Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[brian green]

Agree Mal but Agbonlahor has become Grant Holt.  Being better than Gabby does not make Gestede any good.

[curiousorange]

This is not a criticism of Garde per se, but does anybody actually think we look like a better side than we did under Sherwood? The howlers are ever present, the flaws up front are still glaring, and he seems determined to keep faith with combinations that to the supporters just aren't making much sense.

I actually think he's the best man for the job, if he can get in players that he wants and who buy into his style of play. I think it's fairly obvious the squad he's got at Villa has barely any of those, but why is nothing he's trying working? We're long past that new manager bounce phase but if we're to have any hope of staying up that spark's going to have to start with players who don't seem to have bought into the new approach, if indeed there is one.

[cdward]

At least Garde knows what he doesn't want. Gabby looks like he wont play again, Kozak obviously doesn't impress. He tried N'Zog and dropped him again. Westwood doesn't get as much game time. So he is limited to striking options.
He seems to like Ayew, Gana, Sanchez and Veretout, the defence is changed around because of injuries.
He obviously wants to see more from Gil, Grealish and Traore, as we all do.
I think he has more technical knowledge than our last 3 managers, it's whether this team can actually get a win for him or not. He can't be blamed for Gestede or Sinclair, not getting headers on target or testing the keeper.
We have to stick by him, hopefully when the first win comes for him, it will lead to more.

[onje_villa]

Just like the majority of decisions made by the folks running Villa, Garde was the wrong one.

I have no idea who should would have been the right one, but it obviously wasn't Garde. Not sure he's the one to get us promotion either.

5 games.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I did shout at the telly when I saw his interview on MOTD2 last night, and he hinted that the next few games are more important than the Arsenal game because we are playing teams "around us" and it's more important to take points off them. There are no teams around us in terms of points, we're cut adrift at the bottom, 10 points below the team we play next and we have to do more than beat the other teams at the bottom.

Anyway, people at work have stopped taking the piss out of me now, which is worrying.
 

[onje_villa]

why are all managers so intransigent? I agree with your comments about him Brian, but already he's making the same mistakes as the people who came before him - picking players week in week out who simply shouldn't be playing.

He's most certainly not playing the same players. He's dropped Gabby, dropped Westwood, which the majority on here were crying out for. He also brought back Ayew and Veretout into the fold, who arguably look like our best players. Who exactly do you suppose he plays? L. Messi? C. Ronaldo. Some people just amaze me they really do.

[ozzjim]

We are a mess but we were that long before Garde got here. When he has had a full transfer window and summer to work on his tactics and style I will judge him.  2 points from 5 is the same as 4 from 10 so no worse than timmy and I get the impression he knows what's wrong but can'tsort it with what we have.  January will be interesting.  The core of the side needs 3 players with experience and wishlist.

[SamTheMouse]

This is not a criticism of Garde per se, but does anybody actually think we look like a better side than we did under Sherwood? The howlers are ever present, the flaws up front are still glaring, and he seems determined to keep faith with combinations that to the supporters just aren't making much sense.

Just as under Sherwood, we only play well in very short spells of games. There's no consistency.

Although we do look slightly better organised now. The players look as if they know what they're meant to be doing, even if they're still basically incapable of doing it properly. And the team selections appear more logical.

I think we are now shit more or less in spite of the manager, whereas Sherwood was part of the problem himself. Not the only problem - the malaise obviously runs much deeper - but he was only making a bad situation worse.

[ozzjim]

I was heartened to read that Garde still wants his coaches and knows we are light without them. 

[mr underhill]

onje_villa - he is picking some people consistently when he shouldn't be - Gestede for one. That's intransigence.As for the others you mention, Gabby has been injured and has not featured recently, but the others have  had playing time under Sherwood and Garde, so saying the latter has brought them back into the fold is a little melodramatic. Some people amaze me, they really do.

[onje_villa]

onje_villa - he is picking some people consistently when he shouldn't be - Gestede for one. That's intransigence.As for the others you mention, Gabby has been injured and has not featured recently, but the others have  had playing time under Sherwood and Garde, so saying the latter has brought them back into the fold is a little melodramatic. Some people amaze me, they really do.

I'd be really interested to see who other than the choice between Gestede and Kozak, you would pick differently? Do you really think the team selection is the issue here? Which players should he be playing that he isn't? Also, don't you think 5 games is somewhat premature to judge a manager brought in to start the long process of turning round a team in monumental decline?

[Chico Hamilton III]

onje_villa - he is picking some people consistently when he shouldn't be - Gestede for one. That's intransigence.As for the others you mention, Gabby has been injured and has not featured recently, but the others have  had playing time under Sherwood and Garde, so saying the latter has brought them back into the fold is a little melodramatic. Some people amaze me, they really do.

I'd be really interested to see who other than the choice between Gestede and Kozak, you would pick differently? Do you really think the team selection is the issue here? Which players should he be playing that he isn't? Also, don't you think 5 games is somewhat premature to judge a manager brought in to start the long process of turning round a team in monumental decline?

I think that whatever team turns out for us, the absolute minimum requirement is that they run and chase and bust their guts to be competitive and I'd expect a team to start showing this after a manager has had 5 games to get this across. Didn't see it yesterday. 

[Ads]

We press in our own half only, mainly because we've had to try and be compact for four of the first five games as we're playing vastly superior opposition off the back of one of the worst runs in our 140 year history.

From Watford on we've begun to create chances, as we did against them, Southampton and Arsenal second half. Its not enough at the moment, as we're short in a few areas, mainly at the back and the absolute absence of any confidence is telling in the way we play.

I've seen Veretout and Ayew come along and us grind out some points where we thought perhaps a whacking was more likely.

[ozzjim]

A genuinely good centre forward for the team to pay off with 2 competent full backs and a good holder would help.  Richards at right back would start it.

[onje_villa]

onje_villa - he is picking some people consistently when he shouldn't be - Gestede for one. That's intransigence.As for the others you mention, Gabby has been injured and has not featured recently, but the others have  had playing time under Sherwood and Garde, so saying the latter has brought them back into the fold is a little melodramatic. Some people amaze me, they really do.

I'd be really interested to see who other than the choice between Gestede and Kozak, you would pick differently? Do you really think the team selection is the issue here? Which players should he be playing that he isn't? Also, don't you think 5 games is somewhat premature to judge a manager brought in to start the long process of turning round a team in monumental decline?

I think that whatever team turns out for us, the absolute minimum requirement is that they run and chase and bust their guts to be competitive and I'd expect a team to start showing this after a manager has had 5 games to get this across. Didn't see it yesterday.

I agree that effort should be a minimum but anyone can see that effort isn't the issue here surely. We're lambasting Hutton for being a liability not for a lack of effort, similarly most of the new players brought in are struggling to find their feet but I have absolutely no issues with the likes of Ayew and Veretout, I think they try hard and unlike others I don't hate these players. I think Remi has done the right thing with Grealish and Gabby - these are the lazy chancers that are not putting the effort in and Garde has responded to that.

If we are going down, which certainly looks likely, it's not because Garde hasn't shouted enough at the team or told them to "get stuck in", it's dangerous combination of a chronic lack of confidence (losing games for 4 years will do that), allied with a worryingly lack of experience and lack of goal threat.

And for the record, I for one can see small changes Garde has brought about. We definitely look to be more organised, we no longer have Sherwood's baffling selections or substitutions. But the defensive errors and lack of goal threat are chronic conditions and we will need time to overcome them.