Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[bob]

I seem to recall one of the main arguments for getting rid of Sherwood was we had assembled a strong squad of players in the summer (a few even comparing it to BFR's business in 1991) and it was only his tactical idiocy that was holding us back.

I doubt anyone would think that now.

[SamTheMouse]

I'll admit I was happy with the Gestede signing based more or less on reputation alone and the fact he had scored quite a few the previous season. I figured he'd bang in the goals for us.

Had I actually scouted him myself - as I assume someone at the club did - I'd have been far less enthused.

[peter w]

I was happy with Gestede but thought he 'd be 3rd or 4th choice. I feared for us as soon as it became apparent that we had replaced a top international centre-forward with a mid-table Championship player.

[rob_bridge]

He's the manager we needed instead of Houllier.

Fixed.

Good point. Or possibly after Houllier.

Houllier was a mistake, I think. He was too arrogant, didn't understand the club and was destined for another stint in hospital. Besides which, despite the revisionist view, he tried to change too much too soon, and was't very good.

I don't know what his circumstances were at the time, but Garde could have followed O'Neill, I think he'd still be here now and we'd be in good health.

I disagree.  Houllier would have been the ideal sacrificial lamb, identifying the likes of Dunne/Collins/Gabby as old school luddites, whereas I think Garde would have been the perfect 'good cop' picking up the pieces after Houllier's abrasive style. 

Ultimately, I think that the club needed/needs to be broken without the boys club mentality in order to foster a better and more professional work ethic.  Houllier was ideal for this and I fear Garde could lose the good will of the crowd before this process is complete.

Agree with Jimbo re Houllier appointment was a fuck up in lots of respects. The first one in trying to put the club on a financial even keel after MON's splurge, which involved the necessity to spend £30m to avoid relegation in his sole transfer window.

The fact that we have then gone on to make bigger fuck ups (much bigger in the case of McLeish) on a regular basis subsequently doesn't make that decision good, just not as rubbish as subsequent ones.

[Risso]

The rush to judge Garde is equally daft on both sides. He's done nothing to be called either not fit for purpose, or the next Arsene Wenger yet. 

[chrisw1]

The rush to judge Garde is equally daft on both sides. He's done nothing to be called either not fit for purpose, or the next Arsene Wenger yet. 

Exactly.  Any more than 'promising' is really OTT at the moment.

[damon loves JT]

If we had enjoyed our current form immediately after the Citeh game, we'd probably have stayed up. He's stopped the bleeding but it's taken too long.

[kippaxvilla2]

Going back to Pulis, I bet when he saw Puncheon and Bolasie on the training pitch for the first time he was violently sick but Parish told him he couldn't sell them.

[ozzjim]

The rush to judge Garde is equally daft on both sides. He's done nothing to be called either not fit for purpose, or the next Arsene Wenger yet. 

He is somewhere in the middle but does show promise of getting better. I do like the way he deals with both players and the media though.

[ozzjim]

Going back to Pulis, I bet when he saw Puncheon and Bolasie on the training pitch for the first time he was violently sick but Parish told him he couldn't sell them.

I can see him having a meltdown screaming "you are not meant to go past the half way line" and sending out his scouts to find any big lumps to play full back that he could.

[Chris Smith]

The rush to judge Garde is equally daft on both sides. He's done nothing to be called either not fit for purpose, or the next Arsene Wenger yet. 

Obviously our fortunes over the next couple of season will be how he is judged as a manager.

I would though say that he has impressed me with his dealings so far. No just seems to be getting on with it, without the  self serving pronouncements typical of a Pulis or an Allardyce.

[Risso]

The rush to judge Garde is equally daft on both sides. He's done nothing to be called either not fit for purpose, or the next Arsene Wenger yet. 

Obviously our fortunes over the next couple of season will be how he is judged as a manager.

I would though say that he has impressed me with his dealings so far. No just seems to be getting on with it, without the  self serving pronouncements typical of a Pulis or an Allardyce.

He appears to be getting an improvement out of the players at last, but it's not very long since he was talking about other people at the club needing to speak out, and how he couldn't be judged on things that happened before he came etc.  There have also been, and continue to be some strange team selections, eg dropping Veretout at the weekend against the bitters.

[Chris Smith]

The rush to judge Garde is equally daft on both sides. He's done nothing to be called either not fit for purpose, or the next Arsene Wenger yet. 

Obviously our fortunes over the next couple of season will be how he is judged as a manager.

I would though say that he has impressed me with his dealings so far. No just seems to be getting on with it, without the  self serving pronouncements typical of a Pulis or an Allardyce.

He appears to be getting an improvement out of the players at last, but it's not very long since he was talking about other people at the club needing to speak out, and how he couldn't be judged on things that happened before he came etc.  There have also been, and continue to be some strange team selections, eg dropping Veretout at the weekend against the bitters.

I didn't see that as strange at all, to me it was a player who has a suffered a dip in form being given a rest. He is 22 and new to the league so only to be expected.

[Risso]

I didn't see that as strange at all, to me it was a player who has a suffered a dip in form being given a rest. He is 22 and new to the league so only to be expected.

He either was or was close to being MOTM in both of the preceding league games against Palace and Leicester.  It just seemed very odd to not pick him and go with Westwood and Bacuna instead.  Then there was the Sunderland and Norwich team line ups and performances, which were horrific.  I'm glad we've improved since then and I hope it continues, but the jury is very much out for me on Garde so far.

[aj2k77]

I'll admit I was happy with the Gestede signing based more or less on reputation alone and the fact he had scored quite a few the previous season. I figured he'd bang in the goals for us.

Had I actually scouted him myself - as I assume someone at the club did - I'd have been far less enthused.

Remember our scouts have watched players like Luna and Crespo in action and thought they looked good signings. In fact we're better off with Paddy's computer game than the scouts, they seem to be fucking useless.