It's not Sherwood!

[Damo70]

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.

Totally agree. Even after our nightmare at Christmas under Lambert we soon started grinding out a few points. Before Sherwood took over I had never in recent times been so convinced we were going down. And given our last few years that is really saying something. Purely on the fact he kept us up he deserves a shot at the job in the longer term.

[mr underhill]

but it was as tight as a gnat's arse and could so easily have gone the other way. Tim's got a very unenviable job on his hands but deserves a shot; let's hope his hands aren't unduly tied in the transfer market, otherwise a tough assignment is going to turn into mission impossible.

[ChicagoLion]

I am extremely grateful hat he kept us up under extreme circumstances.

This does not mean he is immune from criticism, the FA Cup Final was a disaster.

I am just hoping that the decisions he took leading and during it are not indicative of a wider managerial incompetency.

I do agree he does deserve a chance to see what he can do as our manager.

[Matt Collins]

But it's not just "deserves a chance".

Some villa fans are living up to the reputation for fickle ingratitude. We all thought we were down.

Within three and a bit months we'd have more convincing and enjoyable victories, playing a better brand of football, than we'd seen since o'neill. It was also rare in the last couple of years of o'neill to find half a dozen impressive performances in the space of 2-3 months.

He didn't bring in a single player and had more injuries than anyone else

It may have been a short term impact. But equally the last couple of weeks of the season may have been too much for the team

He's got a hell of a job in the summer and may have to replace half the side (CB, LB, CM, AM,  CF)

If he does we may have a wobbly start and I predict it will be precisely 60 minutes of the season before people are calling for him to go

[pauliewalnuts]

If he does we may have a wobbly start and I predict it will be precisely 60 minutes of the season before people are calling for him to go

That doesn't match up with reality, though, does it?

McLeish, Houllier, Lambert (especially Lambert) all got given a pretty decent amount of time until fans got on their backs.

In fact, I am struggling to recall a manager anywhere who provided as bad a record as Lambert did, for as long, and kept the support of the fans for so long. At most clubs, he'd have been hounded out at the end of his first season, but he had almost total support here. He even managed to hang on to a good chunk of that support right through a second whole season of shit.

McLeish got the teenagers all worked up when he joined and they did that "running around at the back of the north stand for the cameras" thing but the fact is, he got a more than decent amount of time to win people over.

[ChicagoLion]

But it's not just "deserves a chance".

He's got a hell of a job in the summer and may have to replace half the side (CB, LB, CM, AM,  CF)

I agree he has got a hell of a job this summer rebuilding a new team and I just hope he is up to it.

This is a huge gamble but the owner has been at the last chance saloon for several seasons now.

[Toronto Villa]

It would have been a massive task for whoever had taken over, and even for someone with experience there's no guarantee it would turn out great. Lambert had loads of experience and last summer was a complete disaster on all fronts. Without the correct level of investment it won't make a difference.

[ciggiesnbeer]

If he does we may have a wobbly start and I predict it will be precisely 60 minutes of the season before people are calling for him to go

That doesn't match up with reality, though, does it?

McLeish, Houllier, Lambert (especially Lambert) all got given a pretty decent amount of time until fans got on their backs.

In fact, I am struggling to recall a manager anywhere who provided as bad a record as Lambert did, for as long, and kept the support of the fans for so long. At most clubs, he'd have been hounded out at the end of his first season, but he had almost total support here. He even managed to hang on to a good chunk of that support right through a second whole season of shit.

McLeish got the teenagers all worked up when he joined and they did that "running around at the back of the north stand for the cameras" thing but the fact is, he got a more than decent amount of time to win people over.

Its true, Villa fans have been astoundingly supportive of recent managers even with terrible records that stretch for months and months let alone one game. I pray Sherwood doesn't quit. When you look at the caliber of replacements we might get it doesn't bode well.

[Dave]

If he does we may have a wobbly start and I predict it will be precisely 60 minutes of the season before people are calling for him to go

That doesn't match up with reality, though, does it?

McLeish, Houllier, Lambert (especially Lambert) all got given a pretty decent amount of time until fans got on their backs.

In fact, I am struggling to recall a manager anywhere who provided as bad a record as Lambert did, for as long, and kept the support of the fans for so long. At most clubs, he'd have been hounded out at the end of his first season, but he had almost total support here. He even managed to hang on to a good chunk of that support right through a second whole season of shit.

McLeish got the teenagers all worked up when he joined and they did that "running around at the back of the north stand for the cameras" thing but the fact is, he got a more than decent amount of time to win people over.

Its true, Villa fans have been astoundingly supportive of recent managers even with terrible records that stretch for months and months let alone one game. I pray Sherwood doesn't quit. When you look at the caliber of replacements we might get it doesn't bode well.

Why would he quit? What's he going to do instead of managing the biggest club that he's ever likely to be in charge of?

[KevinGage]

If we're mentioning the f word, Sherwood himself seems a bit that way.  Or at least temperamental.

Prior to our losing streak at the end of the season, he was saying major surgery wasn't required and that the attacking talent in the squad was genuine cause for excitement.

After the cup final, we have too many players used to losing, and many of them have been told to find new clubs.

Pure speculation on my part, but I'd say he was delighted to get the job initially.  Probably even more so when he seen the atmosphere at games like the Olbiyun cup game, Everton at home et.c.  He wouldn't be the first to say he didn't appreciate how big the club was until he got here.

But maybe now the true horror has dawned on him as to the size of the task he is facing.

[Toronto Villa]

He signed a 4 year deal. Why would he walk away from that?

[Matt Collins]

I think the fans at the game will be really supportive even with a Bad start

Not sure everyone on here will be

[Dante Lavelli]

I think the fans at the game will be really supportive even with a Bad start

Not sure everyone on here will be

Thats fair enough though isn't it?  At the matches I'd hope the crowd to be fully supportive, especially at the beginning, whereas on here I'd hope that posters will reflect upon and debate the pros and cons of what they're seeing. 

[edgysatsuma89]

When a team doesn't get a shot on target, no matter who the team is, the manager deserves stick. No amount of net spend talk and how much the squad is worth in comparison can justify that.

However I'm fully behind him, squad decisions have absolutely baffled me but every manager does that. A first transfer window for him will be very interesting and hopefully he's backed. He will be very divisive because of how he puts things. I didn't agree with what he said after the game like someone said above.

Don't confuse manager slating with actually turning on him.

[Witton Warrior]

I think the fans at the game will be really supportive even with a Bad start

Not sure everyone on here will be

I can't judge him until he has put out a team with "his" players in it, that going to take until February - then I will naturally turn on him like a rabid dog as soon as anything goes wrong ;-)