Past Managers, Love or Hate?

[ventnorVillain]

I broadly agree with what most posters have said on this topic and is, in my opinion, one of the most thoughtful threads in quite a while. I am old enough to remember Vic Crowe and it ought to be remembered that the road to Rotterdam began with the rebuilding job he started. Even the team that beat Everton in the League Cup Final 1n 1977 (3 years after he left) contained 5 players who began their Villa careers under his stewardship: Gidman, Robson, Nicholl, Graydon and Little. The League Cup semi-final against Yanited in 1970 remains one of my favourite Villa memories and the football played under him was generally good. I recently re-watched the 1971 LC final against Spuds and if you hadn't known, you would never have said that they were 2 divisions above us. As good a Villa man as you could have wished for. I also think it is worth noting that no-one has left VP and gone to be conspicuously successful elsewhere since Joe Mercer in the 1960s. Perhaps this is a message of some kind from the footballing gods: Villa is the pinnacle!

[Monty]

From the ones in my supporting lifetime:

Total C-words: Gerrard, O'Leary
Clueless twat: Sherwood
Really rather bad: McLeish, Lambert, Garde, SGT Mk II, Houlier, Di Matteo, Bruce
Nearly, but not quite: O'Neill, Gregory
A nice idea, but no: Dr Jo
Some great football but I cannot forgive the choice of language: Atkinson
Heroes: SGT, Little, Smith
Divine: Emery

That's where I am overall.

Sorry but harsh on Sherwood, who gave me one of the best days of being a Villa fan in that semi-final at Wembley. And he seems quite nice.

His 'preparation' for that season was a huge factor in our shiteness and ultimate demise. Just astonishingly unprofessional and irresponsible.

[Sexual Ealing]

From the ones in my supporting lifetime:

Total C-words: Gerrard, O'Leary
Clueless twat: Sherwood
Really rather bad: McLeish, Lambert, Garde, SGT Mk II, Houlier, Di Matteo, Bruce
Nearly, but not quite: O'Neill, Gregory
A nice idea, but no: Dr Jo
Some great football but I cannot forgive the choice of language: Atkinson
Heroes: SGT, Little, Smith
Divine: Emery

That's where I am overall.

Sorry but harsh on Sherwood, who gave me one of the best days of being a Villa fan in that semi-final at Wembley. And he seems quite nice.

I won't diminish that semi-final, but 'quite nice'?! If you think thick, charlatan, spiv chancers are quite nice then I guess I agree!

[Richard E]

The semi-final win was fantastic but unfortunately it was followed by the final (I know that’s obvious, but you know what I mean.)

[Jane]

From the ones in my supporting lifetime:

Total C-words: Gerrard, O'Leary
Clueless twat: Sherwood
Really rather bad: McLeish, Lambert, Garde, SGT Mk II, Houlier, Di Matteo, Bruce
Nearly, but not quite: O'Neill, Gregory
A nice idea, but no: Dr Jo
Some great football but I cannot forgive the choice of language: Atkinson
Heroes: SGT, Little, Smith
Divine: Emery

That's where I am overall.

Sorry but harsh on Sherwood, who gave me one of the best days of being a Villa fan in that semi-final at Wembley. And he seems quite nice.

I won't diminish that semi-final, but 'quite nice'?! If you think thick, charlatan, spiv chancers are quite nice then I guess I agree!

Sorry, I was being a bit sarcastic about that bit! Still wouldn't call him a clueless twat though.

[PeterWithesShin]

How shit the final was doesn't alter how fantastic the QF and SF were. They were 2 fantastic days and always will be.

[andyh]

It’s pretty clear that there is universal agreement that Gerrard was ‘unloved’ here.

[Richard E]

It’s pretty clear that there is universal agreement that Gerrard was ‘unloved’ here.

He loved himself a lot, so that does balance it out a bit.

[Jane]

How shit the final was doesn't alter how fantastic the QF and SF were. They were 2 fantastic days and always will be.

Yep. And they will live long in the memory.

[Richard E]

How shit the final was doesn't alter how fantastic the QF and SF were. They were 2 fantastic days and always will be.

Yep. And they will live long in the memory.

I agree but if we’re assessing him as a manager overall the final does colour my view of him.

[Stu]

From the ones in my supporting lifetime:

Total C-words: Gerrard, O'Leary
Clueless twat: Sherwood
Really rather bad: McLeish, Lambert, Garde, SGT Mk II, Houlier, Di Matteo, Bruce
Nearly, but not quite: O'Neill, Gregory
A nice idea, but no: Dr Jo
Some great football but I cannot forgive the choice of language: Atkinson
Heroes: SGT, Little, Smith
Divine: Emery

That's where I am overall.

Sorry but harsh on Sherwood, who gave me one of the best days of being a Villa fan in that semi-final at Wembley. And he seems quite nice.

I won't diminish that semi-final, but 'quite nice'?! If you think thick, charlatan, spiv chancers are quite nice then I guess I agree!

Well she is married to me to be fair to her

[Pete3206]

It's ancient history now, but I still feel that Tony Barton didn't do much wrong. After a top 6 finish in his first full season, the next term was mid table (nearly made a League Cup final) and and clearly, the issue of an ageing team had to be addressed. Unfortunately, Ellis replaced him with that plank from Shrewsbury Town.

Saunders was my greatest manager and Taylor might have matched that if he'd stayed a bit longer first time round. Had some great days with Atkinson, O'Neill and Deano of course

No axe to grind with Sherwood or McLeish, just not good enough despite their best efforts. McNeill, Garde, Lambert, Di Matteo, Bruce all garbage. David O'Leary, a complete wanker.

[Villa Lew]

Eric Houghton has to be one of my favourites for giving us the FA Cup, plus Joe Mercer, who sadly suffered from ill health during his tenure, Sir Graham, BFR, Sir Brian, but top of the list has to be Sir Ron, most disliked O'Leary.

[ez]

My overriding memory of Sherwood is his team being the most wretched bunch of losers I've seen in over 40 years watching Villa. Sank to the bottom of the table early on and never moved for the rest of the season.

[Allan C]

I think if I'd have met Saunders as a kid , I would still be in counselling now ! On the Scary Manager scale no one comes near Sir Ron.

He was built like a brick shithouse. He was managing in the days when a few pints and a packet of Benson and Hedges were seen as modern elite fuelling, but he had a physique that would put Cristiano Ronaldo to shame.



Think that was from his Norwich days.

Brilliant. Fancy turning up for training with him out there!!!