Manager for next season

[Lastfootstamper]

Spot on, Paulie. Sod "Championship experience", I want "promotion experience". We should in no way be looking to join in with what goes on down there.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I do not want Steve Bruce anywhere near Villa park thank you very much

[Ron Manager]

I think it is much more likely that Hull want somebody better.

Here's hoping they've got their eye Di Matteo.

Di Matteo is a brilliant manager.....exactly what Hull need!

[mr underhill]

if the criteria is getting a manager to get us out of the hell hole that is the Championship, isn't Steve Bruce better qualified than most?

[Chris Smith]

Spot on, Paulie. Sod "Championship experience", I want "promotion experience". We should in no way be looking to join in with what goes on down there.

There are a number of managers who seem to be know what to do to get promoted but then can't hack it when the make step up. My worry is that the reverse might be true; if we go for a man with only top level experience  he struggles to get his ideas across to players of lesser ability. That is one of the things that persuaded me on Di Matteo despite earlier misgivings.

[Lastfootstamper]

Spot on, Paulie. Sod "Championship experience", I want "promotion experience". We should in no way be looking to join in with what goes on down there.

There are a number of managers who seem to be know what to do to get promoted but then can't hack it when the make step up. My worry is that the reverse might be true; if we go for a man with only top level experience  he struggles to get his ideas across to players of lesser ability. That is one of the things that persuaded me on Di Matteo despite earlier misgivings.

I don't see why we need be thinking too long-term at this point. I agree, for me, RDM is ideal. Get us up playing "promotion" football, lay some foundations, then reassess. If he can then take us further, good, brilliant, couldn't be happier. If he can't, we get in someone better.

[Concrete John]

Spot on, Paulie. Sod "Championship experience", I want "promotion experience". We should in no way be looking to join in with what goes on down there.

There are a number of managers who seem to be know what to do to get promoted but then can't hack it when the make step up. My worry is that the reverse might be true; if we go for a man with only top level experience  he struggles to get his ideas across to players of lesser ability. That is one of the things that persuaded me on Di Matteo despite earlier misgivings.

I don't see why we need be thinking too long-term at this point. I agree, for me, RDM is ideal. Get us up playing "promotion" football, lay some foundations, then reassess. If he can then take us further, good, brilliant, couldn't be happier. If he can't, we get in someone better.

The foundations you speak should be off the pitch, coming from scouting, coaching and driven by a director of football.  Randy's biggest mistake was lurching from one extreme of a strategy to another with no joined up thinking.  Decide on a vision of what you want to be and how to get there and stick to it.  Employ managers that buy into it, so if one goes and another goes it's not a matter of starting again, but carrying on.  Tweaks can be made, but within the existing model of what you're trying to achieve.  The important think being having the right DOF coaches and scouts bringing the plan to fruition.

Southampton are a great example of this.

[OCD]

Spot on, Paulie. Sod "Championship experience", I want "promotion experience". We should in no way be looking to join in with what goes on down there.

There are a number of managers who seem to be know what to do to get promoted but then can't hack it when the make step up. My worry is that the reverse might be true; if we go for a man with only top level experience  he struggles to get his ideas across to players of lesser ability. That is one of the things that persuaded me on Di Matteo despite earlier misgivings.

I don't see why we need be thinking too long-term at this point. I agree, for me, RDM is ideal. Get us up playing "promotion" football, lay some foundations, then reassess. If he can then take us further, good, brilliant, couldn't be happier. If he can't, we get in someone better.

The foundations you speak should be off the pitch, coming from scouting, coaching and driven by a director of football.  Randy's biggest mistake was lurching from one extreme of a strategy to another with no joined up thinking.  Decide on a vision of what you want to be and how to get there and stick to it.  Employ managers that buy into it, so if one goes and another goes it's not a matter of starting again, but carrying on.  Tweaks can be made, but within the existing model of what you're trying to achieve.  The important think being having the right DOF coaches and scouts bringing the plan to fruition.

Southampton are a great example of this.

Yep, let someone like Di Matteo focus on the short-term and look to bring someone in who can set about getting the infrastructure of the club right for the long-term.

Randy could have done that long ago, like instead of giving McLeish the job, giving McAllister the job and instead of getting rid of Houllier altogether, making him DoF.

[curiousorange]

Pat Murphy's been sounded out on Twitter saying that Di Matteo is nailed on, and that Bruce was never considered because of his Blues connection. He's fairly dismissive of Di Matteo's credentials into the bargain. He reckons Xia has been seduced by the Champions League win that was the work of the dressing room rather than the manager.

[Nunkin1965]

It's a bit of a nice thing to have on your cv though isn't it?
Kind of separates you from the bunch of ordinary journey men we've been linked to.
I wanted Moyes but that's over. Didn't even give Di Matteo a thought but I'd say he's as qualified as any of the realistic candidates.

Hoping things will get moving so we can all get out of this vacuum of nothingness and start preparing for the new season.

[PaulWinch again]

Pat Murphy's been sounded out on Twitter saying that Di Matteo is nailed on, and that Bruce was never considered because of his Blues connection. He's fairly dismissive of Di Matteo's credentials into the bargain. He reckons Xia has been seduced by the Champions League win that was the work of the dressing room rather than the manager.

See Murphy having knowledge of the appointment is useful, but his view on Di Matteo's credentials isn't really important.

[Dave]

Anyone writing off Di Matteo's Champions League win as nothing to do with him must have a rather low opinion of Tony Barton.

[KevinGage]

The small to mid sized clubs who have all done well in the top flight in recent years do have the type of set-up where if the manager (or head coach) moves on, there isn't a radical departure in playing style.

But Martinez at Swansea and Adkins at Southampton were there for an extended period in the opening phase to get the foundations right at those clubs.

If Di Matteo stays just two seasons at the Villa, that will be the longest period he's remained at one club as manager.  Is he the type pf person to oversee the kind of extensive rebuild we need?

He trumps the likes of Bruce and Pearson, but that isn't saying much.

[Clampy]

Anyone writing off Di Matteo's Champions League win as nothing to do with him must have a rather low opinion of Tony Barton.

It is when you bear in mind they beat Bayern and Barcelona to win it.

[curiousorange]

I like the idea of having a manager who is capable of those important one-off results. I want Di Matteo to be a good manager all season, but those cup results suggest he has a knack for unique pressure big games have. It seems silly to even suggest it, but when we play the likes of Burton away, it would be nice to have a manager that sees through all the media bullshit because he's been there and done it.