Unai Emery

[adrenachrome]

One manager who hasn't been mentioned yet in the "good" category is Vic Crowe. The long road to being English and European Champions started with the foundations he laid back in the early 70s. Gave me (and 62, 000 others) one of the great VP nights under the lights against M** U***** in the league cup semi final in 1970, almost took us to glory in the final against Spuds, despite two divisions' difference and got us promoted from the old Third Division. He helped to develop the careers of some great Villa players (Bruce Rioch and Ray Graydon, for example) introduced some wonderful young talent (Sir Brian and John Gidman were standouts) and in my opinion never gets the credit he deserves.

Good call.

Saved me typing, which is always welcome.

[dave.woodhall]

My managers in order are Saunders, Taylor, Little, Atkinson, Smith, Barton. With the passage of time I have more sympathy with Gregory, who I thought wasted opportunities but in hindsight had to deal with so many problems.

Some of the bad ones had some sort of mitigating circumstances - Turner admitted the job came too soon, Garde had no chance, Venglos was right man, wrong time.

O'Leary thought we were a stepping stone back to the big time, McNeill was using us to kill a few months before he went to Celtic and O'Neill deliberately shafted us the first time he couldn't get his own way.   

[PeterWithe]

I didn't personally dislike Gerrard, Bruce or McLeish, they just weren't very good at being football managers, all seemed decent blokes outside of that.

[N'ZMAV]

controversial pov: I think if DOL had MONs cash, he'd have done better.

[N'ZMAV]

I didn't personally dislike Gerrard, Bruce or McLeish, they just weren't very good at being football managers, all seemed decent blokes outside of that.

same.

Maybe Garde was the worst, but he was given a shit hand

[Meanwood Villa]

I didn't personally dislike Gerrard, Bruce or McLeish, they just weren't very good at being football managers, all seemed decent blokes outside of that.

I dislike Gerrard. Was a tosser as a player and is a shit manager.

Great to see Deano getting so much deserved love on here. Polar opposite to Stevie Me.

[clash city rocker]

I didn't personally dislike Gerrard, Bruce or McLeish, they just weren't very good at being football managers, all seemed decent blokes outside of that.

same.

Maybe Garde was the worst, but he was given a shit hand

With garde I think it's was a bit like him being dropped onto the titanic to save it after it had hit the iceberg.

[Meanwood Villa]

I didn't personally dislike Gerrard, Bruce or McLeish, they just weren't very good at being football managers, all seemed decent blokes outside of that.

same.

Maybe Garde was the worst, but he was given a shit hand

With garde I think it's was a bit like him being dropped onto the titanic to save it after it had hit the iceberg.

Yeah I don't hold any ill will towards Garde. Impossible job given the ownership situation at the time.

[BC Villain]

Without slating his predecessor too much, I’d suggest we’re seeing the benefits of players having had a few months of actual coaching.

Nah, feel free to slate him.

When he can look me in the eyes I will, and with gusto!

Now look, you're never going to be the best version of yourself with that attitude.

Certainly make for a few interesting moments though

[Beard82]

I didn't personally dislike Gerrard, Bruce or McLeish, they just weren't very good at being football managers, all seemed decent blokes outside of that.

same.

Maybe Garde was the worst, but he was given a shit handhttps://www.heroesandvillains.info/forumv3/index.php?action=post;quote=4327097;topic=63482.4005#

With garde I think it's was a bit like him being dropped onto the titanic to save it after it had hit the iceberg.

And all the passengers were either dead or in the sea.  He had no chance.  The only thing he can be blamed for is really bad judgment for taking the job in the first place.  The only redeeming point of his time, is Micah Richards didn't like him, which must be worth something

[algy]

Favourite/best managers for me: SGT, Atkinson, Little, Smith. They're the only ones that their time at Villa could be considered a success IMO.

I liked Gregory a lot, or at least the first 9 months were *amazing*. Think he sits someway below the big 4, someway above the others.

Then Brucie. He inherited a ramshackle side and turned it in to something that had the vague appearance of a workable side. To me, he's the Heineken* manager. Do better than Bruce, I'll probably think the manager's good. Do worse than Bruce, they're shit.

After that, there's a load of managers who I think we're basically failures but I don't harbour a graduate against. Gerrard probably sits in this group. I think he was just shit at his job rather than being an arsehole.

The only managers I've actively disliked are O'Leary and MON (post fallout). Both utter bellends. Don't need to go in to why.


* Heard it said once that you should judge all beer against Heineken. It's a solid beer, nothing wrong with it, but it's not spectacularly good. If a beer isn't as good as Heineken, it's shit. Average at best, but why would you want a beer you'd describe as average? On the other hand, if a beer is better than Heineken, it must be pretty good. Because Heineken is an above average beer, it's generally pretty nice and inoffensive, and most people won't mind if they go to a party and that's the only beer available.

[rob_bridge]

Garth's usual impeccable attention to detail:

"It was an impressive home win for Villa, who have been steadily climbing the table." We've been 11th since the first week of January! We've put a whole load of daylight between us and those below, but that's not climbing the table.

About Jacob Ramsey: "His confidence is sky high and he's scoring goals." Saturday was his first goal in four and a half months.

Garth - was he playing Ramsey at right back

[Pete3206]

Saunders was the greatest. Bombed out the big time Charlies and built great teams. League Cup 75, 77 and League Champions 81 and European Champions 82. Barton might have had the job for the back end of the 82 season, but that was Saunders team through and through.

Taylor a close 2nd for performing the miracle of getting us promoted in one season. Still convinced that any other manager would have had no chance to avoid a 2nd relegation given the absolute state the club was in.

[dave.woodhall]

controversial pov: I think if DOL had MONs cash, he'd have done better.

If a few of them had had O'Neill's cash they'd have done better.

[Drummond]

My managers in order are Saunders, Taylor, Little, Atkinson, Smith, Barton. With the passage of time I have more sympathy with Gregory, who I thought wasted opportunities but in hindsight had to deal with so many problems.

Some of the bad ones had some sort of mitigating circumstances - Turner admitted the job came too soon, Garde had no chance, Venglos was right man, wrong time.

O'Leary thought we were a stepping stone back to the big time, McNeill was using us to kill a few months before he went to Celtic and O'Neill deliberately shafted us the first time he couldn't get his own way.   

I started watching when I was 7 and moved away from the area a couple of years later. So I don't really remember much about Saunders and Barton.

I'd agree about Taylor, Little, Atkinson and Smith.

O'Neill wasted so much and the owner fucked up with giving him so much control and money.

O'Leary was just a complete waster with a shit attitude to the fans.

Bruce was a decent enough bloke, trying his best, but that was just nowhere near good enough.

McNeill was a decent enough chap with a dodgy background. Houllier made the mistake of loving Liverpool.

Sherwood was like Gerrard, completely unqualified. At least he wasn't of a very questionable character mind.

Garde was fucked before he even started with what he'd been left. Di Matteo should have stayed in Rome.

Lambert tried. Lambert failed.

I quite liked Gregory. Until the Cup Final, that was just awful and sat at his door.