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

[hawkeye]

they don't compliment each other. something's gotta give

agree and maybe they are both misfits

[tomd2103]

We don't need a proven Premier League manager, but we do need one with an idea, plan, call it what you like, that stretches beyond survival. I wonder whether Lambert & Rodgers have that ethos.

I'd tend to agree about there not being a great need for a proven name.  Obviously I don't know them professionally or personally, but having watched their teams this season, I think both Lambert and Rodgers seemingly have an ethos and a way of playing that they don't change regardless of who the opponent is.     

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

What manager would come to a club that after the first loss in charge of the team, all he would hear would be the soft hiss of spraycans decorating bedsheets, the bitter sigh of the start of a new facebook campaign and the till ring of the purchase of a green biro for another letter of outrage to the chairman.

[NiiLamptey]

The majority of Villa fans are really starting to infuriate me now with the demand Paul Lambert...

He is just a MON lite, yes he will get us playing more direct and attacking (Similar to MON), yes we will win more, yes we will climb the league...

However 3 seasons in I bet you will all be saying, his football style isn't right we need to step up and break top 4, we will get rid and then fall back again as we try to rebuild the football on a more Continental theme... We eont have the patience, we will sack the manager and get the new MON lite in... and the cycle will continue...

(for the purpose of this I am ignoring Big Eck although assume randy thought he would do the play direct get results approach!?!?!)

What we need is a manager who will be given 5 years, and as long as we stay in the prem write the seasons off...

That manager needs to embed a football philisophy we like as a club, from the first team down to the youth academy, so that in 5 years time we can reap the rewards and continue as a club playing great football I would hope finisheing top 6, challenging for top 4....

I would like to see a Director of Football with a vision that can own this, and a head coach that is willing to work this way...

I think Houillier as DOF would of been the answer but that has now gone, maybe we could get a martinez or hughton as head coach... but I would like to see us get a DOF too...

[Risso]

We don't need a proven Premier League manager, but we do need one with an idea, plan, call it what you like, that stretches beyond survival. I wonder whether Lambert & Rodgers have that ethos. 

Given that they have both easily got their respective teams to safety this year, without resorting to Pulis or McLeish style tactics, I would say "yes they have". 

[JJ-AV]

I don't think anyone with a good reputation is going to come here unless we've got money to spend. The squad needs and overhaul and I don't see the likes of Lambert or Martinez coming unless they get the money to overhaul it.

The likes of Dunne, Collins and Warnock are on the decline and will be content to see out their deals for the final year, unless we are willing to take big losses on them (and then stump up the cash to replace them). And that's before even considering replacing Guzan, Cuellar, Petrov and Heskey.

We do have some promising kids, but they're not guaranteed and it's not going to be enough to entice a coach who has no previous knowledge of them. That's why I think that if we can't spend big, and we're relying on 6 or 7 players who've got less than 50 games under their belt we might as well give it to Kmac and Sid. Atleast they know the kids inside out and will get the supporters back onside.

if Aston Villa cant attract the likes of Rogers, Lambert,Martinez who else will ?

the days have gone when Man Utd will offer the job to a up and comer to take charge like last time,
 the top 6 will not look at them as the clubs they are at are to small to challenge for much apart from winning the battle against relegation every year

so there next step is teams like Villa, Spurs, Everton, Newcastle,( Leeds and Sheff Wed  if they were in the prem) clubs with bigger support bases ie 35k and above, that coupled with a 2 mill salary a year should be enough to tempt any of the names above.

the reason it didnt last time with Martinez is because we went round it the wrong way and got our knickers in a twist about what we were doing, i think they will have learnt from that and do things a bit better next time

If we're still skint then they'll have a far better chance of finishing higher with their current clubs. We need a massive overhaul.

[JJ-AV]

I have no doubt Lambert is a promising young manager, but he's bloody dour.

If it's Premier League experience I'd prefer Martinez or Di Matteo still.

[Concrete John]

The majority of Villa fans are really starting to infuriate me now with the demand Paul Lambert...

He is just a MON lite, yes he will get us playing more direct and attacking (Similar to MON), yes we will win more, yes we will climb the league...

However 3 seasons in I bet you will all be saying, his football style isn't right we need to step up and break top 4, we will get rid and then fall back again as we try to rebuild the football on a more Continental theme... We eont have the patience, we will sack the manager and get the new MON lite in... and the cycle will continue...

(for the purpose of this I am ignoring Big Eck although assume randy thought he would do the play direct get results approach!?!?!)

What we need is a manager who will be given 5 years, and as long as we stay in the prem write the seasons off...

That manager needs to embed a football philisophy we like as a club, from the first team down to the youth academy, so that in 5 years time we can reap the rewards and continue as a club playing great football I would hope finisheing top 6, challenging for top 4....

I would like to see a Director of Football with a vision that can own this, and a head coach that is willing to work this way...

I think Houillier as DOF would of been the answer but that has now gone, maybe we could get a martinez or hughton as head coach... but I would like to see us get a DOF too...

A longterm plan is needed, but if you look at the MON era we weren't a million miles away.  If it is Lambert then I'd be happy with that, but behind him you need a good scouting system and youth development to enable us to repeat the MON 'success' with less of a spend.

Given his time abroad I also think Lambert has a more continental appraoch than MON and may surprise you.   

[PaulWinch again]

Lambert as 'O'Neill lite' I don't agree with at all. I've seen Norwich vary their tactics and play good football this year, the only thing he needs to address is in defence.

[NiiLamptey]

Lambert as 'O'Neill lite' I don't agree with at all. I've seen Norwich vary their tactics and play good football this year, the only thing he needs to address is in defence.

I say Lite as I dont think he is as stubborn as MON, but think the style he plays at Norwich isnt too disimiliar to  watch... only difference is they ship goals!

The Nowich fans also regard him as the Next MON (although - they say it positively, I know this as I work for  company with head offices in Norwich so speak to supporters first hand)

[PaulWinch again]

Ranieri favourite for West Brom job apparently, in which case we should be in for him as an option.

[Risso]

I think the Lambert - O'Neill comparison is based on nothing more than the Celtic/Wycombe/Norwich similar clubs thing.

[Seb_AVFC]

I think the Lambert - O'Neill comparison is based on nothing more than the Celtic/Wycombe/Norwich similar clubs thing.

Don't forget the glasses.

[pauliewalnuts]

We need someone who is going to be a strong personality, as the other (non football) management of the club is so half arsed. It's pretty clear that, for all his faults, MON leaving exposed the naivety of the club on football issues.

What concerns me about the likes of Martinez is that he's used to working with a benevolent chairman like Whelan and not having to worry about much other than what was on the pitch. If he came here, would he get to work that way? I doubt it.

One thing I do think is important is that Rodgers, Martinez and Lambert are all young managers for whom we are an obvious next step. I'd like us to go with just this - young, done well so far, will get three years to build the club in his image.

What I do think would be a concern is that it wasn't too long ago Owen Coyle was getting feted as the next big thing, and look where he is headed now. Martinez has done good work in keeping Wigan up, but has he done enough to impress us?
Rodgers and Lambert also have the "next big thing" concern, too.

I do think, though that we have three options.

1. As above, young and upcoming manager proven self to have something

2. Season campaigner - and this is going to mean the likes of Curbishley or Bruce. Or, heaven forbid, McCarthy.

3. Something out of left field - a manager from abroad.

For me only 1 and 3 are even remotely appealling, and option 2 really is not going to do anything to galvanise the support now, and that (which isn't the same as "doing just what the supporters say", before anyone says it) right now is extremely important, as the club is sinking into a pit of apathy for too many of us.

Option 3 above - would they do that? Have they learned the folly of their "must have PL experience" being the biggest requirement on the list?

You'd hope so, but I bet they haven't

[PaulWinch again]

I agree Paulie, option 1 and 3 are the only options for me. I'm not even concerned with the flavour of the month thing around Martinez, Lambert and Rodgers, because Mcleish has done such a bad job it's impossible to imagine anyone doing worse. We need some freshness and positivity, not one of the typical managers that turn up like Allardyce, McCarthy, Bruce etc.