Villa Managers who went on to better things

[ktvillan]

I can't think of many former Villa managers who have gone on to better things since I started watching Villa some time in the mid 60s.   Dick Taylor may have been boss the first time I went although the first manager I clearly remember was Tommy Cummings.  I don't remember hearing much about either of them after they left.  Arguably only Tommy Docherty with the Man Utd job and GT mk I with the England job went on to do anything of note after leaving Villa.     

Of the others:

Vic Crowe went to the US I think, Portland Timbers possibly?

Sir Ronald Saunders - even the great man didn't do much after leaving us, but then he did choose some shitty clubs to work for.

Tony Barton - I think he was assistant boss at Southampton for a while.

Graham Turner - seem to recall he had a spell at Wolves when they were down the divisions. Which was his level. 

Billy McNeill - fecked off back to the small pond north of the border.

BFR - stood in the wrong dug-out while caretaker boss for Forest and lost his pundit job for racist comments.

Brian Little - minor succeses with Tranmere but seems to have steadily gone down the divisions and out of the league since then.

John Gregory - Massive failure at Derby (and QPR?) and since then scrabbling around foreign parts for work.

GT mk II - Realised his time had gone and called it a day.

DOL - Revealed as a massive gobshite and utterc*nt while at Villa and no-one has deemed him worthy of staining their bargepole ever since.

MON - not exactly beating them away with a shitty stick is he?

So is the Villa job something of a poisoned chalice?  Do Villa tend to employ managers that are "suited" to us but no-one else? Were they worn down by dealing with Doug-o-nomics?  Or is it inevitably downhill after working for the greatest club in the world?

[PeterWithesShin]

Joe Mercer at Man City is the only one I can think of that had any major success after leaving us.

[Matthius]

"downhill after working for the greatest club in the world?"

Agreed

[ktvillan]

Joe Mercer at Man City is the only one I can think of that had any major success after leaving us.

Indeed, although he was just before my time as a fan. Shame he left us really.

[timeoutbigbar]

No wonder no bugger wanted it.

[ktvillan]

And I forgot it nearly killed Houllier again

[robbyfvillain]

Joe Mercer at Man City is the only one I can think of that had any major success after leaving us.

Indeed, although he was just before my time as a fan. Shame he left us really.

Yes shame we sacked him after he suffered a stroke. Still we waited till he recovered a bit.

Is there a bit of deja vu with Houllier here.

[PeterWithesShin]

I'd also say that one of the reasons so few went on to greater things, is that not many of our managers have been that good. Which is probably why we haven't won a fat lot in the past 50 years.

[Concrete John]

You can understand them not going on to better things given that there are so few jobs better than managing Villa, but what gets me is even dropping down a level they've done poorly.

Sir Brian is a prime example as we got to 4th, won a trophy and we haven't had a better manager since, yet couldn't even get a  PL job after leaving us.  Why??

[Legion]

You missed out Venglos.

[Salsa Party Animal]

Jimmy Hogan had been successful with Hungary team that trash England in Wembley and then return fixture. He is Arsene Wenger of the 50s I think.

[hilts_coolerking]

I'd also say that one of the reasons so few went on to greater things, is that not many of our managers have been that good. Which is probably why we haven't won a fat lot in the past 50 years.

Quite.  There are some on that list who should never have been appointed in the first place.  Remains to be seen whether McLeish will add to their number.

[dave.woodhall]

Jimmy Hogan had been successful with Hungary team that trash England in Wembley and then return fixture. He is Arsene Wenger of the 50s I think.

He was involved in Hungarian football much earlier than that. When they beat England in 1953 he was Villa youth team coach.

[Damo70]

In a rare interview I believe Ron Saunders has admitted he took the Blues job for family reasons as he had kids at school and college in the area less than a year after turning down the Man United job and if he had his time again he maybe would have sat tight for a better offer given he was the man who had managed the title winners the previous season. And I'm sure most of us would agree Wolves should have given Sir Graham more time. Who did they replace him with ? Wasn't it Mark McGhee? He was still suffering the fall out from the England job.

[ktvillan]

You missed out Venglos.

I'd been trying o forget him.  Looks like it worked.  Don;t think he did a great deal after us (or even with us) did he? Some technical position with UEFA or FIFA?