Richard O'Kelly

[Jon Crofts]

He’s also 64 maybe he’s decided you know what, I’m done.

[cdbearsfan]

You can dress it up anyway you like, but the timing is so poor with 2 days to go before the new season is upon us. Perhaps DS can explain it in the press conference tomorrow? However, I doubt we'll get the full picture. This is not good on the back of JT's departure.

Perhaps it was agreed weeks ago and he was serving notice? Perhaps he decided last season but coaches get paid throughout the summer and he didn't see the point of turning down free wages? Doesn't seem too much worth worrying about, to me. The club may well already have plans in place.

[VinnieChase84]

FWIW
- ROK moving role been on cards for a while but stayed put due to JT's unplanned exit
- He was earmarked to take the under 23's - he didn't fancy it so has now left
- Overall we are looking at coaching upgrades

[not3bad]

Would be good if Dean Smith clarified the situation at the press conference. I'm not always mad interested to watch these but it feels different with it being the first game of the season and after such a tumultuous summer.

[chrisw1]

I think it's reasonable for people to express concern when a senior coach leaves two days before the start of the season, on the back of another senior coach leaving a few weeks ago.

[sickbeggar]

Strange timing I guess but i doubt whether he sprung it on Smith at the last moment. From what's been said if he was asked to stay on when Terry left then it makes sense with pre-season over. Wouldn't be surprised if we see Tony Adams arrive with MacPhee here now

[aev]

Strange timing I guess but i doubt whether he sprung it on Smith at the last moment. From what's been said if he was asked to stay on when Terry left then it makes sense with pre-season over. Wouldn't be surprised if we see Tony Adams arrive with MacPhee here now

Tony Adams?

That video of him running that training session is very funny.

[sickbeggar]

Strange timing I guess but i doubt whether he sprung it on Smith at the last moment. From what's been said if he was asked to stay on when Terry left then it makes sense with pre-season over. Wouldn't be surprised if we see Tony Adams arrive with MacPhee here now

Tony Adams?

That video of him running that training session is very funny.

Aye. Played evil accountant Adam Chance. Used to come into the kitchen criticising MacPhee wasting food and MacPhee would storm off. Noele Gordon would then have to persuade him to come back.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Was worried about this one, but having read the statements from Smith and O'Kelly I am much less concerned. It seems pretty amicable, and I am guessing Shakespeare is very much the no.2 rather than O'Kelly or Terry and he is now settled in anyway. McPhee has joined the team too and cutler is still there. I am sure we will be bringing in more coaches in the next few weeks.

It is also a sign of a more ruthless and ambitious side to Smith, which he will need. Ferguson regularly changed things up on the coaching front, letting long term friend Brian Kidd go for instance and it worked out fine for him.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Strange timing I guess but i doubt whether he sprung it on Smith at the last moment. From what's been said if he was asked to stay on when Terry left then it makes sense with pre-season over. Wouldn't be surprised if we see Tony Adams arrive with MacPhee here now

Tony Adams?

That video of him running that training session is very funny.

Aye. Played evil accountant Adam Chance. Used to come into the kitchen criticising MacPhee wasting food and MacPhee would storm off. Noele Gordon would then have to persuade him to come back.

Sid Hooper from the garage nearly bought Villa didn’t he?

[kippaxvilla2]

Always knew it was on the cards when Jane Rossingrton was bought into coach the women.

[eamonn]

64 is no age these days and he's trim, not phat. I would have expected him down at BH for another decade yet.

One of the old school...funny seeing him greet the new foreign signings on AVTV, proper down to earth welcome. Not sure how much they understood!

[Demitri_C]

Wouldnt be suprised if he ends up back at brentford

[john e]

Strange timing I guess but i doubt whether he sprung it on Smith at the last moment. From what's been said if he was asked to stay on when Terry left then it makes sense with pre-season over. Wouldn't be surprised if we see Tony Adams arrive with MacPhee here now

Tony Adams?

That video of him running that training session is very funny.

Aye. Played evil accountant Adam Chance. Used to come into the kitchen criticising MacPhee wasting food and MacPhee would storm off. Noele Gordon would then have to persuade him to come back.

Sid Hooper from the garage nearly bought Villa didn’t he?

Jim Bains massive Villa fan

[Damo70]

Was worried about this one, but having read the statements from Smith and O'Kelly I am much less concerned. It seems pretty amicable, and I am guessing Shakespeare is very much the no.2 rather than O'Kelly or Terry and he is now settled in anyway. McPhee has joined the team too and cutler is still there. I am sure we will be bringing in more coaches in the next few weeks.

It is also a sign of a more ruthless and ambitious side to Smith, which he will need. Ferguson regularly changed things up on the coaching front, letting long term friend Brian Kidd go for instance and it worked out fine for him.

I seem to recall that Alex Ferguson was pretty pissed off about Brian Kidd's departure to take over at Blackburn. Especially as Blackburn had been genuine challengers to Manure for a while around that time.