Eric Black

[Ad@m]

He undermines everything he says by his dull and frankly embarrassing starting line ups.

I could forgive him a dubious starting line up as who knows what he sees during the week in training. 

But when you've witnessed the total shambles that was Leandro Bacuna and Joleon Lescott today and leaves them both on the pitch for the whole 90 minutes all benefit of the doubt is lost!

Awful - we need a proper, actual manager in pronto!

[ciggiesnbeer]

The nightmare is that  the clowns in charge at the top could easily give him the job full time just to save a few bob on getting a proper manager in.

Dont even joke man. Bloody hell thats a nightmare scenario.

[The Laughing Policeman]

No joke, I honestly believe it could happen.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Now you say it so do I. Christ. I am not sure what I would do if that happened. It would be beyond surrender to deliberate malice on the boards part.

[Phil from the upper holte]

He's said he doesn't want it. Wants a holiday apparently

[PeterWithesShin]

I'd prefer Nigel Pearson and I think i've made it plain my thoughts on him! Black has been put into a real shite situation, but he's making a right pig's ear of what should have been a no lose scenario for him.

[brian green]

Black as permanent manager would be a perfect fit for those like me who think the club has been sabotaged.

[in exile]

Black as permanent manager would be a perfect fit for those like me who think the club has been sabotaged.

Don't even joke about it, please

[Ad@m]

Black as permanent manager would be a perfect fit for those like me who think the club has been sabotaged.

Ordinarily I'd say such a conspiracy theory is madness, but his substitutions today make me think he was deliberately trying to lose!

[peter w]

Wholeheartedly disagree with just about everything being said. i think one of the only people coming through this period with any credit is Eric Black. First of all his team selections. Given the players at his disposal there is very little options he has. Also, he probably knows which players will be here next season and those that want to go. Seeing as Adama may be one of those not going to be here next season, why play him? for me Black is trying to stabilise the team before we go down. we need to have a team that finishes the season that finishes the season to have more of a togetherness for the new manager to come in and mould. We simply can't start the season with 11 new players so need to stabilise with players that we are going to need at the start of next season. That is likely to be the likes of Hutton, Clark, Westwood, Grealish, maybe Amavi, with question marks over Sanchez, Gestede, Sinclair, and even Bacuna.

We're not going to be able to shift 15 and buy 15 and expect to hit the ground running. We need a base. black recognises this and in all honesty there may not be as much surgery needed as is probably thought at first. Guzan is good enough for the Championship but maybe its time to move him on. At least one Steve Sims type stopper is needed. A couple of midfielders, one wide man and two forwards. Witha solid base that could be enough to not only stabilise us but keep us upward looking.

it would be total folly not to say remiss of Black, to just throw kids in now and not play players we may need to rely on next season. The players we don't want around the place - Gabby, Richardson (out of contract?), Richards, Lescott, Okores - need to be jettisoned and the ones we are either likely to move on or will want to move on - Cissokho, Gil, Veretout, Gana, Ayew, Adama aren't really important now and the odd one or two may be needed until the end of the season. Lescott for instance.

But I think Black is doing a great job in what is probably the worst environment he has probably ever worked in. When we get this if not right, at least calmed down and stable, I hope his input will be recognised. I think he deserves our support for what he's trying to do for us for next season. If we do well next season I think the work he is trying to do now will go and long way towards that.

[PeterWithesShin]

You mention Richards, Ricardson and Lescott as players we don't want etc and yet he keeps picking them, if he's looking to the future why has he been picking Richardson who is out of contract in the summer. And then you say we only need a bit of tinkering simply can't start next season with 11 new players and then name 11 players that are unlikely to be here next season. 12 if we include Guzan.

[Risso]

By whatever standards you care to use, there is no way on earth that Black could be described as doung a great job. He's not even barely competent.

[peter w]

He keeps picking certain players because at the moment he has very little choice. He can't just drop everyone that he would like to and put kids in because a) they may not be ready for it and b) given the atmosphere around our games and the lack of confidence running through the team, it is more counter-productive.

All season we've managed 16 points from 2 different managers. One of whom was lauded by many on here. Given the same resources but a less motivated team what realistically are you expecting from him?

[Ad@m]

He keeps picking certain players because at the moment he has very little choice. He can't just drop everyone that he would like to and put kids in because a) they may not be ready for it and b) given the atmosphere around our games and the lack of confidence running through the team, it is more counter-productive.

And yet he felt fit to pick one of the kids for the bench and bring him on at half time whilst he let Lescott and Bacuna continue to fuck around gifting goals away for the full 90.

[aj2k77]

Your arguement makes as much sense as Blacks team selections. He's picking the players that will be here next season, like Lescott, Richardson, Richards.....

Doing a great job in what sense? We are still losing, we are still getting hammered, players still aren't trying and the fans couldn't give a fuck anymore.

You quite honestly could put a potato in a training jacket on the sidelines and it would have as much effect on Aston Villa as Black has had. Right now he's as pointless as we are.