Manager suggestions - Now with added poll

[Rudy Can't Fail]

25 jammy wins, and opening win in the top flight. I wish we were that lucky.

Qualified for the play-offs with two games to go, played his Reserves for the remaining games, kept his first team fresh to win the play-offs, all done on a budget of about £3.5m. Well jammy.

What's ironic is CD wants Bielsa, the guy that Wagner copies so much.

[cdbearsfan]

Negative goal difference, played off the park by us twice, fluked four points. Their equaliser at Villa Park as lucky as any I can remember seeing. Didn't win either leg in the playoff semis, scraped through on penalties after the opposition had conveniently scored an own goal. Didn't win the playoff final, scraped through on penalties.

He could be a good manager or he could just be a lucky sod. I'd rather someone more proven such as Bielsa.

At the moment, he's achieved far less than Lambert had when we appointed him. Or Steve Bruce, come to think of it.

Incidentally, my phone appears to have turned into Father Jack as it keeps correcting "Bielsa" to "Girls".

[passitsideways]

I discounted that one because they were shit (they also add nothing to my Wagner and Dyche point).

If it's not a problem I'd like to know who that was because I'm really interested in what sort of shortlist they managed to put together last time.

Fuck it. Pearson.

I thought as much.  What that tells me is that the 4 names which regularly appeared on here the day RDM was sacked are the 4 they spoke to.  Add to that some of the recruitment where people on here talked about Lansbury and Hourihane and then we signed them makes me think that sometimes the club just looks to see what the fans want and goes along with it when it comes to signings, McCormack felt like it last summer as well.

Not sure I'd take it that far - I don't think you'd need to look at message boards to have picked out Lansbury and Hourihane as potential signings back in January. They were both on the final year of their contract, and the latter was universally regarded as one of the top-performing midfielders in the league in the season's first half. It doesn't really explain the rest of the recruitment in that window either - who really would've picked out Bjarnason or Bree or even Taylor (who I suspect was a case of Swansea making contact for Ayew, and then offering Taylor up when we mentioned that we could use a left back).

McCormack, even at the time, was the sort of signing you get from reading out of the book of alleged conventional wisdoms for succeeding in English football, of buying a "proven goalscorer", right next to the chapters about filling your board with "football men" and getting a manager who's a "safe pair of hands and who knows the division".

[Sexual Ealing]

Negative goal difference, played off the park by us twice, fluked four points. Their equaliser at Villa Park as lucky as any I can remember seeing. Didn't win either leg in the playoff semis, scraped through on penalties after the opposition had conveniently scored an own goal. Didn't win the playoff final, scraped through on penalties.

He could be a good manager or he could just be a lucky sod. I'd rather someone more proven such as Bielsa.

At the moment, he's achieved far less than Lambert had when we appointed him. Or Steve Bruce, come to think of it.

Incidentally, my phone appears to have turned into Father Jack as it keeps correcting "Bielsa" to "Girls".

They are Glasgow Huddersfield though, to be fair. Bill Shankly had to fuck of to the sky for a chat with Brendan Rodgers just to get away from them.

[Ads]

I know what CD means. Huddersfield were... unimpressive, yet they got the results. Fair enough, but can you imagine that working in Villa Park? The new fresh faced big thing?

All I can imagine is a German Lambert. Maybe that's 7 years of shit making it hard to think something may work out.

[PeterWithesShin]

Of course he's achieved less, he's been a first team manager for less than 2 years compared to Lambert's 7 when he joined us. Bruce has 17 more years as a manager, how dare Wagner not have achieved as much!

He still got a club promoted in his first full season that in the previous 3 or 4 years had spent less on players than we paid for Fat Ross, and that's just purchases, it doesn't take into account their player sales. I'd say it's all down to him that such a limited squad with all the faults you point out managed to over achieve in a way we can only dream of. Will it last for him, who knows, but i'd take a manager that knows exactly what he wants his players doing and makes sure they do it.

[Axl Rose]

I think basically, we need a better manager than Bruce. Without staying the absolute obvious.

Is Wagner better? I think after as many years in the game as Bruce, he will be. Is he better now? I've no idea. Huddersfield play better football than we do at present, there is more energy, more goal threat, pressing, excitement-we'd love that dearly down at Villa Park. I highly doubt he'd come, though. He appears loyal and has got Huddersfield to the Premier League. He wants that challenge for now.

I'd be looking abroad. Lazio play good football, Inzaghi would be considered if I had my way, as would the manager at Fiorentina, Pioli. He has, however, just taken up that position. I'd be ambitious and try for these types. Pellegrini, also, who I believe is at Hebei in China. He was very good for Man City, and knows English football.

These managers would add excitement, they know their stuff.

Moyes would turn me into a lawn bowls fan. A huge no.

Oh, and Bielsa, yes fucking please. Imagine him coming in and just tearing up the place. Imagine his video analysis meetings with Agbonlahor and Hutton. There'd be no place to hide for the crap and lazy. Intelligent, progressive players, who I think we do have, would adore him. The ****** brigade would hate it, and they'd be shipped out. Super super management choice. It surely won't happen though, will it?

[passitsideways]

We can go with a more progressive option, but the setup has to be right, otherwise we just get a repeat of the Garde situation, where he was completely hung out to dry, not only with the January transfer business, but in inheriting a squad that had no dynamism in midfield, no one who could lead the line, and massive clownshoes in defence. RDM to a lesser extent, in that he had a seriously unbalanced squad to deal with, but he probably had a little bit of a say in that.

I'd think the current squad should be quite well-equipped to offer that. I mean, both centre backs can actually pass now, Whelan and Hourihane have some craft about them, Onomah has come up in that sort of environment at Spurs, and Hogan thrived at a club with that sort of reputation before he came to us.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I'd be looking abroad. Lazio play good football, Inzaghi would be considered if I had my way, as would the manager at Fiorentina, Pioli. He has, however, just taken up that position. I'd be ambitious and try for these types. Pellegrini, also, who I believe is at Hebei in China. He was very good for Man City, and knows English football.

These managers would add excitement, they know their stuff.

Moyes would turn me into a lawn bowls fan. A huge no.

Oh, and Bielsa, yes fucking please. Imagine him coming in and just tearing up the place. Imagine his video analysis meetings with Agbonlahor and Hutton. There'd be no place to hide for the crap and lazy. Intelligent, progressive players, who I think we do have, would adore him. The c*** brigade would hate it, and they'd be shipped out. Super super management choice. It surely won't happen though, will it?

Great choices.

[Axl Rose]

We can go with a more progressive option, but the setup has to be right, otherwise we just get a repeat of the Garde situation, where he was completely hung out to dry, not only with the January transfer business, but in inheriting a squad that had no dynamism in midfield, no one who could lead the line, and massive clownshoes in defence. RDM to a lesser extent, in that he had a seriously unbalanced squad to deal with, but he probably had a little bit of a say in that.

I'd think the current squad should be quite well-equipped to offer that. I mean, both centre backs can actually pass now, Whelan and Hourihane have some craft about them, Onomah has come up in that sort of environment at Spurs, and Hogan thrived at a club with that sort of reputation before he came to us.

I agree. Great post. I'm not sure about Whelen, however. He looks cumbersome to me. But it is only two games in.

[passitsideways]

We can go with a more progressive option, but the setup has to be right, otherwise we just get a repeat of the Garde situation, where he was completely hung out to dry, not only with the January transfer business, but in inheriting a squad that had no dynamism in midfield, no one who could lead the line, and massive clownshoes in defence. RDM to a lesser extent, in that he had a seriously unbalanced squad to deal with, but he probably had a little bit of a say in that.

I'd think the current squad should be quite well-equipped to offer that. I mean, both centre backs can actually pass now, Whelan and Hourihane have some craft about them, Onomah has come up in that sort of environment at Spurs, and Hogan thrived at a club with that sort of reputation before he came to us.

I agree. Great post. I'm not sure about Whelen, however. He looks cumbersome to me. But it is only two games in.

I mean, presumably, we would've signed Whelan on the understanding that we'd need legs around him to compensate for his lack of mobility. I was speaking more the fact that he appears, from the eye test and from his numbers, and from reputation, much more capable in possession than someone like Jedinak, who I would have no confidence in being able to pass the ball further upfield to our more dynamic players.

Another thing is, this hypothetical progressive manager would be able to recognise that there are occasions where we need to clog things up, for instance by playing both Whelan and Jedinak, We have the means to do that as well, which is why this current one-dimensional approach winds me up so much.

[Axl Rose]

We can go with a more progressive option, but the setup has to be right, otherwise we just get a repeat of the Garde situation, where he was completely hung out to dry, not only with the January transfer business, but in inheriting a squad that had no dynamism in midfield, no one who could lead the line, and massive clownshoes in defence. RDM to a lesser extent, in that he had a seriously unbalanced squad to deal with, but he probably had a little bit of a say in that.

I'd think the current squad should be quite well-equipped to offer that. I mean, both centre backs can actually pass now, Whelan and Hourihane have some craft about them, Onomah has come up in that sort of environment at Spurs, and Hogan thrived at a club with that sort of reputation before he came to us.

I agree. Great post. I'm not sure about Whelen, however. He looks cumbersome to me. But it is only two games in.

I mean, presumably, we would've signed Whelan on the understanding that we'd need legs around him to compensate for his lack of mobility. I was speaking more the fact that he appears, from the eye test and from his numbers, and from reputation, much more capable in possession than someone like Jedinak, who I would have no confidence in being able to pass the ball further upfield to our more dynamic players.

Another thing is, this hypothetical progressive manager would be able to recognise that there are occasions where we need to clog things up, for instance by playing both Whelan and Jedinak, We have the means to do that as well, which is why this current one-dimensional approach winds me up so much.

Ah, I understand now. A brain fart on my part for not reading your post properly. Apologies!

Yes, I agree. If we're going to play a Whelen or a Jedinak, we need people like Onomah and O'Hare around them, and attacking fullback's like Bree, too. Not Lansbury, Hutton and wasters like Agbonlahor ambling around up front like a 97 year old wild boar.

At home, I wouldn't bother with players like Jedinak or Whelen. Not unless it was a crunch match and we could in no way afford to lose, or a more physical opponent.

Play needs to go through Hourihane in my opinion, especially at home, threading passes to sharp, quick players like Green and O'Hare, who can in turn provide for Kodjia, Hogan and whoever plays up front.

[Ads]

Chester Terry Bree

Hourihane Jedi Onomah

Green Grealish Elmo

Kodjia

Be interesting to see (Johnstone in goal natutally).

[Drummond]

Wagner took over Huddersfield in November 2015 with them 18th in the table and finished 19th.

Last season was promoted having lost 6 of their last 10 games.

All of a sudden he's the one we need? Really? You can imagine the recriminations when we didn't perform straight away. The games they won last season were generally by one goal, which doesn't inspire confidence, does it?

Bruce has been promoted more than anyone else from this division, twice since that article saying he was clueless. The point is whichever manager you get, you're not guaranteed a thing.

[passitsideways]

Wagner took over Huddersfield in November 2015 with them 18th in the table and finished 19th.

Last season was promoted having lost 6 of their last 10 games.

All of a sudden he's the one we need? Really? You can imagine the recriminations when we didn't perform straight away. The games they won last season were generally by one goal, which doesn't inspire confidence, does it?

Bruce has been promoted more than anyone else from this division, twice since that article saying he was clueless. The point is whichever manager you get, you're not guaranteed a thing.

What about the difference in squad quality?

Nobody has said a particular manager is a guaranteed thing either.