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

[Mazrim]

Quite.

[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.

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.

Dunno if you missed my point, apologies if not. Just to be clear, my argument is that having multiple candidates on the go at the same time puts off the best ones as they don't want to piss off their present employers by going for interviews.

Which is why in the vast majority off cases clubs identify one man at a time then go after him.

I think Small Heath interviewed a few last season, and all that applied were unemployed candidates with nothing to lose.
Why would good, employed managers risk applying for the Villa job and coming in for an interview, risking their relationship with all at their current clubs, for a one in three or four chance of getting the job?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

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.

It is indeed a load of forelock tugging bollocks.
We're supporters of the team who our pay hard earned to watch them each week, not a load of Lancashire, cotton mill peasants.

[Damo70]

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.

Spot on. It appears OGS was the 'leading pick' because as he was the only one who seemed to have a plane sent to fetch him he was the only one everyone knew was speaking to the club. Even SSN have gone quiet about the Liverpool and Villa jobs now because they haven't got a scooby doo what's going on and know they can't keep guessing without looking stupid.

[ozzjim]

Talk on twitter is that Rokke has something over Ole which has somewhat forced his hand.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

Talk on twitter is that Rokke has something over Ole which has somewhat forced his hand.

£££££££

[Merv]

Absolutely. I think OGS was seriously interested, but he's come under huge pressure from Molde. Publicly stating that finance would be pulled from the club, just hours after it was reported that he'd met Villa for talks, is pretty strong. I saw it very much as 'if you go, the whole club might collapse...' Tough spot to be in.

[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. 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.

Even SSN have gone quiet about the Liverpool and Villa jobs now because they haven't got a scooby doo what's going on and know they can't keep guessing without looking stupid.

Sky are concerned about looking stupid? It won't catch on at the Villa.

[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.

Dunno if you missed my point, apologies if not. Just to be clear, my argument is that having multiple candidates on the go at the same time puts off the best ones as they don't want to piss off their present employers by going for interviews.

Which is why in the vast majority off cases clubs identify one man at a time then go after him.

I think Small Heath interviewed a few last season, and all that applied were unemployed candidates with nothing to lose.
Why would good, employed managers risk applying for the Villa job and coming in for an interview, risking their relationship with all at their current clubs, for a one in three or four chance of getting the job?

I think maybe I've come into this discussion late Percy, but I think Lerner 'tries' to keep this process out of the spotlight, unfortunately with media and internet speculation and plane spotters this is impossible. I think any upcoming manager worth his salt would talk to his current boss and come clean about wishing to discuss the job with the Villa. Surely if anything it would increase his own stock in the vision of his current employer that he is a wanted prospect?

I know that the football business is a world apart from you and I. Any job where you get sacked for being incompetent and still walk away with millions can never make sense in my eyes, I just try to apply a bit of my own naiive logic to it.

[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.

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.

Dunno if you missed my point, apologies if not. Just to be clear, my argument is that having multiple candidates on the go at the same time puts off the best ones as they don't want to piss off their present employers by going for interviews.

Which is why in the vast majority off cases clubs identify one man at a time then go after him.

I think Small Heath interviewed a few last season, and all that applied were unemployed candidates with nothing to lose.
Why would good, employed managers risk applying for the Villa job and coming in for an interview, risking their relationship with all at their current clubs, for a one in three or four chance of getting the job?

I think maybe I've come into this discussion late Percy, but I think Lerner 'tries' to keep this process out of the spotlight, unfortunately with media and internet speculation and plane spotters this is impossible. I think any upcoming manager worth his salt would talk to his current boss and come clean about wishing to discuss the job with the Villa. Surely if anything it would increase his own stock in the vision of his current employer that he is a wanted prospect?

I know that the football business is a world apart from you and I. Any job where you get sacked for being incompetent and still walk away with millions can never make sense in my eyes, I just try to apply a bit of my own naiive logic to it.

You make some good points my honourable friend. If it was all done in secret and each candidate was made to believe he was the only one, it could work.

But it's not, and they aren't, so it doesn't.

[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.

Dunno if you missed my point, apologies if not. Just to be clear, my argument is that having multiple candidates on the go at the same time puts off the best ones as they don't want to piss off their present employers by going for interviews.

Which is why in the vast majority off cases clubs identify one man at a time then go after him.

I think Small Heath interviewed a few last season, and all that applied were unemployed candidates with nothing to lose.
Why would good, employed managers risk applying for the Villa job and coming in for an interview, risking their relationship with all at their current clubs, for a one in three or four chance of getting the job?

I think maybe I've come into this discussion late Percy, but I think Lerner 'tries' to keep this process out of the spotlight, unfortunately with media and internet speculation and plane spotters this is impossible. I think any upcoming manager worth his salt would talk to his current boss and come clean about wishing to discuss the job with the Villa. Surely if anything it would increase his own stock in the vision of his current employer that he is a wanted prospect?

I know that the football business is a world apart from you and I. Any job where you get sacked for being incompetent and still walk away with millions can never make sense in my eyes, I just try to apply a bit of my own naiive logic to it.

You make some good points my honourable friend. If it was all done in secret and each candidate was made to believe he was the only one, it could work.

But it's not, and they aren't, so it doesn't.

True, true and indeed true.

[Mazrim]

I dont see making a shortlist of candidates and interviewing them as anything other than prudent to be honest.
If the candidates cant take or understand that there are other candidates then we probably dont need them.

[Merv]

Exactly. If we'd approached no-one else and just offered it to OGS, we'd be asking why we didn't at least spread the net a bit further.

[john e]

I dont see making a shortlist of candidates and interviewing them as anything other than prudent to be honest.
If the candidates cant take or understand that there are other candidates then we probably dont need them.

there is a massive problem with it,  you are expecting Managers to go to an interview with the full knolwedge of the chairman only to be one of many on a potential list,
then go back to the club and pretend nothings happened

no manager worth his salt would do that, no manager only those looking for a move openly.

i'm self employed so havent been for a interview for over 20 years, but back in the day when i did, i didnt first tell my boss what i was doing, most people when they get another job the first time the boss gets to know about it is when you put your notice in

it is a rubbish way of doing things,
 the board should draw up their short list then pick the first choice and go for him as secretly as posible, if he says no, move on to the next

[Concrete John]

I would also prefer they decided who they wanted and then went in strong for him.  An interview process says to me they aren't sure who they want!