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

[exigo]

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?

No we don't, but that journalist looks like a small time hack. His surname says it all.

Chelsea have been frigging about looking for a manager longer than we have. And they aren't even planning a FIRST banner featuring the commentary from a European Cup win.

[Concrete John]

I repsect your opinion, but in a media driven industry, it's important to get it right and we were out manouvered by a 71 year old chairmain, not good. Like I said perception becomes reality if unchalleged and whilst we know that Martinez wasn't offered the job, EVERY media outlet is reporting otherwise. We will have to disagree on that not being a bad thing, it certainly isn't pampering.

If we're making statements based on every bit of misinformation reported in the media that is the very definition of 'pampering'.

Yes, Whelan played the situation well and came out of it with him, his manager and his club looking good.  We issued a simple statement clarifying what actually happened.  Had we stuck Faulkner in front of a camera and effectively bit back and their playing of the situation that would have been undignified and I'm glad we didn't.

[pauliewalnuts]

On the pitch, we have at best half a squad having released ten players. We are currently selling our most high profile player (again), our best player last season also wants out. We have pretty much no defence - we have no keeper, no right back, a left back and two centre backs who clearly have to be replaced, whilst our best centre back wants to go and play in Scotland.

We spent almost the entirety of last season at the arse end of the table (maybe that's why they thought of Martinez, we spent last season watching Wigan's results pretty closely)

Off the pitch, we still haven't found a sponsor, after the last one dumped us. we are under a mountain of debt, with a gigantic wage bill made worse by the fact that a good chunk of the half a squad we do have don't actually contribute anything and probably never will - Beye, Ireland and co.

We've just been done up like a kipper by Dave Whelan, with the fact we targeted a man who had never won back to back top flight games in the first place now made worse by the fact he didn't want to talk to us. We then put out a statement about it which is pointless and just causes more embarrassment, as it just makes s look desperate not to look like he turned us down.

We are looking for a manager at the absolute ideal time to do so, but appear to have learned nothing from last August.

Regardless of why things happened, that is where we are right now, unfortunately. Can anyone really blame the press for having a field day?

I've supported Randy from day one, and he has had some harsh criticism in the past, but this is about more than putting money in, it is about putting together a team to manage the club properly. Right now, on and off the pitch we are looking like a club going backwards.

[holtepaul]

I don't know why people are calling for a new poll - why ? , what do we know. Martinez is definately no coming.

Nothing else is known, Carlo has said he would like a year off, but he hasn't officially turned us down, Sky Sports report Benitez will not be Villa manager, but Sky sports reported Hughes, Benitez, Martinez WOULD be manager - they haven't a clue.

My choices are what they were the day GH quit.

1. Carlo Ancelotti
2. David Moyes / Rafa Benitez (don't know which I'd put above the other)
4. Rijkaard
5. An experienced Euro manager similar to Rijkaard but slightly less successful (like a Ranieri , a Flores etc.)

And until Aston Villa Football Club / or the person above releases an official statement stating that the above will not be - I will keep this hope.

As for an official statement, they've done one, just coz the media don't like the fact we ain't Harry Redknapp - thats their problem. Football is played on the football pitch, not the papers.

Paulbeanie - sorry, but eveything there (apart from Ash, and the lack of GK) is in your head. You do not have a clue what the hell is going on. You say "we have no sposnor" - how do you know ? - I am pretty sure as Villa have said the shirt will be on sale on whatever date it was - we have it done. how do you know that, as some have suggested, we already know the manager, and he has discussed targets already and we haven't already started bidding for them.

maybe - maybe not, you I, not anyone else other than the people involved know.

So until a time when it is 100% certain that we have buggered this up, just chill out and trust them. In 5 yrs, they haven't done many things wrong, so why would they balls this up so much.

It is just media crap, Villa will be sorted soon and they will turn their attention to some other poor sod - probably Arsenal. I don't know how old you are, but you really should have worked this all out by now

[pauliewalnuts]

Harry Redknapp?

You don't half come out with some odd stuff.

[mavillain]

first post here, but thought it was worth mentioning.

i had to see someone i know at villa yesterday that i know, and on leaving the stadium, i was chatting to the sky sports presenter off camera whilst walking back to my car.

his belief was that it is indeed hughes we have lined up, but there are several nda's/publicity black outs on it meaning they cant report on it, due to it not allowed to be announced til 1st july.

we'll wait and see.

Total bollocks. Since when did the press respect "nda's/publicity black outs" on stuff like this?

fair enough, my initial thought as well. but thought it was worth mentioning. he may well have been fishing himself, as i walked out staff entrance (i dont work for villa) what i can say is, i'm mates with one of the current 1st team mgt team,  and he hasnt a clue, so i take with a pinch of salt or the rumours, but he believes there was some type of meet yesterday.

[Concrete John]

On the pitch, we have at best half a squad having released ten players. We are currently selling our most high profile player (again), our best player last season also wants out. We have pretty much no defence - we have no keeper, no right back, a left back and two centre backs who clearly have to be replaced, whilst our best centre back wants to go and play in Scotland.

We spent almost the entirety of last season at the arse end of the table (maybe that's why they thought of Martinez, we spent last season watching Wigan's results pretty closely)

Off the pitch, we still haven't found a sponsor, after the last one dumped us. we are under a mountain of debt, with a gigantic wage bill made worse by the fact that a good chunk of the half a squad we do have don't actually contribute anything and probably never will - Beye, Ireland and co.

We've just been done up like a kipper by Dave Whelan, with the fact we targeted a man who had never won back to back top flight games in the first place now made worse by the fact he didn't want to talk to us. We then put out a statement about it which is pointless and just causes more embarrassment, as it just makes s look desperate not to look like he turned us down.

We are looking for a manager at the absolute ideal time to do so, but appear to have learned nothing from last August.

Regardless of why things happened, that is where we are right now, unfortunately. Can anyone really blame the press for having a field day?

I've supported Randy from day one, and he has had some harsh criticism in the past, but this is about more than putting money in, it is about putting together a team to manage the club properly. Right now, on and off the pitch we are looking like a club going backwards.

It's all about perception though.  You could also say:-
We've got a rich owner with a track record of putting his hand is his pocket.
We have the current England centre forward.
We spent the 2nd half of last season in top 6 form.
We have an exciting group of youth players coming through.
We've realeased/sold some unwanted players (Sidwell, Carew, etc.) to make room on out wage bill.

Yes, we need to find a new manager and he needs to then sign some players, but I honestly don't think we're in the mess you portray.

[villa `cross the mersey]

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.

Would this have been handled better by the likes of Steve Stride?

[Risso]

On the pitch, we have at best half a squad having released ten players. We are currently selling our most high profile player (again), our best player last season also wants out. We have pretty much no defence - we have no keeper, no right back, a left back and two centre backs who clearly have to be replaced, whilst our best centre back wants to go and play in Scotland.

We spent almost the entirety of last season at the arse end of the table (maybe that's why they thought of Martinez, we spent last season watching Wigan's results pretty closely)

Off the pitch, we still haven't found a sponsor, after the last one dumped us. we are under a mountain of debt, with a gigantic wage bill made worse by the fact that a good chunk of the half a squad we do have don't actually contribute anything and probably never will - Beye, Ireland and co.

We've just been done up like a kipper by Dave Whelan, with the fact we targeted a man who had never won back to back top flight games in the first place now made worse by the fact he didn't want to talk to us. We then put out a statement about it which is pointless and just causes more embarrassment, as it just makes s look desperate not to look like he turned us down.

We are looking for a manager at the absolute ideal time to do so, but appear to have learned nothing from last August.

Regardless of why things happened, that is where we are right now, unfortunately. Can anyone really blame the press for having a field day?

I've supported Randy from day one, and he has had some harsh criticism in the past, but this is about more than putting money in, it is about putting together a team to manage the club properly. Right now, on and off the pitch we are looking like a club going backwards.

Spot on as ever Monsieur 'Nuts.

[Nev]

Sometimes I rather enjoy times like this when we are under the cosh from the media. Rather like January when we signed Bent.

Every goal he scored had a special resonance thereafter.

It may feel crap at the moment, and I'm as unhappy as anybody but fear not my friends, the good times will return.

[Concrete John]

Sometimes I rather enjoy times like this when we are under the cosh from the media. Rather like January when we signed Bent.

Every goal he scored had a special resonance thereafter.

It may feel crap at the moment, and I'm as unhappy as anybody but fear not my friends, the good times will return.

And 'us against the world' siege type mentality?  Works for me!

[citizenDJ]

I'm inclined to agree with John M's take on things.

[holtepaul]

Bloody hell Beanie - dooes EVERYTHING have to be spelled out like a bloody 3 yr old learning to count to 10 !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The media HATE the Villa coz we do not release anything - we keep quiet unti something is official.

The media LOVE Redknapp coz he feeds them what they want - rumours, opinions and stories - I mean, he was even on the telly this week talking about what a great player Man U have in Phil Jones - what the FFF has it got to do with him.

Have you got my meaning now ? - you really do just argue for the sake of it dont you.

[jibba81]

Perception unchallenged becomes reality. Martinez will ALWAYS of turned us down now. Bad form by our board. PR disaster.

Yep, that's my view, it's now history true or not. I just hate to see us ridiculed but thats because I love the club.

Surely if we were to appoint a better manager than Martinez (ie all the ones we've been linked with bar Mcleish), then the perception, and hence the history would be altered again, at which point we would all laugh about the absurd idea of Martinez turning Villa down.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

first post here, but thought it was worth mentioning.

i had to see someone i know at villa yesterday that i know, and on leaving the stadium, i was chatting to the sky sports presenter off camera whilst walking back to my car.

his belief was that it is indeed hughes we have lined up, but there are several nda's/publicity black outs on it meaning they cant report on it, due to it not allowed to be announced til 1st july.

we'll wait and see.

Total bollocks. Since when did the press respect "nda's/publicity black outs" on stuff like this?

fair enough, my initial thought as well. but thought it was worth mentioning. he may well have been fishing himself, as i walked out staff entrance (i dont work for villa) what i can say is, i'm mates with one of the current 1st team mgt team,  and he hasnt a clue, so i take with a pinch of salt or the rumours, but he believes there was some type of meet yesterday.

Didn't Hughes' agent come out with a load of crap after it was reported we were no longer interested in his client? It would be a very strange.