The Rémi Garde thread

[Stevo985]

I think I see both sides of the debate above.

I think there WAS improvement. Undoubtedly so. 

But I think we then passed a point where the players, and possibly the manager, realised staying up was impossible, and since that point we've regressed massively so that improvement has disappeared.

I do blame Garde for that. But it's not really that I directly blame him for our current performances, I think that's on the players. I blame him for not making more of our "easy" run over christmas where we should have gained more points and not let ourselves be cut adrift. Had we done that we may have seen the improvement carry on and have a chance.

As it is, he's let us get to a position where the players have given up and we're doomed to lose every game. I don't think any manager could get anything out of the team right now, but he is the one who let us get to this position. 

Do I want him here next season? I think I'm genuinely in a position where I don't care. I do think there is a good manager there somewhere, but I fully admit that's based on not much more than a hunch, and I'm not sure it's worth the risk to gamble and see if that's true by letting him stay next season. 
There are probably safer options out there for a promotion push next season.

I can see the reasons for keeping him, and I can certainly see the reasons for getting rid. I actually think it's a very interesting decision to be made in the summer by the guys running our club. My thoughts, at the moment, are that Garde will be gone as part of the clear out that seems to be going on right now.

I'm sort of on board with that, but I know for sure there are plenty of options out there who are worse than Garde, imo. And given our recent history of appointments, I'm not sure I trust us to make the right appointment next season.

 

tl;dr: meh

[thunderball]

I feel for Garde, our club has let him down, and so have the players. I like Garde but we need a complete change, and it seems this is well under way.

We must get back next season and everything we need to do to ensure this must be done. If that includes Pearson, then let it be.

[Wainy316]

Another pay off then? Why don't we just let him walk at the end of the season? No point appointing anyone else before. I'd want a new manager to have to work with as few of the current squad as possible.

[supernova26]

Telegraph, DM, Guardian all going with it so looks like he'll be gone by the end of day tomorrow.

I really hope this Pearson stuff is just BS though. 

Our board couldn't be that shorted-sighted could they?

Don't answer that.

Edited March 20, 2016 by supernova26

[MikeMcKenna]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

Mike, Unless we know the full facts of what transpired how can we realistically and fairly judge the man. Anyone in their right mind does not have any cotter with Racism and I would fully support your stance on not wanting a new manager that does.

but we are getting a little ahead of ourselves until we know the full facts, maybe Pearsons loyalty to his son was misplaced.

There have been plenty of instances over the years of player/ manager indiscretions and true to form some get negated/forgotten very easily and some get castigated vociforously. That is down to every individuals interpretation.

I am not going out on a limb for Nigel Pearson, but I am questioning our ability to select a manager we can create some stability with and create a modicum of success.Personally I am looking for a more abrasive manager, not troublesome or a bully.....just more direct and decisive.....more hard nosed....unfortunately there can be a fine dividing line.

This is a tough business we ( Aston Villa) are in and it is not for the faint hearted....Industrial language gets used and physical altercations happen ( ask Nigel Reo Coker - If he had wanted to take that further it would have made Pearsons incident look like handbags)

Lets get some, perspective here.

We all have our personal likes and dislikes and we are all entitled to our opinions without having our intelligence questioned because we disagree with some folk.

 

 

Where have I questioned your 'intelligence'? I have stated that I do not want him based on his known and supposed reputation. If you think differently that is your choice and opinion.

End of. 

[Stevo985]

I'm getting a season ticket next season.

I'd seriously question that decision if we appoint Pearson.

[Dr_Pangloss]

Overall, there has simply not been any improvement. I don't expect him to keep us up, in fact I didn't when we brought him in, but what I did expect was more fight and to not go down with a whimper. Well, we're going down doing exactly that, there's a huge gap emerging and we don't look even close to getting another win under Garde. 

I hate to break it to some on here but Garde has culpability in this, it's a cop out to just blame the players. Garde has come in and demonstrated absolutely nothing and he takes at least some proportion of the blame for the disgraceful performances we've witness under his reign here.

I feel very bad for him, clearly a lovely guy who probably can't believe the shite he has inherited and he frankly should have walked after the window when this piece of shit board screwed him over. But ultimately sacking him, based on performances under him, is 100% justified, at least he's going to rake in some compensation for his traumatic time here. 

[Pilchard]

7 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

Another pay off then? Why don't we just let him walk at the end of the season? No point appointing anyone else before. I'd want a new manager to have to work with as few of the current squad as possible.

Perhaps he's decided to walk, and decided it a while ago but said he'd stay on until this board stuff was sorted.

I suspect looking at what was said by Hollis last week we'll see this new Head of Football Operations come in next week and he'll come in and bring his own manager in eventually. They'd be stupid to let them manage this bunch of wallys we currently have though. I'm hoping for a Cortese. I'm expecting that they'll look at Southgate's Villa connections, Bernstein already knows him, and we'll see him as the HFO.

As always, off the pitch is more interesting than on the pitch

[Dr_Pangloss]

2 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I'm getting a season ticket next season.

I'd seriously question that decision if we appoint Pearson.

I've flirted with the idea but do not want to financially support this club whilst that utter **** word removed still owns it. If we appoint Pearson then I probably won't even bother watching any games on TV/online and simply check the scores on BBC, he's that much of a word removed. 

[Wainy316]

Perhaps he's decided to walk, and decided it a while ago but said he'd stay on until this board stuff was sorted.

I suspect looking at what was said by Hollis last week we'll see this new Head of Football Operations come in next week and he'll come in and bring his own manager in eventually. They'd be stupid to let them manage this bunch of wallys we currently have though. I'm hoping for a Cortese. I'm expecting that they'll look at Southgate's Villa connections, Bernstein already knows him, and we'll see him as the HFO.

As always, off the pitch is more interesting than on the pitch

That's possible, so Garde or K Mac (shudder) until the end of the season to protect any incoming manager from the current poison.

[HanoiVillan]

12 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I think I see both sides of the debate above.

I think there WAS improvement. Undoubtedly so. 

But I think we then passed a point where the players, and possibly the manager, realised staying up was impossible, and since that point we've regressed massively so that improvement has disappeared.

I do blame Garde for that. But it's not really that I directly blame him for our current performances, I think that's on the players. I blame him for not making more of our "easy" run over christmas where we should have gained more points and not let ourselves be cut adrift. Had we done that we may have seen the improvement carry on and have a chance.

As it is, he's let us get to a position where the players have given up and we're doomed to lose every game. I don't think any manager could get anything out of the team right now, but he is the one who let us get to this position. 

Do I want him here next season? I think I'm genuinely in a position where I don't care. I do think there is a good manager there somewhere, but I fully admit that's based on not much more than a hunch, and I'm not sure it's worth the risk to gamble and see if that's true by letting him stay next season. 
There are probably safer options out there for a promotion push next season.

I can see the reasons for keeping him, and I can certainly see the reasons for getting rid. I actually think it's a very interesting decision to be made in the summer by the guys running our club. My thoughts, at the moment, are that Garde will be gone as part of the clear out that seems to be going on right now.

I'm sort of on board with that, but I know for sure there are plenty of options out there who are worse than Garde, imo. And given our recent history of appointments, I'm not sure I trust us to make the right appointment next season.

 

tl;dr: meh

I think this post is the closest to describing my own feelings that I've read on here, especially the bolded parts. I stopped reading this thread for a long while because it became clear that both sides were overstating their cases: he clearly can't only be a shit manager, because we know he did a good job previously. We also know he can't only be a genius because the results have been useless. 

In the end, I don't much care either way. I'd be fine with him staying, but I'm also fine with him going. The only part of Stevo's comment I don't particularly agree with is 'I blame him for not making more of our easy run over Christmas', not because I don't think that's where the problem was (I agree with that), but just that I think 'blame' is the wrong word, or maybe not the word I would choose. I think he was the wrong person for the job, and I said the minute Advocaat left Sunderland and Allardyce started to be mentioned that we should have sacked Sherwood instantly and got Allardyce in. We didn't, and I think if we had done we might be 'enjoying' a nail-biting final push to avoid relegation instead of being down already. But I don't hate Garde for not being an instant success (which is what winning lots of games over Christmas would have meant). He was just the wrong guy at the wrong time, or maybe the right guy at the wrong time. 

I bear him no grudges anyway, I hope he goes on to more success at his next club. 

[Pilchard]

4 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

That's possible, so Garde or K Mac (shudder) until the end of the season to protect any incoming manager from the current poison.

I think so. Appointing a manager now would mean they are associated with the many failings this team has as we may be relegated in two weeks but theres a lot of games left.

[Stevo985]

41 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

The only part of Stevo's comment I don't particularly agree with is 'I blame him for not making more of our easy run over Christmas', not because I don't think that's where the problem was (I agree with that), but just that I think 'blame' is the wrong word, or maybe not the word I would choose.

I agree with your point here, but I was trying to not make it look like I was removing all blame from Garde. 

What I was trying to say was that I don't blame him for our current performances because I think the players have given up and, as I said, I don't think any manager would be getting us results now.

But what I was trying to avoid was making it sound like I don't find Garde responsible for our current position. I don't think he carries all the fault, he was clearly dealt a terrible hand, inherited the worst squad in the league from the worst manager in the league and had a very very difficult task.

BUT, I do think we had an opportunity over christmas to reel the others in and that would have avoided the players giving up because we wouldn't have been so cut adrift. That's where Garde has the responsibility. Not all of it, but certainly some of it.

[DCJonah]

I felt he was far to negative in some of those games. While the squad is shit I do think he has to take some responsibility for his approach to games.

[onmeedson]

Like tim said losing becomes a habit, you have to see that and change it not embrace it.

[choffer]

1 hour ago, jacketspuds said:

Moyes or Rodgers for me.

I actually think Rodgers would be excellent at Villa.

Rodgers will be at Swansea next season. Swans fans I spoke to yesterday seemed to have a fair insight into what's going on in their club and they believe it's already a done deal.

[Gary Thomas]

2 hours ago, jacketspuds said:

Moyes or Rodgers for me.

I actually think Rodgers would be excellent at Villa.

Good shout !!

[Stockport_Villain]

57 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

I've flirted with the idea but do not want to financially support this club whilst that utter **** word removed still owns it. If we appoint Pearson then I probably won't even bother watching any games on TV/online and simply check the scores on BBC, he's that much of a word removed. 

It's very easy to say who we shouldn't appoint, so who would you appoint to get us back up?

[Dr_Pangloss]

Just now, Stockport_Villain said:

It's very easy to say who we shouldn't appoint, so who would you appoint to get us back up?

I'd try and move the earth for Moyes but if that's not feasible then we should bring in Gary Rowett, absolutely no reason why we couldn't manage that. 

[benireduk]

I'd try and move the earth for Moyes but if that's not feasible then we should bring in Gary Rowett, absolutely no reason why we couldn't manage that. 

There are plenty of reasons we wouldn't go for Rowett.

1) it would split an already angry fan base because of where he's coming from

2) he's done well for a couple of seasons at SHA but personally I think we need someone with experience of getting a team out of the Champ

3) SHA would never let us have him anyway