KMitch

He's 3rd in the league in chances created (averaging 2.1/game). 25 in 12 games. Hourihane is joint assists leader (4 Total) with McGinn & Elmo in the pack right behind him (3 Total each). As shit as the team has been playing "Bruce Ball", we've still been creating chances in the midfield.

I don't know... I'm still skeptical and will still reserve judgment until we see some action over the next year or so. Maybe it's just due to the fact that we've heard the same promises from the past 2 owners and 3 CEOs and they mismanaged the club to where we are today.

After all the other names we were linked to in the past 48 hours, I’m not going to lie, I was a bit deflated to hear the news that it’s Smith. I’ve only ever heard things about him that were posted here on VT, so my perceptions are a bit skewed. That said, I logged on to a Brentford forum to see what they’re saying about the news and they sound like we all did when Milner left. 90% of the posts were overwhelmingly positive, talking about how he was one of their best ever managers, knew this was bound to happen eventually, and wishing him the best. The other 10% called him a c***, don’t understand why he joined us because we “have no money”, and hope Villa are relegated as retribution. I’ve heard over and over again by VTers that Brentford fans couldn’t be bothered by Smith and don’t think he’s the reason why they’ve been successful recently. That doesn’t appear to be the case at all over on their forums. Anyway, welcome and good luck, mate! Not a flashy foreign name, but he’s one of us!

This is gold... hahaha

So, he knows slightly more than **** all? I don't buy it.

What if it has been Terry all along and we've just been waiting for special clearance from the EFL, as he doesn't have his badges completed yet? Didn't Sherwood & Monk get clearance from the Premier League for the same reason, before they took over Spuds & Swansea?

That's how we ended up with McLeish...

I still prefer his brother Mike...

Are you kidding? He had no budget to spend on players. Even Lerner opened up the piggy bank more than Whelan did at Wigan. It was amazing that he even was able to keep them in the league for as long as he did with all the money other teams were throwing around during the same time. There is a reason he keeps getting higher profile jobs in his career whenever he decides to move.

Because it’s Villa. Mourinho could sign for us and there would be some on here to find something to complain about. Sign a manager who plays attacking football, and he’ll get slated for defensive issues. Sign a manager who plays defensive football, and he’ll get slated for being boring. Sign a manager with a lot of experience and he’ll get slated for whatever his worst experience was. Sign an inexperienced manager, and he’ll get slated for that. Welcome to Villa Talk!

Can you imagine his first press conference? Crazy Joe: “Before we get started, which one of you lot is James Nursey?” Nursey: “Uh... me...” Joe: “You’re a c***!” Brilliant! The football might be shit, but the pressers will be amazing.

Screw it... I’m not supporting any manager but Joe Fookin Kinnear... Crazy Joe In!!!

Seeing reports that we’re now after Martinez and not Henry... I’m 100% for this. I’m a huge supporter of his.

Maddison has been phenomenal this season. There were a lot of Villa Talkers slating Leicester for paying as much as they did for him this summer, but he's proving to be a bargain. I can see Leicester selling him to one of the Sky teams in a year or two for 50 Mil plus. Maddison dominates games and pulls all the strings, something Grealish hasn't done a lot of in his career so far. He wins a lot of fouls and makes some beautiful passes, but he isn't ruthless enough with his play. Jacky boy needs a tactical manager to show him exactly how to dominate games at this level.

My thoughts on the Henry/Terry combo: Between the two of them, they've played for a dozen world class managers and have won every trophy there is to win in Europe. They will have learned a thing or two about the modern game (tactics, fitness, training, etc.) and should be able to apply at least something to our dressing room to improve things in the short term. Long term is where the real test will come in. Our problems with the team are a bit like those we had when Lambert got the sack. Even someone as tactically clueless as Tim Sherwood got us playing well again with a fresh approach, but the wheels fell off the following season. The other great players from their generation are doing alright as fledgling managers, but they aren't exactly performing miracles either. Gerrard is doing ok at Rangers and Lampard has had a mixed bag of results at Derby (but one of his players is getting called up to the England squad next week, so that's a plus). The real test will be with us fans and the Villa board. Are we willing to work with an inexperienced manager and give him the time/resources needed to build us into a stable Premier League side again? What happens when results don't go our way? Both Henry and Terry are born winners and only played on fantastic teams during their careers. What happens when we hit a rough patch of form? How will they react as managers? What about us fans and the board? Will we be willing to stick with them as they try to figure things out? I think we, as fans, all agree that we have the best squad in the Championship on paper, even with the huge question marks over our defense right now. If they don't get us winning immediately, how long before we start getting on their backs? I don't know if we're going to be patient enough to support a manager who doesn't start picking up wins immediately.

It's alright... Who needs "You'll Never Walk Alone" when you have a classic like "Shit on the City" to belt out over and over every game?

It's hilarious to see the same pundits calling for Mourinho's head at Manure, but defending Bruce for needing more time, when they've had what? The same amount of time in charge of their two clubs? Manchester United can deserve better than arguably the best manager in the world, but Villa is lucky to be slogging it out in the Championship under Potato Head's dour tactics, week in and week out? Do me a favor...

Honestly, it might be unrealistic, but everyone thought Benitez going to Newcastle was unrealistic when that happened. I'm 100% for this plan...

Steve Kean or Joe Kinnear for me... The football might be shit, but at least the press conferences will be glorious!!! Seriously, though... Need someone young, modern, and progressive.

I still prefer to remember K-Mac as our Manager during this game... Swashbuckling attacking football, gave Clark & Albrighton their first starts for the club, and a great send off to Jimmy Milner... I also tend to forget the follow up to this game... (The 0-6 Trashing to Newcastle & Ireland's first appearance...)

Ugh... Didn’t like him when he played for us in his prime. Always had at least one challenge in him every game which a ref could easily call a penalty for (and did several times). You think he has improved with age??? Get ready for more HOOF!!! comments in the matchday threads, because he loves a good punt back the the opposition’s keeper.

It's amazing what happens when you play everyone in their natural positions. Our defense doesn't look like a pub team, for once...

I love Bruce's tactical genius... Pass the ball backwards to a central defender and have them boot it up field for a throw in... We'll definitely win with this strategy...

Have to agree with this... Apart from the one time I went to a football pub in NYC on holiday, I've yet to meet another American Villa supporter in 12 years. Met loads of Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Madrid, and Barca supporters, though. Fulham actually has a pretty big following in the USA, because a lot of our international players have played for the club over the years (McBride, Bocanegra, Dempsey, Ream, etc.). Recently, I've started seeing more and more Man City fans coming out of the woodwork. It's funny because 10-15 years ago, Plastic Man Utd/Arsenal/Liverpool fans in the USA would try to shame American Chelsea supporters as being "Glory Hunters" who support a "club with no history" who "bought their success", but after several years that sigma wore off and they started doing the same thing with Man City supporters. Overall, unless you're actively winning trophies or have a lot of American players in your starting lineup, you won't attract legions of American fans.

I want the next Klopp... Someone who oozes charisma and is an astute tactician. I don't know who that is because I don't know enough about up and coming managers, but that's who we need. If Purslow comes out and gets us someone in the Moyes/Hodgson/Fat Sam/Pulis/Warnock/Pardew mold, we're ****...