Next manager

[Villan82]

MON was a huge coup in 2006. I remember coming home from work to the news at about 6.30pm (we had mobiles kids but no social media in those days!).

2006 is a long time ago. I think O'Leary in 2003 was also seen as a bit of a coup, he had a good reputation at that stage due to his Leeds team. We haven't made a bold move since we signed Darren Bent in 2011.

[Allan C]

Anyone who thinks we'll get Pochettino is delusional.

I'd try for Leonardo Jardim. Did a great job at Monaco first time round and has a reputaion for improving players.

Why? Let’s not bother trying to get a top quality manager then and go for the usual suspects Allardyce, Pulis, Adkins, etc etc etc
Pochettino?? Delusional
Anchellotti?? Not really a good coach (??)
Fat Frank?? No experience
If Smith is to go, we must TRY and attract a good footballing coach or we will be back where we are now in 2 years time or sooner

[SoccerHQ]

It's finding the better managers we seem to struggle with. 

True. It's frustrating that Everton were in trouble and got Ancelotti in and now they're safe whereas we stuck with Smith. I'm sure Everton were not much better off than us at the time.

I think that's a bit unfair. Everton been established club in prem for years and spend 200m every summer seemingly so will be more attractive to a "big name." We're still trying to work our way up from first base.

The time to attract a big name manager in his prime was when we were regularly finishing 6th in the league and had plenty of international quality players in the squad. We couldn't and it's been a slippery slope downwards since.

[SoccerHQ]

I'd try for Leonardo Jardim. Did a great job at Monaco first time round and has a reputaion for improving players.

Was he the one who got the sack so Henry could come in?

Yes....and he came back to save them from relegation after Henry's abysmal tenure! Was unlucky to be sacked this season, Roberto Moreno not done much better.

Thinking about it since 2006 we could've had these managers if history had played out a little differently.....Jurgen Klinsmann (rumoured before we went for MON), Bob Bradley (linked in 2010), Solskjaer (we talked to him before settling for Lambert) Nigel Pearson and Henry!

[hilts_coolerking]

The time to attract a big name manager in his prime was when we were regularly finishing 6th in the league and had plenty of international quality players in the squad. We couldn't and it's been a slippery slope downwards since.

That's exactly right.  If Smith starts badly next season and gets canned, it'll be a fuck's sight harder getting someone good in than it would have been if he'd got canned in December.  As a club we make life so bloody difficult for ourselves.

[SoccerHQ]

MON was a huge coup in 2006. I remember coming home from work to the news at about 6.30pm (we had mobiles kids but no social media in those days!).

2006 is a long time ago. I think O'Leary in 2003 was also seen as a bit of a coup, he had a good reputation at that stage due to his Leeds team. We haven't made a bold move since we signed Darren Bent in 2011.

I was really excited when we got O'Leary. Ultimately he was a big disappointment and very annoying. O'Neill being appointed was also big news, hundreds turned up at the ground to welcome him IIRC.

[chrisw1]

Anyone who thinks we'll get Pochettino is delusional.

I'd try for Leonardo Jardim. Did a great job at Monaco first time round and has a reputaion for improving players.

Why? Let’s not bother trying to get a top quality manager then and go for the usual suspects Allardyce, Pulis, Adkins, etc etc etc
Pochettino?? Delusional
Anchellotti?? Not really a good coach (??)
Fat Frank?? No experience
If Smith is to go, we must TRY and attract a good footballing coach or we will be back where we are now in 2 years time or sooner

It's delusional as there is no prospect he would join us.  Non whatsoever.

Hope this helps.

[Allan C]

Anyone who thinks we'll get Pochettino is delusional.

I'd try for Leonardo Jardim. Did a great job at Monaco first time round and has a reputaion for improving players.

Why? Let’s not bother trying to get a top quality manager then and go for the usual suspects Allardyce, Pulis, Adkins, etc etc etc
Pochettino?? Delusional
Anchellotti?? Not really a good coach (??)
Fat Frank?? No experience
If Smith is to go, we must TRY and attract a good footballing coach or we will be back where we are now in 2 years time or sooner

It's delusional as there is no prospect he would join us.  Non whatsoever.

Hope this helps.

Your missing my point somewhat. I’m saying we should attempt to get his type of coach in rather than a bloody roll up yer sleeves type. If we think small, we will be small

[brian green]

The last top drawer manager we got was Gerard Houllier but his health failed.  Ever since then we have gone for safe pairs of hands with very bottom drawer intellects.  The ones with a bit of brain - RDM, Remi Garde, lacked the mental steel required to perform in a city widely derided for no better reason than not being that London, Liverpool or Manchester.

[ChicagoLion]

It's finding the better managers we seem to struggle with. 

True. It's frustrating that Everton were in trouble and got Ancelotti in and now they're safe whereas we stuck with Smith. I'm sure Everton were not much better off than us at the time.

I think that's a bit unfair. Everton been established club in prem for years and spend 200m every summer seemingly so will be more attractive to a "big name." We're still trying to work our way up from first base.

The time to attract a big name manager in his prime was when we were regularly finishing 6th in the league and had plenty of international quality players in the squad. We couldn't and it's been a slippery slope downwards since.

I am not sure we couldn’t, we didn’t but we were being run by idiots.

[hilts_coolerking]

The last top drawer manager we got was Gerard Houllier but his health failed.

Which was easily foreseeable it has to be said.

[Villan For Life]

Anyone who thinks we'll get Pochettino is delusional.

I'd try for Leonardo Jardim. Did a great job at Monaco first time round and has a reputaion for improving players.

Why? Let’s not bother trying to get a top quality manager then and go for the usual suspects Allardyce, Pulis, Adkins, etc etc etc
Pochettino?? Delusional
Anchellotti?? Not really a good coach (??)
Fat Frank?? No experience
If Smith is to go, we must TRY and attract a good footballing coach or we will be back where we are now in 2 years time or sooner

It's delusional as there is no prospect he would join us.  Non whatsoever.

Hope this helps.

Your missing my point somewhat. I’m saying we should attempt to get his type of coach in rather than a bloody roll up yer sleeves type. If we think small, we will be small

Wolves got Nuno whilst they were in the championship, we could attract a similar, largely unknown coach.

[algy]

It's how I'd expected season would go (relegation battle, 17th would be a massive achievement) so I'd not be ready to chuck Smith out this season, unless the dressing room's been lost beyond all hope or there's an absolutely astounding replacement lined up.

If we get relegated, I'd see if first SJM & Jack wanted hopefully to stay at Villa, and if not see if they'd be open to a 1 season loan to a PL club.

Dean Smith under no illusions that we hit the ground running, or he's gone. I'm fine with us not going from mid table in the championship to Premier League quality in 18 months, having lost most of the squad along the way. But having spent well over £100m on players, you'd expect to be up to a level where automatic promotion after 30 months in charge would be a given. 2021/22 would then be a case of staying up comfortably or he's off.

He has almost a free pass from me this season (just don't finish bottom), but that comes at the price of being clearly too good for the Championship if we go down.

[hilts_coolerking]

Wolves got Nuno whilst they were in the championship, we could attract a similar, largely unknown coach.

Indeed they did and yes we could, but we've got to spot them first and we haven't been much good at that in recent times.

[Villan82]

The time to attract a big name manager in his prime was when we were regularly finishing 6th in the league and had plenty of international quality players in the squad. We couldn't and it's been a slippery slope downwards since.

That's exactly right.  If Smith starts badly next season and gets canned, it'll be a fuck's sight harder getting someone good in than it would have been if he'd got canned in December.  As a club we make life so bloody difficult for ourselves.

The bit in bold: ain't that the truth.