It's not Sherwood!

[claret and blue blood]

I'm still having to stop and pinch myself that Tim Sherwood is managing our football team. And not in a good way.

I wasnt overly impressed with honest Tim in the after match interviews. Really fear he is another Phil Brown but even Phil Brown was able to get his side playing well for a time. Huge week ahead on the training ground. Gabby and Benteke playing up top in a two simply has to stop. Maybe Grealish to come in with Sinclair either side of Benteke with a solid midfield three behind them.

My worry is he is a bit of a clown to be brutally honest.

My worry is he that he isn't going to be given much of a chance having read a lot of the comments on here. If we go down it won't be his fault as far as I am concerned so I am hoping, praying, his no nonsense straight talking might get a positive reaction from the players.

Agree with this,he doesn't stand much chance if half the fans are calling him a clown.The fucking clown who owns the club and has overseen the dismantling of the playing side of our once proud club is the real clown but it ain't funny and the other mumbling clown who never changed his aftermatch comments instead of being honest shoulders a lot of the blame and if he had been honest with himself and us he should have walked ages ago for being so shite.If you don't like our new manager's comments then you can't face the truth.

[Toronto Villa]

My worry is he that he isn't going to be given much of a chance having read a lot of the comments on here. If we go down it won't be his fault as far as I am concerned

The narrative does seem to have changed over the last couple of weeks from "anybody could keep this squad of players in the league" to "well, if we do go down then it's not going to be Sherwood's fault".

It's worrying that it seems that even lots of the people in favour of him being our manager appear to think that he's not going to be capable of keeping us up.

I'm largely ambivalent towards Sherwood.  I'm glad Lambert has gone and almost anybody would have been an improvement, but it's a big job for anybody to get consistent performances out of that team.  I think Sherwood has a better chance of keeping us up than Lambert, but it's clearly not going to be easy.  I'll also give him more than one league game to make an impact.

yep, agree with this. I think he'll keep us up but it will be tight. I also think the way the rest of the season pans out will give him all the info he needs on who stays with the club in the long run. A lot of characters are going to be tested and some players are going to get hurt along the way. The board I am sure will keep him regardless of the eventual outcome and especially so if we stay up. Some players are going to find their positions in jeopardy so if they want to stay with they will need to find form and stomach for the fight very quickly.

[OCD]

The only scenario where I could see him get sacked would be if we did drop and then we made a very poor start in the Championship. Stay up and it's job done, go down and it's Lambert and Lerner's fault (which would be difficult to argue).

[Drummond]

I find it hard to take seriously the view that he isn't up to it based on one week's worth of time with the worst Villa team for nearly 30 years. He obviously got something going in the Cup but it didn't work out this week.

Given how monumentally shit we are, it wouldn't be a surprise if we dropped. Fingers crossed he works well with KMac and things start happening for us.

[Louzie0]

I'm giving him a chance or the first 6 cup finals.  One gone, but everything to play for.
Just hoping it's more like an ultimate Grand Slam than Henman Hill.
Come on, Tim!

[supertom]

I prefer his honesty over Lamberts post match interviews. Of course what's said for cameras can often be different to behind closed doors, but particularly in the last 18 months there had been more and more a feeling that Lambert's interviews seemed genuine. He might be a bloody good actor, but you felt when he said we'd played excellently, or were unlucky in some way, that he meant it. You also get the feeling that spread to some players during weekly interviews with the club. That we'd almost cracked it but for a lot of misfortune. There was a seeming acceptance that our performances were good enough. That individuals performances were acceptable. Weimann was "excellent" or Westwood was playing "exceptionally well." When the reality is certain players were mediocre at best, or often consistently shit.

The truth is/was we've been miles off from where we need to be. I like that Sherwood won't accept a culture of acceptance of losing here.  Lambert was so small time. He seemed devoid of ambition of any kind this season and last. His only consistency was in breaking all the wrong sorts of records.

If we're going to lose and play shit, I want to at least feel like the management team will work on rectifying it. That it's not acceptable. I don't want to hear a manager coming out saying we've played fantastically well when we haven't, or expressing pride when we've been well beaten by any old tin pot, shit house of a club. Was it O Leary who once said that we couldn't compete with the Charltons of this world? Jesus. Pathetic. But the vibe and message Lambert almost always sent out was slightly pathetic in all honesty. In fact it's one of the facets that wound me up about his management the most. Almost as much as his tactical deficiencies.

[tomd2103]

Do we have a midfield and forward coach if so it's about time they earned their money. Sherwood wasn't my preffered option but to put the knife in after one game is stupid.

The midfield bit is probably more prevalent than the forward.  If someone can bring out the attacking side of Delph and even Cleverley to some extent, then they may be able to start chipping in with some much needed goals and creativity. 

[tomd2103]

I prefer his honesty over Lamberts post match interviews. Of course what's said for cameras can often be different to behind closed doors, but particularly in the last 18 months there had been more and more a feeling that Lambert's interviews seemed genuine. He might be a bloody good actor, but you felt when he said we'd played excellently, or were unlucky in some way, that he meant it. You also get the feeling that spread to some players during weekly interviews with the club. That we'd almost cracked it but for a lot of misfortune. There was a seeming acceptance that our performances were good enough. That individuals performances were acceptable. Weimann was "excellent" or Westwood was playing "exceptionally well." When the reality is certain players were mediocre at best, or often consistently shit.

The truth is/was we've been miles off from where we need to be. I like that Sherwood won't accept a culture of acceptance of losing here.  Lambert was so small time. He seemed devoid of ambition of any kind this season and last. His only consistency was in breaking all the wrong sorts of records.

If we're going to lose and play shit, I want to at least feel like the management team will work on rectifying it. That it's not acceptable. I don't want to hear a manager coming out saying we've played fantastically well when we haven't, or expressing pride when we've been well beaten by any old tin pot, shit house of a club. Was it O Leary who once said that we couldn't compete with the Charltons of this world? Jesus. Pathetic. But the vibe and message Lambert almost always sent out was slightly pathetic in all honesty. In fact it's one of the facets that wound me up about his management the most. Almost as much as his tactical deficiencies.

To quote Big Ron, "don't tell me pal, show me".  Changes need to be made after the Stoke game, so it will be interesting to see his next team selection.

[supertom]

I prefer his honesty over Lamberts post match interviews. Of course what's said for cameras can often be different to behind closed doors, but particularly in the last 18 months there had been more and more a feeling that Lambert's interviews seemed genuine. He might be a bloody good actor, but you felt when he said we'd played excellently, or were unlucky in some way, that he meant it. You also get the feeling that spread to some players during weekly interviews with the club. That we'd almost cracked it but for a lot of misfortune. There was a seeming acceptance that our performances were good enough. That individuals performances were acceptable. Weimann was "excellent" or Westwood was playing "exceptionally well." When the reality is certain players were mediocre at best, or often consistently shit.

The truth is/was we've been miles off from where we need to be. I like that Sherwood won't accept a culture of acceptance of losing here.  Lambert was so small time. He seemed devoid of ambition of any kind this season and last. His only consistency was in breaking all the wrong sorts of records.

If we're going to lose and play shit, I want to at least feel like the management team will work on rectifying it. That it's not acceptable. I don't want to hear a manager coming out saying we've played fantastically well when we haven't, or expressing pride when we've been well beaten by any old tin pot, shit house of a club. Was it O Leary who once said that we couldn't compete with the Charltons of this world? Jesus. Pathetic. But the vibe and message Lambert almost always sent out was slightly pathetic in all honesty. In fact it's one of the facets that wound me up about his management the most. Almost as much as his tactical deficiencies.

To quote Big Ron, "don't tell me pal, show me".  Changes need to be made after the Stoke game, so it will be interesting to see his next team selection.

Yep. I'd certainly like to see a little faith shown in Grealish and Bacuna has also earned a start I feel.
If I was Sherwood I'd be thinking that Cissokho, Weimann, Gabby and perhaps Sanchez just aren't much kop. He will probably re-instate one of Cleverley or Westwood I would imagine (for want of better options).

I'm interested to see his next lineup.

[ozzjim]

One of Bacuna or Lowton has to play - harsh as it may be on Hutton I would still go 3-5-2 and get Bacuna or Lowton in at right wing back.

Alternatively if 4-4-2 is the way he has decided to play, then get Sinclair up playing with Benteke and Bacuna into the side down one of the flanks. Much more use than Weimann and Gabby. Grealish looks too lightweight to me at the moment but happy to be proved wrong.

[Rigadon]

On paper, I thought that the team he put out last saturday was our best.  Of all the teams in the league, I'd say Stoke are about the worst he could've drawn first up.  Get Chelsea and the expectation is small.  Stoke are awkward and probably the best equipped to deal with long ball, a tactic I can understand Sherwood going with short term.

I'm not sure what Gabby was supposed to be doing.  He stuck out as somebody not comfortable or effective in that formation.  Away from home, play him, at home it's probably time for him to be a substitute.  Weimann is not good enough to play in the premier league.  His all round play is honest but very, very limited. 

Absolute priority for Sherwood is to (quickly) get Benteke's mind right.  Bollock him or put his arm around him.  Something.  Because we are absolutely going to be relegated unless he starts scoring goals.

I'll make my mind up after the Newcastle game as to whether we have any hope of staying up.  Stoke are an ugly anomaly.

[Clampy]

At the end of the day, we'd have taken a point on Saturday if one of our most experienced defenders had not decided to hack down one of their players down in the box in the dying minutes of the game. Some people seemed to have made their mind up about Sherwood after one game, which is a bit silly really.

[olaftab]

If we go down it will be Sherwood's fault. He took the challenge on and if he has any nous as a coach and motivator he should be able to get enough from 13 games to keep us up.

[Clampy]

If we go down it will be Sherwood's fault. He took the challenge on and if he has any nous as a coach and motivator he should be able to get enough from 13 games to keep us up.

No it won't, it will also be the fact that we'd only managed 12 goals before he turned up.

[Chris Smith]

If we go down it will be Sherwood's fault. He took the challenge on and if he has any nous as a coach and motivator he should be able to get enough from 13 games to keep us up.

No it won't, it will also be the fact that we'd only managed 12 goals before he turned up.

It will to a large extent be the players fault, they are the ones not scoring and letting in soft goals. Obviously the manager takes a lot of responsibility for how a team prepares and the side he puts out but once they cross the line they are the ones playing the game and the ones not delivering.