Would you be happy with Ole Gunnar Solskjær? Now with added poll.

[PeterWithe]

I can't see how this could have been avoided without having an experienced operator connected to the decision making process, Faulkner and Lerner aren't going to have enough knowledge of the candidates to simply give the job to one of them without meeting them all, that comes with experience. I don't blame them for wanting to meet and chat with a few fellas before agreeing to pay them 2m and give them a shitload of transfer cash.

A little patience is called for.

[Percy McCarthy]

Fair enough PW, as long as we are prepared to accept fishing in a pool of managers who feel they have very little to lose.

[Ian.]

I can't see how this could have been avoided without having an experienced operator connected to the decision making process, Faulkner and Lerner aren't going to have enough knowledge of the candidates to simply give the job to one of them without meeting them all, that comes with experience. I don't blame them for wanting to meet and chat with a few fellas before agreeing to pay them 2m and give them a shitload of transfer cash.

A little patience is called for.

I agree with you. Its all very frustrating but patience is needed. The only worrying thing is after last summer we plumped for AM and there is always this nagging feeling they will do something similar.

[Percy McCarthy]

As we found out at the time of the takeover, Randy knew all about The Trees' plane-spotting exploits.

We could have done all the sounding out by phone, the face-to-face stuff that happened on Friday should have only taken place when we knew we were to offer him the job.


As it was, he was left to face the wrath of his club without even a concrete offer to steel him against it.

So due to this 'process' of interviewing multiple candidates, we have missed out on one of our leading picks, and quite possibly put off others who have watched the whole sorry saga unfold.

In terms of public perception (and let's not forget, the public includes other candidates), we now look amateurish, embarrassed and maybe slightly desperate. All because we put ourselves in the position of being snubbed by someone who wasn't even offered the job.

Anyone who thinks we 'played it brilliantly' no doubt thinks that we should now have 'informal chats' with Lambert, Rodgers and Martinez, who will all care not a jot about spoiling their relationships with their present chairmen, players and fans - well worth risking for a one-in-three/four chance at managing the Villa, but not worth risking for the Liverpool job in the case of Rodgers.

How do you know we weren't already talking to anyone else?

Didn't we release a statement at the time all the OGS news broke that he was one of a number of candidates. Surely for any job you HAVE to interview as many people as you see fit, to make an informed decision. No-one knows everything that is going on, or everyone who is being interviewed.

Well, if we take what pelty and the club are saying, we do know that we are talking to other candidates. That, to me, is the problem.

[Percy McCarthy]

As we found out at the time of the takeover, Randy knew all about The Trees' plane-spotting exploits.

We could have done all the sounding out by phone, the face-to-face stuff that happened on Friday should have only taken place when we knew we were to offer him the job.


As it was, he was left to face the wrath of his club without even a concrete offer to steel him against it.

So due to this 'process' of interviewing multiple candidates, we have missed out on one of our leading picks, and quite possibly put off others who have watched the whole sorry saga unfold.

In terms of public perception (and let's not forget, the public includes other candidates), we now look amateurish, embarrassed and maybe slightly desperate. All because we put ourselves in the position of being snubbed by someone who wasn't even offered the job.

Anyone who thinks we 'played it brilliantly' no doubt thinks that we should now have 'informal chats' with Lambert, Rodgers and Martinez, who will all care not a jot about spoiling their relationships with their present chairmen, players and fans - well worth risking for a one-in-three/four chance at managing the Villa, but not worth risking for the Liverpool job in the case of Rodgers.

Who can argue with such ironclad logic?

Not you by the look of it.

[Percy McCarthy]

The ones who are coming out of this worst of all are the inveterate moaners who get a perverse delight in slagging off everything the club does.

You don't mean me surely Brian? I'm in the happy-clapper Ultras.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

As we found out at the time of the takeover, Randy knew all about The Trees' plane-spotting exploits.

We could have done all the sounding out by phone, the face-to-face stuff that happened on Friday should have only taken place when we knew we were to offer him the job.


As it was, he was left to face the wrath of his club without even a concrete offer to steel him against it.

So due to this 'process' of interviewing multiple candidates, we have missed out on one of our leading picks, and quite possibly put off others who have watched the whole sorry saga unfold.

In terms of public perception (and let's not forget, the public includes other candidates), we now look amateurish, embarrassed and maybe slightly desperate. All because we put ourselves in the position of being snubbed by someone who wasn't even offered the job.

Anyone who thinks we 'played it brilliantly' no doubt thinks that we should now have 'informal chats' with Lambert, Rodgers and Martinez, who will all care not a jot about spoiling their relationships with their present chairmen, players and fans - well worth risking for a one-in-three/four chance at managing the Villa, but not worth risking for the Liverpool job in the case of Rodgers.

Who can argue with such ironclad logic?

Not you by the look of it.

Let's hear your version of it then Pelty.
Please leave out any reference to Lerner having a Villa tattoo on his ankle and finishing 4th, I mean 5th next season.

[willywombat]

How do we know that OGS wasn't 'unoficially' offered the job and wanted time to talk it over with his family? Given that the world and his wife knew we had spoken to him what else could the club do but trot out the other candidates line to avoid making it clear that, if OGS did turn the job down, whoever was eventually appointed was clearly not first choice?

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

I've yet to see what Lerner has done wrong in all of this. I think some of you should stop taking the conspiracy tablets.

If you want to employ someone, you have to interview the best candidates for the job. How did OGS become the 'leading pick'? All of this rumour, speculation, euphoria, anger and disappointment has been generated, expanded exponentially and kettled within a couple of message boards.

[Percy McCarthy]

How do we know that OGS wasn't 'unoficially' offered the job and wanted time to talk it over with his family? Given that the world and his wife knew we had spoken to him what else could the club do but trot out the other candidates line to avoid making it clear that, if OGS did turn the job down, whoever was eventually appointed was clearly not first choice?

I think his answers to the three questions of the Molde board were quite telling, particularly as he thought that conversation was strictly confidential.

To paraphrase: 'I will travel immediately if an offer is made, taking my two coaches and the best player'.

[Percy McCarthy]

I've yet to see what Lerner has done wrong in all of this. I think some of you should stop taking the conspiracy tablets.

If you want to employ someone, you have to interview the best candidates for the job.

Then why is that so rare in football? Didn't even happen for the England job this time, and that's the only job where it usually does.

[Percy McCarthy]

Edit: quote fail.

[Ron Manager]

The only person who matters in this process is Randy Lerner. It is after all his money that will pay the wages of the new manager whoever it may be. So it doesnt matter one jot what any poster on the many forums thinks  its down to Mr Lerner.

What we have to hope is that he makes a decent choice in our eyes but then again he may not.

If that is the case remember we cannot do anything about it so therefore we must give the new manager our 100% backing.

and Aston Villa FC  as we always do!

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

I've yet to see what Lerner has done wrong in all of this. I think some of you should stop taking the conspiracy tablets.

If you want to employ someone, you have to interview the best candidates for the job.

Then why is that so rare in football? Didn't even happen for the England job this time, and that's the only job where it usually does.

And we could speculate that Lerner is interviewing the best candidates for the job. Still I can't see what he's done wrong. Unless we should've thrown more money at OGS than his Norwegian bosses did.

[pestria]

The only person who matters in this process is Randy Lerner. It is after all his money that will pay the wages of the new manager whoever it may be. So it doesnt matter one jot what any poster on the many forums thinks  its down to Mr Lerner.

What we have to hope is that he makes a decent choice in our eyes but then again he may not.

If that is the case remember we cannot do anything about it so therefore we must give the new manager our 100% backing.

and Aston Villa FC  as we always do!

Is this meant to be sarcastic? Otherwise, what a load of bollox.