Next Manager Speculation/Hopes

[supertom]

Poch would be a big yes from me. Him aside, who is out there who could really raise this side up? You've got tried and tested managers, but there aren't many out of work.
Do you then look for the progressive British manager, the next Potter? Gerrard was supposed to be that.
Do you look for the tactically progressive foreign coach? Poch is one of the better examples, but you look at the guy at Brentford, Southampton, some of the managers who've gone from Wolves lately (Lars and Santo), and the results are mixed (Frank I like, but I don't know if he's got enough to raise a club like this). We tried that with Garde and it failed dismally.

Poch represents the modern, progressive manager, who also has a track record and who is also available. He ticks every box. For me it's him, or stick with Gerrard for the time being. As important as the manager, is his backroom staff. Our coaching staff for the most part, are not fit for purpose. I'm not convinced Gary Mac isn't 10 years out of date. McPhee has been mostly useless. It's only Cutler that seems to be cutting the mustard.

[Sexual Ealing]

Do you then look for the progressive British manager, the next Potter? Gerrard was supposed to be that.

Was he?! Slightly different trajectory to their careers. One took a 4th division side into the top flight and Europe, proved himself in the Championship and then turned Brighton from a team of Burnley-lite plodders under Hughton into a stylish, comfortable PL side. He is now of course doing well towards the top of the PL and in the CL. Everything he has, he's earned, from the bottom up.

The other won fewer trophies than St Johnstone at the second-biggest club in Scotland and is visibly failing in the PL. How did he get these jobs? Well, he didn't earn them.

I can't see that they have much in common at all.

[brontebilly]

Beale close to going to Wolves according to Ornstein at the athletic

On the basis of a few months in charge of QPR...he could be the next coming of Klopp but that seems a ridiculous gamble.

[olaftab]

The other won fewer trophies than St Johnstone at the second-biggest club in Scotland and is visibly failing in the PL. How did he get these jobs? Well, he didn't earn them.

But...but why do you ignore his charisma, his pedigree, his pulling power? Just think and shudder that there is no way we would have signed the once second most expensive footballer in the world if he wasn't our manager.

[chrisw1]

Beale close to going to Wolves according to Ornstein at the athletic

On the basis of a few months in charge of QPR...he could be the next coming of Klopp but that seems a ridiculous gamble.

Yeah it's a strange one.  I woulnd't be massively surprised if he does well there - he's always been highly regarded, but it's a big gamble and not one I'd be wanting us to take.

It does show though, we invested in a package and losing Beale so early was probably a biger blow than many thought it would be.  Maybe we were a bit naive hiring a manager who was openly so reliant on his coach for tactics.

[LeeB]

Do you then look for the progressive British manager, the next Potter? Gerrard was supposed to be that.

Was he?! Slightly different trajectory to their careers. One took a 4th division side into the top flight and Europe, proved himself in the Championship and then turned Brighton from a team of Burnley-lite plodders under Hughton into a stylish, comfortable PL side. He is now of course doing well towards the top of the PL and in the CL. Everything he has, he's earned, from the bottom up.

The other won fewer trophies than St Johnstone at the second-biggest club in Scotland and is visibly failing in the PL. How did he get these jobs? Well, he didn't earn them.

I can't see that they have much in common at all.

I agree with the man I used to think looked like Adrian Chiles.

[boozey182]

I guess to be fair to Nan's Hair, that getting to a play off final was at least half decent.

I think it shows is that regardless of who the manager is, if you don't support them, they don't stand a chance.

I'm not sure that's what it shows. I think that, despite what the wider media might sometimes suggest, we are a pretty forgiving and supportive fan base. The common thinking was that we never gave McLeish or Bruce a chance because of the Blues connection, but that just isn't true. Same with managers like Sherwood, O'Leary, Lambert etc - we desperately wanted all of them to work and they had great backing form the fans. We just need something to get behind and we'll be there. Maybe it says that hiring a manager that the supporters approve of matters? But I'm uncomfortable with shifting the blame onto us for managers not doing their job - I'm probably being over defensive here.

I don't think this applies to your comment, Risso, but I have seen a lot from pundits recently about how our fans have been letting the team down recently, or that we have unrealistic expectations, or that we need to be more patient etc. We couldn't possibly understand what happens on the pitch or behind the scenes, so we just need to sing songs and clap - having paid to be there. It all just feel indicative of the way the game sees fans, like Victorian parents saw their children - great to show off our party tricks when they have people over ('listen to the atmosphere'), but they don't really want anything to do with us otherwise.

Personally, I think the fans (on here) have a pretty good record of predicting whether a manager will work or not - far better than the people who have actually been doing the hiring for the last 20 years or so.

[ez]

I reckon the new manager will be announced within an hour of Gerrard's sacking. That's kind of what they did when Grealish departed and Ings arrived.

[Risso]

I guess to be fair to Nan's Hair, that getting to a play off final was at least half decent.

I think it shows is that regardless of who the manager is, if you don't support them, they don't stand a chance.

I'm not sure that's what it shows. I think that, despite what the wider media might sometimes suggest, we are a pretty forgiving and supportive fan base. The common thinking was that we never gave McLeish or Bruce a chance because of the Blues connection, but that just isn't true. Same with managers like Sherwood, O'Leary, Lambert etc - we desperately wanted all of them to work and they had great backing form the fans. We just need something to get behind and we'll be there. Maybe it says that hiring a manager that the supporters approve of matters? But I'm uncomfortable with shifting the blame onto us for managers not doing their job - I'm probably being over defensive here.

I don't think this applies to your comment, Risso, but I have seen a lot from pundits recently about how our fans have been letting the team down recently, or that we have unrealistic expectations, or that we need to be more patient etc. We couldn't possibly understand what happens on the pitch or behind the scenes, so we just need to sing songs and clap - having paid to be there. It all just feel indicative of the way the game sees fans, like Victorian parents saw their children - great to show off our party tricks when they have people over ('listen to the atmosphere'), but they don't really want anything to do with us otherwise.

Personally, I think the fans (on here) have a pretty good record of predicting whether a manager will work or not - far better than the people who have actually been doing the hiring for the last 20 years or so.

I meant financial support from the owners, not support in the stands from the fans.

[boozey182]

I guess to be fair to Nan's Hair, that getting to a play off final was at least half decent.

I think it shows is that regardless of who the manager is, if you don't support them, they don't stand a chance.

I'm not sure that's what it shows. I think that, despite what the wider media might sometimes suggest, we are a pretty forgiving and supportive fan base. The common thinking was that we never gave McLeish or Bruce a chance because of the Blues connection, but that just isn't true. Same with managers like Sherwood, O'Leary, Lambert etc - we desperately wanted all of them to work and they had great backing form the fans. We just need something to get behind and we'll be there. Maybe it says that hiring a manager that the supporters approve of matters? But I'm uncomfortable with shifting the blame onto us for managers not doing their job - I'm probably being over defensive here.

I don't think this applies to your comment, Risso, but I have seen a lot from pundits recently about how our fans have been letting the team down recently, or that we have unrealistic expectations, or that we need to be more patient etc. We couldn't possibly understand what happens on the pitch or behind the scenes, so we just need to sing songs and clap - having paid to be there. It all just feel indicative of the way the game sees fans, like Victorian parents saw their children - great to show off our party tricks when they have people over ('listen to the atmosphere'), but they don't really want anything to do with us otherwise.

Personally, I think the fans (on here) have a pretty good record of predicting whether a manager will work or not - far better than the people who have actually been doing the hiring for the last 20 years or so.

I meant financial support from the owners, not support in the stands from the fans.

Haha! Then I definitely was being over-defensive! Sorry!

It's difficult to argue with that - every manager needs backing. Our recent managers have been very lucky with the money they've had.

[villadelph]

I guess to be fair to Nan's Hair, that getting to a play off final was at least half decent.

I think it shows is that regardless of who the manager is, if you don't support them, they don't stand a chance.

I'm not sure that's what it shows. I think that, despite what the wider media might sometimes suggest, we are a pretty forgiving and supportive fan base. The common thinking was that we never gave McLeish or Bruce a chance because of the Blues connection, but that just isn't true. Same with managers like Sherwood, O'Leary, Lambert etc - we desperately wanted all of them to work and they had great backing form the fans. We just need something to get behind and we'll be there. Maybe it says that hiring a manager that the supporters approve of matters? But I'm uncomfortable with shifting the blame onto us for managers not doing their job - I'm probably being over defensive here.

I don't think this applies to your comment, Risso, but I have seen a lot from pundits recently about how our fans have been letting the team down recently, or that we have unrealistic expectations, or that we need to be more patient etc. We couldn't possibly understand what happens on the pitch or behind the scenes, so we just need to sing songs and clap - having paid to be there. It all just feel indicative of the way the game sees fans, like Victorian parents saw their children - great to show off our party tricks when they have people over ('listen to the atmosphere'), but they don't really want anything to do with us otherwise.

Personally, I think the fans (on here) have a pretty good record of predicting whether a manager will work or not - far better than the people who have actually been doing the hiring for the last 20 years or so.

I meant financial support from the owners, not support in the stands from the fans.

Haha! Then I definitely was being over-defensive! Sorry!

It's difficult to argue with that - every manager needs backing. Our recent managers have been very lucky with the money they've had.

Lange has been very lucky, and continues to be such.

[brontebilly]

My feeling with Houllier was that it would have been a great appointment ten years earlier.  Hiring a guy with a serious health issue was concerning, high risk and, potentially, very short term.  I started doubting Lerner and his "nous" from that moment on.

Houllier pissed off a number of senior players straight away and had us in a relegation battle a season after we finished 6th. Lerner still gave him the cash to buy Bent and Makoun in Jan. If he had done that the previous summer, MON would have surely stayed. Though that model was destined to end in tears at some point.

Garde and more recently Gerrard made the same mistake as Houllier. I guess you need to pick your battles as a coach.

[boozey182]

Another piece from (Villa fan) Matt Law in the Telegraph. His second in a couple of days talking about Pochettino, but this is certainly more 'opinion' than a strong link. It's nice to see us being talked up a bit in the press though. (or will it make Sean Dyche's appointment all the more depressing?)

MATT LAW
FOOTBALL NEWS CORRESPONDENT
19 October 2022 • 3:17pm
Matt Law
Mauricio Pochettino – Aston Villa would be lucky to get Mauricio Pochettino – but it works both ways

It took less than an half-an-hour for the social media account of a publicity-hungry betting company to provide their own take on the news that Aston Villa will make an ambitious bid to try to tempt Mauricio Pochettino back to management in the Midlands.

On Twitter, Paddy Power posted a message that read: “According to reports, Aston Villa are ready to ask Mauricio Pochettino if he fancies rejecting the chance to join them.”

Even the most ardent supporter of a claret and blue persuasion might have raised a smile and yet the subject of whether or not Pochettino should even consider Villa has so far split opinion with former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan claiming he would be “bloody lucky” to manage the club.

Pochettino has spent the last six years of his management career in the Champions League with Tottenham Hotspur, who he took to the final, and Paris St-Germain, in charge of the likes of Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

It will not just be those at Paddy Power who believe the smart money is on Pochettino telling Villa ‘thanks but no thanks’ and yet it might not be quite that straightforward for the 50-year-old.

So why on earth should Pochettino even consider jumping back into management at Villa if Steven Gerrard, who is facing a critical few days starting at Fulham on Thursday night, is sacked?

There was a timely clue that came to light on Wednesday, when it was revealed that co-owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens injected a further £15.5 million into the club’s accounts. That means, since their takeover in July 2018, Villa’s ambitious owners have pumped around £375 million into the club and there is more investment to come with the planned expansion of Villa Park.

As reported by Telegraph Sport, Sawiris and Edens are adding more football clubs to their portfolio, which Villa will sit at the top of, with a Las Vegas franchise that is awaiting entry into the MLS and talks being held with a number of European clubs. Two academies are being opened in Africa.

Whether or not Villa’s multi-club plans would be of much interest to Pochettino is not known, but Sawiris and Edens are not acting like owners who will react to almost 12 months of on-pitch stagnation under Gerrard by losing interest or turning off the tap.

Quite the contrary and it is interesting that Sawiris is expected to lead any process to replace Gerrard, even though decisions will continue to be made collaboratively between him, Edens, chief executive Christian Purslow and sporting director Johan Lange. 

Outside those not backed by sovereign wealth or competing in the Champions League, Villa are one of the few clubs that may well be prepared to pay Pochettino around £10 million-a-year with £100 million to immediately start spending on transfers.

That is almost twice what Gareth Southgate is paid as England manager and would put Pochettino into the top bracket of Premier League earners.

Potentially even more important for the Argentine, he may also find Villa so desperate to land him that he could effectively ask for the keys to the club – something he was never granted at Spurs, despite his success, or PSG.

Ignoring the league table, Villa could effectively offer Pochettino what he has always wanted in terms of money and power, while Gerrard has set the bar so low in terms of results that even a relatively small short-term upturn would have the club’s fans eating out of his hands.

Villa’s supporters can be an unforgiving bunch, just ask Steve Bruce who was having a cabbage hurled at him during the same season that finished with Pochettino leading Tottenham out in the Champions League final. But they are crying out for a new messiah since the departures of Jack Grealish and Dean Smith, and the arrival of a manager of the calibre of Pochettino would quickly shift the onus back on to the players and eradicate any excuse culture that may have developed within the squad.

With the backing of Sawiris and Edens, plus 42,000 fans behind them, Villa is a club waiting to take off but also one that cannot afford to drift for too much longer.

Perhaps the most pertinent question Pochettino would have to ask himself is just what exactly would he be waiting for if he turned down Villa? The Chelsea and Manchester United jobs have already passed him by, and it is hard to predict where the next big six vacancy might come in England with his old club Tottenham planning to open negotiations with Antonio Conte over a new contract next month.

Juventus might be the first big European job to become available, but Italian clubs rarely appoint foreign managers and the pulling power of Serie A is not what it was with the Turin club struggling to qualify past the group stages of this season’s Champions League and already facing a fight to qualify for next season’s competition.

Winning in Italy would certainly restore and enhance Pochettino’s reputation, just as it did for Conte, but finishing second or third with a club like Juventus would undoubtedly be viewed as failure.

Pochettino will consider himself at least an equal to Thomas Tuchel, but the German’s Champions League success with Chelsea may put him higher on the shortlists of clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich if any of the super-clubs decide to make a change, either during or at the end of the season.

Make no mistake, in their current predicament, Villa would be extremely fortunate to get Pochettino. But Jordan is also right in the sense that whoever manages one of English football’s most famous clubs can count themselves “bloody lucky” – no matter where they might have worked before.

[Dave P]

I want to see the following soon, regardless of the result against Fulham.

1. Club statement including the words 'relieved of duties'
2. The betting showing Poch at 1/6 with the next candidate being 4/1 or higher.
3. Dwight Yorke on SSN bemoaning the fact he wasn't called.
4. Poch's cuddly face beaming in Castore tracksuit (not Wolves) as he stretches a shirt.
5. Cazoo sales in Argentina sky rocket due to this publicity.

[SamTheMouse]

Say what you like about the Telegraph, they're doing their best to persuade Poch to join us!