Next Manager Speculation and wishful thinking thread

[Taylor]

I guess the thing is no one knows if Gerrard will be a success or not (if it is indeed him). If he is, he’ll be first in line for the job he actually wants above all others, which is a bit shit for us in the long term. However  I don’t agree with the doubters, who question his lack of premier league experience. Plenty of managers have transferred skills from other leagues into the prem, that bloke at Chelsea for one, plus Patrick Viera is doing pretty well. By the same token there are loads of managers with plenty of PL experience who we wouldn’t want, Hodgson or even Martinez, who I don’t think is better than Smith.

For what it’s worth I thought we should have stuck with Dean, but if it is Gerrard I hope he’s brilliant. Oh, and one point, I was against John Terry coming to us but ended up being really sad when he f**ked off.

[cdbearsfan]

If it is Gerrard, he'll either come in and do well, or he won't, and he won't have the benefit of the doubt for as long as Smith did.

I just don't get it. We should be aiming far higher than giving him a chance. I think we've settled and that Smith would have done better.

I hope I'm wrong and that we win trophies, I just feel like the stories will be about him winning them, not the Villa.

If we win the FA Cup I’ll be too pissed to give a toss about what the stories are about it.

When we win the FA Cup I'll be too dead to give a toss about what the stories are about it.

[Beard82]

Agreed Risso. We are in a tailspin on the pitch.

Not one person is happy with Gerrard. I can rationalise why the board want him though. I also think he'll do well.

I don't see myself ever really liking him, but then at the same time I never saw myself tolerating Terry and he didn't put a for wrong really.

I don't think Smith would have taken us down - we are much stronger than 19/20.  Im not saying it wasn't his time, or it wouldn't have been a disappointing season, but I think we would have finished lower middle half. 

I agree we were a complete mess the last 3 games, but FWIW I think he would have found a way.

[PeterWithe]

Smith would have taken us down this season. The team was an absolute raggedy arsed shambles, the football was dismal and getting worse. The two first halves against Arsenal and Southampton were as bad as anything in the last 5 years.

At the risk of starting a pretty pointless debate he wouldn’t, as has been talked about incessantly, he went on runs, winning and losing, we have the best squad we’ve had in many years and it would have come good to finish in about the position we did last. And I can grudgingly understand why that wasn’t good enough for ambitious owners. Although subsequent events are a little more difficult to fathom.

[TonyD]

I have absolutely no idea what type of football he coaches?

[Beard82]

Smith would have taken us down this season. The team was an absolute raggedy arsed shambles, the football was dismal and getting worse. The two first halves against Arsenal and Southampton were as bad as anything in the last 5 years.

At the risk of starting a pretty pointless debate he wouldn’t, as has been talked about incessantly, he went on runs, winning and losing, we have the best squad we’ve had in many years and it would have come good to finish in about the position we did last. And I can grudgingly understand why that wasn’t good enough for ambitious owners. Although subsequent events are a little more difficult to fathom.

You put it better than I did

[Risso]

Smith would have taken us down this season. The team was an absolute raggedy arsed shambles, the football was dismal and getting worse. The two first halves against Arsenal and Southampton were as bad as anything in the last 5 years.

At the risk of starting a pretty pointless debate he wouldn’t, as has been talked about incessantly, he went on runs, winning and losing, we have the best squad we’ve had in many years and it would have come good to finish in about the position we did last. And I can grudgingly understand why that wasn’t good enough for ambitious owners. Although subsequent events are a little more difficult to fathom.

Bang wrong in my opinion.  Look at a) his record in 2021, and b) his record without Grealish. The first is just slightly over relegation form, and had Grealish for some of it. The second is nailed on relegation form. And that's before the wheels came off completely in the last 5 games. He complained about injuries, but he had virtually a full squad for the Arsenal game, and that was catastrophically poor.

[PeterWithe]

He had his four front players hopelessly out of form for the whole season so far (maybe I’m being unfair on Ings there), that would have improved and so would results.

[Ian.]

I loved Smith, but we’re talking about if he could have kept us up. Now I’m sure at the start of season we was eying Europe and not just about surviving?

[Legion]

I think his biggest mistake there was trying to play both Ings and Watkins. One or the other, not both.

[PeterWithe]

I think his biggest mistake there was trying to play both Ings and Watkins. One or the other, not both.

Amongst others but he’d have found a system that worked better and suited a strong squad. As I said, all bit redundant now.

[Risso]

He had his four front players hopelessly out of form for the whole season so far (maybe I’m being unfair on Ings there), that would have improved and so would results.

And his defence, and his midfield. Literally every part of the team was rubbish, and falling out with him and each other.

[Rory]

I think his biggest mistake there was trying to play both Ings and Watkins. One or the other, not both.

Agreed. We have two excellent leaders of the attack. Why play both? Our midfield just isn't strong enough to play two up front.

[edgysatsuma89]

It can be argued whether you think Gerrard is any good or not, he may well be, but eitherway I don't think it can be argued that the appointment (should it happen) shows any serious ambition.  It just doesn't in my opinion. I saw a clip of Simon Jordan on twitter saying we should be aiming higher than Gerrard, who may become elite but he's not there yet whereas Villa are and he's absolutely right... the tanned gob.

What I will say is I don't think he'll be anything like Houllier on the Liverpool fawning front. He doesn't give that vibe to me. It'll be the media that's the problem and not him.

I think he'll be offered the job and then it'll be up to him.

[Percy McCarthy]

Some ITK reckons it will be announced on Friday, just thrashing out the comings and goings of the back room staff.

Meh.