Next Manager Speculation/Hopes

[pomegran]

Christ, 30m euros release for Amorim.

Football is f**king bonkers.

Personally, I think it’s more bonkers that top managers come way cheaper than top players.

More chance of you selling on a decent player than selling on a decent manager!

Good point though, teams spend 30m on a striker without blinking but hesitate to spend that money on arguably the most important employee at a football club.

[jwarry]

Rod Liddle in The Times today. Sobering

“Forty years ago Aston Villa won the European Cup - Tony Morley scampering through bemused Germans, cutting inside to Peter Withe, bingo! - beating Bayern Munich 1-0. Five years later they were back in the old Second Division, having finished rock bottom of the top flight. They had won the league championship in 1981, their first title since Edwardian times. It was only their second meaningful trophy since the 1920s too a solitary FA Cup final victory in 1957 illuminating a general postwar gloom at Villa Park.

The records show that Villa are one of Britain's truly big clubs, seven-times winners of the league, seven-times winners of the FA Cup. But context suggests that they were a really a big club only until about the conclusion of the Russo-Japanese War.

There have been plenty of spells in the second tier and one forlorn sojourn down in the third, in 1970-71 and 1971-72, since then.

I am not attempting to belittle Villa - and I have a soft spot for the side that won the European Cup under the enigmatic Tony Barton - they were packed with quality and verve, from Gordon Cowans all the way through to Gary Shaw. Nor am I suggesting that they are on a par with their various yo-yoing Midlands rivals: Villa are basically a steady top-tier team and spent 24 seasons in the Premier League from its inception until 2016, but they have won nothing of note since 1982 and the pinnacle of their achievements more recently have been top-six finishes under Martin O'Neill.

 I mention this to provide a little context regarding the sacking of Steven Gerrard, who was booted out of Villa Park last week apparently with the blessing of the Holte End. His departure followed a 3-0 capitulation to Fulham that left Villa fourth from bottom, separated from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 18th only
by goal difference.

Their progress down the table has been gentle, but hastened by draws in games that they might have been expected to win, against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, for example. Adjusting to the top flight is a difficult business and takes time: you can expect the trapdoor to beckon for the first three, four or five seasons. It is an economic adjustment as well as a footballing adjustment. During the close season Villa spent in the manner of a mid-table side, bringing in the Brazilian defender Diego Carlos from Sevilla for about £26 million, a slightly fading Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona for £17 million (who had been on loan at Villa Park since January) and the Belgium international Leander
Dendoncker. Carlos has done his achilles tendon and has played only two games for his new side, so Gerard might have claimed to have been a little unlucky. Dendoncker, meanwhile - Gerrard's third biggest signing - has been used latterly as a substitute. Villa's
problems are at both ends, but particularly in attack - only Wolves have scored fewer goals.

The forward line has been constantly chopped and changed leading some to suspect that Stevie G didn't know what his best side was. This is quite possibly true - but then I am not sure anyone knows what Villa's best side is. There are too many also- rans and never-rans in the squad - Calum Chambers, for example, who is at best a half-decent Championship-level defender.

Villa were supposed to be a brief and glorious staging post for Gerrard on his way to managing Liverpool. Is he any good as a head coach? He gained one title with Rangers during his three years there, so I would suggest that this was a promising start but that the jury is still out.

There is no great reason why a top player should become a top manager and indeed it is unusual when this happens. But I still Premier League than we have seen of late and there will be a good eight or nine clubs fighting to avoid the trapdoor and frankly - Aston Villa were always going to be among them, regardless of who was in charge. To break into the top six requires enormous amounts of money, spent wisely over several years. Villa lack the capacity for that sort of expenditure and the truth is that if you are not battling to be in the top six then you are more often as not likely to be fighting against relegation. My guess is that Gerrard's departure will leave Villa slightly less well equipped for that scrap”

[Goldenballs]

At least we seem to have tried for Poch with a big offer, rather than a half hearted low ball one. Helps reassure me that the owners still give a shit. If Tuchel, Emery etc are not interested either, then there's not a lot we can do about that.

If this dude from Lisbon isn't interested then we've reportedly worked our way through pretty much all of our top choices/suggestions on here, so it would be pretty difficult to criticise.

I'd be content with Rodgers if that's the bracket we're down to.

[PeterWithe]

That’s a pretty poorly thought out and researched article.

[ozzjim]

It is amazing that the press appear determined to overlook the wages, spend etc and just want to paint us as should have been grateful to even have Steven sprinkle his stardust. They can all fuck off. Yeah, we are not a top 6 club, but we are Aston Villa you belittling arseholes, stop trying to make out that we are fucking Wigan.

[Chris Smith]

So many inaccuracies so difficult to take it seriously.

[PeterWithe]

Silly Villa fans with ‘unreasonable expectations’. 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2022/oct/21/steven-gerrard-aston-villa-sacking-leaves-him-further-from-liverpool-destiny-than-ever

He’s right about it being a managerial graveyard though.  But I’d say part of that is because we seem to take punts on managers more than appointing genuinely great ones.

"The expecttations of villa supporters are too high" - Oh okay so because we are Villa fans we shouldn't expect decent football and improving results - what an elitist load of cack...

Aye, keep buying your expensive season tickets, keep buying your Sky Subscriptions, keep paying for the gravy train but don’t get you fucking dare expect anything back proles.

[PaulTheVillan]

No mention of the piss poor midfield. Which has been mostly a problem for 3 years

[Steve kirk]

Moyes has barely had a mention in the media or amongst Villa fans, I wonder if we could prise him away from West Ham

Hasn’t he turned us down twice already?

Not sure if that was ever confirmed but you might be right, just think in our current very worrying situation it’s worth another go, after his stock falling a long way he’s come back strongly and has proved a lot of people wrong, he  might relish the challenge that is Aston Villa

[Steve kirk]

Rod Liddle in The Times today. Sobering

“Forty years ago Aston Villa won the European Cup - Tony Morley scampering through bemused Germans, cutting inside to Peter Withe, bingo! - beating Bayern Munich 1-0. Five years later they were back in the old Second Division, having finished rock bottom of the top flight. They had won the league championship in 1981, their first title since Edwardian times. It was only their second meaningful trophy since the 1920s too a solitary FA Cup final victory in 1957 illuminating a general postwar gloom at Villa Park.

The records show that Villa are one of Britain's truly big clubs, seven-times winners of the league, seven-times winners of the FA Cup. But context suggests that they were a really a big club only until about the conclusion of the Russo-Japanese War.

There have been plenty of spells in the second tier and one forlorn sojourn down in the third, in 1970-71 and 1971-72, since then.

I am not attempting to belittle Villa - and I have a soft spot for the side that won the European Cup under the enigmatic Tony Barton - they were packed with quality and verve, from Gordon Cowans all the way through to Gary Shaw. Nor am I suggesting that they are on a par with their various yo-yoing Midlands rivals: Villa are basically a steady top-tier team and spent 24 seasons in the Premier League from its inception until 2016, but they have won nothing of note since 1982 and the pinnacle of their achievements more recently have been top-six finishes under Martin O'Neill.

 I mention this to provide a little context regarding the sacking of Steven Gerrard, who was booted out of Villa Park last week apparently with the blessing of the Holte End. His departure followed a 3-0 capitulation to Fulham that left Villa fourth from bottom, separated from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 18th only
by goal difference.

Their progress down the table has been gentle, but hastened by draws in games that they might have been expected to win, against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, for example. Adjusting to the top flight is a difficult business and takes time: you can expect the trapdoor to beckon for the first three, four or five seasons. It is an economic adjustment as well as a footballing adjustment. During the close season Villa spent in the manner of a mid-table side, bringing in the Brazilian defender Diego Carlos from Sevilla for about £26 million, a slightly fading Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona for £17 million (who had been on loan at Villa Park since January) and the Belgium international Leander
Dendoncker. Carlos has done his achilles tendon and has played only two games for his new side, so Gerard might have claimed to have been a little unlucky. Dendoncker, meanwhile - Gerrard's third biggest signing - has been used latterly as a substitute. Villa's
problems are at both ends, but particularly in attack - only Wolves have scored fewer goals.

The forward line has been constantly chopped and changed leading some to suspect that Steven G didn't know what his best side was. This is quite possibly true - but then I am not sure anyone knows what Villa's best side is. There are too many also- rans and never-rans in the squad - Calum Chambers, for example, who is at best a half-decent Championship-level defender.

Villa were supposed to be a brief and glorious staging post for Gerrard on his way to managing Liverpool. Is he any good as a head coach? He gained one title with Rangers during his three years there, so I would suggest that this was a promising start but that the jury is still out.

There is no great reason why a top player should become a top manager and indeed it is unusual when this happens. But I still Premier League than we have seen of late and there will be a good eight or nine clubs fighting to avoid the trapdoor and frankly - Aston Villa were always going to be among them, regardless of who was in charge. To break into the top six requires enormous amounts of money, spent wisely over several years. Villa lack the capacity for that sort of expenditure and the truth is that if you are not battling to be in the top six then you are more often as not likely to be fighting against relegation. My guess is that Gerrard's departure will leave Villa slightly less well equipped for that scrap”

What a pile of shit

[Meanwood Villa]

Yes our honours board is pretty woeful over the last 100 years (what a depressing sentence to write) but since when have our league cups been discounted as honours of note? Does he not count them in any teams' honours now? If he was writing a tribute to Clough or Guardiola would he be trimming their four each when talking up their achievements? Very selective in my mind.

As for his assessment of the current situation, interesting comments about the level of spending required to break into the top six. The extent to which the owners are prepared to bankroll us is the unknown here. I don't agree that it necessarily follows that we will be fighting relegation if we are not competing in the top six though. Whenever people have asked me where we should be finishing I say top half with a decent crack at 7th. That's significantly different to 17th will do and not unreasonable in my opinion.

Finally, his guess that we will be less well equipped to scrap without Gerrard. The next appointment could go tits up of course but if he'd had to watch the shite that's been served up this season he'd realise there is no rational defence for Gerrard continuing.

[Beard82]

What a load of bollocks.

So it’s our fault SG is a shit manager?

The reason we have struggled is because since Doug Ellis left we have made 1 good managerial appointment.

They wouldn’t ah e written that about Newcastle would they

[RamboandBruno]

The first few paragraphs setting the context have some truth in them, although completely misses out the SGT, BFR and Little years, when we won league cups (Spurs haven’t won anything other than this in a longer period), finished runners up a couple of times and played in Europe regularly.

The last part of the article is just sycophantic to Gerrard and is badly researched. No mention of his lack of coaching, the fact the team got worse if that was possible in his time and one of his biggest failures for me, his seeming poor man management skills and judgement (look me in the eye, McGinn captain, we’ve been trying to take the players forwards too quickly etc).

 

[Delboy Villan]

Why are people bothered about an article written by a political journalist and editor of the Spectator?

He is to football what Liz Truss is to economics.

Danks has a free pass tonight and for the first time in a year the opposition has no idea of how we will set up!

I remember 12 months ago laughing at Newcastle for appointing Howe when we got Gerrard? The toonies are laughing at us now.

Howe the manager who most thought only did any good at Bournemouth and got them relegated. Now top 6 in the League. Dyche may be what we need for a couple of seasons? Amorim is a HUGE risk! And why would Rodgers leave the club that has been very loyal to him? Same with Moyes. Any manager is a risk but the owners need to assess this and hopefully make the right choice.

[Monty]

Villa, Leicester, Everton expect not to go down at the very very very least, and have every right to sack managers who look like failing at this very basic requirement.

As to Liddle, maybe he should stick to subjects he knows better, like pushing women down the stairs