villabromsgrove

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.

Unfortunately, he did not rate him above Heskey Its swings and roundabouts with kids though, and i still think fonzie has what it takes. When you say desire, do you mean the self belief within himself? The Fonz has got plenty of self belief but at the moment he doesn't for whatever reason stay involved in the game for long enough, he seems happy for the game to pass him by for extended periods then he will suddenly burst into life. Contrast that with Weimann who is a pain in the arse to defend against because he will be in your face full time and muscling his way around while throwing himself at half chances.

Whether or not it was deliberate the result is the same. I'm guessing that from what we know about Mon's character he will be deriving a certain amount of satisfaction from the fact that Villa may struggle for a while due to the timing of his resignation. What is it you know about O'Neill that leads you to believe he would be deriving pleasure from our current predicament? I've followed Mon's career for almost 40 years, and I've got a lot of time for him as a unique personality. In answer to your question the facts are: He is an Olympic champion at holding a grudge and he has a considerable ego. If he wished us well then it would be through clenched teeth and with his fingers crossed behind his back.

Whether or not it was deliberate the result is the same. I'm guessing that from what we know about Mon's character he will be deriving a certain amount of satisfaction from the fact that Villa may struggle for a while due to the timing of his resignation.

I'm sure MON thinks he timed it perfectly. Exactly - deliberately leaving when we had no other options to fall back on. In any other line of work if you leave without giving your notice period its a serious disciplinary issue. Can you be sacked for doing so? :?

Am I the only one that thinks Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clark are a possible option given our current circumstances?

Gerard Houllier has the credentials but I would question whether he now has the energy and the drive to survive the constant grind that is modern day premiership football. His style of play can be effective but I remember it as being unenjoyable and more than a bit negative.

If KM has a role to play then I hope it is as part of a partnership. Zola, Clark. KM. Sven, Tord Grip, KM. etc.

Fixed. Thanks Gareth, I thought for one horrible moment that someone was dissing our Marc! :shock:

Man C are not going to loan players to clubs that are above them in the league.

I really don't see us poaching a manager current employed by another club. That would appear to rule out Moyes, Jol and Hughes.The fact that he says twice that he says it as a fan and that, in uppercase, he emphasises that it is not a criteria, means to me that it would appear to rule out absolutely nobody. He's also speaking as Randy's surrogate dad. If Randy were to make an appointment of a disloyal money chasing deserter, he'd be over the General's knee for six of the best. If the General keeps posting with more of these character insights we can fleece the bookies like a bunch of dodgy pakistani spot betters.

I really don't see us poaching a manager current employed by another club. That would appear to rule out Moyes, Jol and Hughes.

What manager wouldn't want to join a team in the top four of the Premiership? We'd better get a new manager before we play our next game in two weeks time while we are still a top four proposition. (just in case we have another wobbly)

At the beginning of the transfer window I said I would be happy if we didn't sign anyone but managed to keep Milner. I'm still relaxed about the future even though JM has sadly gone. If we can get some good coaches in then the likes of Delph, Ireland, Gardner, Albrighton etc. can begin to fit into a potentially very talented midfield. It's certainly the most relaxed transfer window I can remember.

The problem with that is that we are currently missing five senior coaches. Four months is too long for our temporary coaching arrangements to survive without cracking up under the strain imo.

My own low key favourites would be Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke. It would mean that we could keep Kevin Mac in the loop and gain a couple of exceptional coaches as well. Maybe we would also need to appoint someone like Frank Arneson as director of football administration. I know that it appears that we need a strong manager at this moment in time, but it could also be argued that our biggest need is for a team of top quality coaches to work with the current Villa players as it looks like there will be no new players coming in. Zola's agenda is to improve the skills of his players by good coaching on a day to day basis.

Yet they could with Kevin if he took over briefly until the right manager came along. People were saying give it Kevin until January or the end of the season. I think you're right that the combination could work in the short term, but I got the impression from the General today that they want to appoint "The Man" for the long term Villa future.

Yes IMO. Not a lot of players coming through the academy have made it as players for Villa. I'm not saying it's bad but there's always room for improvement. We should strive to make our academy as good as, if not better, than Barcelona's and Ajax's. I know it's not likely but we should try our best to improve. I don't disagree with you mate. I do think though that JK is using the youth set up improvement to hawk himself for any available jobs, including Villa's. That said, all managers need a selling point I suppose. I'm not convinced with Klinsman. Bringing through one youth player takes years of commitment. Klinsmann wouldn't be at Villa for long enough imo.

Klinsmann has always given me the impession that football is a hobby and his real passion is life in the sun with his family. Our club cannot afford a brief love affair with JK just until he is ready and loaded enough to resume his Californian idyll.

What we really need is to get our well paid players to bust a gut for Villa. If we can do that we'll be alright.

I agree with you about Joachim Low's imput in Klinsmann's German team, also JK doesn't fit the criteria that the General has just mentioned. (it's 15 years since he last played in the premiership)

Jol is the stand out target because he's not had a break from managing and managing well. Can we get him from Ajax? If he was considering Fulham then he would jump at the chance to manage Villa. It just comes down to our willingness to pay a huge compensation package. If Randy thinks he's the right man for the job he will pay what it takes imo. EDIT: Would you rather spend the money on a has been striker like Keane or use it to secure the services of Martin Jol?