Where Did It All Go Wrong....

[Mister E]

Personally, I think the whole recruitment/coaching set up has been the downfall. It’s always seemed to me that this group of people has been forced upon each other, possibly against individuals wishes, however they shut up and got on with it because in pretty much every case it was the best opportunity they’d ever get.

Now, as it is clear that is isn’t working it’s unravelling and it won’t be long before fingers are being pointed and we may start to hear stories that we probably rather wouldn’t, which will sour what was a brilliant (albeit very short) chapter for the club.

The big question now is, what do the owners do to put things right, and quite frankly, who do they trust to make these calls? By this I mean our CEO.  This next decision is a very big one.

Yep,Des.
We can talk about MON and the subsequent 'decade of dashed dreams', but right now we are where we are because we prepared poorly for the return to the top flight. For which Purslow has to take ultimate responsibility.
I wouldn't necessarily want him to go, since he seems to know the football establishment, and that is really important. But he does need to make some bold decisions about who should be given the role to sort out all the issues about the players, coaching and tactics ... i.e. new manager, new coaching staff, new recruitment process, etc.

[Mister E]

And, I'd add:
When you see how much we spent on Trez and Jota (for example), why the hell did we not give RHM and COH a place in the squad and play them? They can't have been any worse! and in fact may well have been very good.
And, seeing Lansbury holding a squad place all season boils my blood.
There have been some fcukin' weird recruitment decisions!

[David_Nab]

Personally, I think the whole recruitment/coaching set up has been the downfall. It’s always seemed to me that this group of people has been forced upon each other, possibly against individuals wishes, however they shut up and got on with it because in pretty much every case it was the best opportunity they’d ever get.

Now, as it is clear that is isn’t working it’s unravelling and it won’t be long before fingers are being pointed and we may start to hear stories that we probably rather wouldn’t, which will sour what was a brilliant (albeit very short) chapter for the club.

The big question now is, what do the owners do to put things right, and quite frankly, who do they trust to make these calls? By this I mean our CEO.  This next decision is a very big one.

Yep,Des.
We can talk about MON and the subsequent 'decade of dashed dreams', but right now we are where we are because we prepared poorly for the return to the top flight. For which Purslow has to take ultimate responsibility.
I wouldn't necessarily want him to go, since he seems to know the football establishment, and that is really important. But he does need to make some bold decisions about who should be given the role to sort out all the issues about the players, coaching and tactics ... i.e. new manager, new coaching staff, new recruitment process, etc.

I'm at the point where I want Purslow /Suso and Smith gone. Purslow talks well but at the moment  all his talk has been hot air , we have not competed in this league well enough and his appointments and decisions with recruitment are a big part of the problem.

[Brazilian Villain]

That cringey interview Purslow did with Smith just after the Play Off final hasn't aged especially well, particularly the bit about the comparison with Norwich.

I'm going against the grain here but there's still a nagging doubt with me about Purslow. Speaks a good game and clearly competent given his employment record. Still haven't put my finger on it but even little things like him interjecting "100%" when Dean said his favorite goal was Jack's away at Rotherham. Just let the manager talk about football matters.

[Brazilian Villain]

Not marketing ourselves properly in the 90s when we were finishing in the top 4, winning cups and consistently in Europe. This coupled with Doug selling 5 years too late in my opinion is where it all went wrong. More specifically would be want could have happened if we had signed a better option that Collymore for £7 million when we still had Yorke.

Agree with that 100% although you could be ultra cynical and say that when it comes to the "modern football" era not being founded in London.

[CT]

That cringey interview Purslow did with Smith just after the Play Off final hasn't aged especially well, particularly the bit about the comparison with Norwich.

I'm going against the grain here but there's still a nagging doubt with me about Purslow. Speaks a good game and clearly competent given his employment record. Still haven't put my finger on it but even little things like him interjecting "100%" when Dean said his favorite goal was Jack's away at Rotherham. Just let the manager talk about football matters.

BT showed quite a long clip yesterday of Smith clearly talking tactics in the tunnel with Purslow.

[Risso]

That cringey interview Purslow did with Smith just after the Play Off final hasn't aged especially well, particularly the bit about the comparison with Norwich.

I'm going against the grain here but there's still a nagging doubt with me about Purslow. Speaks a good game and clearly competent given his employment record. Still haven't put my finger on it but even little things like him interjecting "100%" when Dean said his favorite goal was Jack's away at Rotherham. Just let the manager talk about football matters.

Pitarch has some nice shoes though.

[tomd2103]

Was speaking to someone this morning who is close friends with someone who works in the administration side of things at Villa in a fairly senior role I think.  She said she had spoken to her friend on Friday who had said that it had been a tough week as the players contracts had been sorted and that people were getting nervous that we might get relegated.

I did say to her (jokingly) to tell her friend that many fans were getting nervous about getting relegated in December, yet nothing was done about it. 

[tomd2103]

That cringey interview Purslow did with Smith just after the Play Off final hasn't aged especially well, particularly the bit about the comparison with Norwich.

I'm going against the grain here but there's still a nagging doubt with me about Purslow. Speaks a good game and clearly competent given his employment record. Still haven't put my finger on it but even little things like him interjecting "100%" when Dean said his favorite goal was Jack's away at Rotherham. Just let the manager talk about football matters.

BT showed quite a long clip yesterday of Smith clearly talking tactics in the tunnel with Purslow.

They mentioned in the commentary as well that Dean Smith had been having an in-depth conversation with Pursliw in the tunnel about the changes he had made.

Remarked to the person I was watching it with at the time that that sounded a bit ominous. 

[Brazilian Villain]

That cringey interview Purslow did with Smith just after the Play Off final hasn't aged especially well, particularly the bit about the comparison with Norwich.

I'm going against the grain here but there's still a nagging doubt with me about Purslow. Speaks a good game and clearly competent given his employment record. Still haven't put my finger on it but even little things like him interjecting "100%" when Dean said his favorite goal was Jack's away at Rotherham. Just let the manager talk about football matters.

Pitarch has some nice shoes though.

Glad to hear he buys his shoes in Northampton and not our players. How are his watches?

[Risso]

That cringey interview Purslow did with Smith just after the Play Off final hasn't aged especially well, particularly the bit about the comparison with Norwich.

I'm going against the grain here but there's still a nagging doubt with me about Purslow. Speaks a good game and clearly competent given his employment record. Still haven't put my finger on it but even little things like him interjecting "100%" when Dean said his favorite goal was Jack's away at Rotherham. Just let the manager talk about football matters.

Pitarch has some nice shoes though.

Glad to hear he buys his shoes in Northampton and not our players. How are his watches?

Didn't notice I'm ashamed to say.

[Nii Lamptey]

Dean Smith getting Villa promoted, was the equivalent of him punching way above his weight.

I've said it time and time again that Smith didn't get us promoted, Jack did. Someone else mentioned the same thing on a thread here the other day too. Prior to Jack's return from injury, we were on a dismal run, winning 2 games from 14. If a manager can't get more than 2 wins out of 14 with the squad we had in the Championship, no matter which player is out, there should be alarm bells ringing somewhere surely?

I swear if we hadn't got promotion, we'd have lost Jack in the summer, and with Smith at the helm, we'd be nowhere near the promotion spots this season. Jack basically carried him. At this level, his limitations have been found out - Nowhere near good enough! Christ, even Brentford are better since he left!?

Starting to question Purslow too. He talks a good talk, but any footballing man can see that we're only heading in one direction - Doesn't appear to have the balls to do what's best for the club. And as for the appointment of this Suso guy - Who the fuck? We could have got Maupay with change instead of Wesley for one. That alone is unforgiveable.

Can't even bring myself to watch the remaining games - ESPECIALLY against the best football club in the world™ next weekend. Enough stress to deal with in these times, without that bunch of fucktards adding a little bit on top for good measure.

Why can't we get it right... just once. That's all we ask?

[Risso]

In think if you put Grealish, McGinn, Mings and Abraham in any Championship side, they'd be fancied for at least a play off spot.

[Nii Lamptey]

In think if you put Grealish, McGinn, Mings and Abraham in any Championship side, they'd be fancied for at least a play off spot.

Any team with just McGinn, Mings and Abraham should too, but we were a million miles away from it without Jack.
Dean Smith Tactics 101 - 'Give the ball to Jack and hopefully he'll bale me out, cos this management team doesn't have a fucking clue'.   

[ChicagoLion]

There is an argument with those 4, building a team to stay up should not be an impossible challenge.