Dave-R

4 hours ago, M_Afro said:

I really want to believe that this guy can still come good but if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck etc, well then at what stage do we accept that it’s a duck?! If he can’t be bothered for a new manager, then he can quack off!

That's the news now isn't it that everyone is going to be given a fair shot but ruthless Steve will shut that door sealed if a player shows they are not putting into SG's plan.

I've been waiting for a Team like Gerrards to sort the mud from the good out. God forbid I liked Smith but he was to seriously soft with much I think. Now If Sanson or any other messes up all to much then they should be placed firmly on Gerrards get out the club and make way for better blood list.

I hope they all get there feet playing and be prepared to bring S class style game power to Gerrards plan but as you know with this style of ruthless behaviour there's always some that drop at the first hurdle and dwindle out the picture. Think of it as nothing more than Stevie G's SAS selection training where not everyone is making it. If its the case we end up with a more sharper, more controlled squad that is more disciplined and ready to be something in this league then I'm all down for it all. who ever can't hack it packs there bags, no room for sentiment and no room for favourites this is Aston Villa and we need a squad that go gets wins with discipline and ruthless attitude. when our players have played this season we play as we've been to soft, way to soft this season especially on pressure and retaining the ball, sometimes we've been scared of our own shadows.

31 minutes ago, lexicon said:

I think you'd be mental to sell Mings for 40m. 

That's a question.

Depends if we could get a younger replacement who would just as easy drop it and make it work quick.

Add another 20 million to that 40 million you've just earned from Mings sale then you should indeed be getting a really lovely list of potential replacements list.

 It's move that maybe pulled depending on interest in Mings, depending on if we can secure someone bigger and better, one things for sure is we should keep our eyes out.

Think Tyrone has been amazing as a leadership figure at Villa, he does for most the part settle the ship, but by god he is so mistake prone. Now wouldn't that be brilliant if Gerrard could knock it out of him, personally at Tyrones age it will be a near impossible task to do just like a few others lads.

Gerrard saying how Villa have got one of the best strikforces in the league but he also doesn't play down how Villa have leaked an unnecessary amount of goals. Gerrard has got to settle the ship now and he knows it.

It sounds like whether your one of the top stars at Villa, or whether your a youth lad that Gerrard isn't going to be taking any messing around and he wants every players 1000%. 

I think Gerrard won't have a problem saying Mings is the man, but if he cocks it up I equally thinks Gerrard and Co won't play on it and they make sure he Owns it if it's on him. I loved Smith but one thing I did always say is that Smith were maybe a touch to soft on certain players. I dont think that won't happen under Gerrard as he himself, winner of no end of things holds himself to great standards will be harsh on players and hold them to those big standards.

Took me a while to think about it with Gerrard but he will be great for many of our players and here's hoping to them all and be a positive light to bring them out a good player group together.

Went away from Mings abit but truth be told Mings should do better under the new man in charge.

24 minutes ago, lexicon said:

All a bit standard - doesn't give us any insight into anything, really.

In any case, talk is cheap and what we see on the pitch is the important thing. 

Your damn sure right about that..

Gerrard talks ace in his press conference and he sure lays abit out of what he wants, but let's be clear you can tell he doesn't want to spit to much and he just wants to get out there and prove himself, same to us fans that he's got the goods to nail this down.

I'm just trying to reserve myself for his first game and say let's just see how Stevey G does.

Does no one have any Stevey O party boy Jack ass memory's come to mind with all this Stevey G?

Don't worry Stevey G we will soon get you dancing Naked around VillaPark, I'm sure we can make a new Jackass season by end of this seasons football.

I'm just relaxed about the new guy and who comes with him for now. I'm not so sure Gerrard will be or won't be any better than what Smith were for us. Us fans would be crazy to grow a mouth before anything as even been done by Gerrard and hype him up to much that if he fails we've just made the guy look ten times or more worse.

Let's give him the chance to works his magic, give him some space to get his work right and support then when his work hopefully pays off properly for us fans to view and enjoy at its fullest.

Do you think Gerrard can gain access to high level stars because of the person who he were in his playing days or will he have to sort some wins out first.

Or will Gerrard be as confined as what Smith were??

Work the magic Gerrard and CO,  think a new midfielder, CB and possibly a CDM and the ship should steady.

It's going to be interesting in Gerrards first named squad.

I hope Gerrard works out because there'd be nothing worse on losing streaks listening to scouse accents, after the matches end

1 hour ago, Spoony said:

I will never get why people don’t rate Sterling. He is class in my opinion. But obviously don’t see us being in for him particularly with wages and fee as others mentioned. 

His dangerous arm flapping, if he didn't have that I believe he'd be relieved alot more and in reality soon as he makes contact to someone chasing him, he's committed a foul. It's a large part of his game which helps his game out but it's unfair to opposition.

I class him as one of those dangerous players who won't care if he takes someone's eyes out or slaps someone in the face.

10 hours ago, mottaloo said:

That was a savage "tackle" 

Indeed it was.

Wonder if Gerrard would find it funny if his old playing days chant were brought back where everytime he wins us a game our crowd sings "Steven Gerrard is a Wa**er" I'm sure he's have a grin on his face considering how much abuse he used to get off our fans, just this time were having abit of a laugh with him to settle the past..

Ever since that Boateng foul, Gerrard was a bad guy for sure.

Welcome Steven Gerrard that's all I'm saying for now.

6 hours ago, The Other Mat said:

I'm kind of warming to the idea, especially with his backroom staff incoming. He may be inexperienced  but as a player he's done it all (except win the title obvs), hes a winner, that's ingrained in him. Hes managed the Rangers job well, more than meeting his remit, and although its not the role it once was, it still has its own pressures and expectations, especially from the fan base. 

If he holds our squad to the standards he's held himself too over the years and makes them compete to those same levels, he'll be a success here.

None of its guaranteed all because he's done well in a league that's not at the premier leagues level.

I can see us being in some real trouble under him, possibly relegated which I certainly hope I'm wrong if he does come in.

He's done fabulous as a player yes and he's done his best in Coaching to start off somewhere, but is this where were really at now which is trading one inexperienced  Smith for one inexperienced Garrard. 

I do not know what Puralow and our Owners are thinking if they think they can go spend hundreds of millions each season but then go cheap out in the manager department and expect results. Its one thing to have players but if your not managing those players as best as you can in every area then the results just wont happen.

The way we're going our rise to one of the top clubs will be nothing more than a fantasy and not a plan. I honestly thought getting rid of Smith someone serious would be brought in. Adding someone like Gerrard to Villa will make me nervous as hell until we're safe and even then the following season I wouldn't be at ease.

Sure Gerrard as a world of knowledge and I do think if he can pour that into our players they would be better off for it but that could come at a massive cost. If the bloke can't get results first season and we sank down a league would people be okay with that?? Something tells me his head would be called for quick.

11 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Thats not true. Is plenty of available managers better than Gerrard. I didn't want Fonseca as I expected the board had bigger targets but he is much better option than Gerrard. Favre another one not world class and available 

That's how I feel.

I feel bringing Gerrard here is just bringing another Smith level Manager in. I don't want Gerrard I want someone who can clearly get us to top 10 and I do not have confidence Gerrard can do it. Gerrard himself has managed a Scottish team within a Scottish league and it will all be much more difficult in the Premier league for him to translate his success to the Premier. 

Owners I must say if they cheap out on this Gerrard move and bring him in then I have no sympathy for how much trouble we could be put in. What the Owners need to do is spend the money bringing a top level Coach in, they have spent money everywhere else so why not here in the Coaching section??

6 minutes ago, MachoFantastico said:

Do you think they could convince Arsene Wenger to come back into management. 

Anyone would come out of retirement for the right price, shouldn't imagine Arsenal fans would be happy with that one considering they were calling for his name when they had there bad run.

15 minutes ago, M_Afro said:

The truth is, no way would Gerrard go to Wolves or Southampton (or probably West Ham). I think that people are underestimating his status in the game. He has never failed at anything.

That's good but I also hope he skips Villa to

2 hours ago, CVByrne said:

Dean was backed repeatedly by owners and has always been backed by fans at VP and away fans. The issue was - as much as everyone wanted it to be a success - he wasn't good enough, he fell just short of what we need right now. 

If you think that every one backed Smith think again, we had odd ones on VT who didn't support the bloke. You then go look deeper and there is a place called social media with places like twitter, Facebook, Instagram and more than have had Villa fans express there hate. Like I said in a post just because alot of us come on VT and most are decent to talk to and it's a good community, away from this site it's not as rosey as people make out.

Smith was backed by Owners all through, back by his staff, back by alot of fans but there are also many fans who wanted someone different in, better. The thing is the Owners will have some teams monitoring the chatter of these sites and what they are looking for is a change of opinion which will help them ultimately make there mind up if much has gone wrong like it has done this season. The fans are the life of a club and you can bet assured comments are being monitored and flagged and if the hate is flying high or support is dwindling its only going to spar the Owners into action 

11 hours ago, avfc1982am said:

LOL.....What did the fans do wrong? Not sing Dean Smith's Claret and Blue army enough, blow kisses on a match day or send letters of love to the players when they've been garbage. Grow up. 

These are professional athletes and managers earning fortunes, at work. Smith had more than enough support from the fans and guaranteed will be on a golf course counting his wedge and thinking about the next challenge and pay packet whilst your crying about life being unfair. 

I've put thousands into the club over the years, generations of my family have. We've laughed, cried, been happy and sad and gone through all the shit like thousands of other families at times putting up with ridiculous amounts of never nevers.

You may have failed as a supporter but I or my family certainly haven't.   

And telling people to grow up and sniping at them because they give a view is being grown up is it??

I didn't say everyone has not given there support to Smith because there has been a good portion who have. There is also another side of the fence than the one you paint, one where people have been wanting someone else in or jumped on the hate Smith hate train. Just because the hate train is not seen on VT doesn't mean there isn't a hate train there for a player or manager and if you go dig deep enough on social media you usually come across it easy enough. The denial is as bad as researchers and scientists saying the world is going to crap because of us humans and the governments down play it like its none existent.

Your sniping comments are ridiculous by the way, there's a mirror in bound for you free of charge . The people in this thread that have got all up in arms over nothing and somehow need to justify how good a supporter they are is crackers. It's like people these days always have to one up the other person and be better.

Truth is the Pete was getting something off his chest what he feels and believes is right and sure you don't have to agree with him, he's not expecting everyone to. There is however the way people talk to others and people calling Pete a prick or what other names that have been thrown out for giving his view is pretty low. We all expect to be heard do we not and would it hurt for people just to be respectful like you would expect respect back for your opinion??

1 minute ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I think both you and I saw the edited version?

Yeah I don't think it was bad, but I commented on it, to point out where I thought he was wrong.

He seems a decent bloke and a proper fan, don't think he meant any harm.

His perspectives are usually well thought out as well, doesn't mean he's always right.

No one can be always right and he's not one to say he is either.

He is just pissed like many of us are and I think us fans have to own up to part of the blame in the pressure across social media we applied. Not everyone did no but many were pressure applying or hurling hate, it doesn't help anyone but people do it hiding behind screens.

As I said he's abit on fire at the moment and it's understanding, but despite his annoyance with alot of things he still managed to get it all out in the right way rather than blurting any old nonsense out.

Elite Journeyman and nothing Smiths level or below will cut it now.

You want results in this league and to starts seeing our youth and senior young team learn some new ways of movements, passes,skills, tactical presence, holding the ball all while doing something with it then I'm sorry but the Owners have to spend in this Area.

I tell you what will happen if we bring another Smith or on par coach is we won't reach a new standard and we will be revisiting the guys sacking in a season or two. At most with an on par guy is we become stable but we won't be a progressive side hurling upwards we will have a coach who just made us survive and I'd like to see more than that and its very reasonable to obtain.

Money is not a factor for our Owners and its honestly now they can bring quality in and give him a nice January transfer kitty which should be appealing.

Honestly it's sad that people attack him when he along with the rest of you have equal right's to express themselves in there own state of things.

It comes down to one of those if you got nothing decent to say don't say it all on all sides of the pond.

I think some fans on here have gotten all defensive about his words because there's truth in it. Certain folk would just like to not acknowledge that we has a fan base along with Smith, players, Staff have all collectively failed this time. We fans hold part blame in things going wrong because there has been many not throwing weight behind Smith and supporting his mission and applying unnecessary pressure. It all hasn't helped  but according to some we fans never do anything wrong.

I just hope the next guy who comes in people do not start calling for his head soon as he goes on a loss streak which someone is of course going to do.

5 hours ago, avfc1982am said:

FWIW I don't give a shit about agreeing with everything he says but when he starts pointing the finger at everyone but Smith and acting all sanctimonious....yeah,  prick comes to mind tbh. 

 

 

 

So much hate

6 hours ago, avfc1982am said:

Not really....He's starting to come across as a sanctimonious prick. 

- McGinn and Mings not being good enough and needing replacing - Like nobody knows. Everyone has been debating this for 2 years. Why mention it now. 

- Purslow's reputation - FA wrong with it atm.

- The lack of a ready replacement - How would he know what is happening?  What was we suppose to do roll Smith out and someone else in at the same time.

- The general trend of clubs doing worse when managers are replaced mid season - SO WHAT? Not all teams. And is this an excuse to do nothing whilst getting worse.

- Lange and our imbalanced squad - I can talk about that on VT. 

 

Commenting that most fans haven't kicked a ball so don't have a clue....then going into the nobody coming in will care about the players, It's their fault because their not good enough, who needs replacing. We didn't get the players JG wanted, therefore it's the boards fault. Hope the fans are proud of themselves now that Smith is gone.....That is the summary of this podcast. A bloke trashing the media then acting like a drama queen himself making out fans are all sheep and don't understand the implications and situation we are in. That everyone other than Dean himself is responsible for this. 

I thought his first couple of podcasts were decent but as time has moved on he coming across as more of a prick by the week. Like he is the only fan that knows anything and anyone who doesn't share his view are idiots or ill informed. Most fans have made informed opinions on current events over the last 18 months and beyond, not 5 games and him insinuating that makes him look very foolish imo.

He talks about narrative but pushes his own pretty well to be honest. Should stick to whiskey and flicking plastic footballers about. 

 

 

He's entitled to a different opinion and because he's not hurling out the correct words you want him to say so you can agree with it, it all makes him a prick does it?? 

5 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I think some of our fans, underrate us as a club, more than the actual football world.

It also indicates that, there will be managers who know what we've got in personnel, youth set up, finances etc and think " I could thrive with that ".

Agree with you guys I will!!

There now is alot that would appeal to the best in the business, even when you watch our players upon these losses you can see there's a capable squad there, the new guy and his new tactics could really set the players on fire and take them to the next level.

16 minutes ago, Wurzel said:

I just don't think he found the answers to our problems in midfield, and there were no signs he was going to. We made the mistake in the summer that our defence was good enough and unfortunately it isn't, we clearly need a left back and a centre back, and we needed them to be improvements on what we had, not a loanee from a rival who isn't good enough for them. Also it was very clear we needed a defensive midfielder, and that didn't happen. I don't think the finger pointing helps in that video, I've seen no gloating from people wanting Smith out, we are in a very dangerous position and the board need to make the right appointment or we could be going down.

Some of our fans from what I understand and been reading from tweets of John Gregory is asking for fans to stop hurling abuse at Smith, so I think there has been abit of it..

I believe your right in that we needed more players and we still had money to spend to buy the players you suggest. It's a tough one because now Smith has gone it's a good job money was held back as a precaution but how Well would Smith of done if he'd of got those players you suggest in??

The finger pointing I think someone has to do it and he has the balls to say us fans have not helped and we've helped out along with the media who enjoy fear mongering in the demise of Smith. Certainly I'd say we fans did not help one bit and the Owners probably have these sites being monitored for fan feedback.

Think the only thing now is to bring someone continental in, but then if we do that we may see a return to 3-5-2 as its a popular formation with foreign Managers.