Manager for next season

[brian green]

This whole saga becomes a sick nightmare with every passing day.  Lose Remi Garde and get Steve Bruce.  You could not make it up.  Apart from a hundred other reasons Steve Bruce looks like a Houllier waiting to happen.

[Mister E]

I agree with many that the choice is somewhat academic unless the regime changes.
However, if forced I'd say that Dyche, Howe, Karanka and Clement would all be worth a shout. I'm not that keen on an old git - like Bruce or Pearson - who has some sort of unsavoury 'form'.

But, to repeat, it's all about the management into which the successful candidate is placed that counts.

[villa for life]

This thread is so funny. Such a contrast to 3/4 months ago! Then it was a list of foreign names, now it's a list of British ones!!!
Lambert/McLeish/Sherwood fail and the answer to our problems is anyone not British. Now Garde is failing, the feeling is for British again.
For the record, I've always wanted Moyes. I get the feeling we could have once got him but not now.
Look at Everton since he left.. So much more investment but doing so much worse in terms of league positions.
He's a great manager and will be again wherever he ends up. He also knows how to pick up a bargain. Criticism is he's overly defensive but I could cope with that. Martinez had an amazing run for a couple of months when his attacking style blended well with the defensive philosophy instilled by Moyes. As time has passed, the defense has become a shambles and if he had 5 more years there, he'd turn them into a Wigan.

[Toronto Villa]

We could appoint Ancelotti in the summer. Without the right support or environment to work in he'd be every bit as ineffective as any one of previous (failed) managers.

Do you really think that? Honest question.  That nobody could do better than we've seen since November?

What I honestly believe is that it goes well beyond the manager. That if the club isn't unified from the very top then it makes it way through the entire structure. Garde has been left to fend for himself essentially since he arrived and it only got worse since January. Not only that, there are huge issues amongst the players that are only escalating. He wasn't provided the resources to bring in new players and in doing so remove others. He hasn't been given a chance, and he certainly hasn't helped himself either. So even with a better or proven manager, the circumstances at our club will simply make the position of football manager very difficult indeed.

[CT Villan]

If only for one game, I would love to see Pearson in charge of this group of miscreants and be a fly-on-the-wall for the dressing room 'discussions'. In reality, I don't want to change manager until the corporate management structure has been corrected, ie. Fox, Reilly and Almstadt replaced with competent people. It feels like Garde has given up, so it may be better to let him leave too then bring in Moyes if he will come.

[D.boy]

Whoever ends up being manager, I hope they have the kahunas to put any troublemakers/gobshites firmly in their place.

[Rigadon]

We could appoint Ancelotti in the summer. Without the right support or environment to work in he'd be every bit as ineffective as any one of previous (failed) managers.

Do you really think that? Honest question.  That nobody could do better than we've seen since November?

What I honestly believe is that it goes well beyond the manager. That if the club isn't unified from the very top then it makes it way through the entire structure. Garde has been left to fend for himself essentially since he arrived and it only got worse since January. Not only that, there are huge issues amongst the players that are only escalating. He wasn't provided the resources to bring in new players and in doing so remove others. He hasn't been given a chance, and he certainly hasn't helped himself either. So even with a better or proven manager, the circumstances at our club will simply make the position of football manager very difficult indeed.

I totally agree it goes beyond the manager.  It's just that a lot of folks seem to be resigned to utter garbage until our want away owner, well, gets his wish and sells the club.  Now, wining a cup or getting back to where we've been for ages mid-6th is beyond us while Lerner's austerity lasts.  But THIS level of absolute shite is not acceptable and the current manager (and cretinous players) need to take some of the blame.  Saying nothing will improve til Lerner goes almost exonerates everybody else form standing up to be counted.   

Garde obviously has some tact and some class.  But he's been a disastrous appointment in every single department.  I can't get my head around why some want him to lead us next season. 

As for Steve Bruce.  No thanks.  His teams have always played shit football and he's not always winning football. 

Whoever comes in needs to give the club a massive lift.  So, either a big personality or a big reputation.  Or Graham Taylor (are there any of his class around anymore, I'm not sure).

[Rigadon]

We need somebody who can unite the fans too.  Like Taylor did and like MON did, at least for a couple of seasons.  Then we will see some positive momentum instead of the boundless defeatism of the last 4 years.

[SoccerHQ]

In no given order and thinking realistically...

Simon Grayson
Glenn Hoddle
Dean Smith
Martin Laursen

Jesus laursen why ?

Isnt he doing his coaching badges?  I'm not one for going for Villa legends for legends sake and I wouldn't be saying him as a premier league club.  Might just work.

Mellberg is managing in Sweden now so of the two he'd be more of a contender.

Hoddle, why? Out of football for years now and he was awful at Wolves at that level.

Grayson is pretty solid but very very defensive.

Dean Smith did well at Walsall but very mediocre record at Brentford so far.

Think I agree with point on the first page, until we get new owners all managers are facing an uphill battle.

[SoccerHQ]

Break the bank for Howe.
Aston Villa in the championship is still a bigger job than Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Not for someone who's spent pretty much his whole life at Bournemouth.

Plus they spent plenty of money last summer so no issue there.

[SoccerHQ]

Billy Davies.

British, knows the Chanpionship and is passionate. Think that ticks all the boxes.

The bloke is clinically insane if you read some of the stuff he did at Forest. I know all his tricks from leaving Preston aswell.

[joe_c]

Interesting to see Walsall have sacked Sean O'Driscoll. There still 4th in their league, but on a bad run and it's clearly not working.

Yet we persevere with a loser who has an even worse record.

Only because you've not posted anything that merits a ban.

[VancouverLion]

I'd absolutely love Eddie Howe at the Villa, I just can't see him jumping ship especially to a shambles like us.
Dyche is a good shout if Burnley don't go up - he'd for sure give them another season if they do.
Clement I'd be happy with as I would Moyes.

Bruce - meh.

Pearson - no thank you.

I'd also be ok with giving Remi until Christmas.

[pauliewalnuts]

Why would anyone want a "championship manager"?

We need a manager better than the championship, so we can get out of it, not one who knows it / operates in it. That's the absolute last thing we need.

[Yossarian]

Why would anyone want a "championship manager"?

We need a manager better than the championship, so we can get out of it, not one who knows it / operates in it. That's the absolute last thing we need.

Ideally I'd like Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho but I think the two Manchester clubs might have bagsied them so perhaps we need to set our sights a little lower.