Who do you want as the next manager? New poll option.

[Clampy]

i think I'd go for Hughton, would also have preferred M'ON than Hodgson for England.

Hughton would be a very good choice but after what's happened this season, i'm not sure Randy will be brave enough to go after another Blues manager.

[Monty]

i think I'd go for Hughton, would also have preferred M'ON than Hodgson for England.

Hughton would be a very good choice but after what's happened this season, i'm not sure Randy will be brave enough to go after another Blues manager.

Indeed, even though it has nothing to do with the Blues connection I have no doubt that the board think it does.

However, on Hughton, I can't say he strikes me as a fantastic candidate for our level, or the level we want to be at. There's no doubt that he did well at Newcastle, and was harshly treated, and is now doing well at Blues - but it cannot be forgotten that he was fired from Newcastle because they felt he didn't have a vision, and have moved forward spectacularly after leaving Hughton, his transfer policy and his style of play behind.

[Bottom Right 89]

Bruce Area - is he off those Fosters Gold ads? I think its about time up and coming Paul Ince was released back into the wild.

Regardless I'll be staying well clear of this circus - lost a packet last Summer, got a nice green book on betfair kept laying bits off on McLeish arrogantly convinced they'd never appoint him and then wallop. Can't wait for the mysteryman in the knows, the randy lerner jet spotting, the sponsored silence from the Villa hierarchy, the outraged Evertonians, no end of shitty clubs ruling out their managers and telling us how insignificant we are, then finally another civil disturbance as we leave no stone unturned to appoint Gary F%^&kin Megson!

[Clampy]

i think I'd go for Hughton, would also have preferred M'ON than Hodgson for England.

Hughton would be a very good choice but after what's happened this season, i'm not sure Randy will be brave enough to go after another Blues manager.

Indeed, even though it has nothing to do with the Blues connection I have no doubt that the board think it does.

However, on Hughton, I can't say he strikes me as a fantastic candidate for our level, or the level we want to be at. There's no doubt that he did well at Newcastle, and was harshly treated, and is now doing well at Blues - but it cannot be forgotten that he was fired from Newcastle because they felt he didn't have a vision, and have moved forward spectacularly after leaving Hughton, his transfer policy and his style of play behind.

He got Newcastle back up and to mid-table before they booted him out and he could well do the same with Blues. His style of play and transfer policy has stood him in good stead so far, so i would'nt knock his record with the two club's he's managed too much.

[Monty]

He got Newcastle back up and to mid-table before they booted him out and he could well do the same with Blues. His style of play and transfer policy has stood him in good stead so far, so i would'nt knock his record with the two club's he's managed too much.

I agree he's done decently, but he might just be a 'middling' choice for us, no better than a Curbishley or a McCarthy even. He seems good at his level, but not much beyond that. I could be wrong, of course, but those are the indications.

Regardless I'll be staying well clear of this circus - lost a packet last Summer, got a nice green book on betfair kept laying bits off on McLeish arrogantly convinced they'd never appoint him and then wallop. Can't wait for the mysteryman in the knows, the randy lerner jet spotting, the sponsored silence from the Villa hierarchy, the outraged Evertonians, no end of shitty clubs ruling out their managers and telling us how insignificant we are, then finally another civil disturbance as we leave no stone unturned to appoint Gary F%^&kin Megson!

Haha, this is an absolutely spot on assessment of how the summer will go (although hopefully not ending with Megson!).

[lordmcgrath5]

Paul Lambert would be a good choice I reckon.

[mikeb1982]

i think I'd go for Hughton, would also have preferred M'ON than Hodgson for England.

Hughton would be a very good choice but after what's happened this season, i'm not sure Randy will be brave enough to go after another Blues manager.

I'd quite like us to appoint another Blues manager to prove the point that we didn't want McLeish because of his record and football, not the Blues thing

Indeed, even though it has nothing to do with the Blues connection I have no doubt that the board think it does.

However, on Hughton, I can't say he strikes me as a fantastic candidate for our level, or the level we want to be at. There's no doubt that he did well at Newcastle, and was harshly treated, and is now doing well at Blues - but it cannot be forgotten that he was fired from Newcastle because they felt he didn't have a vision, and have moved forward spectacularly after leaving Hughton, his transfer policy and his style of play behind.

He got Newcastle back up and to mid-table before they booted him out and he could well do the same with Blues. His style of play and transfer policy has stood him in good stead so far, so i would'nt knock his record with the two club's he's managed too much.

[Concrete John]

Paul Lambert would be a good choice I reckon.

If/when he goes, Lambert would be my first (realistic) choice.

[Mr Diggles]

Rather than pandering to dimwits they've made the right decision rather than the popular one. They've employed the most experienced and best qualified manager rather than the one The Sun says they should have appointed.

They don't get much praise, but they can have it for this.

I agree, I actually think it's a great appointment and the best man got the job. However, I think success for Roy should be measured in how he sets up the natinoal training system and youth centre at Burton and how that succeeds 10 years from now, rather than immediate success in the next 3 tournaments which, at the moment, I don't care too much about.

[Mr Diggles]

From oddschecker.mobi
Lee Clark 20/1

That's a decent price for a good young up and coming manager. Available for free too, the job he did with Huddersfield was fantastic.

But I bet our board has never even heard of him.

[Concrete John]

From oddschecker.mobi
Lee Clark 20/1

That's a decent price for a good young up and coming manager. Available for free too, the job he did with Huddersfield was fantastic.

But I bet our board has never even heard of him.

Didn't he have a comparitively huge sum of money to work with for League 1?

[ozzjim]

I think from the list Martinez is the most interesting option for me. Lambert is a solid choice that would do ok, but I reckon Martinez, with a bit of support, could really do something special with someone. HE is still very young for a manager too.

[Mr Diggles]

Yes Clark did spend a lot, but he also made a lot of money back through some big sales.

Besides it doesn't mean he's solely a cheque-book manager.

[Concrete John]

Yes Clark did spend a lot, but he also made a lot of money back through some big sales.

Besides it doesn't mean he's solely a cheque-book manager.

Not saying he is, but just pointing out that his job was to buy the best players and mold them into a team, a la Mourinho at Chelsea, as opposed getting the best out of an existing squad with a moderate amount of cash to improve it, which will the brief for any new Villa manager.

That's not to say he couldn't do it, but just that it leaves a question mark over him for me.

[Monty]

I think from the list Martinez is the most interesting option for me. Lambert is a solid choice that would do ok, but I reckon Martinez, with a bit of support, could really do something special with someone. HE is still very young for a manager too.

I agree with this. He's the right age, the right style of football, the right amount of knowledge of Britain and outside and, perhaps most importantly, clearly a huge amount of guts, determination, single-minded commitment to an idea and a willingness to let things come good, holding his nerve as everyone tells him to change. He has also been very good for the young players in his ranks at Wigan, and he started the Swansea football-style revolution which Brendan Rodgers took on. He strikes me as the right man at the right time.