It's not Sherwood!

[ktvillan]

At the very least he knows where we're going wrong and seems like he's actively trying to change that. 

I would disagree with you right there Tom.  Every report, comment, opinion, statement on the Leicester debacle from fans, commentators, pundits, reporters, and 6 year olds identified the main problems as Sherwood's rubbish substitutions and tactical ineptitude and naivety.  With the sole exception of Sherwood who said he wasn't sure the substitutions were the reason we lost, and blamed individual errors.  He's either deluded, arrogant, stupid or burying his head in the sand, or a combination of all of them.  Either way it doesn't add up to knowing where we are going wrong, let alone addressing it.   I mean, were yesterday's substitutions any better?   From what I heard Gil was the only one likely to create anything and  he took him off. 

I'm not sure that kind of ineptitude will get better with time, so the patience argument is kind of void.   However anyone advocating Allardyce as the only alternative needs to get out more.  If the likes of Southampton can find decent managers, surely we can look beyond dinosaurs like big Sam.

The patience argument may be void to you.

And quite a few other based on subsequent comments.  He has displayed close to zero tactical acumen, and close to zero willingness to recognise or take responsibility for his cock ups,  in his stints at both Spurs as well as with Villa.   I'm not sure someone can learn those things quickly enough to stop us getting cut adrift. I just fear the  man is out of his depth and will sink us before he learns to swim.   

[Steve R]

Tim Sherwood needs to stop referring to Tim Sherwood during Tim Sherwood interviews.

It's ok. He's just looking for someone else to blame.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Tim Sherwood needs to stop referring to Tim Sherwood during Tim Sherwood interviews.

That really bothers me as well. I had hoped he would cut it out. When managers or players do that I can't shake the feeling they are mentally ill.

[pauliewalnuts]

Tim Sherwood needs to stop referring to Tim Sherwood during Tim Sherwood interviews.

That really bothers me as well. I had hoped he would cut it out. When managers or players do that I can't shake the feeling they are mentally ill.

The only good thing about Sherwood doing that is that every time he says "Tim Sherwood", he's not saying "the football club", which does my nut in.

[Ger Regan]

Sherwood's arguably biggest asset could also be described as his biggest weakness. While his self-confidence seems (at times) to have rubbed off on the players, it's also likely to result in him being unable to accept responsibility for mistakes. If he can't do that then how can he possibly develop?

[ChicagoLion]

A huge ego is like blowing a huge bubble gum bubble, you cant see what is going on then it bursts and leaves crap all over your face.

[footyskillz]

I said after the debacle of fa cup he had to take some responsibility. Also as matches this season have fallen he would do better to take blame and address individual errors or team in dressing room. Big Sam actually commented that Tim is new in job as a manager so has no reference point he's literally learning while doing. That means there's no tried and tested and that its very much his way. Well that's all well and good but if his way is not working he needs to adapt or recall experience which he doesn't have. The freshness worked initially and villa could even win next 3 matches but it wouldn't really have set in sherwoods head that he's got to win and just getting balls in box without a plan wont get much apart from the odd win here and there

[silhillvilla]

Tim Sherwood needs to stop referring to Tim Sherwood during Tim Sherwood interviews.

That really bothers me as well. I had hoped he would cut it out. When managers or players do that I can't shake the feeling they are mentally ill.

All a bit DOL isn't it

[Ron Manager]

Tim Sherwood is a cheap version of The Doc. Good with the media, nowhere near as good with the humour, and I suspect at the end of the day he will fail at Villa Park.

Just like The Doc did.

[curlytailavfc]

I f we get stuffed Tuesday fuck him of is my plan

[Villa in Denmark]

Other than the Liverpool semi final where he actually used tactics, we've either won due to running around a lot and puppy like enthusiasm, or lost because running around a lot and puppy like enthusiasm weren't enough.

I hope I'm wrong, but I said when he was appointed he'd keep us up based on an injection of confidence and enthusiasm and we'd be wondering when he was going to get the chop by Christmas.

I've seen nothing so far to suggest anything else is likely.  In fact his inability to admit he fucked up by putting players in positions where individual mistakes were more likely to result in costly individual errors, suggest it's only going to go one way.  The end of October might prove to be optimistic, let alone Christmas.

[silhillvilla]

got a horrible feeling it will end in tears fairly soon.
He's out of his depth.

[OCD]

Have to wonder whether Fox has already quietly started considering possible replacements.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Watching Norwich now against Liverpool and they really are a well organised team and play without fear. I'd never even heard of their manager, Alex Neil, at 34 the youngest manager in the PL. He was appointed a couple of weeks before Sherwood took over at Villa Park. If he can get a little club like Norwich up to speed with next to no money to spend, you have to wonder why Sherwood can't do it with so much more.

Maybe it's because Neil had a few years learning his trade at Hamilton. No idea but the gulf in the way Norwich play and ourselves is massive.

A few years ago you could have written something similar about a previous Norwich manager and look how that turned out. I don't suppose they have had the turn over in players we had this summer so you would expect them to better organised. Sherwood might turn out to be a duffer but until he gets a settled side and his new players bedded in he should be given the benefit of the doubt.

Also, what Lambert found and Sherwood is finding, is there is a weight of expectation associated with being Villa manager that perhaps is not encountered at the likes of Norwich. It seems strange to me that people are talking about getting rid of him, especially considering the number of new players we have brought in and the number that departed. This is not an overnight fix and will take time. I must be getting old because it seems that society today demands instant gratification continually, where have all of the fine wine or whiskey artisans gone. Problem is very few (nobody?) are capable of delivering sustainable success when the task is so massive within 5 minutes of getting their legs under the table. Have patience and lets stop the revolving door - because that's a no-win scenario.

I thought we'd all finally come to the conclusion that 'stability' is overrated? At least with 'benefit of the doubt' it should have a short life cycle. Oh and Norwich's turnover was very similar to ours. I don't want him out but I do think he's struggling with the basics, something Villa managers specialise in, not because the "weight of expectation associated with being Villa manager" but because they were crap managers.

Revolving door or not, we are suffering from a no-win scenario.

[Villa in Denmark]

I don't buy the "weight of expectation" thing with Sherwood (although I'm pretty sure it played a part with Lambert in seasons 2 & 3).

The weight of expectation didn't seem to get to him at Spuds.  The only difference being that at Spuds he generally had a higher class of player to do the headless chicken thing.

Stability is only any good for as long as it's moving you in the right direction, or at least not making thing worse. There's a lot of evidence so far that he's really not that good at this management business.

Yes he deserves time to try and get things right, but there's a huge difference between a team struggling a bit as it tries to settle down and the kind of "what the fuck?" moments he's had in the last 2 games with substitutions, plus the number of games where, even if he's not decidedly cocked up with his own substitutions and tactics he's still not reacted to changes in a game and ended up costing us points.

We must be pretty easy to set up against these days.

If you're a middling / mediocre team

1st half play tight and have a look at where the weaknesses are today. Ensure that Villa aren't out of sight.
Half time focus on those areas as you know Sherwood won't react to any changes.
2nd half give it 15 minutes to check that you were right, make subs to completely change the game.

If you're one of the better teams, you can have a go right from the start.