Fazilla

Yeah ask west brom fans what they think and take it as gospel.

Ignore what mk dons and chelsea fans say though. They dont have a clue.

Ridiculous.

If he is that good why aren't Chelsea appointing him?

OH GOD! the mirror reporting that RDM is in pole position to be Villa manager, yet do not back the statement with any tangible evidence!! No to RDM. If not AVB id settle for Gus Poyet

If RL is seriously considering RDM over all the other plausible candidates he deserves torture.

I'd take Gregory over RDM, no contest.

I don't quite get all the negativity towards RDM.

He's only 41 and just won an FA Cup and the Champions League. At West Brom he had a very good first season, getting promoted to the Premier League, followed by a good start to his second season (winning Manager of the Month for September). He then hit a difficult patch, which will be expected with any young manager (see AVB for example) and was harshly fired.

He made some good signings for West Brom such as Odemwingie with the kudos of just having won the Champions League should be able to hire some.

All this was playing attacking passing football, contrary to the myth that seems to appeared about him playing negative football (from people who have only watched the Barcelona and Bayern matches). He certainly wasn't playing defensive football when beating Napoli 4-1 or beating QPR 6-1.

Is he really that much of worse appointment than Poyet or indeed OGS. Given time he could turn out to be an excellent manager.

There is alot of negativity towards RDM because many of us have friends who are Albion supporters. I remember when he was sacked how pleased they all were. If he is not good enough for Albion and Chelsea, he is not good enough for us.

He did well at Chelsea but once a team gets on a roll they motivate themselves. Villa is an entirely different proposition and I don't think he is up to the task.

OH GOD! the mirror reporting that RDM is in pole position to be Villa manager, yet do not back the statement with any tangible evidence!! No to RDM. If not AVB id settle for Gus Poyet

If RL is seriously considering RDM over all the other plausible candidates he deserves torture.

I'd take Gregory over RDM, no contest.

I am afraid this is the sort of appointment you get when your chairman and side kick know **** all about football.

I am fuming because of all the rumours flying around, this has a horrible feeling of being true. RL ought to go and ask a few Albion season ticket holders what they think about RDM.

OH GOD! the mirror reporting that RDM is in pole position to be Villa manager, yet do not back the statement with any tangible evidence!! No to RDM. If not AVB id settle for Gus Poyet

If that is true RL and PF are going for their hatrick of crap appointments.

Hi guys, newbie to the site but have watched from afar for many months.

I want to throw something out there. Not its one anything and fully aware of the possibility for me looking a fool, but I have something interesting for you to think about/discuss/rip the p etc etc.

AVB signed his contract with Chelsea on 22nd June 2011. Hewas sacked 4th March 2012. Chelsea paid 13m compo to take him from Porto which was on that years accounts. It is widely acknowledged at AVB is still currently on the Stamford Bridge payroll so is it possible that they are seeing out the first 12 months of his contract before paying off the remainder(in this years accounts) that being he case, AVB is effectively not available for further employment ( due to a probable contract clause until after 23 June 2012)

Now I know this is a long shot, but would this not tie in with MM comment about this dragging on bait and also explain with things are so obviously quiet.

As I say, not itk, and possibly not the best way to introduce myself to the forum with a speculative punt, but hey, you only live once!!!

Plausible explanation of things. When AVB's agent stated that AVB was after a longevity and looking for a "project" Randy and Faulkner should have got on the phone like a shot because this ties in with their "vibrant dynamic" statement. He is out of the Liverpool role, and if his agents comments are true, then AVB's employment prospects fits in nicely with our ethos for the future. If Mcleish was the 19th highest paid manager in the world, then AVB should settle for something the same. Was he earning more than that at Porto? Leaving Chelsea, having not done so well, one would expect not to have the same level of wages. If he is interested in the Roma job, will not be as high as the villa job. I think AVB will be a perfect fit for the Villa! He is the only manager who will excite the crowd, after OGS!!

Really can't see AVB wanting to come to Villa. Having won things with Porto I think he will want to go to aclub with a chance of success, hence why he is interested in the Anderlecht job.

Although JG was great for us when he first arrived, his record towards the end was poor. In addition he made possibly the worst signing in our history.

Negative:

We have to wait for Liverpool and their merry bunch of dickheads to appoint someone before greedy agents take a breath and look at the Villa vacancy. As deluded as Liverpool fans are they still have the global presence and money to just about keep them in with elite football clubs of this world - although that is in danger of changing if they carry on as they have been.

Positive:

Once Plop have got their manager there is only us and West Brom needing a manager in the world's best league. We may have suffered in terms of status and PR since MON left but we still have the brand, fanbase, youth, infrastructure and finances to make us a half decent proposition. Granted we have fallen further than any would like to admit but there is a fine line between success and failure and it wouldn't take too much to turn us round.

Meh?:

I would be surprised if any of the Premiership's new guard or out of work old guard are that high up the list. I think an up and coming manager from a league or two down or abroad is more likely. We are not going to attract AVB or Guardiola, FSW probably thinks he should be managing a top four team, Lambert and Rodgers are strangely loyal to their clubs, Martinez has been brainwashed by Whelan into thinking he is a top four manager so even if he doesn't go to Anfield i think he will stay at Wigan rather than go to us, you never know though.

Poyet and Clarke would be good in my book.

You have to ask yourself why Clark was sacked by Huddersfield. If their board thought that he was not good enough for them, I can't see how he would be good enough for Aston Villa.

Poyet, on the other hand, is a much more interesting proposition.

I waited until McLeish was sacked before I re-newed. I await with interest and impatience as to who our next manager will be. Oh, if only Sir Ron was only 40 years younger.

To be fair there is a difference between Nazism/Fascism.

Sorry I do Politics & IR so it's hard not to be pedantic about this.

I hope you have not got any deadlines to meet on your assignments as you seem to be spending rather alot of time on VT.

If we remove the 'big 3' for the purpose of finding a new list, I'd say these 4 in this order of preference, though I'll admit to only having a very basic knowledge of how Paciencia goes about his work.

Ranieri

Paciencia

di Canio

Poyet

This also assumes Moyes & AVB are non-starters. They'd be above those 4 if they were a remote possibility.

Sure that's not reverse order?

Exactly what I was thinking without the young, vibrant tinkerman.

I know this has been alluded to already, and tbh, I've resigned myself to the fact it's a lost cause, BUT, could the situation be a massive smokescreen for OGS?

We fly the guy over for talks, moldes owner gets wind, goes nuts, OGS states to the owner he wants to leave, owner doesn't want to stand in his way but insists on time in getting replacement, we agree, keep everything on the quiet and this is where we find ourselves, lacking direction supposedly in no rush and linked to everybodyand nobody.

Anyone???? No????

Wishful thinking I am afraid.

I have a horrible feeling that this is going to end terribly like last year and we get someone like mcarthy

We should not be considering managers who have been recently sacked and deemed not good enough for other clubs.

That should rule out the likes of Bruce, McCarthy and Benitez.

We need to be looking for young up and coming managers like OGS, Martinez or Poyet.

We should also be considering the whole of Europe. I don't know enough about European football to give an informed opinion, but RL and PF should. The trouble is after their last two appointments I reckon their football knowledge is very poor. Most Villa fans could have told them that there were better opinions. Why do you think Liverpool got rid of Houllier, same reason as Benitez - he had lost the plot.

I have a horrible feeling that this is going to end terribly like last year and we get someone like mcarthy

We should not be considering managers who have been recently sacked and deemed not good enough for other clubs.

That should rule out the likes of Bruce, McCarthy and Benitez.

We need to be looking for young up and coming managers like OGS, Martinez or Poyet.

We should also be considering the whole of Europe. I don't know enough about European football to give an informed opinion, but RL and PF should. The trouble is after their last two appointments I reckon their football knowledge is very poor. Most Villa fans could have told them that there were better opinions. Why do you think Liverpool got rid of Houllier, same reason as Benitez - he had lost the plot.

Last 12 WBA games from oldest to most recent

LWLLLLLLWLDL

The above also includes going out of both cups to lower league opposition (Ipswich & Reading).

That is why he was sacked and most Albion fans were delighted.

Di Matteos record since taking the reins at Chelsea

FA - Birmingham (a) 2-0w

PL - Stoke (h) 1-0w

CL - Napoli (h) 4-1w a.e.t.

FA - Leicester (h) 5-2w

PL - Man City (a) 2-1L

PL - Spurs (h) 0-0d

CL - Benfica (a) 1-0w

PL - Villa (a) 4-2w

CL - Benfica (h) 2-1w

PL - Wigan (h) 2-1w

PL - Fulham (a) 1-1d

FA - Spurs (n) 5-1w

CL - Barca (h) 1-0w

PL - Arsenal (a) 0-0d

CL - Barca (a) 2-2d

PL - QPR (h) 6-1w

PL - Newc (h) 2-0L

FA - Liver (n) 2-1w

PL - Liver (a) 4-1L

PL - Bburn (h) 2-1

CL - Bayern (n) 1-1 4-3 pens

How about his last 12 games for Albion?

Glenn Hoddle is today's mover then

No, no, no. He was a right prat at Wolves and the players did not like working with him. I would prefer Eileen.

Remember the Euros starts June 8th, that also means a lot of players are busy and will have a small vacation after the euros --> less time to negotiate (players wanting to wait til after the euros, agents busy and also wanting to wait, clubs also) and prices inflates if players do well and so on.

We need big changes, players need replacing, time might be important...

I dont want to hear that "yeah, but the players had so little time with the team during pre-season" again.

You're assuming we're going to be signing players who are involved with the Euros?!

I've got it on good authority that we're signing Jermaine Defoe.

Lock up your daughters.

RDM interested in job according to The Sun.

I would be very disappointed if we appointed RDM. Yes he has done very well at Chelsea, but why do you think they do not want to keep him on or why did WBA sack him?

I know a number of Albion season ticket holders who do not rate him.

I also know quite a number of Baggies ST holders and they, to a man, were delighted to get rid of RDM - seen as a joke Manager and not just by the fans, the players didn't rate him either.

RDM had success at Chelsea for who he wasn't, not for who he was.

They hated AVB with a passion at Chelsea - that is evidenced by many of the comments made in subsequent interviews with players - where he is often referred to as "the other guy".

Anybody who took that role on would have been more successful than AVB, especially someone who only a few years ago was playing with half the players and has such a history with the club.

Cheslea rode their luck in both the Semi and the Final of the CL but, fair play to them, they won it. Now look at their league form........

But for a missed penalty they would not have even been playing CL football next season.

RDM - not for me thanks.

My fear is that RL and PF will be blinded by the success that RDM has had at Chelsea and not what he did at WBA. I have little faith in their ability to get the man we need after their last two appointments.

RDM was just what Chelsea needed, but we need somebody to build the club up. Matinez, Lambert or Poyet would be able to do that much better tham RDM.

RDM interested in job according to The Sun.

I would be very disappointed if we appointed RDM. Yes he has done very well at Chelsea, but why do you think they do not want to keep him on or why did WBA sack him?

I know a number of Albion season ticket holders who do not rate him.

According to Neil Moxley of the Daily Mail we are back in for Martinez in competition with Liverpool. Dave Whelan will love telling his man how shit we are and not to chose us.

Erm, has an all Danish dynamite duo of Michael Laudrup and Martin Laursen been mentioned yet?

No, but I like it.

I am beginning to feel that GMAC is going to be our new manager. Wouldn't be my choice, but I would take him over Grayson & Big Mick. That doesn't say a lot. He did do well with the few games he had in charge. Maybe it could work. Hardly inspiring though, but I have a feeling GMac is Lerner's

I'm sure Richard, James and Stephen will be delighted to see the return of GMAC.

I've got a bad feeling this. I really do not trust RL or PF to make a good appointment. I fear for another very dull season ahead! Let's hope he pulls something unexpected out of the bag!

As long as its not Steve Kean and paying compensation for him.

The sad thing is. The managers we keep failing to land - arent even proven and by no means guaranteed to be succesfull.

Im fully prepared for Grayson or Southgate. Anything better - a bonus. Anything worse - God help us

Adrian Durham on Talksport reckons that Ian Holloway and Villa are a perfect fit. Perhaps he would be prepared to manage a half arsed club that used to be famous.

Despite the outrage on VT of Holloway's comments, it seems a reasonable description of us to me.

The way we are going it might not be such a daft shout.

ps perhaps we can ask Harry if he has any mates with a coaching badge

I would prefer Holloway to the likes of Bruce, McCarthy, Megson. At least he would kick some arse.

The sad thing is. The managers we keep failing to land - arent even proven and by no means guaranteed to be succesfull.

Im fully prepared for Grayson or Southgate. Anything better - a bonus. Anything worse - God help us

Adrian Durham on Talksport reckons that Ian Holloway and Villa are a perfect fit. Perhaps he would be prepared to manage a half arsed club that used to be famous.

Despite the outrage on VT of Holloway's comments, it seems a reasonable description of us to me.