It's not Sherwood!

[itbrvilla]

I think he's a Harry Redknapp type of motivator manager with very little intelligence or tactical acumen. We are blinded in to thinking he's good just because of how bad it got under Lambert. Once Benteke and Vlaar leave in the summer I fear next season its our turn to go down.

You might be right but it is a quick conclusion from two not quite half seasons with other managers' players

That's really part of the point, surely a club of our size should have a manager with a more reliable track record. Using Villa to cut his teeth is an extremely high risk policy.

How would you describe our size?

[CT Villan]

That's really part of the point, surely a club of our size should have a manager with a more reliable track record. Using Villa to cut his teeth is an extremely high risk policy.

But clearly that was a risk Daniel Levy was comfortable taking too then and Spurs had a whole lot more to lose than we did. Turns out Villa were right as he did what he was asked to do, which was no small feat.

I think the other major point that is being overlooked is that Sherwood does not operate in a vacuum, he has an experienced backroom team that supports him - he doesn't need to be the tactical genius as long as somebody there is. Where would Cloughie have been without Taylor ?

[themossman]

This is one of those occasions where I'm genuinely surprised at what I'm reading on H&V and, dare I say it, it raises the F word. Before those rubbish last few results I believed that, by keeping us up and getting us to a cup final (win or lose), Sherwood had already well exceeded his brief. Nothing has changed as far as I'm concerned.

I don't enjoy watching us getting stuffed but it doesn't change the magnitude of what he's managed in his brief spell here.

Does that mean he's a highly qualified and nuanced manager? Or that his time here won't end in toys out of prams and boardroom spats? No... but he's easily done enough so far to deserve our backing for next season.

[PaulWinch again]

Sherwood's done fine so far. We've got a pretty poor squad and he did well turn them round. It's important now that we add quality this summer which is something, for the most part, we have failed to do in the last 5/6 years. He fully deserves the opportunity to have a go next season.   

[lovejoy]

That's really part of the point, surely a club of our size should have a manager with a more reliable track record. Using Villa to cut his teeth is an extremely high risk policy.

But clearly that was a risk Daniel Levy was comfortable taking too then and Spurs had a whole lot more to lose than we did. Turns out Villa were right as he did what he was asked to do, which was no small feat.

I think the other major point that is being overlooked is that Sherwood does not operate in a vacuum, he has an experienced backroom team that supports him - he doesn't need to be the tactical genius as long as somebody there is. Where would Cloughie have been without Taylor ?

Levy appointed him from the backroom staff and he lasted half a season, like most clubs who need someone to hold the tiller mid season. There is a big difference.

I'd say our size is a club aspiring for top 6, premier league ever-presents.

[PaulWinch again]

There's no doubt Sherwood has delivered on his remit for the season by keeping us up and on top of that he took us to a cup final too. There's no complaints from me on his work to date.

However, some of his behaviour/comments recently when the chips have been a little bit down has certain echoes of the Paulo Di Canios or dare I say it the Roy Keanes of this world. While I agree with a lot of what he says, he needs to be careful he doesn't alienate the dressing room in the same way the other two did. For all Pearson's faults in the way he dealt with the press last season, he didn't have one cross word to say about his players. Tim needs to find the right balance.

I'd be a bit more worried if it was his dressing room. He's inherited a lot of players he clearly doesn't want and he's had to get something out of them short-term while at the same time planning for the future. 

There's no point worrying too much about this season, in any case.

It was a disaster from the off, and to have not got relegated after becoming a national joke on our failure to score goals is an unexpected perk.

He's just got to get it as right as he can from now on, and more importantly, the chairman has to put him in a position to do so by providing the cash.

We can't have another 9m net spend summer.

Yep given the amount of work that needs to be done we are going to need a pretty substantial net spend.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

If he wanted experience, why didn't he start in the lower leagues? Sherwood seems to be your typical ex player who thinks he has a right to a job he isn't qualified for.

What total bollox.
He served his apprenticeship at Spuds before being offered a first team management job at the same place.
There is no one-approach-has-to-fit-all. I happen to believe in the lower-leagues and grassroots environment (I ref in the latter) but it is not necesarily a must-have experience for people aspiring to operate at the top tier.
Let's judge him on the performance of his team - next season and the one thereafter.

I thought his role at Spurs was just overseeing their youth sides rather than an actual coaching role, could be wrong though.

My post was in response to someone saying Sherwood deserved a chance to gain experience, which is fair enough, but we're a Premier League club. I don't really think people should just be handed jobs at this level.

Having said that, he's kept us up, so he deserves a chance to start the season at least. It's a big job and he needs to be backed in the transfer market.

[WarszaVillan]

The fact is, Houllier, McLeish or Lambert may not have been the best managers in the world, although nor were they the worst. But the job given to them by Lerner was just too much. I feel that managers look at the Villa job sometimes and imagine what it would be like if they got it right. But the reality is that it is a job of trying to keep a club in the Premier league with dwindling resources and with a fan base that expects far more (as we should, its the only thing that stops the club falling even further.) But sooner or later one of these managers is going to fail and we'll go down, unless there is a change in direction at the top. Its now Sherwoods turn, he came in with great energy and optimism, but already looks a bit battle-worn and if things don't change his language will become more conservative in order to hold in check people's expectations. He's got the toughest job of the lot as the squad now looks very weak indeed. If Randy (or some other new owner) does not spend some significant funds this summer then we'll be on our way out of this league.

[tomd2103]

The fact is, Houllier, McLeish or Lambert may not have been the best managers in the world, although nor were they the worst.

The latter two certainly gave that impression at times.

[KRS]

The moment TS starts playing down expectations is the moment we know we're most likely about to have another season of staring relegation in the face again. I'm not sure if TS would walk away or battle against adversity if Randy doesn't provide the financial support required to help rebuild and improve the quality of this squad of players.

[Dave]

Its now Sherwoods turn, he came in with great energy and optimism, but already looks a bit battle-worn and if things don't change his language will become more conservative in order to hold in check people's expectations. He's got the toughest job of the lot as the squad now looks very weak indeed.

I reckon it looks a good deal stronger than the one that Lambert inherited.

[themossman]

The moment TS starts playing down expectations is the moment we know we're most likely about to have another season of staring relegation in the face again. I'm not sure if TS would walk away or battle against adversity if Randy doesn't provide the financial support required to help rebuild and improve the quality of this squad of players.

I think that's the best thing about Sherwood, perversely. I've had enough of yes men like Lambert and McLeish being too professional to moan about the lack of resources and the fundamental flaws in Lerner's shoestring strategy. I at least want to see if an indiscreet, big-I-am gobshite like sherwood gets a different outcome by agitating lerner into action.

[AVH87]

Its now Sherwoods turn, he came in with great energy and optimism, but already looks a bit battle-worn and if things don't change his language will become more conservative in order to hold in check people's expectations. He's got the toughest job of the lot as the squad now looks very weak indeed.

I reckon it looks a good deal stronger than the one that Lambert inherited.

I would say it's only a fraction stronger given that Cleverley and most likely Vlaar won't be part of it soon. The only definite top half quality players are Benteke and Delph, I think the best thing we can do is sell Benteke this summer for 30m plus, and invest that along with hopefully an additional 20m+ from Lerner on around 5 new, good quality first team players.

[Tony Erdington]

There's no doubt Sherwood has delivered on his remit for the season by keeping us up and on top of that he took us to a cup final too. There's no complaints from me on his work to date.

However, some of his behaviour/comments recently when the chips have been a little bit down has certain echoes of the Paulo Di Canios or dare I say it the Roy Keanes of this world. While I agree with a lot of what he says, he needs to be careful he doesn't alienate the dressing room in the same way the other two did. For all Pearson's faults in the way he dealt with the press last season, he didn't have one cross word to say about his players. Tim needs to find the right balance.

I'd be a bit more worried if it was his dressing room. He's inherited a lot of players he clearly doesn't want and he's had to get something out of them short-term while at the same time planning for the future. 

There's no point worrying too much about this season, in any case.

It was a disaster from the off, and to have not got relegated after becoming a national joke on our failure to score goals is an unexpected perk.

He's just got to get it as right as he can from now on, and more importantly, the chairman has to put him in a position to do so by providing the cash.

We can't have another 9m net spend summer.

Yep given the amount of work that needs to be done we are going to need a pretty substantial net spend.

and there in, lye's the problem, I don't think Randy has re-engaged with Villa, I don't think there is a serious bidder to buy us. So more of the same frustrating performances, 9 yr olds making their debuts, relegation battle number - oh I don't know but its been going on to long,

how does this club keep getting the numbers supporting it, that it does?

[pbavfckuwait]

Let us hope Tim can do and continue to do a job at AVFC, yes he will need support for new players as we will see quite a few will go through the door and how many will come in is anyone's guess, but hopefully he will stick to his attacking mind set and even if we struggle at least we will be free of the turgid shit that Lambert served up for most of last season.
Hopefully he will also have a team fit enough to last a season, because I do believe that the last 4 games including the cup final was a symptom of Lambert's lack of backroom staff all through last year and also a reflection on the shit staff he had at the start of the season as the lads at the tail end looked fooked.