Next Manager Speculation/Hopes

[Beard82]

It seems strange that there is such a look of talk about it while SG is still in a job

The reality I still think there is a really good chance that we get 4 points from the next 2 games - and then hell argue a corner has been turned.

I feel a bit sorry for him - its not his fault hes shit and it cant be great knowing everyone wants you gone

[TonyD]

Can’t feel sorry for a chancer getting paid millions to do fuck all and then millions more to leave.

[Goldenballs]

I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest. He didn't ever come across as a nice guy as a player, and the whole 'Look me in the eye' nonsense was pathetic. And he'll get paid £15m for being shite if/when we sack him.

[Mister E]

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?)
...

Interesting that it mentions Sawiris as leading the recruitment process: I wonder whether this a shift away from it being led by Purslow or Lange? - if so, I wonder what Purslow will make of that?

[TonyD]

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/premier-league-clubs-squad-value-compared-to-league-position-arsenal-tottenham-fulham-and-newcastle-the-big-overachievers-as-liverpool-aston-villa-and-everton-well-adrift-gallery-view-3885733

[Beard82]

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?)
...

Interesting that it mentions Sawiris as leading the recruitment process: I wonder whether this a shift away from it being led by Purslow or Lange? - if so, I wonder what Purslow will make of that?

I heard that Sawiris handled the JG transfer - so I wonder if there are certain things he does.  Clearly Purslow has played a big part in identifying SG before though

[Beard82]

I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest. He didn't ever come across as a nice guy as a player, and the whole 'Look me in the eye' nonsense was pathetic. And he'll get paid £15m for being shite if/when we sack him.

Im not saying he isn't a dick, and I wish he never graced the dugout of our great club - but he has tried what he thinks is right.  Its just a shame hes shit

[algy]

Poch would be a huge appointment, on a par with BFR to my mind.

Managers I was genuinely excited about us appointing (started taking a proper interest in Villa the season SGT started in his first stint):
- Big Fat Ron
- Martin O'Neill

Managers I thought could work out:
- Dr Jo (I was young and naive..)
- Sir Brian
- O'Leary
- Lambert
- Garde
- Gerrard
- Deano*

Managers I thought would be crap:
- Gregory
- SGT mark 2
- Houllier
- McLeish
- Tactics Tim
- Di Matteo
- Bruce**

* Bit unfair on Smith. I was chuffed that we appointed him. He massively exceeded my expectations, and has to be up there as my favourite Villa manager.

** Bruce also exceeded expectations, I guess, and I ended up liking him more than I thought I would. He stayed a few months longer than he ought to have, but given the state the club was in at the time I thought it was both totally understandable why he was kept on, and he did the right thing by not leaving us at that point.

[LeonW]

I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest. He didn't ever come across as a nice guy as a player, and the whole 'Look me in the eye' nonsense was pathetic. And he'll get paid £15m for being shite if/when we sack him.

Im not saying he isn't a dick, and I wish he never graced the dugout of our great club - but he has tried what he thinks is right.  Its just a shame hes shit

I think the key thing there is, right for whom. Whatever misgivings people had about Smith, he always put what was right for Aston Villa first.

[Beard82]

I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest. He didn't ever come across as a nice guy as a player, and the whole 'Look me in the eye' nonsense was pathetic. And he'll get paid £15m for being shite if/when we sack him.

Im not saying he isn't a dick, and I wish he never graced the dugout of our great club - but he has tried what he thinks is right.  Its just a shame hes shit

I think the key thing there is, right for whom. Whatever misgivings people had about Smith, he always put what was right for Aston Villa first.

I think he tried to do what he thought would bring Villa success in the short-term - properly what his brief was - and for him he hoped it would bring him his dream job. 

He was here to get results - he tried to do it - he was too inexperienced, shit or both for that to happen

[Risso]

I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest. He didn't ever come across as a nice guy as a player, and the whole 'Look me in the eye' nonsense was pathetic. And he'll get paid £15m for being shite if/when we sack him.

Im not saying he isn't a dick, and I wish he never graced the dugout of our great club - but he has tried what he thinks is right.  Its just a shame hes shit

I think the key thing there is, right for whom. Whatever misgivings people had about Smith, he always put what was right for Aston Villa first.

Surely that applies to every manager at every club. They all want to be successful, so why would any of them do what they considered not to be the right thing?

[LeonW]

I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest. He didn't ever come across as a nice guy as a player, and the whole 'Look me in the eye' nonsense was pathetic. And he'll get paid £15m for being shite if/when we sack him.

Im not saying he isn't a dick, and I wish he never graced the dugout of our great club - but he has tried what he thinks is right.  Its just a shame hes shit

I think the key thing there is, right for whom. Whatever misgivings people had about Smith, he always put what was right for Aston Villa first.

I think he tried to do what he thought would bring Villa success in the short-term - properly what his brief was - and for him he hoped it would bring him his dream job. 

He was here to get results - he tried to do it - he was too inexperienced, shit or both for that to happen

I have no problem with Villa not being Gerrard's club. We know it's Liverpool. Just in the same way that Norwich isn't Smith's club. I'd also have no problem with Gerrard being successful at Villa and then heading to Liverpool at the first possible opportunity because again, I think the majority of Villa fans accepted that would come with the territory of taking him on as manager and if he'd been successful enough to get the Liverpool job from Villa, he'd have been doing some things right.

What I have a problem with, is that first and foremost, Steven Gerrard is putting himself first ahead of the football club that he's employed by. That he's been allowed to do so is a related point as to Purslow's culpability for the current situation. We've seen this in a number of ways:

* increasing the age profile of the squad. I think a number of Villa fans would agree that more experience was needed, but Gerrard is clearly mainly focused on  ready made players now, who require less coaching, less management and are less likely to make mistakes but of course, will have a lower ceiling to improve. And that's because Gerrard is in a rush to get to where he wants to be quicker. Again, that could be in Aston Villa's benefit if we have success but it could also leave us saddled with older players on longer contracts and a reduce ceiling for improvement.
* reduced development of young players in the first team, even when we  probably should have given them a chance with injuries and first teamers not performing. In the league cup at Bolton, that could have been an opportunity to give Archer and others development time. Again, I want Villa to win trophies, so wasn't unhappy to see a strong side. But it was clearly also about job preservation at that point for the manager to get a result. Did we really need to buy Dendoncker when we could have given young Tim some game time?
* the current football we're being served up is terrible and low risk football. Chelsea was better but what we're getting isn't good enough, is a deviation from what was done before but is about the manager preserving his job first and foremost at the expense of the players, the supporters and the image of the club.   The comments about Chelsea coming to VP and winning at a canter I very much read as perception management outside of VP at the expense of the supporters and the club which get behind the team and are the club. 

[gpbarr]

Had a good convo with a Spurs ST holder this morning (old buddy of mine) about Poch - he really talked him up, got Spurs playing some really free flowing football, was willing to mix it up, brought in some great players (Son, Trippier, Ali, Ndombele etc) and got them to a CL final. Said he’d be a very marquee signing for us - I agree.

Refuse to get too excited though. Unbelievably Gerrard is still here and knowing the Villa, we will end up appointing Pulis to save our bacon!

[LeonW]

I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest. He didn't ever come across as a nice guy as a player, and the whole 'Look me in the eye' nonsense was pathetic. And he'll get paid £15m for being shite if/when we sack him.

Im not saying he isn't a dick, and I wish he never graced the dugout of our great club - but he has tried what he thinks is right.  Its just a shame hes shit

I think the key thing there is, right for whom. Whatever misgivings people had about Smith, he always put what was right for Aston Villa first.

Surely that applies to every manager at every club. They all want to be successful, so why would any of them do what they considered not to be the right thing?

No, there are differentials. Some are prepared to work to longer term goals which benefit the club rather than themselves and for which they don't necessarily see the ROI on during their tenure. Building a club, a long-term culture and youth set up, etc. It's why when some managers leave they leave the club in a better situation then that which they inherited and why others leave a complete car crash of a situation. The prevalence of FFP is also a factor here in terms of decisions made and for whose benefit.

[Risso]

No, there are differentials. Some are prepared to work to longer term goals which benefit the club rather than themselves and for which they don't necessarily see the ROI on during their tenure. Building a club, a long-term culture and youth set up, etc. It's why when some managers leave they leave the club in a better situation then that which they inherited and why others leave a complete car crash of a situation. The prevalence of FFP is also a factor here in terms of decisions made and for whose benefit.

Well transfers are in the main the preserve of Purslow and Lange. Did you see Dean Smith object to the purchase of Danny Ings for example? As for the purchase of Dedoncker when he could have played Iroegbunam. We'd bought Kamara, and so Tim was allowed out on loan. Obviously nobody knew that Kamara was going to get a serious injury, but that was just unlucky. Just about everybody on here has said we made a mistake in not letting Keinan go on loan when he was younger, but now we're doing that with players like Tim I, it's a mistake?