Manager for next season

[aj2k77]

Don't know what to make of Di Matteo becoming boss. He fluked a Champion's League with someone elses team but hasn't done a great deal else of note. Did OK in the Championship with the Baggies I suppose but I'm struggling to work up much enthusiasm, but that goes for football in general.

You don't fluke beating Benfica, Napoli, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Ok you suppose getting promoted first attempt is OK? I think you've already made your mind up on this one haven't you?

[Boz]

Alex McCleish managed to win a league cup with Blues beating Arsenal in the final. That's almost as seismic as Leicester winning the Prem League but he hardly pulled up trees at our place. Like most managers RDM has had mixture of success and failure in his career but the general consensus is he's a decent appoitnment, he gets a clean slate when he walks into Villa Park and should be judged on what he does from here on out.

Sound common sense perspective.

[john e]

for me RDM's record is not in doubt, he is a s good and better than most of the others mentioned
its the ability to sort out the biggest shitfest in the dressing room known to man that gives me worries
this is not a winning Chelsea side with a couple of big mouths, this is a team that when they take the field the fans boo them before a ball is kicked, the players openly mock the supporters on social media, its a job not for the faint hearted,
anyone thinking the trouble makers will all be gone will be disappointed, they aint going anywhere

on a more positive note, a friend of mine is the liason officer with the MK Dons, i had a chat with him this morning and he said RDM was the best manager they have had,
my mate had a bit to do with him as the go between RDM and the fans/corporate/social side and he said he was a really nice fella who was easy to deal with and was always willing to do the best for the club
i mentioned the lazy thing, he said that was more Paul Ince he never turned up and was just using the club a stepping stone, but De Matteo was always there and had a strong work ethic, so i was encouraged by that

he also said Eddie Newton is absolutely top class as well, and there was another chap he worked who complemented the team, so if we can get RDM and his backroom team we might be getting somewhere

[AVH87]

RDM's CV I can't fault at all -
WBA - promotion at the first attempt from the Championship, had them outside of the bottom 3 in the Prem when they dismissed him the following season
MK Dons - top 6 finish in League 1 in their first season at that level
Chelsea - 2x trophies, again wasn't in a bad league placing when dismissed, it's Abramavich
Schalke - Europa league finish, seen as a very average season but not terrible

My only concern is whether he has the right personality for the job if we don't manage to shift a lot of the bad eggs, he seems very laid back and not much of a disciplinarian. Let's hope he gets his warchest, uses it wisely and we see the vast majority of the likes of Guzan, Bacuna, Richards and Gabby out the door, as this would make his job a lot easier.

[john e]

RDM's CV I can't fault at all -
WBA - promotion at the first attempt from the Championship, had them outside of the bottom 3 in the Prem when they dismissed him the following season
MK Dons - top 6 finish in League 1 in their first season at that level
Chelsea - 2x trophies, again wasn't in a bad league placing when dismissed, it's Abramavich
Schalke - Europa league finish, seen as a very average season but not terrible

My only concern is whether he has the right personality for the job if we don't manage to shift a lot of the bad eggs, he seems very laid back and not much of a disciplinarian. Let's hope he gets his warchest, uses it wisely and we see the vast majority of the likes of Guzan, Bacuna, Richards and Gabby out the door, as this would make his job a lot easier.

I don't think Guzan is a bad egg, you might want him out on his goalkeeping abilities but I don't think he has an attitude problem
the only sin levelled at him was a chewing gum thing at Wycombe, its nothing really, if that's the stick we use to beat him then no ones got any chance of meeting the high standards set

I like Guzan, I always feel compelled to stick up for him on here, I accept he has been poor in games this last season and maybe he has reached the point of no return with the fans (not me) I accept that,
but don't think he has been a bad influence behind the scenes, in fact in seasons past he was the greatest encourager on the pitch and had a real passion for Villa,

in my view he doesn't deserve to get lumped in with Gabby, Richards, N'zog, Lescott etc
that list apart from Gabby have done sweet FA for Villa Guzan has in the past done his bit

[tomd2103]

RDM's CV I can't fault at all -
WBA - promotion at the first attempt from the Championship, had them outside of the bottom 3 in the Prem when they dismissed him the following season
MK Dons - top 6 finish in League 1 in their first season at that level
Chelsea - 2x trophies, again wasn't in a bad league placing when dismissed, it's Abramavich
Schalke - Europa league finish, seen as a very average season but not terrible

My only concern is whether he has the right personality for the job if we don't manage to shift a lot of the bad eggs, he seems very laid back and not much of a disciplinarian. Let's hope he gets his warchest, uses it wisely and we see the vast majority of the likes of Guzan, Bacuna, Richards and Gabby out the door, as this would make his job a lot easier.

I don't think Guzan is a bad egg, you might want him out on his goalkeeping abilities but I don't think he has an attitude problem
the only sin levelled at him was a chewing gum thing at Wycombe, its nothing really, if that's the stick we use to beat him then no ones got any chance of meeting the high standards set

I like Guzan, I always feel compelled to stick up for him on here, I accept he has been poor in games this last season and maybe he has reached the point of no return with the fans (not me) I accept that,
but don't think he has been a bad influence behind the scenes, in fact in seasons past he was the greatest encourager on the pitch and had a real passion for Villa,

in my view he doesn't deserve to get lumped in with Gabby, Richards, N'zog, Lescott etc
that list apart from Gabby have done sweet FA for Villa Guzan has in the past done his bit

And the season before that.  So poor in fact that Given had to be dragged out of his semi retirement status.

[Ads]

To be fair you cannot credit RDM with winning the European Cup in Munich, against Munich, having beaten Barca in the semi-final, with just 10 men in the second leg but still scoring twice and having come from 3-1 down to beat Napoli.

It was somebody else's team.

[Dave]

To be fair you cannot credit RDM with winning the European Cup in Munich, against Munich, having beaten Barca in the semi-final, with just 10 men in the second leg but still scoring twice and having come from 3-1 down to beat Napoli.

It was somebody else's team.

And beating a very decent Benfica side home and away in the quarter final.

[Chico Hamilton III]

To be fair you cannot credit RDM with winning the European Cup in Munich, against Munich, having beaten Barca in the semi-final, with just 10 men in the second leg but still scoring twice and having come from 3-1 down to beat Napoli.

It was somebody else's team.

And beating a very decent Benfica side home and away in the quarter final.

And lost 13 out of his last 18 games at the Albion.

[boozey182]

To be fair you cannot credit RDM with winning the European Cup in Munich, against Munich, having beaten Barca in the semi-final, with just 10 men in the second leg but still scoring twice and having come from 3-1 down to beat Napoli.

It was somebody else's team.

I still can't believe Churchill still gets all the credit for the Second World War, everyone knows it was Chamberlain's men that really won. And how defensive was Dunkirk?!?

[VillaAlways]

To be fair you cannot credit RDM with winning the European Cup in Munich, against Munich, having beaten Barca in the semi-final, with just 10 men in the second leg but still scoring twice and having come from 3-1 down to beat Napoli.

It was somebody else's team.

And beating a very decent Benfica side home and away in the quarter final.

And lost 13 out of his last 18 games at the Albion.

In the Premier League. Not my choice but I think he's got enough to get us promoted

[Fasth56]

To be fair you cannot credit RDM with winning the European Cup in Munich, against Munich, having beaten Barca in the semi-final, with just 10 men in the second leg but still scoring twice and having come from 3-1 down to beat Napoli.

It was somebody else's team.

And beating a very decent Benfica side home and away in the quarter final.

And lost 13 out of his last 18 games at the Albion.

I'd take winning 5 games

[SheffieldVillain]

To be fair you cannot credit RDM with winning the European Cup in Munich, against Munich, having beaten Barca in the semi-final, with just 10 men in the second leg but still scoring twice and having come from 3-1 down to beat Napoli.

It was somebody else's team.

And beating a very decent Benfica side home and away in the quarter final.

And lost 13 out of his last 18 games at the Albion.

As has been said, there have been good and bad parts of his career.

Jose Mourinho only won 4 of his last 16 league games at Chelsea - it doesn't make him a bad manager.

[Ads]

To be fair you cannot credit RDM with winning the European Cup in Munich, against Munich, having beaten Barca in the semi-final, with just 10 men in the second leg but still scoring twice and having come from 3-1 down to beat Napoli.

It was somebody else's team.

And beating a very decent Benfica side home and away in the quarter final.

And lost 13 out of his last 18 games at the Albion.

He must be in their top three managers of the last ten years then based on those stats.

[Chico Hamilton III]

To be fair you cannot credit RDM with winning the European Cup in Munich, against Munich, having beaten Barca in the semi-final, with just 10 men in the second leg but still scoring twice and having come from 3-1 down to beat Napoli.

It was somebody else's team.

And beating a very decent Benfica side home and away in the quarter final.

And lost 13 out of his last 18 games at the Albion.

I'd take winning 5 games

Ha, fair point. 5 wins would be a great improvement for us. I've no feelings about him either way.  I just wonder whether he's got the character to stand up to whoever is in charge at the club and whoever is playing for us.