Next Villa manager

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Are we really going to place our promotion prospects in the hands of a manager who has had 11 good games after finishing 19th?

I've only seen Huddersfield once so far this season. For the first hour they were the worst team I'd seen at Villa Park in years, and that includes us.

Lambert style pointless passing along the back line and they should have been 4-0 down at half time at least.

He may prove to be brilliant, but it's a huge risk compared to Bruce.

[Jimbo]

I think I've lost interest in this subject so comprehensively these last few years that I'd be quite happy to take Rowett purely on the basis it'd piss the knuckle draggers off.

That's what I never got with the "it's just because he managed Blues" thing about McLeish. It wasn't that. It was that he was a proven failure who played godawful football. If he'd been a decent manager, the fact we'd taken him from Small Heath would have been a BONUS.

This, this, this. I think you'd either have to be spectacularly, Earth-stoppingly thick, deluded or a knuckledragger, or a mix of all three (which is quite common) to believe otherwise.

Because when the ancient Romans sacked Carthage in 150 BC, they destroyed the city of their ancient rivals, but refused to plunder all their treasure, jewels, riches and women because they hated them so much. All throughout history there have been cases where people would rather die and go to hell than accept valuable assets from their most hated foes.

And thus, if Birmingham City were to drive an articulated lorry full of Faberge eggs, gold ingots, lost masterpieces by the likes of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Caravaggio and Picasso, the Holy Grail itself, plus the skeleton of Jesus Christ, into Villa Park, we would duly set fire to it because we couldn't stand to accept such priceless artefacts from them because we don't like them very much and they smell.

But Gary Rowett won't come because he's got more sense, so Bruce it is. I suspect he'll be judged on how good/shit he is.

[Gareth]

I'm not sure any of the managers mentioned have managed any club with the expectation levels or pressure of Villa so they will all be a risk, the question is do we go for managerial experience in Bruce or growing reputations in Wagner / Smith etc.

I would hope that unlike the summer we have someone in Round who has a bit of an inside track on candidates & contacts who can help build full picture.  Just hope they make a decision swiftly and have someone in by Monday / Tuesday as we need them to hit the ground running vs Wolves.

Head says Bruce however dull & uninspiring it is, might get Spink back on the staff though :-) - as others have said I would hope we insist on a full medical if Bruce does take it, last thing we want is another Houllier scenario!  Not sure he'll be rocking the Under Armour track suits :-) Has he worked with a Technical Director before or is he old school control freek? Would also want assurances that he isn't on that Telegraph list.

Heart says go for it with Wagner but I don't know how it pans out if he needs time to implement his ways as RDM shows the pressure built so quickly & he was gone.  Has he got the nous to be able to get through this season before changing things or would he want to do it straight away?

Still think it's a bit sad that there is no Villa connection ready to take over, could Dean Smith with Sir Brian as assistant for experience work?  If Fat Sam (Bruce's best pal) hadn't been such an idiot with his pints of wine I'd have gone for Southgate but he has committed to 4 games & he strikes as type of bloke who won't go back on that.

[pauliewalnuts]

Why does anyone want a Villa connected person to take over?

I just want the best option we have. The fact someone has been at the club before means nothing, really.

[Clampy]

Wagner is being very highly spoken of but so was Remi Garde. It might well turn out to be a masterstroke of an appointment if it happened, but giving the job to someone who's only been in football management 5 minutes is a bit of a risk and I can imagine the backlash the board would get if it didn't work.  It's a nice idea, but not a totally convincing one.

[mr underhill]

I agree ; this time, more than ever, it's got to be someone with a record of success. Of coursethere are no guarantees, but Bruce is as close as you can get in the Championship.

[onje_villa]

Agree with this. Irks me when people categorise some managers as having a "ceiling". Now I'm not saying there aren't some out there who relish getting team's up and then can't kick on but surely the reason most of them don't climb too high up the league is they are at generally small clubs who haven't the means/ambition to go much higher.

Only proven  record Bruce has is of bouncing between divisions and playing awful football


shefiield united = didn't get promotion
huddersfield = didn't get promotion
Palace = didn't get promotion
blose - promoted, relegated, promoted
wigan - premier
Sunderland - premier
Hull - promoted/relegated/promoted

These are all clubs with limited resources. I would say at each of these clubs he either met or exceeded expectations. Look at where they are now, most are either worse or the same as when he was with them.

I'm not 100% convinced I want him. But I like how he comes across when I've heard him speak and he seems fairly effective at organising teams to get results under difficult circumstances.

[Dave]

Why does anyone want a Villa connected person to take over?

I just want the best option we have. The fact someone has been at the club before means nothing, really.

You hear it from Spurs fans all the time - complaining about how it's terrible that they've got Pochettino in charge rather than Sherwood or Gary Mabbutt.

[Gareth]

Why does anyone want a Villa connected person to take over?

I just want the best option we have. The fact someone has been at the club before means nothing, really.

I do too, trouble is there is no stand out candidate - if there was a candidate with good Villa background they would get more time to sort it out. 

Di Matteo like Garde I never had any empathy with & was happy to see us sack him off.

[Risso]

Why does anyone want a Villa connected person to take over?

I just want the best option we have. The fact someone has been at the club before means nothing, really.

You hear it from Spurs fans all the time - complaining about how it's terrible that they've got Pochettino in charge rather than Sherwood or Gary Mabbutt.

The poor lambs. To ease their suffering I'll grudgingly take Pochettino off them so that they can have Sherwood and his wanky salute back, but it would be a big favour we're doing them.

[chrisw1]

Why does anyone want a Villa connected person to take over?

I just want the best option we have. The fact someone has been at the club before means nothing, really.

This is something that always amazes me.  Get in Melberg, Laursen etc etc.  How many great players have made it to become top managers - probably no more than a handful.  Far more have failed.

Forget sentiment and lets just get the best man for the job. 

Maybe phone up Southampton and see who they have lined up next as they seem to have the midas touch!

[Dave P]

Not turning my nose up at Bruce at all and would actually welcome him.

I have gone for Big Sam as he would do well in this division and would also sort us out in the Prem (as and when we get there I know!)

Bruce would do ok in this division but would be questionable in the prem.

Big Sam provides a long term answer imo. Plus would have something to prove after events of the past few weeks.

[Lizz]

Not into quotathons but Jimbo's post above has summed up how I feel about it all. Principles can be misguided at times.

[chrisw1]

Not turning my nose up at Bruce at all and would actually welcome him.

I have gone for Big Sam as he would do well in this division and would also sort us out in the Prem (as and when we get there I know!)

Bruce would do ok in this division but would be questionable in the prem.

Big Sam provides a long term answer imo. Plus would have something to prove after events of the past few weeks.

Never thought I'd want Big Sam at Villa, but I agree he would sort us out pretty quick.  I suspect we will be too nervous of further revelations or a misconduct charge, but if there was reassurances over that then it would probably be the safest option.

[Clark W Griswold]

Agree with this. Irks me when people categorise some managers as having a "ceiling". Now I'm not saying there aren't some out there who relish getting team's up and then can't kick on but surely the reason most of them don't climb too high up the league is they are at generally small clubs who haven't the means/ambition to go much higher.

Only proven  record Bruce has is of bouncing between divisions and playing awful football


shefiield united = didn't get promotion
huddersfield = didn't get promotion
Palace = didn't get promotion
blose - promoted, relegated, promoted
wigan - premier
Sunderland - premier
Hull - promoted/relegated/promoted

These are all clubs with limited resources. I would say at each of these clubs he either met or exceeded expectations. Look at where they are now, most are either worse or the same as when he was with them.

I'm not 100% convinced I want him. But I like how he comes across when I've heard him speak and he seems fairly effective at organising teams to get results under difficult circumstances.

His early career was with Palace, Huddersfield, Sheffield Utd. 60% win ratio with Palace and fairly unremarkable (but certainly not poor) with Huddersfield and Sheff Utd.
Mid to later career, 2 promotions with Blues, 2 promotions with Hull including last season, kept 2 shit teams in the PL, Wigan and Sunderland and yes 2 relegations, 1 with Hull, 1 with Blues on very limited resources. I'm struggling to think of a realistic target with a more suitable track record.