The Tim Sherwood Thread

[TRO]

I'm fed up of being best in the first half and second best in the second half and losing.

We got it right tonight second best in the first half and best in the second half and winning.

I would like to be best in both halves and win..... but that will come.

He did right tonight....UGLY first half.....and then bring on the violinists.

[Isa]

That was a huge result for him because I believe a lose tonight would've marked the beginning of the end regarding his status amongst many fans - as harsh as that would've been. 

 

The archetypal game of two halves. First was just horrendous and had our opponents not been a team without a pot to piss in and thus not composed of a bunch of low-grade bosmans, the game would probably have been over by half-time. They quite easily dominated the midfield battle, played through us time and again and found great positions around our area. Only their distinct lack of quality prevented the correct final-balls being played. We, on the other hand, did our best impression of the lower-league side. The extent of our approach being simply to punt it to the big guy - who in turn was supported by two uncreative and unskilled wide-forwards. As I observed on Twitter: Lambert team selection playing Lambert football.

 

Thankfully decisive changes were made. A creative player was introduced, the shape was changed to something a bit more coherent. We remembered we were the superior side and kept the round thing on the green stuff. Another revelation was the understanding that putting crosses into the box translates into chances. Sherwood did what he's been questioned over, namely being proactive during the game so it was pleasing to see...even if the direness of that first-half cannot be ignored.

 

He doesn't do himself any favours at all with the guff he emits post-match however.

Edited September 22, 2015 by Isa

[AshVilla]

Villa team for tonight was "leaked " apparently

Rowett knew of Villa's lineup 24 hours before kick off

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34332646

Worrying.. who the hell is the leak it's not the first time something has come out this season is it i remember someone leaking that Westwood would be dropped a day before a game

Edited September 22, 2015 by AshVilla

[HanoiVillan]

While not condoning that in any way, it does seem to be quite common. Someone on Fantasy Football Scout had posted Liverpool's teamsheet from the weekend the day before the game. 

[Tomaszk]

Tim managed to look thicker than normal giving that interview on Sky.

When he's making himself look stupid, I can laugh and not care, but the more shite performances we put in, it's Aston Villa who are the ones looking like mugs. The plan was to get torn to shreds and just hope we weren't behind? Good one.

I'm not surprised the team was leaked bearing in mind how many journalists/pundits both he and his coaches talk to and feed on a regular basis. It's all in the name of self-preservation and getting them onside because it won't be long before he's excusing himself of any blame and throwing players under the bus.

[Marka Ragnos]

He talks some absolute shite, he really does.

 

But I stick by my long standing opinion that what managers say to the press means very little.

 

He made the right changes tonight and they won us the game. Just hope he realises the long ball to Gestede just doesn't work. If he plays we need to cross the ball.

I actually thought he was jaw-dropping funny tonight. "We murdered 'em." No, Tim, we barely survived. But you know that. Who cares as long we we don't lose.

It struck me as pure insouciance, pushing their "noses" in the shit for effect -- the post-match interview equivalent of trolling.

We gotta manager who's a bit of a kook, folks. As long as he keeps winning, I don't care if he warbles post-match poppycock through his anus.

[Oh, wait. I've just been informed he's already doing that.]

Edited September 23, 2015 by Plastic Man

[YLN]

It was an odd interview. He was so adamant that it was his plan all along to be dreadful and then be quite good. Methinks the lady doth protest too much. It was odd all around. Mainly because of Dwight Yorke thinking that his role was to interrogate him, despite at the best of times Dwight being incapable of putting a sentence together more coherent than, sorry Katie I've forgotten to bring any condoms. For a man who comes from a country where the official language is English (admittedly it not being what they actually speak) and having been living in England most of his life, his grasp of the basic structures of the English language are pretty terrible. And I'm not getting on his back because of his English. He spat his dummy out when looking for a move to Man Utd. And he rarely has much good to say about Villa or the fans, despite the fact that if it weren't for us he'd be driving a taxi around The Port of Spain or doing soccer tricks on the street for tourists. I just don't like him.

And then to hear him pretend to be a big man when it was time to ask Tim a few questions. Like he's Judge Judy or something. As if he has an insight other than, you weren't very good in the first half.... quality.... players... Thought Tim handled him as well as could be expected. Dwight Yorke is an inarticulate idiot.

[TRO]

It was an odd interview. He was so adamant that it was his plan all along to be dreadful and then be quite good. Methinks the lady doth protest too much. It was odd all around. Mainly because of Dwight Yorke thinking that his role was to interrogate him, despite at the best of times Dwight being incapable of putting a sentence together more coherent than, sorry Katie I've forgotten to bring any condoms. For a man who comes from a country where the official language is English (admittedly it not being what they actually speak) and having been living in England most of his life, his grasp of the basic structures of the English language are pretty terrible. And I'm not getting on his back because of his English. He spat his dummy out when looking for a move to Man Utd. And he rarely has much good to say about Villa or the fans, despite the fact that if it weren't for us he'd be driving a taxi around The Port of Spain or doing soccer tricks on the street for tourists. I just don't like him.

And then to hear him pretend to be a big man when it was time to ask Tim a few questions. Like he's Judge Judy or something. As if he has an insight other than, you weren't very good in the first half.... quality.... players... Thought Tim handled him as well as could be expected. Dwight Yorke is an inarticulate idiot.

                   The day he left my interest in him went too.

                    He is a true Villa Leg     end.

[KSV]

Not sure if it was posted.

 

Rowett said: “I have heard Tim said he purposely let us do that in the first half so they could change tactics in the second half but I'm not sure a tactic of getting booed at half time would particularly be a good one.” He said that believed Sherwood changed the team in the second half “out of desperation”.

True Villa fan. haha. Brilliant. Fair play Gary.

Edited September 23, 2015 by KSV

[useless]

Not sure what's so brilliant about what Rowett has said there, just seems like a bit of a sore loser. When Sherwood says he meant the first half, I don't think he means that he meant us to be rubbish, just that he meant us to be less of an attacking threat. It was a devastatingly effective feint of hand from Sherwood that put into their minds a false sense of security allowing us to  catch them out in the second half using the ancient element of surprise.

Edited September 23, 2015 by useless

[villan_007]

I find it all rather embarrassing in here to be honest.

6 games in.

Some of the comments are pure drivel. Sign of the times I guess. Sigh.

[Butterfingers]

Let Rowett have his day in the sun.

He seems to think his team are worthy of an open top bus tour because they lost narrowly.

Derbies are great levellers-Always have been and 1 goal often settles them.

We won, we deserved to win who cares what emphasis Rowett puts on his team being gallent losers

[terrytini]

Perhaps it's just me ?

I thought it was pretty clear that what Sherwood was saying was the plan was to focus on the battle first, with the finesse to come once wed earnt the right to play.

The fact that it turned out to be less of a battle first half, and ended up with Blues playing the better football (although nowhere near as one sided as now being declared) doesn't alter the sense of that decision. In fact it may vindicate it. It could be argued that our tactics meant the traditional problem of Premiership sides being out fought in cup matches was nullified.

I took it that one of the key lessons he has learnt is that we can't afford to just think of entertaining, pretty football. ...he even said as much. ( Whether we have played enough of that is personal opinion but doesn't alter the point).

He did specifically refer to a ' plan' before the game ( more specifically than most Managers most the time)andit seemed to me the essence of it was just that.

Whether the exact substitutions were part of it is unlikely, but it isn't unreasonable to think he intended to make a switch for Grealish to come on half time or so.

It all seems simple enough to me, and the amount of people choosing to prefer to knock him over his comments baffles me.

As far as quality is concerned, I'd rather we won the unpleasant stuff every week first.

 

[BG_Villa_Fan]

I was impressed with his surprising media silence following the sales of Benteke and Delph. It was a smart thing to do.

He should do the same now. It's was embarassing and fair play to Gary Rowett for calling him out on his obvious bullshit. Shut up Tim and work on the team. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

Now I can understand fans being upset with a managers comments after we lose a game. But when we actually win who gives a ****??

Edited September 23, 2015 by Vive_La_Villa

[Davkaus]

 

He did right tonight....UGLY first half.....and then bring on the violinists.

People are actually buying his claim that it was a deliberate approach to the game to be so shit that the team was booed off. Unbelievable.

 

If we'd have had Grealish on in the first half, we'd have won a lot more comfortably.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Davkaus

[Gary Thomas]

I think Sherwood was overcompensating a bit.  He is no doubt very aware that he has been criticized a lot for his poor tactics and decisions in the press and elsewhere.  Thus, he emphasizes how his planning and tactics were instrumental.  Basically, the subtext is 'see, I am not as shit as you have all been saying'!!  Anyway, we got the result, played some decent stuff second half,  and may have unearthed a couple of jewels, so who really cares what he said.

[ozvillafan]

Guus Hiddink (a manager I rate very highly) used to have a saying:  "You don't win games in the first half - you lose them"

I think that is where Tim is coming from. He didn't mean for us to be deliberately dire, he just wanted to make sure we battled and didn't get caught out conceding a soft goal.

[Gary Thomas]

Guus Hiddink (a manager I rate very highly) used to have a saying:  "You don't win games in the first half - you lose them"

I think that is where Tim is coming from. He didn't mean for us to be deliberately dire, he just wanted to make sure we battled and didn't get caught out conceding a soft goal.

Sherwood said something similar after the Bournemouth win

"We knew it would be tough.  We wanted at the start of the game to keep it tight…..I wasn’t bothered if both teams didn’t have a shot in the first period, it was all part of the plan…Second half is what I wanted to do, step into them, show them a little bit less respect, get more bodies forward, be braver in possession….and we bossed the game in the second period."

 

Edited September 23, 2015 by Gary Thomas

[Vive_La_Villa]

Doesn't he even get a little credit for giving Ayew a whole half? A player some fans had already written off. 

Also does anyone really think Grealish would have had same impact on the whole 90 minutes. Been able to play with the same intensity all the way through? 

Would many fans have started the second half with Grealish Sinclair Ayew and Gestede on the pitch? That's 4 very attacking players and three of them tracked back very well when needed too. 

So easy to shoot Sherwood down yet some are determined to not give him credit even when we win!