Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[KevinGage]

At least there's a plan in place.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/remi-garde-aston-villa-boss-10594241

It may not be what fans want to hear but I think it's important nonetheless. If we do go down we need to have a plan in place that we start today, do the right things, put the right structure in place, we need a team who understand the way we play, what is required of our players. Look at how many well run clubs there are in the league now who were nowhere a few years ago. Let's start learning if we haven't already.

Sounds dandy.

But if it's Gerry Cottle's Circus implementing the plan, as seems the case at the moment, why are they suddenly going to be far more sharper and on the ball one league below?

[KevinGage]

And that cxnt Gregg Evans can't spell.

[old man villa fan]

At least there's a plan in place.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/remi-garde-aston-villa-boss-10594241

It may not be what fans want to hear but I think it's important nonetheless. If we do go down we need to have a plan in place that we start today, do the right things, put the right structure in place, we need a team who understand the way we play, what is required of our players. Look at how many well run clubs there are in the league now who were nowhere a few years ago. Let's start learning if we haven't already.

Sounds dandy.

But if it's Gerry Cottle's Circus implementing the plan, as seems the case at the moment, why are they suddenly going to be far more sharper and on the ball one league below?

Because, hopefully, half the team will be replaced.

[MattW]

That is actually something I wanted to hear. Part of the reason we're in this mess is because we've lurched from one style to another over the years. If/when we go down I want Garde to have a chance to build his team and to try and get a philosophy at the club that can take us forward.

Me too, it was a relief to hear that.

[kippaxvilla2]

Sorry, but Garde in my opinion was the wrong choice. We should go in for Moyes who's available, no brainer really. We need someone to instill fire into these players......Garde doesn't do it. Another wrong choice by the clowns at the top.

Was Moyes instilling fire into the players at Sociedad? Garde has had 5 games and that's no time. When Moyes took over Everton was he an instant success? I might be wrong but I don't think so.

Yes he was they were staring at relegation and his first game was something like 4-0 at Derby.

[brian green]

Picking up on the posts about our physical and mental inadequacies, for that to be corrected in whatever division we are in we have to have a style of play that our players are able, mentally, physically and technically to deliver.

Watching us against the Arsenal playing the ball sideways and backwards it seems clear to me that our coaches and managers have gone with the contemporary fashion for want of a more specific description you could call the Spanish style.  Retain possession, probe, feint, manouevre to find an opening then go through it. It is a joy to watch and utterly effective.  You can see why coaches want to play that way.

But, and it is a huge but, to play that way you have to have a full team of technically perfect, athletic, strong and intelligent players.  Every pass has to be precisely weighted and inch perfect and if the ball is lost they have to chase and harry relentlessly until possession is regained.  Without all those qualities all you do is wear out the turf in your own half, lose the ball and concede soft goals.

The alternative is NOT Route One or hoofball, it is fast, direct, thrusting football using the best qualities of your players and eliminating their individual flaws - being easily dispossessed, bad first touch, floaty crosses, running and pointing, proneness to panic.

In a nutshell start to punch your weight by doing what you can do well and stop not landing a punch at all by trying to do things you are not up to.

[avfcdale]

Totally agree Brian, but still want a decent keeper brought in and Richards at Right back

[brian green]

Agree. Those will our only two moves in January.

[oldhill_avfc]

Picking up on the posts about our physical and mental inadequacies, for that to be corrected in whatever division we are in we have to have a style of play that our players are able, mentally, physically and technically to deliver.

Watching us against the Arsenal playing the ball sideways and backwards it seems clear to me that our coaches and managers have gone with the contemporary fashion for want of a more specific description you could call the Spanish style.  Retain possession, probe, feint, manouevre to find an opening then go through it. It is a joy to watch and utterly effective.  You can see why coaches want to play that way.

But, and it is a huge but, to play that way you have to have a full team of technically perfect, athletic, strong and intelligent players.  Every pass has to be precisely weighted and inch perfect and if the ball is lost they have to chase and harry relentlessly until possession is regained.  Without all those qualities all you do is wear out the turf in your own half, lose the ball and concede soft goals.

The alternative is NOT Route One or hoofball, it is fast, direct, thrusting football using the best qualities of your players and eliminating their individual flaws - being easily dispossessed, bad first touch, floaty crosses, running and pointing, proneness to panic.

In a nutshell start to punch your weight by doing what you can do well and stop not landing a punch at all by trying to do things you are not up to.

Hellelujah!

Been trying to say this for the past couple of weeks. 

We simply don't have the players to play the type of game we've tried all season.  To expect a different result using the same players and tactics is madness.

I said on the Arsenal post match thread that we need to deploy a defensive but flexible back 6 (3 centre backs, 2 wing backs and a holding midfielder) and the get the ball quickly forward to play on the counter attack - and was derided as you'd expect from those on here who still think the midfield is ok.

In effect we need to go back to the future and play like SGT's 1st team - pity we don't have Platt, Cowans and McGrath - but there you go.....

[oldhill_avfc]

Totally agree Brian, but still want a decent keeper brought in and Richards at Right back

That will make the square root of fcuk all difference.  The problem is in the midfield and the way we try to play.

[avfcdale]

Disagree

Ron Saunders, Brian Clough and George Graham were all Genius managers and they all started with Great goalkeepers. We do not currently have a great goalkeeper (or even a good one)

[oldhill_avfc]

Disagree

Ron Saunders, Brian Clough and George Graham were all Genius managers and they all started with Great goalkeepers. We do not currently have a great goalkeeper (or even a good one)

He's not been good of late, but far from the disaster that many make out.

Saunders may have started with Coombes and Burridge btw ;-)

[old man villa fan]

Disagree

Ron Saunders, Brian Clough and George Graham were all Genius managers and they all started with Great goalkeepers. We do not currently have a great goalkeeper (or even a good one)

He's not been good of late, but far from the disaster that many make out.

Saunders may have started with Coombes and Burridge btw ;-)

He is a disaster when confidence in him goes and players have to compensate.

[avfcdale]

Disagree

Ron Saunders, Brian Clough and George Graham were all Genius managers and they all started with Great goalkeepers. We do not currently have a great goalkeeper (or even a good one)

He's not been good of late, but far from the disaster that many make out.

Saunders may have started with Coombes and Burridge btw ;-)

Coombes was already at the club when he arrived, He bought in Burridge and then upgraded to Rimmer

[oldhill_avfc]

Disagree

Ron Saunders, Brian Clough and George Graham were all Genius managers and they all started with Great goalkeepers. We do not currently have a great goalkeeper (or even a good one)

He's not been good of late, but far from the disaster that many make out.

Saunders may have started with Coombes and Burridge btw ;-)

He is a disaster when confidence in him goes and players have to compensate.

He's not a disaster and I don't see anyone markedly altering their game to compensate.

It's too easy to blame the goalie all the time - There are far bigger priorities to address in my opinion.