Roberto Di Matteo

[Strangeways]

2 minutes ago, Woodytom said:

Soul starts to drain would have been better. 

But my soul was really complaining!!! Nothing was draining!! 

[TrentVilla]

1 minute ago, terrytini said:

No, I know few people who do comprehend it !!  And no offence taken.

So I'm happy to explain.  But guys, you don't then need to pelt me with rotten fruit and veg after, I am more than aware it is not exactly a universally held view  - I'm not trying to persuade anybody !

I think Managers (in fact everyone trying to do anything, anywhere) need time.  I think you do everything, everything, in your power to choose the guy you think will see you through the job in hand, then back him to the hilt financially, then give him all the time you can to do what he was employed for.

I don't think you should get rid of somebody because they are failing, I think you should get rid of somebody after they have had enough time to succeed.

So whilst I fully accept he is failing, I don't think he has had enough time to succeed (even though I accept others may have succeeded by now).

(BTW,  I think failure is part of succeeding, and that whoever you get will fail at some point, whether its the beginning, middle, or later period they are there).

Yes we are getting worse, but I have seen countless examples in football and life where things going well get worse, then get better again, and where things going badly get great, then worse again.  

If 10 games is the benchmark, what if the next guy does really badly for ten games - the sack again ? Then again ?  

In my view one decides an appropriate amount of time and sticks to it.  And in no universe do I see this many games as the right amount of time, regardless of whats happening.

I do not expect to alter anybody's view, but hopefully that explains mine.

And the main point I was making was that if, as we all now expect, it is just round the corner, then - whilst I might not agree with that - I now think Xia himself would be 'in the dock' if he doesn't do it quick.

In other words if RDM is still here in 10 games time, fine, but if he is still here tomorrow but gone next Friday, or the one after, or at the begining  of November etc, I will have major doubts about how we are being run.

Appreciate you taking the time to reply in detail, I don't share your view but at least understand where you are coming from and respect you being willing to express it knowing it goes against the grain.

I accept your general points re everyone having difficult spells and that some poeple will go on to succeed after bad starts, although I'd also point out many who start badly only get worse.

For me it isn't about a number of games being a benchmark. I'd be happy to give RDM lots more games if I could signs that it even may be worthwhile.

I've seen managers fail to get early results before but not called for their heads because I could see what they were trying to do even if it wasn't working. In that cicumstance I'm always one to urge patience to allow them the time to get their system working.

The problem for me is that RDM simply doesn't appear to have one. You can't look at it and say "the results are bad but I can see what he is trying to do/but the performances deserve better etc".

For me he looks a man lost which is why I'd pul the rip cord and I've felt that way since the Brentford game, although my reservations stretch back to his appointment.

For me, calls for more time aren't rooted in anything other than hope that things will or must improve. That just isn't enough for me when everything I'm seeing suggests otherwise.

In term of the next man, 10 games wouldn't be the benchmark for me for the same reason they weren't for Di Matteo. I would though be more inclined to give them longer on the basis that they would have inherited the players rather than have had the opportunity Di Matteo has this summer.

On your points re the Dr, I completely agree.

 

[GeordieVillan]

Can't believe what's happened so far this season. Our summer was much better than anyone could have ever expected - new owner with cash to spend, new manager and assistant with good track record and experience at this level, a host of exciting new signing including players to solve our goal scoring issues, a lot of "deadwood" being moved on.

What has happened has been ridiculous, and most of the blame has to fall at the feet of the manager. The only blame that shouldn't go to the manager is some of the stupid individual errors that seem have been ingrained in us over the past 5-6 years.

I don't want us to become a Leeds or Wolves type club that a change a manager without giving them enough time, but this season is in danger of being a disaster.

I disagree with most, I think our squad is good enough for automatic promotion. The problem is RDM had totally underestimated the quality of the championship and the tactical knowledge of his opposition managers. This is not a time for Keegan-style cavalier football. We need to be solid and give out attacking players a decent platform to work from. As it is, the defence is always exposed, and the pressure is always on the attack to score because they know the defence will give sloppy goals away.

I would sack him now, if I knew we had a decent replacement lined up.

As it stands, we can still make the playoffs.

 

[Chicken Field]

what worries me the most is that in the beginning we weren't getting results, but we were at least playing decent, creating chances and stuff, now we just look shiet. I wanted him in, but I am starting to get worried. The signings seem so incredibly random, we have gone for big name "championship standard" signings, but we don't look like a team, the players haven't been bought with a bigger picture in mind or to fit any kind of tactics, instead now we have to change our tactics to fit the players. depressing stuff.

The signings remind me a lot of City under that Thai dude, just signing random players, were gonna end up with 20 strikers and a shortage in other areas. 

[Richard]

This is not about promotion. We are not going to make the top six no chance. This is about rebuilding the club so we can achieve the two year goal of promotion. Stick with this useless twunt and yo an write off next year as well unless it's promotion from league one you want

[LondonLax]

I think his time is up unfortunately. 

[terrytini]

Yeah I see all that Trent, its fair enough - it isn't like those that want him gone are doing so after two bad results.

And yes, it is rooted basically in hope more than anything else - a hope rooted in the belief that time makes a difference, but yes, just hope really.

I didn't want RDM (I wanted Rodgers for one direction, (the nicey football build for the future approach) or Pearson (to just get out the League), or Dyche - (and I still want Dyche) and I didn't want him because I thought he had shown no evidence of being the kind of character we needed, either to football our way out or fight our way out. 

But he's what we got, and so my reasoning  - reluctantly in some ways - holds for him as any other.  I have to assume he fitted what they want, so I cant support them changing their minds so soon.

Anyway, its irrelevant, he's gone surely !!

[Robbie09]

I hope i have just returned from his last match in charge.

**** off Di Matteo

[TRO]

1 hour ago, TrentVilla said:

Honestly, I can't comprehend why you want to give him more time. Not having a go I just can't see what you are seeing to think it's either justified or likely to see things improve as we are getting worse.

If i thought i could see what he is going to do with this "time" I would be slightly more inclined to agree with the remainers....but I don't.

I don't think "time"is the problem I suspect its just an imposter.

I would suspect many fans are just weary with changing managers, however it seems we are just poor at recruitment.....you would almost think we are caught up in a conspiracy, we are that bad

 

[Richard]

I'm incredibly disappointed he has not been sacked yet 

[Davkaus]

He won't be sacked tonight. Probably not tomorrow either. If he's still here by Monday lunchtime, I'd be astounded. 

[TrentVilla]

40 minutes ago, terrytini said:

Anyway, its irrelevant, he's gone surely !!

You would think and I certainly hope so.

[Demitri_C]

9 minutes ago, Richard said:

I'm incredibly disappointed he has not been sacked yet 

I think if he isn't gone by Monday he won't be sacked yet

[Richard]

4 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

I think if he isn't gone by Monday he won't be sacked yet

If he has not gone by Monday then xia for me has loads of questions to answer 

[sidcow]

On 24/09/2016 at 21:44, sidcow said:

This is my biggest worry. We've gone from dominating the opposition but conceding goals to draw or lose the game. Then playing out dull draws where no one particularly does anything to deserve to win to now getting draws we have not deserved to get. It's been a linear deterioration and if the line continues it leads to defeats. 

Every game I think he will turn it round and the season will start but I've moved from thinking we're on the verge of giving someone a kicking to thinking were on the verge of receiving a kicking. 

He absolutely must turn this sharpish. 

Unfortunately my fears illustrated in this post have come to fruition and the defeats have now started. I have no confidence we will get a result against Wolves either. 

I don't think getting rid of him now would even be a rash decision now. 

He's had 1/4 of the season,  the players have had enough games together to start improving if not be the finished article but we are in fact going backwards and that backward movement is in fact accelerating. 

Even a run of the mill manager should be able to play a half decent tune on the Aston Villa fiddle. . However RDM seems to be trying to play it using a drum stick

It wouldn't be so bad if I could see a glimmer of something,  had a feeling it was coming together,  moving in the right direction. . But I don't see anything. 

The WM commentary said just before we were awarded the penalty that there were literally no positives to take from the performance. The irony that we immediately afterwards were awarded then missed a penalty. 

How can you spend a record amount for the league on players then have literally no positives? 

Why does he keep leaving us light in midfield watching us both lose it and fail to create in midfield game after game after game. 

He has just got to go. He deserves no time,  he is being out thought tactically by every manager he faces,  he keeps picking the wrong team and repeating the same mistakes over and over. . He has not shown even a glimmer that he has the capabilities of turning it around. Why should he be allowed to waste more time and squander more points? 

[Villan_of_oz]

1 hour ago, Richard said:

This is not about promotion. We are not going to make the top six no chance. This is about rebuilding the club so we can achieve the two year goal of promotion. Stick with this useless twunt and yo an write off next year as well unless it's promotion from league one you want

I agree with your sentiment that it is not about promotion, at least not anymore. Ffs though is it too much to ask to not be be the laughing stock of yet another league. I was so behind RDM that  now exhausted and left completely shattered again. I just want to be proud of my club.... is that too much to ask?

UTV

VTID

[sidcow]

5 hours ago, BG_Villa_Fan said:

After everything we've witnessed this season, how in the hell does he think it's OK to start a game with a midfield two of Westwood and Jedinak? Not just him, where are his assistants? Where's the tea lady? Somebody surely must see it's never going to work in any level of professional football to start two immobile deep sitting midfielders. 

He doesn't have a clue. I don't think managers should be sacked after only 10-15 games, but he's getting worse. 

This is the absolute killer argument for me how can he possibly persist with this. The only logical explanation is that he is deliberately trying to ensure we lose. 

Before people shout me down that this is ridiculous I agree, therefore as there is no logical reason to persist with it he must be doing it for some completely illogical reason,  which is equally as bad! 

[Villan_of_oz]

Would it be that bad to stick 3 in the midfield especially for away games and see how we go..... pretty sure we cant do any worse. 

[sidcow]

5 hours ago, deeps said:

Am I crazy in thinking he doesn't study the opposition? 

I think he studies them in great detail analyzing their past performances,  player strengths and weaknesses,  systems they prefer,  and then decides to 4 up front and 2 in the middle. 

Edited October 1, 2016 by sidcow

[striker]

1 hour ago, Richard said:

This is not about promotion. We are not going to make the top six no chance. This is about rebuilding the club so we can achieve the two year goal of promotion. Stick with this useless twunt and yo an write off next year as well unless it's promotion from league one you want

I feel that with maybe a better manager there is still much hope for the Villa to be promoted but Xia must act now before it's too late. For instance I don't think Bruce would play with a two in midfield and be top heavy with forward players. A system in place to suit what Villa have will improve results until the January window opens and then Villa can sign the players needed to push on into the top six.

Edited October 1, 2016 by striker