Roberto Di Matteo

[Richard]

38 minutes ago, Deisler123 said:

I think Tony still rates RDM and wants to give him more time. And I think end of October (which he used his business commitment as a reason, but I think he is buying RDM sometime) is when he will pull the trigger if RDM does not deliver.  

If he comes to VP every week to watch the game, then another draw will have to force him to make the decision that he doesn't want.

then he is a coward

[Godders]

@Richard, I'm genuinly interested: If you were the owner, and our manager was someone you rated highly, would you look to sack him after a run of 1 win, 2 losses and 7 draws, or would you keep him a bit longer thinking he'd come good?

[BOF]

20 hours ago, markavfc40 said:

Mate I think it is perfectly logical that if someone felt Di Matteo was the wrong appointment in the first place that results over the first 11 games wouldn’t have convinced them otherwise and they would still think he was the wrong man and still not want him.

If however you thought Di Matteo was the right man in the  summer then you may well think that 11 games isn’t long enough to make you change your mind and you want to allow him longer.

For what it is worth I was somewhere in the middle on all this in that despite some doubts I was happy to back him and see how things went. So far, based on results and recent performances, I am leaning heavily towards the doubts I had about him unfortunately being correct and those that felt he was the wrong man in the summer were indeed right.

Thissety this this.  All of it.  I think you're also right about how both camps would interpret results to date as well, and it's reasonable that they would do so.

[ender4]

10 minutes ago, Richard said:

then he is a coward

Really? really? 

[ender4]

13 hours ago, markavfc40 said:

He has stated we will finish in the top 6. 

Aston Villa will finish in Championship top six, insists manager

Top 6 is not good enough IMO.

getting promoted (automatic or through play-offs) is good enough and the only thing RDM is to be judged on. 

a plucky play-off final where we lose by an own goal would also not be good enough. That would be RDM's fault for not getting us into the automatic places in the first place.   

Edited September 30, 2016 by ender4

[Richard]

3 minutes ago, Godders said:

@Richard, I'm genuinly interested: If you were the owner, and our manager was someone you rated highly, would you look to sack him after a run of 1 win, 2 losses and 7 draws, or would you keep him a bit longer thinking he'd come good?

Your answer has been provided already

20 hours ago, markavfc40 said:

Mate I think it is perfectly logical that if someone felt Di Matteo was the wrong appointment in the first place that results over the first 11 games wouldn’t have convinced them otherwise and they would still think he was the wrong man and still not want him.

If however you thought Di Matteo was the right man in the  summer then you may well think that 11 games isn’t long enough to make you change your mind and you want to allow him longer.

 

I am not the owner,  If I were I would not have appointed RDM in the first place.  I see the comments which say "ah Confirmation Bias" but I'd just counter that by saying if there was no evidence to use as confirmation of an opinion then it would make confirmation bias a little difficult.

For me the evidence is clear

1 win in 10

10 goals scored

points continuing to be dropped at late periods of the game,  same mistakes being made every match

constant chopping and changing of formations before and during games

a seemingly clueless approach to trying to stop the issues we have had this season,  just flailing around hoping to stumble upon something

asking the owner to provide a motivational video for the players

[carewjust4u]

I still honestly believe back-to-back wins is all this team needs to kick on, as much as Dr X claims it's not a mentality thing it certainly is. Need to get the stigma out of the players & fans minds that we cannot win away or that we will concede in the last 5 mins...it's basic Sports Psychology.

 

[Richard]

7 minutes ago, ender4 said:

Really? really? 

Yes really.  Look at what was said " If he comes to VP every week to watch the game, then another draw will have to force him to make the decision that he doesn't want. "

So if the owner is hiding away not coming to watch games because he doesnt want to make a decision he doesnt want to then he is a coward.

[Godders]

Thanks @Richard. Nothing to do with confirmation bias, was just interested to know if you would also act cowardly in Xia's position.

[Hoof hearted]

12 minutes ago, Richard said:

Yes really.  Look at what was said " If he comes to VP every week to watch the game, then another draw will have to force him to make the decision that he doesn't want. "

So if the owner is hiding away not coming to watch games because he doesnt want to make a decision he doesnt want to then he is a coward.

I agree with a lot of points made by you but calling the owner a coward for not travelling 8,000 miles every weekend and Tuesday a little odd @Richard

I'm of the opinion that he (RDM) will get it right (eventually) and should be given the season at least to do so, obviously if we go on a 10 game losing streak, and knowing us, that could well happen, then get rid. My only real concern is if we get anywhere near the top 6 these games we are dropping points in (10 in the last 5 minutes of 5 games!) will come back to bite us and RDM on the arse.

Edited September 30, 2016 by Hoof hearted

[striker]

13 hours ago, markavfc40 said:

He has stated we will finish in the top 6. 

 

 

Aston Villa will finish in Championship top six, insists manager

Not sure this will be seen as a confidence booster for the players or the owner after the expenditure? 

A manager given that type of money to spend in the Championship would, or certainly should expect to achieve automatic promotion when the standard of that league is so poor.

It sounds to me that Di Matteo is creating a buffer for himself should Villa continue to struggle and that hopefully won't wash for too much longer with the owner?

 

 

[briny_ear]

4 hours ago, striker said:

Not sure this will be seen as a confidence booster for the players or the owner after the expenditure? 

A manager given that type of money to spend in the Championship would, or certainly should expect to achieve automatic promotion when the standard of that league is so poor.

It sounds to me that Di Matteo is creating a buffer for himself should Villa continue to struggle and that hopefully won't wash for too much longer with the owner?

 

 

Must say this reminds me a bit of Mark Hughes when he was managing Man C and the new owners were pumping in squazillions of ££££s. As I recall, after a modest set of results (including, I think, a long run of drawn matches) he said it was realistic to aim for top 6 that season. 

He was sacked shortly afterwards

Edited September 30, 2016 by briny_ear

[TRO]

On 9/29/2016 at 07:22, TrentVilla said:

 

Everyday we continue with RDM is a day wasted in my opinion. 

I think the problem for all of us is ....how long does "time" last? and what is being done with it?

I genuinely don't know how long these things last and what time frame is reasonable.

The danger is though that those of us who never wanted him in the first place are likely to be less patient.....fairly understandable I suppose.

I in no way want to play down the importance of the results and 4 league wins in 16 months.....is abominable ( not all on his watch naturally)

However, I have watched many games and there are signs/indications that all this is not bad luck....some things I have seen, for me, is worrying.

I genuinely do not know the right outcome and that is not sitting on the fence, but equally I have no idea who can fix our problems.

to show a tad of mitigation.....I find it hard to accept that managers who have been around the game for years are tactically naive, that does not sit comfortable with me.....is it it that he is simply short of players to create a balance that subsequently allows him to be more tactical or what, just being devils advocate.

I do see players , not carrying out the fundamentals, not particularly making good decisions on and off the ball, not closing down, not touch tight, not marking up, when they need to be, missed placed passes that bring the opposition in, not disrupting the oppositions defence, by running off the ball astutely......we also have a soft underbelly to this team and that alone will take us no where.

Until he explains himself in more detail we can only assume.....until he explains some of the tactical enigmas that we see..... we can only speculate.

1 win in 10 and the amount of money spent .....I would have thought would have told a manager he needs to explain to the fans, what he is doing or reasons why he can't do what he wants to do.....what exactly are his obstacles.

However, allowing him time without a feasible explanation is not the answer imo..... we could sleep walk in to another 3 years like we did with Lambert, stumbling from one season to another.

ps Graham Taylor/Bobby Robson used to explain in detail that was understandable.

Edited September 30, 2016 by TRO

[Deisler123]

7 hours ago, Richard said:

Yes really.  Look at what was said " If he comes to VP every week to watch the game, then another draw will have to force him to make the decision that he doesn't want. "

So if the owner is hiding away not coming to watch games because he doesnt want to make a decision he doesnt want to then he is a coward.

Richard, I think you misinterpreted what I tried to say. My point was, because Xia wants to give RDM sometime to put things right, he may not want to create chances for media to impose their pressure (of sacking RDM) to the club.

I don't think your extension on 'hiding away' and 'coward' is fair one.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

3 hours ago, briny_ear said:

Must say this reminds me a bit of Mark Hughes when he was managing Man C and the new owners were pumping in squazillions of ££££s. As I recall, after a modest set of results (including, I think, a long run of drawn matches) he said it was realistic to aim for top 6 that season. 

He was sacked shortly afterwards

Mark Hughes had a half decent squad already. They had just finished 9th, with Elano etc. Then he took them to the dizzying heights of 10th before spending an absolute fortune in order to aim for the top 6. 

Not even remotely similar. 

[briny_ear]

30 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

Not even remotely similar. 

OK, let's check back on that if/when Di Matteo gets sacked. Then they'll have something in common. 

[Keener window-cleaner]

I'm still not ready to jump on the sack RDM bandwagon. Mainly because I want stability. If we sacked him now we would be looking for our 7th manager in 1,5 years (Lambert, Sherwood, MacDonald, Garde, Black, RDM) and that in itself is just detrimental, regardless of the other circumstances.

I don't think 1 win, 7 draws and 2 losses in 10 games is bad enough to warrant being sacked, as long as he is fully committed and hasn't lost the support from the players.

 

[dont_do_it_doug.]

2 hours ago, briny_ear said:

OK, let's check back on that if/when Di Matteo gets sacked. Then they'll have something in common. 

So when he's had a season and a half?

[briny_ear]

16 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

So when he's had a season and a half?

As I recall it, the gap between Mark Hughes declaring that top 6 was a reasonable target for Man C and his departure was a lot shorter than a season and a half.

[andyh]

12 hours ago, carewjust4u said:

I still honestly believe back-to-back wins is all this team needs to kick on, as much as Dr X claims it's not a mentality thing it certainly is. Need to get the stigma out of the players & fans minds that we cannot win away or that we will concede in the last 5 mins...it's basic Sports Psychology.

 

And the last time this club had back to back wins was...............?