It's not Sherwood!

[aev]

Well said TV, very balanced and fair. Realism rules. It is all very well to theorize about managerial possibilities but we are third from the bottom of the Premiership, we are up for sale with no evidence of a buyer, we are owned by a man who gives all the signs of having lost interest in the sport and the club, what manager of any repute or genuine promise would come to us?  Fox made the call and I respect his judgement. If Sherwood falls into McLeish/Lambert mode - and I believe that is most unlikely - Fox has shown his mettle and Sherwood will go.
Two things stick in my mind from last Sunday's game. First was the totally empty upper tier of the Trinity. That told you what damage McLeish and Lambert had done to the club better than a million angry internet messages and the second was the turn of speed Cleverley showed at one point in the second half. Something happened to that boy at half time make no mistake.
As I said the day of the Hull game, when you have a burst pipe in your loft the first thing you do is call for a plumber. The interior decorator and the carpet fitter come later.

I'd agree with that Brian - as a club the remaining league games are absolutely crucial to us, and if he can come in and give them some self belief and organization then we should be ok as the players are good enough.

I really have been underwhelmed by TC this season, but also thought he had a much better second half. In fact, most of them seemed as though they gave a shit, which then got the crowd on side. Despite being pretty empty, the atmosphere was pretty good.

[andyh]

Well said TV, totally agree.

And I love the term 'infectious enthusiasm'

That is exactly what we need after the morose 4 years we have just endured.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I wondered how long it would be before Taylor got in on the act.

Leave Ian Taylor alone

[brian green]

Certain Villa people are above censure. Ian Taylor is one of them.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

If we stay up its a good appointment.

We were looking like we had less fight than a Ghandi and mother Teresa tag team.

Is it just me or does anyone else find that strangely erotic?

[paul_e]

Well said TV, very balanced and fair. Realism rules. It is all very well to theorize about managerial possibilities but we are third from the bottom of the Premiership, we are up for sale with no evidence of a buyer, we are owned by a man who gives all the signs of having lost interest in the sport and the club, what manager of any repute or genuine promise would come to us? Fox made the call and I respect his judgement. If Sherwood falls into McLeish/Lambert mode - and I believe that is most unlikely - Fox has shown his mettle and Sherwood will go.
Two things stick in my mind from last Sunday's game. First was the totally empty upper tier of the Trinity. That told you what damage McLeish and Lambert had done to the club better than a million angry internet messages and the second was the turn of speed Cleverley showed at one point in the second half. Something happened to that boy at half time make no mistake.
As I said the day of the Hull game, when you have a burst pipe in your loft the first thing you do is call for a plumber. The interior decorator and the carpet fitter come later.

To stick with the same metaphor and add my ongoing issue with the appointment to it, I agree, by and large, that if you have a leak you just get a plumber in.  My issue is that you would also hope that when it's a big job, that needs to be done right this time, you'd get a couple of quotes before hiring someone rather than just going with the first guy you speak to.


Bold bit - who knows, we don't appear to have even asked.


I'm not saying he's the wrong appointment, I'm just saying he was the easy safe appointment that the press had pretty much made for us before the smoke had cleared from Lambert's firing, and the club have just been carried along and gone with it.  It may be the right decision and we may come out of it well but I'd have a lot less reservations if it didn't feel so panicked.

[Monty]

And if he came out with anything more than what he did you'd be calling him out to be bullshitter or that he's just saying stuff so that it sounds good in the papers tomorrow. Monty, clearly you are the most upset about the appointment. You couldn't have made your position any more clear than you have. But frankly as much as I didn't want him I am at least encouraged by the general direction this has gone so far.

Sherwood can only speak in broad terms right now because he hasn't even met the players properly bar a 15 minute pep talk. I don't what else he was meant to say and he even mentioned that he doesn't really know them, so he really couldn't be specific. Frankly, I didn't want anything more than that in his first conference, and for a lot of people on here we are just happy never to be hearing from Lambert again. A couple more weeks of that not only would have been as good as relegated but many of our parish would have slashed their wrists from the sheer misery of it all. I'm really happy to see long time posters like Richard Moore or Risso who have been critical in recent seasons at least have bit more positivity in their posts.

Even if this "experiment" of sorts doesn't pan out at the very least let it evolve and enjoy him not being McLeish or Lambert. I like you was just completely exhausted by it all, and this might be a bit more fun even if it is fleeting.

I am hoping above all else he proves you, me and every other doubter of his ability completely and utterly wrong and turns out to be an inspired managerial hire. Because God do we need it or at least something to get us interested again in our club after so many seasons of misery and ruined weekends.

Well, he did come out with a bit of bullshit, but by and large it was of a noncommittal, unobjectionable kind which most managers use.

I don't exactly know what direction he's gone in yet at all, but let's say that his big idea is Villa go more direct. Well, that puts us back where we started, under MON (but without his infinite money), under TSM, under Lambert for most of his tenure. What might well save us this season is the absence of Lambert, who literally did not want to be there and whose misery was dragging everyone down (also any change can be refreshing), and the chirpyness of Sherwood, because a bit of confidence and enthusiasm might go a long way with what is a pretty good squad.

Long term, though, what have we got? Some people have said he's good tactically without giving actual examples (and a couple of them were his mates), and some people, including Hugo Lloris, have said he's not a football thinker at all and have given examples. May he prove them wrong, but just because Richard and Risso are okay about the appointment doesn't mean I have to be. Why enjoy him not being McLeish or Lambert when he might not prove to be better?

[itbrvilla]

And if he came out with anything more than what he did you'd be calling him out to be bullshitter or that he's just saying stuff so that it sounds good in the papers tomorrow. Monty, clearly you are the most upset about the appointment. You couldn't have made your position any more clear than you have. But frankly as much as I didn't want him I am at least encouraged by the general direction this has gone so far.

Sherwood can only speak in broad terms right now because he hasn't even met the players properly bar a 15 minute pep talk. I don't what else he was meant to say and he even mentioned that he doesn't really know them, so he really couldn't be specific. Frankly, I didn't want anything more than that in his first conference, and for a lot of people on here we are just happy never to be hearing from Lambert again. A couple more weeks of that not only would have been as good as relegated but many of our parish would have slashed their wrists from the sheer misery of it all. I'm really happy to see long time posters like Richard Moore or Risso who have been critical in recent seasons at least have bit more positivity in their posts.

Even if this "experiment" of sorts doesn't pan out at the very least let it evolve and enjoy him not being McLeish or Lambert. I like you was just completely exhausted by it all, and this might be a bit more fun even if it is fleeting.

I am hoping above all else he proves you, me and every other doubter of his ability completely and utterly wrong and turns out to be an inspired managerial hire. Because God do we need it or at least something to get us interested again in our club after so many seasons of misery and ruined weekends.

Well, he did come out with a bit of bullshit, but by and large it was of a noncommittal, unobjectionable kind which most managers use.

I don't exactly know what direction he's gone in yet at all, but let's say that his big idea is Villa go more direct. Well, that puts us back where we started, under MON (but without his infinite money), under TSM, under Lambert for most of his tenure. What might well save us this season is the absence of Lambert, who literally did not want to be there and whose misery was dragging everyone down (also any change can be refreshing), and the chirpyness of Sherwood, because a bit of confidence and enthusiasm might go a long way with what is a pretty good squad.

Long term, though, what have we got? Some people have said he's good tactically without giving actual examples (and a couple of them were his mates), and some people, including Hugo Lloris, have said he's not a football thinker at all and have given examples. May he prove them wrong, but just because Richard and Risso are okay about the appointment doesn't mean I have to be. Why enjoy him not being McLeish or Lambert when he might not prove to be better?

I agree with a lot of what you say there.  I think it is a really poor appointment.  That said, he's here now, I've got the shit off my chest and he and the team will get my full support for the rest of the season.

[not3bad]

I'm just going to enjoy the positives and ignore the negatives and if it does go tits up yet again, well there'll be plenty of time for yet more misery if and when it happens.

[PeterWithesShin]

OS

Tim Sherwood insists that his players will give everything for the claret and blue cause under his leadership.

Sherwood will take his first training session today as he settles into life at Bodymoor Heath.

The new boss will instruct his charges of what he expects - 100% commitment in every single moment they are out on the field.

He knows that's what he will get as he looks to foster a team in his own passionate image.

He said: "I don't mind playing badly. What I can't tolerate is a lack of desire and effort because people are coming to watch them play. I demand that. That's a minimum requirement.

"If they aren't giving that then they're not going to play. That's it. It's up to me then.

"I'll take all the pressure. I'll take all the brunt of it if we don't get results.

"As long as they give me everything and they're trying to take on to that pitch what I'm telling them in training.

"You can't ignore instructions. They'll be quite simple instructions - so everyone who goes on that pitch will know exactly what I want from them - every single player.

"They'll all play in their correct positions - nobody playing out of position - and they'll know their jobs.

"They know what they're capable of doing otherwise they wouldn't be at this big club.

"I don't care if they play badly. I want them to play brilliantly. But if they don't, it's fine as long as the desire, effort and commitment is there. Then the quality will shine through."

Sherwood insists he will harness a real togetherness at Bodymoor Heath.

He says it pains him intensely to lose - and he is confident he will get the same thirst for success from his new players.

He added: "One thing I can guarantee is honesty.

"If they do well they will be told. If they don't do well they will also be told - and told why.

"But you have to be constructive. You have to talk to them.

"It's not them and us. We're all on the same side.

"We are in all it together - it's about winning football matches. We win together. We lose together.

"I can't believe anyone hurts more than me when I lose football matches. But I want to see them hurting when they lose and happy when they win.

"There is no better feeling than when the final whistle goes and they have won the game."

[not3bad]

I just hope that when Sherwood does decide who is surplus to his requirements that we won't go through all this "bomb squad" palaver.

[ktvillan]

The appointment smacks of the owner/board not having done any succession planning, research or preparation for a managerial change, despite the writing being on the wall regarding Lambert for ages.   I sincerely doubt they had a list of potential coaches working in all corner of Europe/the world to hand when the axe finally fell on Lambert.   It does look as if they just said, "blimey who's available with some PL experience that would take it?".  And that's my gripe with the appointment.  However he talks a good game, sounds as if he wants to at least try and win games, and he's not Lambert or  TSM, and he's not McLaren, Pearce and any number of other managerial no-marks they could have tried to hire.  In short I console myself that given Lerner's appalling record, it could have been a lot worse.

[passport1]

Its nothing I haven't heard  from my lads coaches when he used to play schools football.  I hope he has more to offer than this.

[PaulWinch again]

You just going into threads to criticise people? Seem like fairly reasonable comments from him to be honest.

[Hookeysmith]

The appointment smacks of the owner/board not having done any succession planning, research or preparation for a managerial change, despite the writing being on the wall regarding Lambert for ages.   I sincerely doubt they had a list of potential coaches working in all corner of Europe/the world to hand when the axe finally fell on Lambert.   It does look as if they just said, "blimey who's available with some PL experience that would take it?".  And that's my gripe with the appointment.  However he talks a good game, sounds as if he wants to at least try and win games, and he's not Lambert or  TSM, and he's not McLaren, Pearce and any number of other managerial no-marks they could have tried to hire.  In short I console myself that given Lerner's appalling record, it could have been a lot worse.

Well it will do for me as it is a world away from the boring shite we have heard for the last 2 years
Reading between the lines, he will support everyone of them and guide them - but if they don't give their balls and all then he will tell them
As I said that will do for me

I am sick of the manager babble supporting the over paid prima donnas (not just ours) - give them the responsibility for their own performances. It will make a refreshing change