Gerrard In or Out?

[ROBBO]

I think some of us are missing one of the reasons for his appointment. We are far more likely to attract top players to the club with him as manager, If as i suspect Coutinho signs on then it sends a signal that he has bought into Gerrards plan giving even more impetus. I'm not saying that he is or will be a great manager but without doubt his name gives the club greater exposu

I think some of us are missing one of the reasons for his appointment. We are far more likely to attract top players to the club with him as manager, If as i suspect Coutinho signs on then it sends a signal that he has bought into Gerrards plan 
giving even more impetus. I'm not saying that he is or will be a great manager but without doubt his name gives the club greater exposure.

Isn't it insulting to the club to say that despite all the advantages we have - rich owners, big support, potential - we can only make decent signings because a former well-known player is our manager? It seems to go against everything we stand for.

Isn't it insulting to the club to say that despite all the advantages we have - rich owners, big support, potential - we can only make decent signings because a former well-known player is our manager? It seems to go against everything we stand for.

I don't see it that way, while we celebrate our history it means nothing to young players looking for medals and glory.

[olaftab]

I think some of us are missing one of the reasons for his appointment. We are far more likely to attract top players to the club with him as manager, If as i suspect Coutinho signs on then it sends a signal that he has bought into Gerrards plan giving even more impetus. I'm not saying that he is or will be a great manager but without doubt his name gives the club greater exposure.

errr...NO. This makes us the Club sound small time.  Coutinho is an error state. The  guy had hardly played any football for the best part of two years and needed to go somewhere where he  could play every week in order to cement his place in the Brazilian world cup squad. Quite simply he found a willing friend.

[Villan82]

League table since Gerrard took over. Ninth.
AVFC Statto link on twitter.

This is a totally superfluous  and tiresome stat. There is nothing to suggest Dean Smith would not have achieved similar  results.

We averaged less than a point a game under Smith and lost 7 of our 11 games. We also were very poor through the calendar year. But, whatever.

[MattW]

League table since Gerrard took over. Ninth.
AVFC Statto link on twitter.

This is a totally superfluous  and tiresome stat. There is nothing to suggest Dean Smith would not have achieved similar  results.

Strong disagree. We looked entirely bereft in the Southampton loss. The players looked disillusioned. It was difficult to envisage the next win, let alone 10.

Check out the starting XI, bench and subs in that Southampton game. We were listing badly.

[dave.woodhall]

I think some of us are missing one of the reasons for his appointment. We are far more likely to attract top players to the club with him as manager, If as i suspect Coutinho signs on then it sends a signal that he has bought into Gerrards plan giving even more impetus. I'm not saying that he is or will be a great manager but without doubt his name gives the club greater exposu

I think some of us are missing one of the reasons for his appointment. We are far more likely to attract top players to the club with him as manager, If as i suspect Coutinho signs on then it sends a signal that he has bought into Gerrards plan 
giving even more impetus. I'm not saying that he is or will be a great manager but without doubt his name gives the club greater exposure.

Isn't it insulting to the club to say that despite all the advantages we have - rich owners, big support, potential - we can only make decent signings because a former well-known player is our manager? It seems to go against everything we stand for.

Isn't it insulting to the club to say that despite all the advantages we have - rich owners, big support, potential - we can only make decent signings because a former well-known player is our manager? It seems to go against everything we stand for.

I don't see it that way, while we celebrate our history it means nothing to young players looking for medals and glory.

And they're going to get that because our manager is well-known?

[Smithy]

League table since Gerrard took over. Ninth.
AVFC Statto link on twitter.

This is a totally superfluous  and tiresome stat. There is nothing to suggest Dean Smith would not have achieved similar  results.

There is nothing to suggest Dean Smith WOULD have achieved similar results.  And I say that as someone who didn't want him sacked at the time, and who STILL holds a romantic notion that he could have turned it around.  Yes, he could well have turned it around.  He might have done so. I actually still think if we'd held on against Wolves when 2-0 up with ten minutes to go, he'd still be our manager today - BUT, after that defeat, we too often looked like a broken side. Something wasn't right. Something had to change.  I didn't want it to, but I reluctantly admit it had to.

Gerrard wasn't my first choice - far from it - but our points per game is almost 40% better since he joined, and though we haven't had any of the 'stand-out' memory-making results we got under Dean (yet), he has probably just about met my expectations so far (which were pretty low to be fair).

All that said, he has my 100% backing for the summer transfer window, and into next season.  If we reach Christmas and still look no better than a club battling for a top half finish, then it might be time to ask questions.  But not yet.

As for the "high profile managers attracting the players" stuff, I don't take that personally - it's always been the way of things.  It's nothing new.  Reputations DO count for something.  I don't take it as a slight on the club at all.  It's no different to having good high-profile players, other good players want to play with them.  If having Gerrard makes it even a tiny bit easier to attract top talent, then great.

[coreyfeldman]

League table since Gerrard took over. Ninth.
AVFC Statto link on twitter.

This is a totally superfluous  and tiresome stat. There is nothing to suggest Dean Smith would not have achieved similar  results.

League tables are superfluous? Given how shite we've been for 25 years I might get on this train.

[eamonn]

Deano's games in charge this season were harder than Gerrard's so its not a fair comparison.

[Risso]

And they're going to get that because our manager is well-known?

I don't think there's any one factor that makes a player want to sign. Money, contract length, chance to win something, international ambitions, style of football, who the manager is, where the club is geographically, likely playing time are all some of the factors that a potential transfer target will take into consideration, and those factors' relative importance will differ from player to player. Gerrard's profile will be a potential factor to some players, but that will only last so long. If it helps sign players like Coutinho in the short term though, it's hardly a bad thing.

[ChicagoLion]

And they're going to get that because our manager is well-known?

I don't think there's any one factor that makes a player want to sign. Money, contract length, chance to win something, international ambitions, style of football, who the manager is, where the club is geographically, likely playing time are all some of the factors that a potential transfer target will take into consideration, and those factors' relative importance will differ from player to player. Gerrard's profile will be a potential factor to some players, but that will only last so long. If it helps sign players like Coutinho in the short term though, it's hardly a bad thing.

The problem is that most Agents are focused on money.

[Smithy]

Deano's games in charge this season were harder than Gerrard's so it's not a fair comparison.

I thought that too, from memory and gut feel, but Dean's 10 games were against the sides now placed:

12th
13th
19th
6th
16th
3rd
7th
4th
8th
5th

That's an average league position of 9.3. Just 0.7 places harder than 'average' over those 10 games.  Yes, the five-game losing run was tough, given it was against five of the top 8, but if we'd done better in the previous five, I suspect he'd still be here.  Also, Gerrard gets to play the runaway top two twice each in his 28 games (and I suspect he'll lose all four btw).

[Chris Smith]

We were an average PL team last season. We are an average PL team this season. Comparing minutiae of decimal points per game are fairly meaningless given the number of variables in play.

Gerrard will be judged on how his team perform from August onwards. He’ll have his own players in and the opportunity to get his ideas across during pre-season. On evidence to date I couldn’t guess one way or the other how that will pan out.

[Chris Smith]

Deano's games in charge this season were harder than Gerrard's so it's not a fair comparison.

I thought that too, from memory and gut feel, but Dean's 10 games were against the sides now placed:

12th
13th
19th
6th
16th
3rd
7th
4th
8th
5th

That's an average league position of 9.3. Just 0.7 places harder than 'average' over those 10 games.  Yes, the five-game losing run was tough, given it was against five of the top 8, but if we'd done better in the previous five, I suspect he'd still be here.  Also, Gerrard gets to play the runaway top two twice each in his 28 games (and I suspect he'll lose all four btw).

I’ve been thinking about the recently and I have a suspicion that it was always in the owners long term thinking to install a more high profile manager once we had established ourselves. The poor run of results just gave them the opportunity to implement their plan.

[Drummond]

My gut feeling is that Smith had to cope with losing Ratboy and the introduction of the new players, who then were injured/unavailable/not settled in, and it was taking time. They were all then fitter and more available when Gerrard came in. As players have been out, he's also struggled, but to a lesser extent.

As for the 'what if' scenario, it's pointless because we'll never actually know. Gerrard needs support and a couple of players (as did Smith) such as the fabled Defensive Midfielder (or two), and I think with the players we have, we should be doing better. It's a big jump to the top 6 places, but that's where we should be aiming.

[dave.woodhall]

Deano's games in charge this season were harder than Gerrard's so it's not a fair comparison.

I thought that too, from memory and gut feel, but Dean's 10 games were against the sides now placed:

12th
13th
19th
6th
16th
3rd
7th
4th
8th
5th

That's an average league position of 9.3. Just 0.7 places harder than 'average' over those 10 games.  Yes, the five-game losing run was tough, given it was against five of the top 8, but if we'd done better in the previous five, I suspect he'd still be here.  Also, Gerrard gets to play the runaway top two twice each in his 28 games (and I suspect he'll lose all four btw).

I’ve been thinking about the recently and I have a suspicion that it was always in the owners long term thinking to install a more high profile manager once we had established ourselves. The poor run of results just gave them the opportunity to implement their plan.

I'm convinced they wanted to get rid first opportunity they had.