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

[SoccerHQ]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucien_Favre

Coaching philosophy- Lucien Favre’s teams play a dynamic, quick and attacking minded football where ball possession and change of tempo alternate. This attractive style of play has brought results in every club he has managed. Furthermore, Favre is very skillful tactically, leaving his opponents struggling to penetrate his well-organized sides.

Lucien Favre is also well known for his ability to develop talented young players and introduce them into the first team. Under his leadership, Blerim Džemaili, Almen Abdi, Steve Von Bergen and Gökhan Inler made their debut with the Swiss national team before signing for foreign clubs. In 2007 FC Zürich became Swiss champions with an average age of twenty-one years and a half.

Blimey, it's like Randy Lerner has gone on his wiki page and edited that himself!

[Dave Cooper please]

could the villa be the first prem club to start a season with no manager?

It's still May.

[DeKuip]

could the villa be the first prem club to start a season with no manager?

Only two years since we last did so!

[ozzjim]

could the villa be the first prem club to start a season with no manager?

Only two years since we last did so!

God I forgot that. Ooops.

The times are saying talks with Benitez have been positive but we want Martinez essentially.

[Brian Taylor]

Well Lambert is now 10/11 and Martinez/Benitez 13/2. You pays yer money and you takes yer chance!

[KRS]

They were saying on Talkshite earlier that it could be Southgate and KMac in charge. Dont know if they have some kind of information of whats going on behind the scenes or not but I hope its not true.

[tomd2103]

They were saying on Talkshite earlier that it could be Southgate and KMac in charge. Dont know if they have some kind of information of whats going on behind the scenes or not but I hope its not true.

Couple of Sunday papers reporting that, so that's probably where they have got that from.  Southgate was interviewed on Central News earlier in the week and said that he was settled in his FA role.   

[Californian Villain]

Aston Villa chief lines up Gareth Southgate and Kevin MacDonald as next manager team

May 27 2012 By Dave Kidd

GARETH SOUTHGATE and Kevin MacDonald are tipped to form an unlikely managerial team at Aston Villa.
Buy Running Equipment

The duo are serious candidates to replace axed Alex McLeish, with former Villa skipper Southgate - currently the FA's head of elite development - enjoying an excellent relationship with popular Villa coach MacDonald.

First choice Roberto Martinez is not likely to take the post, even if he misses out on the Liverpool job he was interviewed for this week.

Paul Lambert is another contender but he's increasingly reluctant to leave Norwich after Villa owner Randy Lerner discussed the position with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Lambert believed he and Martinez were the only two names in the frame i h f and it is now by no means certain he would accept the Villa job.

Southgate has yet to agree a role as the FA's new technical director and although his one previous managerial position saw him suffer relegation at Middlesbrough, he was a hero in his playing days at Villa.

The 41-year-old (right) currently combines his elite development role with work as an ITV pundit and has been earmarked for the new technical director's job which would see him working at the new National Football Centre at Burton. Villa would like MacDonald, a former caretaker boss who has helped develop many of the club's younger players as reserve team chief and first-team coach, to have a senior role in the next regime.

MacDonald is popular with the players and enjoyed a spell in temporary charge before Gerard Houllier's appointment in 2010.

But the Scot would prefer a No.2 role rather than taking the top job himself.

Solskjaer snubbed Villa last weekend to stay at Norwegian club Molde, just as Martinez turned them down to remain at Wigan last summer. Villa still want Martinez but their patience is fast running out, as the Spaniard waits to hear whether he will be offered the Liverpool job.

Lambert was favourite to succeed McLeish and Norwich players were convinced he was set to leave after their final game of the season, when they ironically defeated Villa, who sacked McLeish the following day.

Outsider

The Canaries boss was unhappy about a squeeze on finances at Carrow Road, which led to striker Grant Holt handing in a transfer request last week.

But that situation looks like being resolved with a new deal for Holt, the club's top scorer last term.

Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez remains keen on the Villa job and has been heavily backed by punters in recent days.

Yet Villa are seriously considering Southgate, a rank outsider with the bookies, to take over at the club he played for between 1995 and 2001.

linky

[Matt C]

The fact several papers are all reporting different candidates tells you all you need to know - none of them know anything.

[eastie]

I think we are waiting on martinez to get back to us in the next 48 hours , possibly today , if he has scope to spend at least £12m and is given time to revamp things i believe he will take the villa job , although by no means are liverpool yet out of the picture.

Seems wigan are trying to offer general manager kevin reeves a better deal to try and stop him leaving with martinez, certainly believe we are approaching the end game in our search for a manager, with a back up option in place should martinez refuse.

[Ian.]

Aston Villa chief lines up Gareth Southgate and Kevin MacDonald as next manager team

May 27 2012 By Dave Kidd

GARETH SOUTHGATE and Kevin MacDonald are tipped to form an unlikely managerial team at Aston Villa.
Buy Running Equipment

The duo are serious candidates to replace axed Alex McLeish, with former Villa skipper Southgate - currently the FA's head of elite development - enjoying an excellent relationship with popular Villa coach MacDonald.

First choice Roberto Martinez is not likely to take the post, even if he misses out on the Liverpool job he was interviewed for this week.

Paul Lambert is another contender but he's increasingly reluctant to leave Norwich after Villa owner Randy Lerner discussed the position with Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

Lambert believed he and Martinez were the only two names in the frame i h f and it is now by no means certain he would accept the Villa job.

Southgate has yet to agree a role as the FA's new technical director and although his one previous managerial position saw him suffer relegation at Middlesbrough, he was a hero in his playing days at Villa.

The 41-year-old (right) currently combines his elite development role with work as an ITV pundit and has been earmarked for the new technical director's job which would see him working at the new National Football Centre at Burton. Villa would like MacDonald, a former caretaker boss who has helped develop many of the club's younger players as reserve team chief and first-team coach, to have a senior role in the next regime.

MacDonald is popular with the players and enjoyed a spell in temporary charge before Gerard Houllier's appointment in 2010.

But the Scot would prefer a No.2 role rather than taking the top job himself.

Solskjær snubbed Villa last weekend to stay at Norwegian club Molde, just as Martinez turned them down to remain at Wigan last summer. Villa still want Martinez but their patience is fast running out, as the Spaniard waits to hear whether he will be offered the Liverpool job.

Lambert was favourite to succeed McLeish and Norwich players were convinced he was set to leave after their final game of the season, when they ironically defeated Villa, who sacked McLeish the following day.

Outsider

The Canaries boss was unhappy about a squeeze on finances at Carrow Road, which led to striker Grant Holt handing in a transfer request last week.

But that situation looks like being resolved with a new deal for Holt, the club's top scorer last term.

Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez remains keen on the Villa job and has been heavily backed by punters in recent days.

Yet Villa are seriously considering Southgate, a rank outsider with the bookies, to take over at the club he played for between 1995 and 2001.

linky

What a terrible write up. So Lambert believed he was the only contender with RM. What made up rubbish. I doubt he has ever said that at all, why would he? Which then makes me believe if that part is made up then so is the rest.

[ozzjim]

I think we are waiting on martinez to get back to us in the next 48 hours , possibly today , if he has scope to spend at least £12m and is given time to revamp things i believe he will take the villa job , although by no means are liverpool yet out of the picture.

Seems wigan are trying to offer general manager kevin reeves a better deal to try and stop him leaving with martinez, certainly believe we are approaching the end game in our search for a manager, with a back up option in place should martinez refuse.

Hunch or more?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Let's hope the People are wrong.
Southgate's Managerial record is chronic.

[Californian Villain]

I think we are waiting on martinez to get back to us in the next 48 hours , possibly today , if he has scope to spend at least £12m and is given time to revamp things i believe he will take the villa job , although by no means are liverpool yet out of the picture.

Seems wigan are trying to offer general manager kevin reeves a better deal to try and stop him leaving with martinez, certainly believe we are approaching the end game in our search for a manager, with a back up option in place should martinez refuse.

Hunch or more?

he had a pm.

[Californian Villain]

Let's hope the People are wrong.
Southgate's Managerial record is chronic.

It's not that bad.