Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[FranzBiberkopf]

There have always been 3 worse teams than us. I don't think we can say that this year.

Bournemouth and Norwich are fcuked.
Fat Sam won't save Sunderland. They're dire.

[PaulWinch again]

Seriously though, is nobody worried about this season....like really worried. I haven't dug into it but 4 points in the bag, quarter of the season gone...I'm almost consigned to relegation.

There have always been 3 worse teams than us. I don't think we can say that this year. All of the "bad" ones, bar us, look like they'll spring a freak shock every now and then....we look beaten when we walk onto the pitch.

I'm normally an optimist actually. I was when Sherwood took over too...I thought, long term appointment, young, British...Wilkins coming in was a master stroke.....shows what I know.

I coul;d be wrong about this appointment, and by Christ I hope I am, but I have a "sinking" feeling.

There weren't worse teams than us with Sherwood in charge, because we weren't a team with any sort of coherent plan. We have some good players and we can definitely survive with a team that is actually set up correctly.

[Ron Manager]

So it appears the new manager does not have a full understanding of the English language.After three years at Arsenal. That is news I did not want to hear.But the Tottenham manager is still learning our language and he did well at Southampton.

Perhaps it doesn't matter.

correct. Seemingly Pochettino, Ranieri, LVG, Pellegrino, Mourinho, Koeman etc etc, none of whom speak English as their first language have managed just fine in this league.

It's been reported he speaks English fluently

See page 12 Interesting article!

[Toronto Villa]

Pat Murphy's take is predictably chirpy - apparently the suspicion is that these fruity French players might actually be all terrible, and that Randy has gambled majorly with this one.

If I'm going to take anyone's opinion about this appointment then it will be from Wenger and Houlllier over the ever positive about Villa Pat Murphy.

It's crazy to think that almost to a man the English football media would sooner give more time to a man who a few months at Spurs and a few months with us, some good results chucked in amongst a simply horrific run of games, than someone who actually has worked his way up through the ranks albeit a "foreign" club and had a sustained period of success in challenging circumstances.

[Monty]

Well Houllier and Wenger seem to think he speaks English, so I don't know what the writers of that article know that those two don't.

And yes TV, there's a lot of reflexive suspicion about Garde just because he's Foreign, whereas they were telling us that the considerably-less-experienced Sherwood should be given more time. 

[aev]

Pat Murphy's take is predictably chirpy - apparently the suspicion is that these fruity French players might actually be all terrible, and that Randy has gambled majorly with this one.

If I'm going to take anyone's opinion about this appointment then it will be from Wenger and Houlllier over the ever positive about Villa Pat Murphy.

It's crazy to think that almost to a man the English football media would sooner give more time to a man who a few months at Spurs and a few months with us, some good results chucked in amongst a simply horrific run of games, than someone who actually has worked his way up through the ranks albeit a "foreign" club and had a sustained period of success in challenging circumstances.

I think that is unfair. Murphy has been rightly critical of us as a club, and often has questioned the managers in a way that other media types haven't.

Like all appointments, this is a gamble. To suggest anything otherwise I think is wide of the mark.

The thing that has generated some hope amongst us fans is that at least this appointment is different.

And as for Wenger, they may well be his thoughts, but it is also possible he is bigging up one of his mates, much as Sherwood's buddies did. I think we need to take all of these endorsements with a pinch of salt to be honest.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Pat Murphy's take is predictably chirpy - apparently the suspicion is that these fruity French players might actually be all terrible, and that Randy has gambled majorly with this one.

If I'm going to take anyone's opinion about this appointment then it will be from Wenger and Houlllier over the ever positive about Villa Pat Murphy.

It's crazy to think that almost to a man the English football media would sooner give more time to a man who a few months at Spurs and a few months with us, some good results chucked in amongst a simply horrific run of games, than someone who actually has worked his way up through the ranks albeit a "foreign" club and had a sustained period of success in challenging circumstances.

English managers close ranks and defend other English managers in a closed shop, old boys network kind of way. I'm not sure that what Houlier and Wenger are saying about a fellow French manager is really any different. I saw Wenger's interview and he mumbled the standard non-committal type responses that all managers give when asked about other managers. That's probably why Pat Murphy is a journalist and Wenger is a manager

[Toronto Villa]

And given successes in the PL over the years of non English managers it's about time we looked at the broader world market. And even if you talk British managers of the past 20 years who apart from Ferguson really stands out?

[Villa in Denmark]

So it appears the new manager does not have a full understanding of the English language.After three years at Arsenal. That is news I did not want to hear.But the Tottenham manager is still learning our language and he did well at Southampton.

Perhaps it doesn't matter.

correct. Seemingly Pochettino, Ranieri, LVG, Pellegrino, Mourinho, Koeman etc etc, none of whom speak English as their first language have managed just fine in this league.

For anyone throwing up the language thing, a few points.

1. There's a world of difference between being able to communicate in the work place perfectly competently and feeling comfortable enough to do a live media interview in a second language.

2. Unless you're naturally talented at languages, learning a new language as a 30 or 40 something is a major effort / ball ache.

3. Yes he's played over here for 3 years and would probably have built up a good command of the language, but as with any skill it's use it or lose it. If he's not had to use English to any degree for the best part of a decade then it's going to at best, a bit rusty.

[Dave]

There have always been 3 worse teams than us. I don't think we can say that this year. All of the "bad" ones, bar us, look like they'll spring a freak shock every now and then....we look beaten when we walk onto the pitch.

The majority of which was down to us having a shit manager.

Hopefully it looks like we're now getting a good manager.

[Toronto Villa]

Pat Murphy's take is predictably chirpy - apparently the suspicion is that these fruity French players might actually be all terrible, and that Randy has gambled majorly with this one.

If I'm going to take anyone's opinion about this appointment then it will be from Wenger and Houlllier over the ever positive about Villa Pat Murphy.

It's crazy to think that almost to a man the English football media would sooner give more time to a man who a few months at Spurs and a few months with us, some good results chucked in amongst a simply horrific run of games, than someone who actually has worked his way up through the ranks albeit a "foreign" club and had a sustained period of success in challenging circumstances.

I think that is unfair. Murphy has been rightly critical of us as a club, and often has questioned the managers in a way that other media types haven't.

Like all appointments, this is a gamble. To suggest anything otherwise I think is wide of the mark.

The thing that has generated some hope amongst us fans is that at least this appointment is different.

I would have hoped, Pat Murphy, a journalist first and foremost would present a much more balanced approach to this story. What I don't understand is how this is any more of a gamble than any other appointment we could realistically have made, and how very few if any have openly stated Sherwood was terrible and would have relegated us. What seemed blindingly obvious to us has somehow been glossed over. You'd honestly think it never happened and we were sitting safely in the top half.

[SamTheMouse]

So it appears the new manager does not have a full understanding of the English language.After three years at Arsenal. That is news I did not want to hear.But the Tottenham manager is still learning our language and he did well at Southampton.

Perhaps it doesn't matter.

correct. Seemingly Pochettino, Ranieri, LVG, Pellegrino, Mourinho, Koeman etc etc, none of whom speak English as their first language have managed just fine in this league.

For anyone throwing up the language thing, a few points.

1. There's a world of difference between being able to communicate in the work place perfectly competently and feeling comfortable enough to do a live media interview in a second language.

2. Unless you're naturally talented at languages, learning a new language as a 30 or 40 something is a major effort / ball ache.

3. Yes he's played over here for 3 years and would probably have built up a good command of the language, but as with any skill it's use it or lose it. If he's not had to use English to any degree for the best part of a decade then it's going to at best, a bit rusty.

Many of the players were here under Lambert. To them, even if his English is less than perfect, Garde will probably sound like Laurence Olivier.

[SamTheMouse]

I would have hoped, Pat Murphy, a journalist first and foremost would present a much more balanced approach to this story. What I don't understand is how this is any more of a gamble than any other appointment we could realistically have made, and how very few if any have openly stated Sherwood was terrible and would have relegated us. What seemed blindingly obvious to us has somehow been glossed over. You'd honestly think it never happened and we were sitting safely in the top half.

Or indeed, any more of a gamble than keeping on Sherwood, who supposedly should have been given more time.

Mind you, that would only have been a gamble in the same way as, say, lumping 10 grand on Danny Dyer to win the Grand National riding Falkor from The Neverending Story.

[aev]

Pat Murphy's take is predictably chirpy - apparently the suspicion is that these fruity French players might actually be all terrible, and that Randy has gambled majorly with this one.

If I'm going to take anyone's opinion about this appointment then it will be from Wenger and Houlllier over the ever positive about Villa Pat Murphy.

It's crazy to think that almost to a man the English football media would sooner give more time to a man who a few months at Spurs and a few months with us, some good results chucked in amongst a simply horrific run of games, than someone who actually has worked his way up through the ranks albeit a "foreign" club and had a sustained period of success in challenging circumstances.

I think that is unfair. Murphy has been rightly critical of us as a club, and often has questioned the managers in a way that other media types haven't.

Like all appointments, this is a gamble. To suggest anything otherwise I think is wide of the mark.

The thing that has generated some hope amongst us fans is that at least this appointment is different.

I would have hoped, Pat Murphy, a journalist first and foremost would present a much more balanced approach to this story. What I don't understand is how this is any more of a gamble than any other appointment we could realistically have made, and how very few if any have openly stated Sherwood was terrible and would have relegated us. What seemed blindingly obvious to us has somehow been glossed over. You'd honestly think it never happened and we were sitting safely in the top half.

Well for balance, maybe lots of "experts" are of the opinion that he should have been given more time, and we have only played 10 games. Let's face it, many on here are stating that Garde has enough time to turn things around, so maybe they think Sherwood could have done so too.

The above isn't my opinion, I think he was hopelessly out of his depth and am glad to see the back of him.

[Toronto Villa]

Pat Murphy's take is predictably chirpy - apparently the suspicion is that these fruity French players might actually be all terrible, and that Randy has gambled majorly with this one.

If I'm going to take anyone's opinion about this appointment then it will be from Wenger and Houlllier over the ever positive about Villa Pat Murphy.

It's crazy to think that almost to a man the English football media would sooner give more time to a man who a few months at Spurs and a few months with us, some good results chucked in amongst a simply horrific run of games, than someone who actually has worked his way up through the ranks albeit a "foreign" club and had a sustained period of success in challenging circumstances.

I think that is unfair. Murphy has been rightly critical of us as a club, and often has questioned the managers in a way that other media types haven't.

Like all appointments, this is a gamble. To suggest anything otherwise I think is wide of the mark.

The thing that has generated some hope amongst us fans is that at least this appointment is different.

I would have hoped, Pat Murphy, a journalist first and foremost would present a much more balanced approach to this story. What I don't understand is how this is any more of a gamble than any other appointment we could realistically have made, and how very few if any have openly stated Sherwood was terrible and would have relegated us. What seemed blindingly obvious to us has somehow been glossed over. You'd honestly think it never happened and we were sitting safely in the top half.

Well for balance, maybe lots of "experts" are of the opinion that he should have been given more time, and we have only played 10 games. Let's face it, many on here are stating that Garde has enough time to turn things around, so maybe they think Sherwood could have done so too.

The above isn't my opinion, I think he was hopelessly out of his depth and am glad to see the back og him.

That's just it. It wasn't just the 10 games, because used independently then we did fire him too early. It was the entire body of work including his mannerisms, bizarre statements and in the in the end overall attitude. He was clearly stating he was unable to change the circumstances and openly admitting things were getting worse.