villabromsgrove

Moyes has said the usual things in response to a predictable question. When asked similar questions in the past his answer was accompanied by an adamant statement that he would not be leaving Everton anytime soon. That went unmentioned this time. Could it be the right time to make him an offer he can't refuse. Moyes would be my first choice, Coyle would be an intriguing but more risky appointment, and although I never thought I would here myself say this, how much has Steve McClaren improved as a manager and a coach by working abroad?

The best teams appoint the best available manager regardless of nationality, they also buy their players on the same basis. To employ on a zenophobic basis would be the equivalent of trying to swim the channel in lead boots!

Wrong thread.

I've been a big fan of David Moyes since his days as manager of Preston when he had them playing out of their skins! I also think that Owen Coyle could produce a Villa team that would be well worth watching, and I'm fairly sure that Paul Lambert would be effective as a Prem manager. However my first choice given a swift and full recover by GH would be to sit back and watch Gerard implement his "summer of change." He's done a lot of the painful preparation for this already, and he's taken a hell of a lot of flak for both his own mistakes and also situations which arose from our previous incumbent. I would love to see a fully fit Houllier having got rid of the naysayers and dead weight, starting next season with his own football philosophy firmly in place and 24 fully fit and focussed players ready to die for the Villa cause.

"Foreveryoung" has just said that the players aren't good enough for GH's football. I think his comment is spot on. I hope that we survive this season so that GH has time to buy the players he clearly needs in order to play his kind of football successfully.

I'm quite excited about this. Now, where's this Adam bloke? Get him in! UTV!!!!

Agreed, Randy will continue to back Houllier. We may well have been a few points better off by now if we hadn't had a crippling injury list, and also if GH and our senior players had pulled in the same direction from his arrival. There are signs that Mon's shadow and influence is finally beginning to recede and the signings of Walker and Makoun indicate that GH will make positive changes when he is able to. I believe that we will stay in the Premiership (just!).

Players like Albrighton and Bannan are aware that unless they bust a gut every time they get the opportunity there might not be a next time. Delfouneso has been told how good he is too many times, and recently he's looked as if he seems to think erroneously that his reputation will get him to where he wants to go. Hopefully he will now look at MA and BB and realise that if you want it, you've got to be prepared to die for it.

It's because he's persevered with Mon's idea of trying out ASH in the second striker role. You can't knock him for that because it takes a few matches to see if it's going to work. SI was played deeper rather than the alternative which was to leave him out.

I'm afraid that you're right. There is a definite increase in posting for effect and an increasing number of posters get a kick out of being confrontational. I can only assume that having tasted blood with the current demise of General Krulak that things may get worse before they get better. Still VillaTalk has survived crass behaviour in the past and I guess that they will get bored eventually. Back on topic GH would not have been in my top three, but If he's appointed he has my full support. One thing's for sure Phil Thompson's language will warm up Bodymoor Heath this winter if he joins GH, PT is passionate about his football.

He's two years older than me and I'm knackered. Still, good luck Gerrard. I'm off to manage my six a side team now (we've just won the league) and then I'm going to the old Chicago Rock venue in Redditch at 8pm to watch my son's rock/punk band play (if you're local come along and support The British Kicks!) There's life in old dogs and If GH needs any help from a younger man then I'm up for it!

If Houllier turns out to be our new manager I will of course support him, although I hope we are looking for more than GH currently offers. He is a fairly nervous individual who tends to reflect his careful character in the football his team plays. Well prepared and well organised but just a little bit fearful when it comes to having a go. I'm basing my comments on GH 5/6 years ago and he may have changed in the interim. However the fact that he is technical director of football in France at a time that football there is imploding is no real recommendation either. The fact though that he is currently technical director allows a comparison to be made with Howard Wilkinson who was the FA's technical director until 2002. He returned to the Premiership with Sunderland in 2002/3 and got them relegated in what was an embarassing and disastrous season.

If Houllier were appointed manager rather than DoF, what coaches would he bring with him? Given that we are currently short of 5 senior coaches it would have been one of my major questions to Gerard if I'd been interviewing him.

This is how I see it. Now that we've sold Milner we need Reo's strength. He's not a great player but he's a strong player.

Every manager gets sacked and is unemployed at some point. Unfortunately, the first month of the season is the absolute worst possible time to be looking for a new manager. You're right, it's not good timing but that's the position we're in and we can't afford to be too PC about it.

Isn't he like 6'2"? That's on the tall side, at least. Young enough to perhaps grow a little more, too. The OS have got his height wrong he is 5ft 10 ins on tip toes. He may grow a bit more of course.

i believe the club have previously said that they dont want someone who is already employed at another club, therefore there is no-one they would be interested in who wouldnt be available for an interview. I know that the General made that point, but I don't really understand the business ethics attached to that view. If we want a to buy a player then we approach his current club during a transfer window, the rules are clearly in place. There isn't a transfer window for managers and all the best managers by definition are gainfully employed. It is a business matter, and even if the timing is unfortunate we have to do the best for our club even if it affects another club. We are in a managerless position unintentionally, but we still have the stature and financial muscle to solve this problem by correctly pursuing the best currently employed target, as well as considering those candidates currently out of a job. Imo we have probably been in contact with representatives of both Moyes and Jol.

The problem with going through the kind of interview list process that Randy is currently undertaking is that if the right candidate isn't available for interview we may well end up settling for second best, as this kind of process may be deemed a failure without an appointment. I hope we have also approached clubs for permission to talk to a manager of the right calibre and offered appropriate compensation. If we were unable to gain access to the "right" manager, I would rather we continue with KM and buy in some coaching help, while patiently waiting for the right manager to "make" himself available.

not saying you are wrong at all, but at some point we have got to make our choice. we cant have young and exciting as well as proven and experienced. we cant criticise mon for only ever buying average solid players from england and then complain about a manager with a reputation for taking gambles on unknowns from abroad. in fairness to houllier, the pressure on him at liverpool was a lot higher than it will be at villa. he was scared of losing becasue despite having finished second in the league and winning a bag full of cups he was still being criticised because they hadnt won the league. I believe that Houllier has the experience and the contacts to do some kind of a job at Villa. My concerns are purely personal as I like to watch reasonably entertaining football and I hope to see our youth brought through as and when they are ready. I know that my point of view is not necessarily a winning formula, but I would love to see what our current crop of players could achieve with a couple of seasons of really positive leadership and some quality coaching.

Two criticisms levelled at Houllier during his final years at L'pool were that his team was set out so negatively that it played with a fear of losing rather than a desire to win, and that he didn't integrate youngsters which caused friction with the academy. It looks like there is a chance that Houllier may be our next manager, if so I hope he has had a rethink about how to play football in the Premiership. I have to say that I found watching L'pool boring under GH. Leopards don't change their spots do they? Especially 63 year old leopards.

I've watched the match again and it really was a backs to the wall team effort. NRC was a part of that so he gets as much credit as the rest of the team from me.

I can see a case for KM to be given the nod to continue as first team coach. Someone like Houllier could be appointed on a short term contract as a football administrator who could advise and mentor KM. If there was an outstanding candidate like Moyes or Jol being approached then that would be be a preferred option. In the absence of good candidates we might need to make an interim decision that will not be too expensive to change if and when an outstanding candidate becomes available.

NRC is still our player and can still do a job for us. He might run out of ideas in and around the box but apart from that he has an influence when we need to tough out a game. Who knows, if he plays regularly and gets his full confidence back he could be a key player for us this season.

Yes a very good point..one that I was discussing with someone a few days ago also. Makes you wonder if MON has something else lined up in the background as a reason for them all to walk doesn't it? Bingo... methinks MON had a nod & a wink that he and they are up for England job once Capello goes! I can't wait for the day! "Martin O'Neill has announced his squad for this weeks England international, the ELEVEN players are ...."

You're right, and Luke Moore was almost as quick as Gabby on the few occasions that he could be bothered to sprint. Well done to Gabby for making the most of himself. LM was a lazy big headed so and so who expected the rest of the reserves to do his fetching and carrying for him.