It's not Sherwood!

[dave shelley]

The other great spin off is how much better a mood it puts us all in on here, lovely to see everyone so happy and optimistic after years of drudgery and trying to pretend we've got a bargain in Richardson, Senderos, Cole et al when we all bloody well know deep down they are shit

The simple thing is that there's a collective optimism on here that's been missing for the past five or so years.  We all see a little bit of hope.  Decent quality young players with a high level potential not seen at B6 for a good few years, seemingly as acknowledged by the better elements of the press.  It's like when the sun comes out after a dismal period of weather, it puts a smile on peoples faces.  Long may it continue.

[Toronto Villa]

The other great spin off is how much better a mood it puts us all in on here, lovely to see everyone so happy and optimistic after years of drudgery and trying to pretend we've got a bargain in Richardson, Senderos, Cole et al when we all bloody well know deep down they are shit

It does. And those who are still a little skeptical have a right to be. We can all be happy but be in different places. And even if we lose tonight what I will know is going into the game is we will try to win, and after the game irrespective of the result, the squad that is being assembled will be constructed to play attacking winning football. We've lost games in the past few seasons where we look at the players and worry about where the next goal was coming from let alone the next win. It's been a long time, maybe back to Big Ron's days where we now look at the side and the bench and have a good deal of confidence that we genuinely have good players as well as very decent kids coming through.

[paul_e]

The other great spin off is how much better a mood it puts us all in on here, lovely to see everyone so happy and optimistic after years of drudgery and trying to pretend we've got a bargain in Richardson, Senderos, Cole et al when we all bloody well know deep down they are shit

I think  Senderos could've turned out to be a good signing, when he picked up his knock there was no suggestion that was him done for the season but he just seemed to get setback after setback.  He showed in the few games he did play that he's a very good defender when he can stay fit.

Maybe, but regardless of their actual levels of performance it was more the feeling those 3 signings gave off. It was very much a sense of we are cobbling together a side with players that noone else wants. It's completely different now, we're spending good money on real prospects rather than has beens. Even our free transfer was comfortably the best free transfer available in England. The whole feeling of the club has changed.

I agree completely and Cole/Richardson bothered me massively last summer, one is well past playing at this level and the other is unbelievably lucky to have ever had a career at this level.

My bigger issue with Lambert, all along, was that he never seemed to really know what he was buying the players to do.  Even the ones I liked there never seemed to be any real thought of how to move them from raw potential into premier league players who worked as a team.

Sherwood seems to have much more thought behind what he's doing, you can see what roles he has in mind for players and what tactical options they bring and also you can trust that he'll give those options a good look, which Lambert never seemed willing to do.

[aj2k77]

The fact Lambert was willing to just muddle along with a half soaked coaching team and no real idea of what was happening spoke volumes about him. He was completely shell shocked by the start of the third season and should never have made it that far.

I know Tim will send us out there to have a go, we might freeze, we might get a few tonkings but I don't think there will ever be the general feeling of just drifting along, rudderless from one hammering to the next as there was under the previous clown.

I like Sherwood, he's got 1.5pts a game so far, despite taking over a completely demoralised club, that'll do for me as a base and if we get anywhere near 50pts his first season he'll have done a blinding job. I've put my money where my mouth is and backed Villa at +45pts to win the Premier league at 16/1.

[Steve67]

He's honest and says it like it is. I like that about him.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

He's honest and says it like it is. I like that about him.

I really think life would be so much easier if we all agreed tonight he is shit. Sadly, we will compare him and sing his praises against our worst manager ever. When he's done something, I'll love tim.

Honnestly, I hope I'm wrong. I think he's clueless. Sad thing is, on here, there's plenty that are happy to blow him.

At least he's not Lambert.

[robbo1874]

Honesty is great, but could you call mourinho, Fergie, or Wenger honest? No, not in the slightest. I don't really give a toss what Sherwood says to the media in his interviews or in the programme notes. Results are what counts. I happen to think we'll be fine this season, but it won't be down to Sherwood's honesty or otherwise. Just put out a decent side and compete with the other 19 strugglers.

[Ads]

sounds like your predetermined judgment of him colours any objectivity.

I don't think a manager who kept up a side that had scored 12 goals by mid-February is shit and maybe I am being unfair, but I imagine you'd have come out with that comment at the first defeat this season come what may.

He didn't get everything right, but our three midfield attacking players were either in the stands or on Vlaar's favourite physio bench, so it's clearly early days to judge him this season after the undoubted success of the 13 or so games he got last time.

Meanwhile, over in Spain, there is somebody replying to a hastily made assessment of Barca being a pub team with equal sentiments of my post.

[robbo1874]

Just checking, was that comment directed at me?

Sherwood has earned a season by virtue of saving us last season in my books

[Ads]

No, the comment above. I can't quite other posts very well on my phone.

[Dave]

...so it's clearly early days to judge him this season after the undoubted success of the 13 or so games he got last time.

I agree that he's shown more than enough so far to deserve patience and he's certainly got plenty of credit in the bank from performances last season, but why 13 games?

He was in charge for the last 16 games, so it would be a bit disingenuous to ignore the combined 11-1 defeat in our final three matches. Even if you're talking about getting 13 league games, I don't think that any set of matches that includes a 6-1 defeat to Southampton and a home defeat to Burnley can be counted as an 'undoubted success'.

Personally I'd go with 'qualified success'.

[Meanwood Villa]

No, the comment above. I can't quite other posts very well on my phone.

Or spell quote!

[onje_villa]

For all the excellent signings we have made I am a little concerned about the way we line up tactically, not just last night but at the end of last season.

Last night's line up was very samey, you have to find a way of getting your dangerous players in the game. Veretout out on the right and a frontline of 3 extremely similar players in Gabby, Ayew and Sinclair was never going to be well balanced in my opinion. But he certainly deserves time to prove he can get the team playing effectively.

[Monty]

I think he's not perfect, but also I think there are about 5 perfect managers in the world, about 2 of whom speak English. Sherwood has strengths and weaknesses, and one of those weaknesses is changing his tactics when they're not working. This means his initial plan has to work really well, and yesterday it didn't particularly. Overall, though, I've been very pleasantly surprised by a lot about Our Tim, so I won't be complaining too much after one defeat to the possible champions.

[Steve R]

What was worrying last night was that we were set up to fail. The tactics were the same as against Bournemouth - contain them then roll in the big fucker. I am not sure whether he genuinely thought this would work against a better team, or whether it was a case of Hobson's choice given the new faces/lack of options.

I wouldn't bet against clueless.