El-Reacho

Does anyone think that as he's just hired a manager who's achieved incredible success by spending very little money it may be a sign that RL wants him to do the same for us?

Dunno what Bob Carolgees has been spouting but I see that Villa-hating, Lerner-bating, self-important, self-appointed 'most-connected-sports-journalist-in-the-Midlands' and 'close-personal-friend-of-Ellis' Pat Murphy is at it again:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18275337

In particular:-

"Villa are not the enticing proposition they once were, and Norwich are no 'country cousins' by comparison - Carrow Road's 22,000 season tickets last season matched that sold at Villa Park."

No attempt to put that stat into context, just another opportunity to put the shoe in to our club - anyone know what made this pompous, silly little has-been so bitter?

The club seem to be much closer to Kendrick and Abraham (I realise they're written media ), but I seem to remember Murphy was close to O'Neill and still keeps going on about 'what could have been' if RL had given MON more cash 3 years ago.

Guardian reporting that Martinez is now back in the frame for the Villa job.

Zdenek Zemen has reportedly taken the Roma job which is one that AVB was heavily linked with.

If you have an in the know journalist that goes quiet at key times, as a fan, you begin to wonder what the real point of journalism is. It becomes little more than club-sanctioned soundbites. It's completely pointless. I can read all the saccharin crap on the official website

:nod:

Although even 'in the know' journalists need a holiday. It's just bad timing that his is before we appoint our new manager. Would you suggest he should avoid taking any time off just in case he misses out on a scoop?

He'll probably have his articles written for the unveiling of Martinez, Lambert, Rodgers etc. already. They just need to be published which he won't need to be there for.

So if RM was to get the job, how do you think he would set our current squad up? Will he go with 3 at the back with Lichaj and Zog as wingbacks?

Id probably take Mcleish back now Im that bored :evil:

Seriously though, surely this would have been wrapped up if anyone half decent actually wanted the job/Lerner had half a clue of whats going off.

Deja Vu from the last two appointments. Said whilst Mcleish was manager - The only negative of sacking him is that we have to endure this shit again and have zero confidence that wel actually get anyone better.

Slight over reaction maybe???? There are 4 premiership clubs (including european champions, and one of the biggest clubs in world football) all looking for a permanent manager, all of which have been doing so for a similar amount of time to us (in Albion's case a lot longer) and yet none have made an appointment...does that mean that no one decent wants them either?

I wish the club had taken another fortnight to think it through when they went for McLeish.

Gus Poyet is backing RDM for the Chelsea job.

A bit of creative thinking could tell you he doesnt want him to not be appointed and become a potential rival for the villa job.

He's been saying that RDM, or any of the former Chelsea players who are now in management, presumably including himself, should get the Chelsea job for the last few months now.

Bartelt was from Argentina if you would consider him to have represented AVFC.

Gary MacAllister as short as 4 to f***ing one

I'm sure it was mooted at the time but imagine all the hurt that could have been avoided if at the end of last season we'd asked GH to move upstairs and recruit players and given GMAC the manager's job.

Ah hindsight...

Kalou and Bosingwa both released by Chelsea. Would suggest to me that DiMatteo is not being considered by Chelsea long term as both were reinstated as first team starters during his spell.

I think both Lambert and Rodgers will live to regret not jumping up a level this summer. I know it's been mentioned many times before but you simply can't ignore the pattern of similar sized clubs that have got into the PL and had an exciting first season and fallen away badly after (as has the stock of their respective managers). Rodgers' decision to snub Liverpool, while very loyal is something he will regret IMHO because Swansea cannot go any higher than they currently are right now. Likewise Norwich and Lambert.

Just as a point of interest, have a look at the managerial career of Alan Pardew:

- sacked by West Ham

- hounded out by the fans at Charlton

- sacked by Southampton

- Geordies absolutely distraught when he was signed for Newcastle.

- had Newcastle within a whisker of a CL place this season.

Many on this site would have shit kittens if we had brought him in to replace O'Neill or Houllier.

Yet some would probably give their left nut to have him down at the Villa now.

Prob give the other one for the Geordies chief scout!!

I see they're at again - they got that guy Amalfitano from Marseille on a free.

Time to gatecrash this thread fellow Villa fans. OSG? FFS, do me a favour, please wake up & smell the coffee! How can the majority of fans on here be so taken in by a 45 minute youtube video that comical Ali would have been proud of? IIRC correctly wasn't Brian Little sold up the river & **** over by a video montage of Savo Miss a lot scoring sensational goals in a mickey mouse league only to then go on threatening the moon with his finishing once he arrived at VP. Savo actually made barn door Heskey look like Jimmy Greaves!

I will be absolutely devestated if we appoint OSG. If this guy is really the dogs let him prove it first at somewhere like Wigan or West Brom and then, only then, should we show a firm interest. This is definitely not the time to be taking a risk on our great clubs future. We got it so wrong on the last 2 occasions it's unreal. Please PLEASE not this time again! And you wonder why we keep having to fork out millions in compensation for such crap, money that could & would have been better off invested in the team.

Seriously, I would be less disappointed if we hired Steve Kean, Terry Connor or Kermit the Frog ahead of OSG. And YES I would much rather we should have kept McLeish absolutely anyday of the week over the unproven OSG.

Before leaving this thread, just to let you know that I would only be happy with Brendan Rodgers or Paul Lambert of those managers who have been linked to the post. Both have proven that they can take on a club, build it up & move it forward.

Getting Swansea & Norwich in the Premiership is like winning the Champions League with Villa.

That my friends should be our ultimate ambition & not fawning ridiculously over some muppet whose heart lies at Old Trafford!

OSG? NO NO NO!

Your very much mistaken, The video was of Bosko Balaban and the manager was John Gregory.

Savo was a great player, (wrongly) took a lot of stick, scored 15 goals in first season. Christ, if we get one player near that total its a success these days, back then we had Yorkie and him.

I'm pretty sure Little signed Savo based on video footage. Thought he was a great signing to be honest - Would put Heskey to shame.

Judging on what people are saying about how he plays, I think this is an appointment that has taken into consideration our squad. Ireland, Makoun, Bannan, Gardner, Clark, Zog, Gabby, Wiemann, Bent maybe even Delph should thrive on this way of playing. Maybe Hutton could be reborn, although I realise the guy's not a magician.

Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Heskey, perhaps lack the passing and pace required for this type of game.

Really hope he signs.

I think it proves they've definitely got football people advising them this time.

I hate the way it's RL/PF that seem to have to fly everywhere during these manager searches. Surely if OGS desperately wanted the job he would go to RL.

When Mourinho met Abramovich for the first time he visited him on his yacht in the med and gave him a two hour powerpoint presentation on the Chelsea squad and what was required to win the title (so the story goes).

Seems like it's Villa that have to do the selling to the candidates. Shame the way things have gone...

Can't be too many ex PL players managing in Europe right now. Deschamps, Petrescu, Hyppia?

Perhaps an irrelevant OT question, but is Paul Faulkner American?

Could McCarthy be one of the 'football experts' that the club is turning to to help with the appointment? If they have actually contacted him at all....

Shooting for the stars : AVB, Ranieri or Capello (they would bring experience at the highest levels)

More realistic : Lambert, Martinez or Rodgers (largely unproven, but big potential)

(Fat) Dark horse : Rafa

Sky Italia said that Ranieri wanted the job last night. I think he would be a good option if Martinez/Lambert/Rodgers rule themselves out. I don't imagine he's on their radar though. He's not one for building teams over five years - he's had about five teams since he left Chelsea.

If he has to turn to O'Neill to ask whether he should go or not then I doubt he's the great leader of men we're all expecting on here.

He's well aware of how big the club is and RL/PF will tell him what the plan is re. investment. If he subsequently has to go and speak to O'Neill to help him make up his mind then good luck to him - we should go after Rodgers.

If Lambert and Rodgers are clever they will look to move to Villa now while their stock is high. Of course they could both go on and improve next season with their respective clubs, but precedents would suggest that their stock will fall again after difficult second seasons, and they may not get such a chance again. If they were to jump ship to a bigger club now while they have the respect of the media and I'm sure the Villa players, it will be much easier to continue their ascendancy.

Lambert obviously has chosen to do this previously.

We also have to look at what influence a new manager will have on our new generation coming through.

If the right funding is made available i couldn't see the likes of Rafa persisting with Baker and Lichaj in our back four, Herd, Gardner and Albrighton in midfield and Weiman up front. My feeling is that the majority of those players will be sent out on loan and eventually sold. Carruthers might turn out to be the only jewel we have and we'll not know that until next season if he gets the game time with the new manager.

For me that is the crux of the matter. If the chairman isn't going to make enough funding available to revamp the whole squad then he must choose a manager who has a track record of getting the best out of what is available to him. Alternatively, if Lerner's cheque book is to be opened significantly then he has to go for a name manager like Rafa.

The chairman must choose the manager not only to fit the club but also to fit the budget.

Pretty sure Rafa Benitez was linked with Gary Gardner when he was Inter manager. I think Benitez's transfer history at Liverpool was similar to Houllier's except swap french players no one had heard of for Spanish players no one had heard of. He did have big money flops like Dossena, Aquilani, and that Belgian defender.

Pleased with the club's statement as to my mind it acknowledges that this has been a huge mistake without actually saying it. That might lead to changes in how they manage the football side of things and maybe they will turn to the likes of GT for advice (if he'll speak to them again after last time).