Dr T has pulled the trigger

[Chico Hamilton III]

Fergie had a bad run when he started. Managers need time. Who will want the poisoned chalice now? 

Which one of our last 5 managers should have been given more time?

And Fergie took over at Man United when they were 21st in the table and they finished 11th

[Mister E]

Of all the managers that we have flirted with or given plenty of rope to, the Houllier-McAllister ticket was the only one that seemed to get some real and sustainable traction. I thought RdM-Clarke would be capable in this division: after the last three games particularly, it is clear that they could not motivate or strategise to achieve victories.
However, the obvious replacement options look frightening. Dark days indeed.

[footyskillz]

Fergie had a bad run when he started. Managers need time. Who will want the poisoned chalice now?  It is just about recouping investment in a vicious capitalist timezone. Fifty five plus years a supporter and not felt this bad in a while. Money is not everything..is it?

This is poignant post. It's speaks sense and it's unfortunate now the game is different to previous years. I didn't it know it back then and I'm of premier league only era but in honesty the way things were then when football was a simple game I wish the same now. Consider that it's good you've got to see the evolution of football I only seen the business matters football generation.  I think it's a results business to such a degree time is no longer an option especially when money is involved. What is 2 maybe 3 years at most average length career of a club manager . Seems shorter and that's only changed in last 5 years. I hope you feel better with next appoinnement we all hope we do and I think it's important that the structure is in place.  Managers will come and go but having a core stability will provide success. Things have changed and perhaps despite all the money it sounds like not for the better.

[markeeeebeeee2005]

Rubbish. Just because Fergie once turned around a bad run is not a good reason to keep on failing managers. If that was the case nobody would ever change manager and would instead get their prayer mats out as they fall down the leagues.

[Skerra]

In my opinion, no point giving him up until Xmas. His team selections were getting just as weird as previous managers teams. Please, just give me (or about 20,000 other Villa fans) a fraction of his wages and I'll guarantee I could put out a better side than we have witnessed recently. If RDM had been driving a car he would have been fined for either, driving without due care and arrtention or, even worse, dangerous driving!!!!

[MalcolmP]

This is a period requiring stability and no risks or gambles. I'd have Roy Hodgson right now. Bruce is good but the fans could turn on him in an instant and that would be a worry.. At this level Hodgson could just stabalise the ship and get this squad organised.

Interview should go something like this.

Tony - will you play Westwood?
Interviewee (Put whatever name you want) No
Tony - you got the job

Bloody right. 2 up with 3 to play against Ryan Moore was piss poor!!

No wonder he has never won a Major!
Must be something to do with the name Westwood!

[Le Lapin]

Jesus, we really are a basket case. Going take a lot to change the direction of the club. We really need to get this appointment right.

[KevinGage]

I thought he should have been given until Christmas at least. But fear I'm in a very small minority.

I'd have been happy to see him given until Christmas had the results merely been indifferent or underwhelming.

But they were poor and getting worse. 

We will be seen as a basket case club for this, but -as with all these things- sometimes it is a case of the least worst option. A manager with a bit of cop-on should have this squad closer to 6th rather than the arse end of the table.

[ChicagoLion]

Jesus, we really are a basket case. Going take a lot to change the direction of the club. We really need to get this appointment right.

And the last one and the one before that ad infinitum........

[Risso]

Fergie had a bad run when he started. Managers need time. Who will want the poisoned chalice now? 

Which one of our last 5 managers should have been given more time?

And Fergie took over at Man United when they were 21st in the table and they finished 11th

And then finished 2nd the next season. Honestly, that Ferguson thing as an excuse is a complete load of old bollocks.

[Le Lapin]

Jesus, we really are a basket case. Going take a lot to change the direction of the club. We really need to get this appointment right.

And the last one and the one before that ad infinitum........

Yep. So many shit appointments over the last few years. We don't seem to learn. No more managerial gambles.

[garyshawsknee]

If he was sticking to the same formations with different personal, id be tempted to give him more time. But random formations and performances have got worse and apart from the Rotherham game we only play well in patches, apart from Saturday of course.

[croatian]

He goes with my best wishes.
He wasn't here long enough for the hatred to well up.
SGT was the last one to leave with warmth.
The others? Damn them.

[paul_e]

I disagree with the idea that it's a poisoned chalice, etc.  It was that when Garde got the job, we were in free fall with a squad incapable of staying up and a disinterested owner who was never going to give him huge funds to change things around.  RDM should've had a perfect setup, plenty of money to build the squad he wanted, support to get the coaching team exactly as he needed, fan backing to remove anyone he liked from the squad and enough understanding that a couple of wins and a spot in midtable would've been enough to keep him safe.  He was on target for a while as well, but then he decided to tinker with things when it wasn't needed.  Since then we've been humiliated by Ipswich, Forest, Barnsley and Preston.  Just like Sherwood last season he panicked and threw the baby out with the bathwater, I think any manager who does that needs results immediately after the change, get them and it's all good and you carry on, if it gets worse then you've written your own P45.

I agree with Mister E that the obvious options are all really poor, Bruce, Allerdyce, etc.  None of them are remotely inspiring and I hope the net gets cast a little broader than that.  Mention of the guys at Bristol City and Huddersfield are promising at least.

That's the problem in a nutshell.  We don't have the squad for it.  We don't have two dependable holding midfielders nor 3 attacking midfielders.  We two chocolate fireguards and central strikers, then there's Ayew and Grealish who don't seem to fit anywhere at the moment.

Honestly we do.  for it to work you need 2 fullbacks who can get forward and overlap, Amavi, Bacuna and De Laet all fit the bill.  That means you can have wide players who can drift around, Ayew on the left is perfect for that with Adomah offering a more traditional option on the other side or push Kodjia out there and have him drifting in as well.  Centrally RM and Grealish are fine for the 10 role and Kodjia in his preferred position is very strong for 9 with Gestede as a decent option to mix it up.

In central midfield we're weak regardless but I think we need to pair energetic and steady.  in the latter group we have Jedinak, Westwood and Gardner who are all experienced enough to hold a position.  The weakness is that Tish is the only option for the other role from the main squad.  I'd promote Lyden up as his cover and then make this priority in the window.

[Brian Taylor]

Of all the managers that we have flirted with or given plenty of rope to, the Houllier-McAllister ticket was the only one that seemed to get some real and sustainable traction. I thought RdM-Clarke would be capable in this division: after the last three games particularly, it is clear that they could not motivate or strategise to achieve victories.
However, the obvious replacement options look frightening. Dark days indeed.

. We ain't been right since O'Neill left.. simple as that.