Alec

That Guardiola seems like quite a pleasant chap. Probably won't amount to much though.

How is that anything to do with the Premier League? Are we now praising talents on lower leagues? Is that how low we've fallen? It's all relative. If we are to evaluate him as a prospective candidate then you can only look at what he has done so far - and within the scope of the roles he's had he's done a very good job under some very tight restrictions. We can then judge whether this demonstrates an aptitude to push on and deliver results at a higher level where the brief from his employer will be different to those he received at Swansea and Wigan. The fact that the guy has accomplished a good deal more than others have at the age of 37 perhaps is an indication that he is a special talent and has given Mr. Lerner the motivation to look at why and how he has been able to do what he has done and whether he could translate that at Aston Villa where expectations will be different. Rather than a sign of 'how low we have fallen', it's probably evidence of a highly experienced Chairman and CEO looking beyond the obvious headliners at who may actually be best for the job in the long-term. I'm not saying that Martinez is the best choice or even my preferred option, but there are very good footballing reasons why we should be considering him as an option.

Absolutley - Randy is after a Yes Man - thats why Hughes has been discounted so quickly - he wouldn't be Faulners Puppet like RM will be. Yes Men? Puppets? Is that how it works at Aston Villa? Some of these comments beggar belief. We criticise the tabloid press for spouting rubbish but they've got nothing on some of our own fans.

Weve had the applications, it seems to be something we are telling them, that is turning them off. And i dont believe we turned Maclaren down because he was unpopular with the fans..... So was Houllier, and the board were prepared to stand by him for another couple seasons :winkold: Houllier may have been unpopular but he didn't attract quite the same level of vitriol as we saw toward McLaren this week. Even if he had, the board would have been sensible to conclude that having gone down that road once they weren't going to stick their necks out again quite so soon unless they really believed the man was worth that kind of commitment in the face of such overwhelming hostility. I really don't know what we are telling the candidates, if in fact we've actually said anything directly to any of them. It seems that all of the most likely have been 'contacted' or 'sounded out' but none have actually made it to an interview yet. It even sounds as though Villa haven't yet had the chance to 'persuade' Martinez contrary to Whelan's assumption that the interview has already taken place and that we are still gearing up for it. To be honest, this is what is frustrating me most now - the club has proved highly adept at keeping things very close to their chest but clearly the likes of McLaren, Benitez and now Martinez have been pinpointed as legitimate candidates. That they have since been dismissed before an interview has even taken place - or that we are still waiting to speak to Martinez having been granted permission - whilst the list of possibles continues to shorten, whether it be by offers at other clubs (in the case of Jol) or publicly ruling themselves out (as we are led to believe in the case of Ancelotti) or us supposedly declaring that we are not interested (in the case of Hughes), leaves me wondering if the club actually has as tight as grip on the situation as we think/hope. I find Faulkner's statement this morning slightly worrying because it reads as though they are still some distance away from announcing anything. It could just have been in response to the fact that the Martinez story came out last night and there is something tangible to respond to but I just don't know. What I do know is that the longer things drag on - and I appreciate that it is only a week since Houllier's exit was confirmed - then the uncertainty will grow. Because the media don't seem to have any more of a clue than we do, it's essentially becoming open season for the press to portray the club in negative terms, and if nothing were to materialise from the Martinez link, they will go to town on the fact that we couldn't entice an unproven manager from a much smaller club. I realise that I'm falling into the trap of condemning the board for sins yet to be committed but I can see where the tabloid press is going to take this, not to mention the more reactionary supporters among us, if things aren't resolved relatively soon. And it's worth remembering that there is only just over a week to go before supporters lose the option of applying for the interest-free credit option on any season ticket purchase - and it seems evident that a lot of fans are hedging their bets until the situation becomes clearer.

I think I would be far more concerned if Martinez turned us down than the fact that we were considering a younger, more inexperienced manager. Whatever loyalty he may feel toward Wigan and Dave Whelan, there's no doubting the huge difference in the size of Wigan and Villa and this is one of those cases where the job should be selling itself if the man in question has serious ambition. If Villa genuinely believe he is our man and we fail to persuade him - if he really needs persuading - given all that we can offer, serious questions would then have to be asked.

Martinez would be a genuinely intriguing choice on the part of Mr. Lerner if he ultimately decides to go with him - and I think a lot of people from outside of the club will be watching with great interest too. I've written before that I really like the guy and have a lot of respect for how he has aquitted himself at Wigan. Throughout some pretty dark times last season, he never laid the blame at the feet of his players, many of whom were guilty of some glaring errors, or officials, who on several occasions made decisions that went against them in favour of 'bigger' opponents, and resolutely stuck to the footballing principles he believes in. Obviously, one could argue that this smacks of naivete as much as strength of character, and probably the biggest reservation Villa fans will have is just how much steel he can bring to both the job and a defensive backline that at times last season looked as shaky as Wigan's. But looking at the bigger picture, what he has tried to do at Wigan in just two years has in many respects been nothing short of revolutionary. It's one thing to introduce a new style of play at a club like Villa as Houllier attempted but another entirely at Wigan. For all of the accusations of Martin O'Neill's dogmatic reliance on a one-dimensional, counter-attacking approach with little in the way of a Plan B, Houllier still inherited a group of players with much to offer. Given the awkward nature of many of last season's performances, Villa fans naturally - and quite rightly - summised that even the more subtle changes toward a more possession driven style of play were proving a challenge to implement. One can only imagine the challenge Martinez faced when attempting to introduce his ideas on a team that had until his arrival offered little variation on a basic kick and run philosophy dictated by meagre resources and little hope of attracting any 'name' talent. It was more than simply changing a style of play, it was changing the entire culture throughout the playing and coaching structure. That he has kept Wigan in the Premier League, albeit by very narrow margins, is an achievement that in many respects may be more impressive than the more comfortable mid-table finishes they had achieved under Paul Jewell and Steve Bruce. Yes, it has undoubtedly been a risky strategy - and one must wonder how long it can realistically work if the team are unable to move beyond where they are now - but you have to respect the sheer boldness in even trying to compete in this fashion with so little to work with. Likewise, the same principles he instilled at Swansea now look to have been rewarded by the work Brendan Rogers has done since taking over, building upon the platform laid by Martinez. For those saying his track record is not good enough or has been unsuccessful, it has to be evaluated in relative terms. Over the course of a very short career as a manager, he has arguably achieved as much as is humanly possible within the scope of the roles he has taken. Of course, one of the things that people always say about Wigan is that you never know what you are going to get; the well-organised, tactically astute, attractive football that is able to pull off the most unexpected of results or the listless, defensively fragile soft touch against whom the more ruthless of oppositions can run up cricket scores. That kind of unpredictability will not be accepted at Villa and Martinez will find he has to deliver consistency a lot faster than the latitude shown at Wigan afforded him. But for those Villa fans that yearn for a 'total football' approach and fantasise about us someday emulating the Barcelona or Arsenal style of play, that drills these principles in to every facet of the club's infrastructure and paves the way for sustainable improvement in which a modern, technical way of thinking is applied throughout, then Martinez may emerge as the most likely and realistic candidate. What his appointment will require from us as supporters is patience and an inclination to examine how he will try to go about achieving this. The good news is that in many ways the club has been 'primed' for such a manager to take over by the tribulation of Houllier's year in charge and the squad is almost certainly in better shape to be receptive to this than it was in the immediate aftermath of O'Neill's departure. What concerns me more than anything is how he will fare in the transfer market. This will be the first time he has had anything approaching a sizeable budget to work with and so is almost entirely unproven when it comes to identifying players at this level. It is also impossible to know exactly what kind of 'pull' he will have in terms of attracting ambitious players - and the same goes for persuading our better current players to remain at the club. Any manager taking over now faces a very busy summer and intense pre-season as there are still a number of players whose status at the club is uncertain (Warnock, Ireland, Beye, arguably Dunne and Collins) and key positions that look decidely lightweight in the wake of recent departures (Friedel, Reo-Coker), not to mention the issues surrounding Ashley Young and Stewart Downing. There will be little or no allowance for 'easing' in to the job and these are just a few of the problems requiring immediate attention that will make for an immense step up for someone such as Martinez. The fact that he may be willing to take all of this on may, in and of itself, point to a character that is made of far sterner stuff than outward appearances suggest. If Martinez does prove to be Mr. Lerner's choice, it will be a brave and, in its own way, ambitious move - a signal of intent to deliver a highly desirable style of football that could take us beyond the ceiling seemingly reached by O'Neill, or that could prove to be the limit for a Mark Hughes or a David Moyes. But whereas those figures can all but guarantee our competitivity at that level, Martinez' approach runs the risk of losing initial ground in the pursuit of long-term results, or worst case scenario, sees us once again struggling at the lower end of the table. It's a difficult call but I think I would be willing to support it and hope that it works. If it does, it could prove to be a masterstroke and Martinez may emerge as one of the most exciting managers we will have seen at Villa Park in an age.

The poll suggests that hopefully people are gradually coming around to the idea and are basing their judgment on the man's achievements rather than past prejudices - and weighing that against the lesser track records of the other options.

Ex-Liverpool managers don't take over at Everton. Especially controversial ones. And if they did, I have a feeling they wouldn't feel 'at home' all that much.

Has Frank Rijkaard come to us and expressed his desire in the job? I must admit that would be an exciting prospect but sadly I don't think he's approached us - any reports linking him as having done so are pure speculation. But I'd love to be proven wrong.

Ranieri would be Houllier MkII - will see it as possibly one last crack at the Premier League with little riding on ultimate success or failure. The footballing principles would be right but he'd struggle to get the message across and defensively we'd still be all over the place. People would symptahise because he's a good guy and opposition teams would love us because all too often we'd be a soft touch. We need someone much hungrier and who will see the club as more than their last big payday.

Tell me what Hughes has done? Tell me what Moyes has done? Crazy post! What they've done is prove they can deliver results in the Premier League consistently over a longer period than the first twenty-odd games of a given season. Only if Coyle has done this would the above look like a crazy post - as things stand, his list of accomplishments is very slight and in no way should he yet be considered a candidate with equal credentials to the likes of Hughes or Moyes. Come of it! Hughes - Won **** all Moyes - Won **** all Coyle - Won **** all All have showed they can survive in the Prem, there is no difference between the 3. No, what Coyle has done is shown he can survive in the Premier League - for one season so far. What Moyes and Hughes have done is work successfully (in relative terms) at this level for a number of years, taken teams into Europe, and in Moyes' case, make the top four. In black and white terms, they may have all won the same amount of trophies. But for anyone that actually wants to think about their respective track records and evaluate what they can bring to Villa, it's not as cut and dry. Coyle would be as underwhelming as McLaren, maybe more so. The only reason he looks like a better option to some is he because he doesn't bring McLaren's baggage.

Tell me what Hughes has done? Tell me what Moyes has done? Crazy post! What they've done is prove they can deliver results in the Premier League consistently over a longer period than the first twenty-odd games of a given season. Only if Coyle has done this would the above look like a crazy post - as things stand, his list of accomplishments is very slight and in no way should he yet be considered a candidate with equal credentials to the likes of Hughes or Moyes.

As much as I wouldn't want Steve McLaren, there's a lot more merit for considering him at this point in time as a potential candidate than Owen Coyle. It would be an absolutely massive risk - not because I could see us falling out of the league under Coyle, just that we would be likely consigning ourselves to an upper-midtable ceiling, resulting in losing further ground to our rivals.

If Randy Lener looked at all of the potential candidates for the role and decided that by guiding Burnley to a promotion and enjoying two-thirds of a good season in the Premier League with Bolton was enough to suggest Owen Coyle was the best possible option for the job I would be seriously concerned. Coyle is a likeable guy and has done well enough so far in his managerial career - but he has little experience yet dealing with the egos of bigger name players, delivering results in the face of far greater expectation than what he has been required to at Burnley or Bolton and when the pressure really was on to perform on the comparatively bigger stage of an FA Cup semi-final, he and his team folded embarrassingly. They weren't just out-fought by Stoke that day, they were out-thought and out-manoeuvered. Some seem to think he may go on to become a very good manager, but personally I can't see him progressing a great deal further beyond his current level and he will likely enjoy a very comfortable career as a solid, midtable Premier League manager or he will take over the Celtic job and walk the SPL. I would be absolutely staggered if Mr. Lerner selected Coyle and any prospect of establishing ourselves back among the chasing pack for a Champions League place would be significantly reduced.

I think the ongoing silence from the club could prove to be telling. It would certainly appear that all of the talk concerning McLaren over the past couple of days has been driven by newspapers who clearly have no more of an idea than we do as to what is actually going on. It makes sense that McLaren's representatives would've been contacted by Villa - or vice versa - but the outcry from supporters on messageboards, phone-ins and such like will have been sufficient to have dissuaded Mr. Lerner from pursuing this any further. I would be genuinely shocked if Villa were to take a gamble on one of the greener candidates though I can see some merit in considering Martinez who I can see developing into a brilliant manager given time. But given that one of Villa's chief problems last season was defensive naivete and addressing this must be of paramount concern to any new manager taking over, this is not the best time for Martinez to be thrust into a position that will inevitably be unforgiving if the team fails to get the basics right. Which as far as I can see only leaves Mark Hughes and Rafa Benitez. If, as has been reported and Hughes is not being considered - which I find hard to believe or understand - and Mr. Lerner is still only considering candidates with previous Premier League experience (ruling out Rijkaard), then I have a feeling it could well be Benitez, and I'm increasingly of the belief that this could prove to be a very good appointment. If Ancelotti has been approached and has decided that its not ultimately the role for him, then it's hard to argue that Benitez is not the next best option in terms of past track record. I'm also encouraged by the desire he seems to have to work specifically in the Premier League, as evidenced by his turning down the Athletico Madrid job. We need a manager who is hungry to make a mark and he seems to really want to prove himself again - something that Ancelotti may not necessarily have been able to bring to the role. A couple of years ago, I would've found it virtually impossible to even entertain the notion of Benitez being our manager but my dislike of the man personally stems largely from his dogged pursuit of Gareth Barry. There were also a number of less than gracious displays on the touchline and in press conferences which added fuel to such antipathy but many of us have repeatedly stated that what Villa have lacked in recent times is a more ruthless edge. Assuming he hasn't mellowed - and I do think he has been humbled by the experiences of the last 18 months - this could be seen as an advantage if it is now in service of our own interests. The combination of a fueding board and the long shadow of Kenny Dalglish has been amply proven to be an insurmountable trial for Liverpool managers and Roy Hodgson's experience when taking over from Benitez perhaps offers all the proof one may need to know that the club's poor form during Benitez' final season in charge could be put downj to factors beyond his control. His ill-fated and short-lived tenure at Inter is possibly more concerning but, again, there were mitigating factors, not the least of which were issues with a board that were not prepared to back him and is the fact that despite winning the Champions League the team itself was limited and it took someone of Mourinho's prodigious abilities to get that kind of performance level out of them. His record in England is good. He took Liverpool to their highest placed league finish and a points tally in 2008/9 that would've comfortably won the title this past season and whilst some dismiss the Champions League triumph as a fluke, which to a certain extent it was, the fact that he took the side to a second final only two years later perhaps offers greater evidence that the man seriously knows what he is doing. At Villa, he will be working for a chairman that will get out of the way and let him control the footballing side of things - and provided he is indeed willing to play a more active role in the integration of younger players than he has previously and lay the foundation for sustainable improvement and growth, I'd be very optimistic that if supplemented with sensible financial backing that he has the potential to take the club further than any of the other possible contenders. At this point, the only alternative that I think I would prefer would be David Moyes - and I must admit that without the usual protestations from Everton that he is most definitely either not available or not interested, I am wondering if it is negotiations behind the smokescreen of media attention on Ancelotti and McLaren that have been occupying the time of the Villa heirarchy over the past week. It could be that we are yet in for a very pleasant surprise - and I think there's little doubt that Moyes is probably the one candidate that would be greeted with the nearest we are likely to get to universal approval. In contrast, Benitez will always, I feel, be a divisive personality - but then a lot of winners are. I just hope that if Mr. Lerner is going to go with him that people can see beyond their previous impressions of the man to see the possibilities of what he can bring to the club. The ongoing results of the above poll suggest people are coming round to the idea.

I think he would bankrupt the club. Our last set of accounts showed we were losing approx £100k per day, that is not sustainable and Rafa likes to spend Liverpool are a big club with lots of income, he spent what he was given and won them trophies. I'm sure he'd discuss with Randy what sort of budget he'd be working in and then decide whether he thinks he can do anything with it. The manager's job is to win games and trophies, its the responsibility of others at the club to make money (if that is what the owner wants?). Benitez has also gone on record as saying he is keen to work with a club that is developing its own talent and integrating young players with the first team squad. I think he knows that any job he is going to get - whether it be in the Premier League or elsewhere - is going to come with limitations possibly different to the situation he enjoyed at Liverpool (until they turned the money off that is). His comments certainly suggest he is prepared to work within the boundaries of the brief he is given - which could mean we see him spending what money he does have at his disposal with a little more care than the many average Spaniards that came and went at such a rate at Liverpool.

Would be very interesting to see a new poll with Jol, Ancelotti, Lambert and Deschamps removed now that they are out of contention and see how their votes would be redistributed.

McClaren, Hughes, Moyes....most of the names we've been seriously linked with. Absurd only if you post on RAWK would you think that absurd It IS absurd - Benitez has won more than the three of them combined.

A no brainer as in we shouldn't go anywhere near him? Apart from Barca, where he had some incredible players, he's never done a good job as a manager. Most of his good work at Barca also came with Henk ten Cate at his side. Do not want him here. He is the manager, if you want Villa to go forward..Turned Barca into the team they are today. Done a great job with the Netherlands and improved Galatasary's finishing possition on the season before, despite the lack of funds and having Turkish players to try and adapt to his style of play. He will turn us into a top 4 club in under 2 seasons if he was appointed. I think he would be loyal too. Another Barca in the making. How did he turn Barca into the team they are today? His side was on the way down when he was there. In all fairness, he was there for quite some time (five seasons I think, winning La Liga twice and the Champions League once) - an impressive feat in and of itself with the board any Barca manager has to work for. He also promoted the likes of Victor Valdes, Iniesta and Xavi from the youth team, so it could be said that Guardiola inherited a very good situation from which to build upon. I really have no idea how he would fare in the Premier League but I wouldn't necessarily read too much into his unsuccessful spell at Galatasaray as an indication of anything either way. Worth a gamble.

Interesting comments from Brad Friedel on TalkSport this morning. Basically said the following; Villa have great fanbase but they do make their opinions clear and would be very difficult for any manager (ie. McLaren) to function if the crowd is against him right from the start. The club had a multitude of off-field problems last season, most of which he couldn't discuss on air but weren't directly attributable to Gerard Houllier. Went so far as to say "I thought I'd seen everything over the course of my career until last season when it seemed like there was something new every week..." Make of that what you will. He believes it's too late to keep Ashley Young - that he's good enough for the top four and that's where he'll likely be. Stewart Downing, however, he thought could very easily be persuaded to sign a new contract and isn't the type to be trying to engineer a move away. And if he doesn't sign a new contract, he'll just get on with things anyway. Ultimately, not a great deal we didn't already know but interesting to hear someone who had been inside the club speaking quite candidly.

Yep, I'm certainly coming round to this way of thinking. In the cold, hard light of day, he is significantly more qualified than any of the other runners and riders.

doesn't Moyes do better with limited funds. when he's had money at Everton, hasn't he spent it unwisely? i'm not sure, thats my impression. I wouldn't call Cahill, Saha, Arteta etc "unwise". Fellaini was a massive gamble at the price they paid for him (£15m) but one that appears to have come off. Also took a chance on Jagielka at a time when I think we may have been looking at him as a possible right back (which is where he was playing for Sheff Utd befiore they went dopwn 2006/7) and turned him into one of the league's best central defenders. Got Baines for £5m from Wigan too.

Any new poll should also remove Lambert and Deschamps as former has signed a new contract with Norwich and the latter has now committed his immediate future to OM.

Of the touted contenders that we know are available, it has to be said that Benitez has by far the most impressive track record. In fact, after Ancelotti, he is the most decorated manager under discussion. Personally, I grew to really dislike the man during his time at Liverpool and found his manner to be unnecessarily antagonistic, if not unsportsmanlike. Having said that, I am beginning to wonder if this - or at least a much greater perception of ruthlessness - may not be such a bad thing at Villa. We have on more than one occasion been found to be too nice for our own good, both on and off the field. Whilst many were openly hostile toward Houllier, much of the fan unrest stemmed from initial disagreement on his appointment that was exascerbated by bizarre tactical decisions, team selections and lacklustre performances - but few would dispute that he has a reputation for being a gentlemen and one of the most liked figures in the game. Benitez would almost certainly be somewhat different and maybe that's what we need. I could never have imagined Benitez at the club until only a short time ago, but there would be a lot of sense in appointing him taken on his merits as a manager and the success he has enjoyed with Valencia and Liverpool (if not Inter). He would be divisive - and I'm not sure we really want to have another manager who will find it hard to win over sections of the crowd - let alone following the precedent of appointing a second successive ex-Liverpool boss - no matter what kind of start he gets off to. But unless Moyes can be persuaded to leave Everton - and I still think on balance he is the best man for the job - then Benitez may well be the best realistic option we could go for., and one that would offer a degree of continuity in terms of the more technical, continental thinking that Houllier was introducing but considerably firming us as a defensive unit so that we are not as much of a soft touch - especially away from home - as we were for much of last season. I'm also encouraged by how hungry he appears to be to get another Premier League job, having turned down offers back in Spain. He may actually be more motivated to prove himself at a club like Villa than Ancelotti would've been and if he can translate that hunger into results the way he did during his first few seasons at Liverpool then he could be very successful here. It would be a gamble - like any appointment will inevitably be - but more so on the basis of fan reaction than for footballing reasons. You could apply the same logic to Steve McLaren but he doesn't have anything like the track record that Benitez can boast and so, for that reason, should be avoided because there are other choices available who are at least as good that wouldn't be greeted with the same level of hostility. Benitez, on the other hand, may possibly be worth taking the chance on.

Hughes can't start anywhere until July 1st as things stand due to his Fulham contract. Not saying I think it will be him now but I can see the club looking at what they may perceive as being better options (such as Ancelotti) and coming back to Hughes if a deal can't be struck with said options. Can't believe they would be happy waiting until the start of next month without having a man in place but I don't think we can rule anybody out at this stage.