Hendrik Almstadt

[Percy McCarthy]

There are good and bad ones, and its just the direction football is going, its not ideal, but maybe with a young manager like Sherwood who is still finding his way in the game and might struggle to attract good players it could be a help.  Time will tell.

Why is it not ideal? The worst club in the world at contract management appointing an expert in contract management seems pretty sensible to me.

[Dante Lavelli]

The statement included comments from Sherwood that he's happy with the appointment so it's not an issue. I'm sure the key players will work together.

I doubt he would say otherwise to be honest.  We will see how it pans out but as long as egos do not get in the way you'd imagine they could establish sensible roles and responsibilities between themselves. 

[Sexual Ealing]

It does make you realise that the club, while 'backing' Lambert by not putting him out of his misery sooner (and that was a decision I lonesomely backed at the time, wrongly), didn't do him any favours by allowing him to stumble along with no backroom staff or shiny new sporting directors.

[Dante Lavelli]

It does make you realise that the club, while 'backing' Lambert by not putting him out of his misery sooner (and that was a decision I lonesomely backed at the time, wrongly), didn't do him any favours by allowing him to stumble along with no backroom staff or shiny new sporting directors.

I think that was symptomatic of Lambert's management at the end.  He had either lost his marbles to recognise this was a problem or was so browbeaten/compliant with austerity villa that he was not prepared to fight against it.

[Malandro]

I can get 'midlanders' out of his name but nowt bigger

[Sexual Ealing]

It does make you realise that the club, while 'backing' Lambert by not putting him out of his misery sooner (and that was a decision I lonesomely backed at the time, wrongly), didn't do him any favours by allowing him to stumble along with no backroom staff or shiny new sporting directors.

I think that was symptomatic of Lambert's management at the end.  He had either lost his marbles to recognise this was a problem or was so browbeaten/compliant with austerity villa that he was not prepared to fight against it.

I think it was both. If he's not careful the Troika will have him replace Tspiras.

[pauliewalnuts]

It does make you realise that the club, while 'backing' Lambert by not putting him out of his misery sooner (and that was a decision I lonesomely backed at the time, wrongly), didn't do him any favours by allowing him to stumble along with no backroom staff or shiny new sporting directors.

I am no Lambert apologist, but you're right on that front.

How big is our back room team now?

We must have as many assistant managers, head coaches, coaches, scouts, sporting directors, performance analysts etc etc as we have players these days.

Lambert at the end had Roy Keane, and he was clearly fucking mental, walking around swearing at himself, stinking of piss.

[ciggiesnbeer]

We had some good moments. The hangover was a bugger mind.

[rob_bridge]

There is a semblance of a professional approach and structure manifesting itself at Villa Park. This is the first time in a long long time this has happened.

It may have been discussed elsewhere but did anyone think the FAI were trying to palm O'Neill back to Leicester in a '..we won't stand in his way..'

[Salsa Party Animal]

Hope Hendrik got scouting information from Arsenal and Arsene's list so we can see if we can buy them instead and hope he can do a lot of great deals with 40+ millions due from transfer and whatever in current kitty.

[The Left Side]

First lesson for Hendrik on Monday is to learn a lesson from this whole episode of Delph and Benteke.

[Le Lapin]

Welcome to Villa. You have your work cut out for you. Make us a serious club again. Absolutely sick this evening.

[Toronto Villa]

First lesson for Hendrik on Monday is to learn a lesson from this whole episode of Delph and Benteke.

what lesson from Benteke? We bought a players for 7m. We sold him for 32m. We need to do the same again and consistently. The Delph lesson is lock your best players down as soon as possible to long term deals. The overall lesson as a club is build around your best players so the team is successful and they want to stay.

[aj2k77]

Is there any irony in the fact the week we bring in a contract manager everyone buggers off using clauses in their contracts?

[Dante Lavelli]

First lesson for Hendrik on Monday is to learn a lesson from this whole episode of Delph and Benteke.

what lesson from Benteke? We bought a players for 7m. We sold him for 32m. We need to do the same again and consistently. The Delph lesson is lock your best players down as soon as possible to long term deals. The overall lesson as a club is build around your best players so the team is successful and they want to stay.

I too don't think we have done much wrong with regards to Benteke.  The only fault is maybe that we should have some succession planning in place, maybe signing a youngster last summer, however there wasn't much spare money about and we'd already signed Kozak.

Clark needs to be signed up if we're intending on playing him this year.  Baker too.  Neither are the finished article but we'd daft to lose them for nothing having done the hard part of developing them (and all the pain which went with that).