Jesús García Pitarch - binned

[ChicagoLion]

Who appointed Pitarch? Did he have any knowledge of the Premier League? Terrible appointment.

Purslow.

[andyh]

He’s being scapegoated isn’t he?

By the clubs own admission we had to bring in loads of new players last summer, but it takes time to create a team.
Not including emergency loanees like Drinkpisswater and Baston, it’s difficult to pick out any real duffers that were bought other than Kalinic.

It seems strange to use a reason for under performance that it’s a new squad that needs time to gel, and then when it does eventually gel, albeit due to unusual circumstances (a 3 month break which gave the coaches time to get their shit together)  and goes on to actually achieve the goal that was set, that you sack the bloke who brought those players in.

Most of our squad isn’t shit. We are happy with most of our squad, as being discussed elsewhere on the site, and with some real quality additions we will improve the squad and the team.

I just hope the coaching and management of those players is good enough.

[ozzjim]

I think there is some football manager specs on regarding the idea we should have been buying British etc last summer. Smith himself has said more than once that we simply could not afford it with the number of positions we needed, and we know we were close to signing Phillips from Leeds over Nakamba but he chose not to come. Trez scored the goals to keep us up in the end. Engels was Smiths signing having tracked him at Brentford. Reina was a really good loan, dressing room wise as well as on the pitch.

The issue we had was signing a striker to get 12 goals to keep us up. Wesley was on what, 6 when he got injured and looked like he was starting to come to terms with it. Who knows how he would have developed over the second half of the season. Certainly a lot better than Samatta and Davis have been, although the former looked OK before lockdown.

This summer now we actually have a squad of we can add 5 players of real quality in that 25m bracket, we will be much more comfortable next season.

[kippaxvilla2]

Move out.  Nyland, Taylor, Hause, Jota, Lansbury, El Ghazi, Trez, Davies.

Move in.  God knows but four or five experienced, quality in those positions.  Evolution needed.

[The Edge]

I think there is some football manager specs on regarding the idea we should have been buying British etc last summer. Smith himself has said more than once that we simply could not afford it with the number of positions we needed, and we know we were close to signing Phillips from Leeds over Nakamba but he chose not to come. Trez scored the goals to keep us up in the end. Engels was Smiths signing having tracked him at Brentford. Reina was a really good loan, dressing room wise as well as on the pitch.

The issue we had was signing a striker to get 12 goals to keep us up. Wesley was on what, 6 when he got injured and looked like he was starting to come to terms with it. Who knows how he would have developed over the second half of the season. Certainly a lot better than Samatta and Davis have been, although the former looked OK before lockdown.

This summer now we actually have a squad of we can add 5 players of real quality in that 25m bracket, we will be much more comfortable next season.

That last sentence is absolutely what we must do next season. Now it's up to the hierarchy to decide who gets to spend the money and on which players. We must kick on now as a club. No more days like Sunday anytime soon please Villa.

[Clive W]

Interesting article from John Percy in the DT

Hope the link works

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/07/27/aston-villa-sack-sporting-director-jesus-garcia-pitarch-john/?li_source=LI&li_medium=liftigniter-rhr#comment

[algy]

To me, there's a common-sense way to fairly judge both the director of football & head coach.

Head coach is results on the pitch, and if the players at his/her disposal have improved / become more valuable over & above what you'd expect them to. You can use stats like xG to objectively measure how much a game has been affected by luck, so compensate against that when looking at performance. You should also be able to say how much you'd expect, say, a player with John McGinn's age & attibutes to improve over the course of a season, and see if the coaching is better or worse than average.

For the DoF, I'd look at long term progression of the club (is the club in a stronger position now than 1/2/5 years ago? Is it likely to be in a stronger position in 1/2/5 years if nothing changes?). You'd also look at the immediate quality of the signings, were the right players brought in, and were they good value for money?

If Dean Smith's been a big influence in bringing in some players, you could also compare those with the ones that Suso signed. Has Suso done a better job than Dean would've done without him?

I'd suspect that last thing is what might've been the nail in the coffin for Suso. If he can't out perform the head coach, there ain't much point in him being there.

[kippaxvilla2]

Interesting article from John Percy in the DT

Hope the link works

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/07/27/aston-villa-sack-sporting-director-jesus-garcia-pitarch-john/?li_source=LI&li_medium=liftigniter-rhr#comment

It’s behind the paywall but McGinn Carling for more quality players I hope has some context to it.

[dave shelley]

Would that be Black Label players Kippax?

[danno]

Villa sporting chief pays price for £140m spree despite great escape

The Daily Telegraph 28 Jul 2020  John Percy

Aston Villa have sacked sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch after securing Premier League survival only on the final day of the season.
Pitarch was axed yesterday as the club took action over the muchmaligned £140 million Villa spent on recruitment last summer, with the decision rubber-stamped by owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.
Villa avoided the drop on Sunday and, as reported by The Daily Telegraph last month, are conducting a full review of their football operations, with the inquest led by chief executive Christian Purslow.
Pitarch has paid the price after a number of signings failed to pay off. It is understood the Spaniard was behind the recruitment of record £21 million signing Wesley, plus Trezeguet, Matt Targett, Mbwana Samatta and Marvelous Nakamba, who have all struggled to impress.
Villa will look to replace Pitarch, known as “Suso”, as a priority.
Dean Smith, the head coach, has been assured of funds for new signings over the summer and will target players in attacking areas, plus a central midfielder, a right-back and possibly another centre-back.

John McGinn, the Scotland international, is expecting major changes and has warned that Villa cannot risk another season struggling near the bottom.
“I think everyone is aware we need quality added. We obviously spent a lot of money last summer and we may need to go and do it again,” McGinn said.
“We can’t get complacent and think everything is all right now. It was a poor season overall, we know that, us as players, and I am sure everyone upstairs is fully aware of that.
“There will be changes, I am sure of that. There is no way we should be celebrating finishing 17th with the size and stature of this place and the money we have spent.”

Villa’s summer strategy appears likely to be defined by the future of captain Jack Grealish, who is on the radar of both Manchester clubs, although his hopes of a move to Old Trafford have been fading for some time. Manchester United have little appetite to pay anywhere near the £80 million asking fee and their priorities have changed, with Paul Pogba staying and the impact of Bruno Fernandes.
Grealish scored the goal at West Ham United on Sunday which ultimately secured Villa’s survival, and he admitted last week that he was uncertain where he would be playing next season.
McGinn said: “Our focus last season was getting the club promoted, our focus this year was keeping them in the league and we managed to do that. What happens now I’m not sure, but Jack is still contracted here.”
McGinn has confirmed he suffered a second stress fracture in March, after initially breaking his ankle in December. The 25-year-old admitted 2020 had been “horrible”, but believed Villa silenced their critics by staying up.
“With four games to go we were seven points behind and not one person outside the club really believed we could stay up,” he said. “In that sense the togetherness and character we showed to keep this club up is unbelievable.
“I’ve never known pressure like it before. There is a massive feeling of relief and elation.”

Smith has revealed he slept in his office at the training ground after a night of celebrations on Sunday. Villa’s players had returned to Bodymoor Heath after the West Ham game, and the party went on into the early hours.
“I’m not great because it was a heavy night, but I’m OK,” Smith told TalkSport yesterday morning. “I’m not sure what time it was. I slipped off before the lads could see me.
“I am immensely proud of the players and the staff because we had been written off. We walked off the pitch against Leicester [a 4-0 defeat in March] and everybody was saying we had been relegated.”

[pauliewalnuts]

Most of our squad isn’t shit. We are happy with most of our squad, as being discussed elsewhere on the site

Really? In terms of the players brought in during his tenure, I wouldn't say general consensus is that we are happy with them, far from it.

[andyh]

McGinn confirming there why he was so far behind what we expected when he came back after the restart.

[pauliewalnuts]

Interesting article from John Percy in the DT

Hope the link works

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/07/27/aston-villa-sack-sporting-director-jesus-garcia-pitarch-john/?li_source=LI&li_medium=liftigniter-rhr#comment

There must surely be zero chance they've not been talking about who they wanted to replace him with these last few months. Hopefully we'll move very quick.

[andyh]

Most of our squad isn’t shit. We are happy with most of our squad, as being discussed elsewhere on the site

Really? In terms of the players brought in during his tenure, I wouldn't say general consensus is that we are happy with them, far from it.

It looks like it in other threads on here. We all know the players who aren’t up to it, but no one is suggesting wholesale changes.
Quality additions is what’s needed.

[RamboandBruno]

At least it sounds from that interview that McGinn isn’t going anywhere. Obviously hasn’t been the same since the injury, but can’t forget what an important player he has been for us. He could massive again for us next season along with Luiz. Add an another physical dynamic centre midfield to those two and it could be a very decent midfield