misinformaton for doing nothing wrong.

Trouble is, there appears no-one to stick up for the club.

[Walmley_Villa]

Yes. It is all very well RL and PF doing things their way but the outside world perception of us is via the press. Unfortunately the majority of fans also follow what the press feed them. We need a respected football man on the Board now.

[Concrete John]

It has to Moyes, Hughes or SM in my opinion. All this talk of foreign managers who have never managed in the PL is madness. We need somebody who can hit the ground running and start filling in the gaps in the squad. By losing GH we have no players lined up. As such getting a competitive squad in place for August is a priority. How could a Klinsman or Rijkaard come in and have a clue where to start? Our options are limited and I certainly don't want the ginger jock from SHA.

Not sure I agree with that.

We presumably still have our scouting network in place they can advise the new manager, plus if it's say Rijkaard he can just go get us a keeper from Holland that he knows, for example.

[Cracker1234]

Yes. It is all very well RL and PF doing things their way but the outside world perception of us is via the press. Unfortunately the majority of fans also follow what the press feed them. We need a respected football man on the Board now.

If fans want to believe what the media is saying and give worked up by what the media is saying then that's their own fault.

The club is doing everything correct, only telling us things when they have something to tell, they're going about contacting clubs/managers in the correct manner and nothing is being said to the media from Aston Villa's side.

When the club have something to say it will be on the OS, so if you believe the media, that's your own problem.

So what if other fans are laughing at our club, when did you give a crap what other fans think about our club?