AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[James]

I think we should be looking to do better than Martinez to be honest.  He hasn't set the world alight at Wigan (granted he got some unexpected results at the end of the season) but if Villa are planning on a relegation fight each season then Ok. We should be aiming for higher though.

I heard this same nonsense last summer.

Can people stop this elitist mentality and being all like "he's not good enough" "we deserve better". It's embarrassing. We aren't Real Madrid. We need to think outside the box. It's not necessarily about who is/isn't good enough, its about who is the right man for the job.

If Martinez isn't good enough than what have Rodgers or Lambert done in their first premier league season to show they're better? Lots of new promoted teams will have a good first season and the manager of that promoted team will get hyped up and then the following season things don't go so well and people wonder if it was all a fluke.

I'm not saying Martinez should be our new manager all I'm saying is that he should be carefully considered just like all potential candidates. I'm just sick of all this moaning.

When looking at Lambert, it's the fact that he's got Norwich back into the Prem from League 1 in 3 consecutive seasons.

Considering Martinez, his teams are shit, don't turn up until April, and turned us down last year.

His Swansea team weren't shit. He got them promoted. And his shit Wigan team has finished 5 points ahead of us.

Rodgers got Swans up, not Martinez, he was busy fighting relegation last year with Wigan. Oh, and Lambert's team finished 9 points above us without ever being involved in the relegation scrap. Not arguing btw, just posting the alternative viewpoint!

Martinez got Swansea promoted to the championship and it was Rodgers who became manager of a Martinez team.

Correct, and then Rodgers got them promoted to the Prem whilst Martinez danced with relegation last year, then finished higher than him while he diced with relegation again this year without ever having been in the battle. Your point?

Wow Rodgers' Swansea were only 4 points better off than shitty Wigan? Well my mind is made up, those 4 points makes all the difference.

What Martinez could do at Wigan/=/What Martinez could do at Villa

Okay, you're a huge Martinez fan, I get that, carry on ignoring the facts and figures. Two seasons avoiding relegation without much improvement is obviously better to you than one season doing no such thing. Fair enough.

[TheEgo]

Are we really thinking, Ranieri? And god forbid Coyle? That was a wind up right? Let's aim a little higher (at least to start with).

I'd personally ask the question of AVB, then sound out Van Gaal, Benitez. I just hope they don't go,left field and get someone like Bob Bradley or an ex villa fan player like Southgate.

[KevinGage]

Whilst I would take any of Martinez, Lambert or Rodgers, with Martinez I don't think he's a strong enough character to grab the club by the scruff if the neck, which is what we really need.

With Rodgers I am concerned how much of what he's done at Swansea is his work.

I think Lambert worries me in that he risks becoming a junior O'Neill, with the bad bits as well as the good bits.

Of the three, I'd go Lambert, Rodgers, Martinez in that order.

There is a risk with all of them Paulie, as you've outlined there.

If this was 2010 again, I'd say we need more of a sure thing, to give us the best possible chance of maybe having a dart at a top 4 slot.   With the players we then had, it wouldn't have been a completely unreasonable aspiration (rather than expectation).

But we are in a different place now (for good or for ill) and after this missing season, most of us might be more receptive to an element of risk.

I think back to Brian Little and JG, both managers who served the club well despite modest experience and success elsewhere.   Sir Brian had only just got Leicester promoted and they were struggling -he didn't even have a full season in the topflight under his belt, in contrast to Lambert and Rodgers.  JG left Wycombe whilst they were mid table in the lower divisions.

Yet they were two of our better post war managers.  I'm sure part of the justification by some will be that they 'knew the club.'    But Aston Villa in the mid 90's was a different animal to Aston Villa in the 70's. 

[DB]

Pat Murphy defending Villa's decision on 5Live. While Big Ron, Mcgarry etc are saying he shouldn't have been sacked. The usual tripe of Birmingham, good football man and having Young and Downing sold from under him.

I listen to this program every week and McGarry is the biggest bollocks talker in the media - considering the competition that is some feat. I think he ghost wrote Lampard's Bio - the one where he said that he played well in the World Cup in 2006, apparently.

McGarry talks utter sh*t, he said a few weeks ago when AM was under pressure that Villa had a coach that won a trophy last season, something that we hadn't done in years - true, but he failed to mention that he also been relgated x2 in 3 seasons. Bellends like him just look at stuff to suit their argument, not bothering with the full facts. The bit he said about MON pushing on when we were 6th & Randy saying no to more cash - Jesus, does he know how much he spent to get us to 6th!

I was dissapointed to hear Ron say it was his ties with City why he wasn't given a fair chance. NOOOO, he's just not a good manager.

[Simba]

Pat Murphy defending Villa's decision on 5Live. While Big Ron, Mcgarry etc are saying he shouldn't have been sacked. The usual tripe of Birmingham, good football man and having Young and Downing sold from under him.

Managers Fremasonary. All support each other. All sat in each others chair. No-one can defend AMc this season. Results, or 'style'  -especially BFR. He always bragged about his entertainment value.

Oh btw- I found my '94 LCF Man U programme yesterday ( moving house, coming back home) so if anyone wants it , in good nick PM me. Few pints will do it.

[London Villan]

A lot is going to depend on how much we have to spend and more importantly, the budget for wages. That will open or shut doors for a lot of managers and will mean the difference between the top, top managers (Benetiz, AVB, Ancelloti)  and the next level down (Lambert, Rodgers, Martinez).

[DB]

No to Martinez, we need a manager who's teams can get results all through the season. I don't want us to be fighting relegation with another manager.

[Simba]

It will be interesting to see quite how high we aim after this debacle. And of course the talk about a DoF changes the dynamic.

[rob_bridge]

Pat Murphy defending Villa's decision on 5Live. While Big Ron, Mcgarry etc are saying he shouldn't have been sacked. The usual tripe of Birmingham, good football man and having Young and Downing sold from under him.

I listen to this program every week and McGarry is the biggest bollocks talker in the media - considering the competition that is some feat. I think he ghost wrote Lampard's Bio - the one where he said that he played well in the World Cup in 2006, apparently.

McGarry talks utter sh*t, he said a few weeks ago when AM was under pressure that Villa had a coach that won a trophy last season, something that we hadn't done in years - true, but he failed to mention that he also been relgated x2 in 3 seasons. Bellends like him just look at stuff to suit their argument, not bothering with the full facts. The bit he said about MON pushing on when we were 6th & Randy saying no to more cash - Jesus, does he know how much he spent to get us to 6th!

I was dissapointed to hear Ron say it was his ties with City why he wasn't given a fair chance. NOOOO, he's just not a good manager.

Agree about BFR - he should know better.

McGarry is a Twunt. Wages were 88% of turnover after MON/Houllier spending spree. Under FFP we won't be able to have 15-16 players on 2m+. We have to cut cloth accordingly. MON walked because he couldn't sell any of those on huge wages because no-one else would pay them.

He is now talking bollocks about Hodgson because his mate Appy Arry didn't get the England gig. Ask Southampton fans did they enjoy relegation under Arry.

[richard moore]

Pat Murphy defending Villa's decision on 5Live. While Big Ron, Mcgarry etc are saying he shouldn't have been sacked. The usual tripe of Birmingham, good football man and having Young and Downing sold from under him.

I listen to this program every week and McGarry is the biggest bollocks talker in the media - considering the competition that is some feat. I think he ghost wrote Lampard's Bio - the one where he said that he played well in the World Cup in 2006, apparently.

McGarry talks utter sh*t, he said a few weeks ago when AM was under pressure that Villa had a coach that won a trophy last season, something that we hadn't done in years - true, but he failed to mention that he also been relgated x2 in 3 seasons. Bellends like him just look at stuff to suit their argument, not bothering with the full facts. The bit he said about MON pushing on when we were 6th & Randy saying no to more cash - Jesus, does he know how much he spent to get us to 6th!

I was dissapointed to hear Ron say it was his ties with City why he wasn't given a fair chance. NOOOO, he's just not a good manager.

Great text from a Villa fan that they read out at the end of the Villa analysis on R5 saying that real football people who had been down the Villa this season and knew the midlands scene were against Mcleish because of the style of play unlike the media premadonnas who know absolutely bog all. The silence from McGarry et al in the studio was deafening. In fairness, Murphy, who I detest, totally supported our viewpoint, stating clearly that it had nothing to do with him coming from across the city

[Bad English]

Should I open my bottle of chateauxneuf du pape, I wonder?

If you can get a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, open that instead.

[avfcpg]

A lot is going to depend on how much we have to spend and more importantly, the budget for wages. That will open or shut doors for a lot of managers and will mean the difference between the top, top managers (Benetiz, AVB, Ancelloti)  and the next level down (Lambert, Rodgers, Martinez).

Pretty much it in a nutshell for me. I would say it will be the latter. Look here's £20-£30 million, a good set of kids and the current squad. Show us what you are made of a make a real name for yourself....

[rob_bridge]

A lot is going to depend on how much we have to spend and more importantly, the budget for wages. That will open or shut doors for a lot of managers and will mean the difference between the top, top managers (Benetiz, AVB, Ancelloti)  and the next level down (Lambert, Rodgers, Martinez).

And that is the most practical and realistic approach and in the best interests of the club.

Pretty much it in a nutshell for me. I would say it will be the latter. Look here's £20-£30 million, a good set of kids and the current squad. Show us what you are made of a make a real name for yourself....

[James]

Do we need to lock this one or merge it with the 'next manager' thread? It's hard to keep up with two threads debating the same thing and there are interesting viewpoints now on both!

[PeterWithe]

Do we really think there is going to be £30m for the new manager to spend?