Gerrard In or Out?

[Rigadon]

I think it’s too early but there are some very worrying trends appearing.
We are poor in front of goal and easy to score against.
I am prepared to give him some slack because he has inherited the same players that were underperforming for Smith but ultimately it is his job to get the most out of them. I am not sure what he can do when the 2 strikers don’t put the ball away.
The real worry is that at some point our owners will question whether or not it is actually possible to meet their ambitions with Aston Villa.
At the moment I am not sure it is because the gap between where we are and where we want to be looks insurmountable.

We were a proper centre half and a proper centre forward away from battering Spurs yesterday, who are challenging for top 4.  I honestly think people will look back on this thread and cringe a bit next season - and I say that as a poster who has done that more than once so it's not a pop. 

The goal that Son scored in the first few minutes, it was a half chance that came from a really really lucky rebound from a Kane shot that was hitting the corner flag.  Watkins, Ings?  Nah, it would've gone wide, hit the bar or a defender.  I can't remember who said it yesterday bu the spine of th team needs replacing, and if players keep on making basic errors there is nothing any manager can do about it. 

[Goldenballs]

I didn't want him and don't think he'll be successful here, but given that he is here I'd give it until the summer to see how we finish this season.

If we carry on being shite, I'd rather spend £50m giving Poch a 5 year contract than let Gerrard spend £100m to rip up the squad.

I hope we don't spend a load of money on 29-30 year old players on big contracts, Martin O'Neil style, and in time look back and wonder what might have been if we'd given that money to a proper manager.

A 'proper manager' like O'Neil?

Well no, clearly not, because he spunked away everything on older players on big contracts who we couldn't shift, which set up back miles. Then flounced off when he had to work with what he had. No squad rotation, no plan B.

[algy]

Taken it from the Smith-Lange relationship that Gerrard's job is to coach the team and identify areas where he needs better players, Lange's job is to identify & sign those players.

In which case, there's not been a massive improvement on the pitch with Gerrard compared to Smith.  Transfer window, the good is Coutinho, really, isn't it?  Cos Dean Smith could've attracted Chambers, Olsen, and quite possibly Digne.

Identifying weaknesses - he's looked at that squad and said the things we really need is (effective) replacements for Emi2, Targett, Tuanzebe, and Steer.

Of those, Tuanzebe is the only one I'm totally sold on, and that's because he left.


Will give him time, could have a very different view at the end of the season, but I'd hope the summer business is done with one eye on us potentially having a different manager in 14 months time.

[Goldenballs]

I think it’s too early but there are some very worrying trends appearing.
We are poor in front of goal and easy to score against.
I am prepared to give him some slack because he has inherited the same players that were underperforming for Smith but ultimately it is his job to get the most out of them. I am not sure what he can do when the 2 strikers don’t put the ball away.
The real worry is that at some point our owners will question whether or not it is actually possible to meet their ambitions with Aston Villa.
At the moment I am not sure it is because the gap between where we are and where we want to be looks insurmountable.

We were a proper centre half and a proper centre forward away from battering Spurs yesterday, who are challenging for top 4.  I honestly think people will look back on this thread and cringe a bit next season - and I say that as a poster who has done that more than once so it's not a pop. 

The goal that Son scored in the first few minutes, it was a half chance that came from a really really lucky rebound from a Kane shot that was hitting the corner flag.  Watkins, Ings?  Nah, it would've gone wide, hit the bar or a defender.  I can't remember who said it yesterday bu the spine of th team needs replacing, and if players keep on making basic errors there is nothing any manager can do about it. 

First half we were really good as pressing them when they tried to play out from the back, although when they did manage to get through the press they looked a bit dangerous on the break with the width they had, and we were very narrow.

Second half when they changed it and went long, we didn't change anything ourselves to counter it and looked shite. Late ineffective subs again.

[pauliewalnuts]

Here’s the worrying thing.

When we went in at half time not having taken any of the myriad chances we had in the previous 40 minutes did anyone NOT think that:

a. Conte would change their shape to nullify us.
b. It would work.
c. Gerrard would not make any changes for us until it was too late.

Totally and utterly predictable.

I’ll give him a chance but I am more and more worried we’ve got ourselves another ‘blunt instrument’ manager who just doesn’t seem to ‘do’ tactics beyond choosing some and sticking with them regardless of what he sees on the pitch.

[kippaxvilla2]

An updated version of Steve Bruce.

[Drummond]

Where's that Tim Sherwood arm waving Gif when you need it?

[wittonwarrior]

The main issue being our players are not up to the way Gerrard wants us to play - pressing for 90 mins whether going forward or defensively.  They are clearly not fit enough.  The match is over 94 plus not 45.

Gerrard was obviously brought in to bring high profile players in - needs a transfer window to show whether this can work or not. Be careful what you wish for, we don't want to turn into another Watford or Manure with rotation of managers every season

[john2710]

We need defenders who want to defend. Look at Dawson at West Ham, relegated with Albion & Watford but fights like a dog for every ball & looks streets ahead of our centre half’s. If we’d bought him people would be saying WTF.

We need 3 experienced aggressive players right down the middle of the team.

Gerrard will cast off those who can’t do the job. Judge him in 12 months time.

[Chris Smith]

Here’s the worrying thing.

When we went in at half time not having taken any of the myriad chances we had in the previous 40 minutes did anyone NOT think that:

a. Conte would change their shape to nullify us.
b. It would work.
c. Gerrard would not make any changes for us until it was too late.

Totally and utterly predictable.

I’ll give him a chance but I am more and more worried we’ve got ourselves another ‘blunt instrument’ manager who just doesn’t seem to ‘do’ tactics beyond choosing some and sticking with them regardless of what he sees on the pitch.

Your abc is exactly what I was saying at half time.

He talks a good game but he doesn’t seem able to think on his feet. You get the impression that his half time team talk yesterday was the equivalent of “brilliant lads, more of the same” instead of expecting that they would improve and to be ready for it.

He should be allowed the summer to bring in his own players to suit how he wants us to play but I think that unless there is a clear improvement fairly quickly he’ll be gone by Christmas.

My other concern is that we risk wasting the potential of our youngsters as I get the impression of a man who is more interested in experience. I hope I’m wrong.

[Neil Hawkes]

I will reserve judgement until after his summer recruitments and next seasons results.

As much as I wanted Deano to stay, his team was heading for relegation.

This is still much the same team and I'm not (yet) concerned about relegation.

Although we do need a couple of wins soon.

[LukeJames]

I thought the whole reason we had the DOF set up behind the seens was so that we decide on what kind of club we want to be and recruit players and staff around that basis. The fact it now looks like we have signed a lot of players with no real thought process behind it and then appointed a manager that needs a massive squad reset is a major fuck up by Pursow and Lange.

Edit. Probably would be more appropriate in the Lange thread.

[dave.woodhall]

I thought the whole reason we had the DOF set up behind the seens was so that we decide on what kind of club we want to be and recruit players and staff around that basis. The fact it now looks like we have signed a lot of players with no real thought process behind it and then appointed a manager that needs a massive squad reset is a major fuck up by Pursow and Lange.

And this is what I don't understand and will keep not understanding for a long time to come. I thought the days of annual personnel change were over; now it seems that philosophies are temporary as well.

[Clark W Griswold]

I think it’s too early but there are some very worrying trends appearing.
We are poor in front of goal and easy to score against.
I am prepared to give him some slack because he has inherited the same players that were underperforming for Smith but ultimately it is his job to get the most out of them. I am not sure what he can do when the 2 strikers don’t put the ball away.
The real worry is that at some point our owners will question whether or not it is actually possible to meet their ambitions with Aston Villa.
At the moment I am not sure it is because the gap between where we are and where we want to be looks insurmountable.

We were a proper centre half and a proper centre forward away from battering Spurs yesterday, who are challenging for top 4.  I honestly think people will look back on this thread and cringe a bit next season - and I say that as a poster who has done that more than once so it's not a pop. 

The goal that Son scored in the first few minutes, it was a half chance that came from a really really lucky rebound from a Kane shot that was hitting the corner flag.  Watkins, Ings?  Nah, it would've gone wide, hit the bar or a defender.  I can't remember who said it yesterday bu the spine of th team needs replacing, and if players keep on making basic errors there is nothing any manager can do about it.

Plus a proper defensive mid and we relied a lot on Coutinho for the good stuff in the first half and he’s not technically our player. So that’s an entire new spine. That’s not Gerrards fault of course but whether you (well, the owners ultimately) think he’s capable of buying the right players, getting the best out of them and getting the best out of the rest of the team around them from the players we already have to achieve a Europe qualification season next season, is the big question.

[Beard82]

I thought the whole reason we had the DOF set up behind the seens was so that we decide on what kind of club we want to be and recruit players and staff around that basis. The fact it now looks like we have signed a lot of players with no real thought process behind it and then appointed a manager that needs a massive squad reset is a major fuck up by Pursow and Lange.

And this is what I don't understand and will keep not understanding for a long time to come. I thought the days of annual personnel change were over; now it seems that philosophies are temporary as well.

Yeah I think this is the biggest concern for me - it felt like a sustainable plan, and had been paying dividends.  Now it looks like we’re going in a totally different direction and our setup seems to be wasted - recent signings discarded,  promising youth talents not given opportunities.

- I don’t see Gerrard as the man to change philosophy for