Manager for next season

[UK Redsox]

Former Chelsea manager Roberto di Matteo has been appointed the new manager of Aston Villa.

The Italian succeeds Remi Garde, who was sacked in March before the club's relegation from the Premier League.

Di Matteo, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, will be assisted by former Blues team-mate Steve Clarke.

Villa were also linked with ex-Manchester United boss David Moyes and new Derby County manager Nigel Pearson, but Di Matteo was always first choice.

Dr Tony Xia, the Chinese businessman whose takeover of Villa is awaiting Football League and Premier League approval, is convinced Di Matteo will raise the West Midlands club's profile in the Championship.

The former West Brom and Schalke boss and Clarke, 52, have been out of management since last year.

Can a Mod do a thread name change or are we waiting for the announcement to be on Pravda Xinhua ?

The pair have never worked together in management but were Chelsea team-mates for two years.

[Nunkin1965]

Yes happy with that.Di Matteo & Steve Clark. Thats a strong pairing.

[ACVilla]

From the BBC, not the Evening Mail:

"Since 2011, the former midfielder, who won 34 caps for Italy, has been sacked by the Baggies, Chelsea and Schalke, leaving the Bundesliga side in May 2015 after failing to qualify for the Champions League"

[aev]

Yes happy with that.Di Matteo & Steve Clark. Thats a strong pairing.

Clarke.

[passitsideways]

Clarke had a very good reputation as a first-team and assistant coach before he got his managerial roles, so hopefully he carries that on.

I think we've done as well as we could realistically have hoped, as a Championship side. Next step: get the takeover done with, and cut the chaff.

[UK Redsox]

Yes happy with that.Di Matteo & Steve Clark. Thats a strong pairing.

Clarke.

I assumed that Nunkin's misspelling was a satirical comment on the inability of a number of H&V'ers to correctly spell Ciaran's name

[Duncan Shaw]

Yes happy with that.Di Matteo & Steve Clark. Thats a strong pairing.

Clarke.

Let's hope we do sell Kieren after all else it's going to be a spelling nightmare!

[damon loves JT]

Delighted with that. A manager with a decent track record, and a strong assistant.

[UK Redsox]

The first task for Di Matteo and Clarke will be to eliminate underperforming players on long contracts, while bringing in players suited to the physical challenges of the Championship

Seems a bit harsh. I'd settle for just selling or releasing them

[UK Redsox]

Top story on the OS is still Bacuna's Curacao winning

[Walmley_Villa]

Would imagine they would only have joined in the conditions were right i.e. Investment etc......fingers crossed

[RussellC]

Happy, but not “over the moon” (in football parlance!) with Di Matteo, but I think Steve Clarke as an assistant is a fantastic appointment!

[Richie]

Welcome on board Bob and Steve.

You've got one hell of a job to do to get us back up where we belong.

[django]

Strong appointments I'm getting this weird feeling, not optimism exactly but maybe a bit less pessimism? I'm going for a lie down.

[The Laughing Policeman]

The first task for Di Matteo and Clarke will be to eliminate underperforming players on long contracts, while bringing in players suited to the physical challenges of the Championship

Seems a bit harsh. I'd settle for just selling or releasing them

I don't think that's harsh at all. There were a good few times last season I felt like personally eliminating the lot of them.