Manager for next season

[SamTheMouse]

I don't want to be misunderstood, so I'll start off by saying that I think Moyes is a very good candidate for the immediate job that needs doing. He'll do it in his own way, about which more later, but I'm sure he can get us organised, focused and promoted, which is the most important thing. Make no mistake, we're in Purgatory at the moment, and need to get out of it as soon as possible, and nothing else matters this season...

I know what you mean Monty. As you say, there is an opportunity here to really adopt a new sort of ethos at the club, a more progressive approach. And while I have a lot of time for Moyes, and I would most certainly welcome him as a capable manager, there's something vaguely MON-esque about him. To me, he's a bit conservative.

[OCD]

I think the point that we're poised to appoint the ex-Everton CEO as part of the new board is a likely indicator that it could well be Moyes.

I know some have said it would be a huge coup but we're still Aston Villa. Hopefully not the poor imitation that we've been for the last few years either.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I don't want to be misunderstood, so I'll start off by saying that I think Moyes is a very good candidate for the immediate job that needs doing. He'll do it in his own way, about which more later, but I'm sure he can get us organised, focused and promoted, which is the most important thing. Make no mistake, we're in Purgatory at the moment, and need to get out of it as soon as possible, and nothing else matters this season...

I know what you mean Monty. As you say, there is an opportunity here to really adopt a new sort of ethos at the club, a more progressive approach. And while I have a lot of time for Moyes, and I would most certainly welcome him as a capable manager, there's something vaguely MON-esque about him. To me, he's a bit conservative.

The thinking man's Alex McLeish.

[paul_e]

I'm with Monty, That Everton finishes can be looked at as a huge success or you can see them hitting a plateau.  The argument will be that he needed money but when he got that he just played the same way and got sacked from the biggest job he'll ever get.  Then he went to Spain and tried to play the same way and failed.  The only slight counter I've got is that he does seem capable of spotting good attacking players that can be better than he makes them, that quality would be the important one if he joins, how long do we let him pick players he can't use properly before we replace him with someone to push us forward?

2-3 seasons of Moyes is ok as a means of getting us back up and getting us settled back in the league, after that we'd need to look very carefully at how we go forward (I'm basing this in the aspiration of being a top side, if we really mean that then Moyes has a limited lifespan.

[supertom]

All Scots jokes aside, Moyes was my first choice and despite taking on the poisoned chalice of Utd and a hiding to nothing trying to take his managerial style to Spain, I think he's got more than what it takes to do a good job here. If he fails it would mean yet another dour manager from North of the border and we'll all be performing superstitious rituals at every mention of the term TSM. But lets face it, Moyes achieved a great deal at Everton. A lot of which has been undone by Martinez, who was seen as a more "progressive" manager, and given a transfer budget well beyond what Moyes was ever given.

Is his footballing style as dour as some make out? Not really. He's neither exciting nor dreary to me. He's someone in the middle. They can grind out results but by the same token they did play some reasonable stuff for Moyes at times. He did have flair players. He did make good use of them. He played to peoples strengths. Arteta was good to watch for Moyes. Pienaar was when he first joined. Baines marauding down the left in his prime was quality. Cahill and Fellaini weren't pretty to watch but very effective.

For me, Moyes is more of a statement of intent than the others. It puts out a stronger message. Does he still have it? We'll see but a gig like this is ideal for him. You start afresh in the championship. You should be winning a lot of games and if we go up you've then got a sleeping giant on your hands. 3-4 years time? We could be back in the dizzying heights of the top 6. One thing Moyes does well is identify players with the right attitude to build a good team. Granted I think Pearson does that, but I think though Nigel would do well for us, he'd do so for a couple of years before inevitably falling afoul of the board and being binned. Moyes is potentially a 5+ year manager who might build something. We need to be tough to beat for a start. He will make that happen.

[supertom]

I'm with Monty, That Everton finishes can be looked at as a huge success or you can see them hitting a plateau.  The argument will be that he needed money but when he got that he just played the same way and got sacked from the biggest job he'll ever get.  Then he went to Spain and tried to play the same way and failed.  The only slight counter I've got is that he does seem capable of spotting good attacking players that can be better than he makes them, that quality would be the important one if he joins, how long do we let him pick players he can't use properly before we replace him with someone to push us forward?

2-3 seasons of Moyes is ok as a means of getting us back up and getting us settled back in the league, after that we'd need to look very carefully at how we go forward (I'm basing this in the aspiration of being a top side, if we really mean that then Moyes has a limited lifespan.

I wonder what Moyes might have done had he been given the funds Martinez was given. If Moyes ever lacked one thing it was a top striker. Saha and Yakubu had their moments but were always injured. That said I think he may have had to sign someone like Lukaku just to stay still given the competitive nature of the top 6.

[wittonwarrior]

Without doubt whoever comes in will need to rebuild the playing aspect.  No if's  and butts there.  Moyes did it with Everton who were rocking  when they sacked Walter Smith  and brought him in.  At United he was treated diabolically bit like their present intentions.  No one lasts in Spain so wouldn't pay an iota of attention to Valencia.

He has the contacts, he has the know how, what more do people want?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I wonder what Moyes might have done had he been given the funds Martinez was given.

Probably spend it all on defenders and a holding midfielder.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

No one lasts in Spain so wouldn't pay an iota of attention to Valencia.

I don't think anybody is for obvious reasons.

[supertom]

I wonder what Moyes might have done had he been given the funds Martinez was given.

Probably spend it all on defenders and a holding midfielder.

Well with Distin approaching 50 and Phil Neville retiring, probably. ha ha.

[Toronto Villa]

I'd love for us to hit the plateau that Moyes did with Everton.

[Lastfootstamper]

I'm with Monty, That Everton finishes can be looked at as a huge success or you can see them hitting a plateau.  The argument will be that he needed money but when he got that he just played the same way and got sacked from the biggest job he'll ever get.  Then he went to Spain and tried to play the same way and failed.  The only slight counter I've got is that he does seem capable of spotting good attacking players that can be better than he makes them, that quality would be the important one if he joins, how long do we let him pick players he can't use properly before we replace him with someone to push us forward?

2-3 seasons of Moyes is ok as a means of getting us back up and getting us settled back in the league, after that we'd need to look very carefully at how we go forward (I'm basing this in the aspiration of being a top side, if we really mean that then Moyes has a limited lifespan.

Ahem. Second, thankyouverymuchindeedy. And tongue not fully lodged in cheek, either. To return this club to where it was 20 years ago, given where it is now, is a monumental job.

[old man villa fan]

Most of the time that Moyes was at Everton was before the big increase in TV money.  I would say trying to break in to the top four then was more difficult with the Sky 4 Super Sunday teams taking the CL places nearly every season, with the advantage of the revenue gained.  I would say that since Man City have come along and the increased TV money, it has been easier to break the monopoly.

However, having said that, I think the best years of Moyes have already gone.  I still think that he has the best reputation of the managers we could get at this time.  Until we get back towards the upper reaches of the PL, the progressive modern managers will be out of our reach.

I am struggling to see any of the managers in the pole having that extra to get us into the top 6.

[paul_e]

I'm with Monty, That Everton finishes can be looked at as a huge success or you can see them hitting a plateau.  The argument will be that he needed money but when he got that he just played the same way and got sacked from the biggest job he'll ever get.  Then he went to Spain and tried to play the same way and failed.  The only slight counter I've got is that he does seem capable of spotting good attacking players that can be better than he makes them, that quality would be the important one if he joins, how long do we let him pick players he can't use properly before we replace him with someone to push us forward?

2-3 seasons of Moyes is ok as a means of getting us back up and getting us settled back in the league, after that we'd need to look very carefully at how we go forward (I'm basing this in the aspiration of being a top side, if we really mean that then Moyes has a limited lifespan.

I wonder what Moyes might have done had he been given the funds Martinez was given. If Moyes ever lacked one thing it was a top striker. Saha and Yakubu had their moments but were always injured. That said I think he may have had to sign someone like Lukaku just to stay still given the competitive nature of the top 6.

If he was given significantly more funds than that I suspect he'd buy Fellaini, spend half a summer trying to get Baines and then get Mata in January and play him as a right winger.  You can say a lot about him being harshly treated by Man U and having a squad that had won the title on the strength of Fergie's will alone but the simple fact is that he didn't really give them any other option but to sack him.

Once again, I'm largely playing devil's advocate here because I genuinely think he'd be a good choice for a couple of seasons, I just think some of the gushing about how brilliant he'd be is a little over the top for a guy who's only honour is a 3rd division title 16 years ago.

[Nastylee]

I'm sure people would be of the moon if we got Poch or Koeman and neither of them have a honours list to boast about either.