New Manager Speculation

[Keener window-cleaner]

Sorry but I just don't understand what some see in Thierry Henry. His Sky sports analysis is just highlighting where players run on a screen and telling what Pep was like in training. He sounds like he is doing rocket science with a posh attitude, but it's actually just basic stuff that most players could point out.

Yes he was a good player, but there has been many good players around. Shearer was a great player and is a pundit, no one is calling for him for example. Henry has no experience of managing a club. He has been no 2 in Belgium for a while, and their tactics and the way they played weren't that great in the world cup despite all the talent in the squad.

It would be a massive gamble throwing Henry into the Championship. We have no idea what his philosophy or training methods would be, are we expecting him to copy the way Pep managed Barcelona 10 years ago? Well both football and Pep has evolved since then. Are we expecting us to play like Belgium under Martinez? That isn't directly the Pep style of football. Or the way Wenger played over ten years ago when Henry was in his prime? Or what is it that we are expecting from Henry that makes him such an exciting alternative?

I'd rather see we gave the job to Terry if we are going young and inexperienced. MOst of all I would like us to go for a manager with a proven track record of playing good football and who knows how it is to manage a football club. There must be many up and coming Emerys, Silvas, Nunos, Sarris etc out there.

[AvfcRigo82]

54 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I have said it before but I see absolutely no appeal in hiring Henry except he was a great player.  What does he know about organising defences or signing defenders

We are in no position to be a training course for a high profile wannabee manager

Why not Henry? I think he will be a great appointment.

What he doesn't know about organising defences I am sure he will have an assistant that will...

I don't see the worry, I actually see it as a refreshing change and look forward to seeing some organised and disaplined yet sexy va va voom football.

[Dodgyknees]

1 minute ago, Villan4Life said:

Aye I saw that, wondered if something different was said on SSN. Thanks though  

[hippo]

I doubt its significant but some Rodgers quotes are doing the rounds something like

"Aston villa ? I havent been asked" ...then says he has job as celtic manager which he is enjoying.

Very sinilar to smith at Brentford I suppose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TRO]

26 minutes ago, hippo said:

I said as soon as Bruce was sacked - we don't want to end with a manager who we think  "hmmmm ....might be alright ...you never know"  - and we appear to be doing exactly that.

Even those lauding the appointment are ass covering already " it will take time " , "what can he do about the defence" 

Since i have been watching this wonderful club, when Joe Mercer was manager.....everyone since has been a gamble.

• Ron Atkinson had a good reputation.....18 months great, final 18 months poo
• Martin O'Neill had a good reputation.....6/6/6 good results dour football, very iffy transfer business, which put us in queer street.....left before, he had to deal with it.
• Graham Taylor mk1.......Good signing and one everyone agreed with, great job

The rest have all been a gamble in varying degrees.

the football landscape has changed and we need to change and try a different approach.

 

[AvfcRigo82]

1 hour ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I reckon he wanted the job in the summer but the owners gave Bruce a chance instead. He is been waiting for the opportunity again hence turned down the Bordeaux role. 

I think that is the correct assumption.

 

[theboyangel]

Is anyone else concerned about the potential clash of egos? 

both are leaders, Terry more so than Henry but with the latter in charge. How long will it be before Terry wants to take over or they disagree over fprmations, tactics both pre-match and during the 90 minutes. It's not like they're old team mates or buddies. 

I feel a manager needs to trust his no.2 implicitly - will Henry trust Terry 100%?

I'm not convinced by either appointment together but would understand JT as a no.2 to a more seasoned manager/coach. 

I'd love both to be as successful on the sidelines as they were on the pitch but cant help but see the inevitable failure.  

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

22 minutes ago, Dick said:

Agree. We spend far too much time looking backward, the cub does, the fans. It's been the same since the 1980s. We end up looking over our shoulder as others pass us by. Time to be different, time to try and do something new.

I'm out of likes, so....yeah

[allani]

10 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I have said it before but I see absolutely no appeal in hiring Henry except he was a great player.  What does he know about organising defences or signing defenders

We are in no position to be a training course for a high profile wannabee manager

Gazza was a great player but I think everyone would be freaked out if he was being talked about as a candidate.  Whilst Henry has no experience to prove that he can / can not organise defences or sign defenders - he has always (in my opinion) come across as an intelligent footballer who could read the game well.  He was able to adjust his own game throughout his career as demonstrated by the number of different roles he played in and his success in most (if not all) of them.  This is some kind of evidence (in my mind) that he has a good understanding of the game and how to make the most out of players' attributes and skills.  He also talks well - in a studious, knowledgeable type of way - rather than some of the garbage that many "pundits" trot out.  However, none of that really changes the fact that he is unproven - we can all point to similar ex-players who failed or similar ex-players who succeeded.  I think he has a better "grounding" than Lampard or Gerrard having experienced football in more leagues/countries.  Plus he has played for some of the best managers around and will (hopefully) have learnt many lessons from them.  I think he also still has good relationships with most of them so he's got some great contacts for his "phone a friend" option if he needs some good advice.

I guess for me the "appeal" is the ceiling.  Bruce for me might have got us promoted, might have kept us up for a season but ultimately would have been unlikely to take us further than being PL strugglers.  Looking through some of the "experienced" names linked - few, if any, change that diagnosis.  Rodgers is possibly the exception to that in that I'd expect him to get us promoted and back up into top half / Europe qualification territory.  Many of the foreign names linked seem to have a slightly chequered past (some good results, some unconvincing ones) and so I thought most sounded like a risk.  Other Championship managers have (to date) failed to test themselves in a higher league - but I don't know how Wilder or Smith (for example) would sell themselves and the club to the type of players we would need to get beyond mid-table Premier League.  Which leads onto Henry.  No proof - granted.  Could be a complete disaster - granted.  But (and I appreciate that this is a big but!!!!) he could be brilliant.  He could be the next Pep.  His name alone could attract young players from across Europe to the club.  He probably won't be given how hard it is to move from a playing career to a managerial career.  But I think that is the excitement that attracts people and where the appeal comes from.

I conversely think we are in exactly the position to be a training course for a high profile wannabee manager.  I think we are too good to be relegated and we'll drag out enough results to keep us away from the relegation battle.  I would rather try this approach now, than after winning promotion to the PL.  If it doesn't work then we can go with a more "sensible" option.  But Bruce was the "sensible" option and that hasn't worked (and yes if we go through our recent managerial appointments there are examples of almost every approach failing!!).  But if it does work then it could be amazing and I don't think that applies to many of the other candidates.

Obviously that doesn't mean that there isn't another name out there that wouldn't be even better - but I can't think of who that might be.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

4 minutes ago, TRO said:

Since i have been watching this wonderful club, when Joe Mercer was manager.....everyone since has been a gamble.

• Ron Atkinson had a good reputation.....18 months great, final 18 months poo
• Martin O'Neill had a good reputation.....6/6/6 good results dour football, very iffy transfer business, which put us in queer street.....left before, he had to deal with it.
• Graham Taylor mk1.......Good signing and one everyone agreed with, great job

The rest have all been a gamble in varying degrees.

the football landscape has changed and we need to change and try a different approach.

 

MON sounds like quite a raver....

[allani]

25 minutes ago, TRO said:

since the start of the season, we have gradually got worse, culminating in poor performances in the last 2 games against bottom of the table teams.

something has/had gone wrong.....i am not going to speculate on that.....but was it going to get worse....you say 8th and 14th.....I have no idea, but my bet, it was getting gradually worse.....there was no hint of an arrest.

 Change was inevitable.....we now need to embrace that change.

I think at some point we would have hit a run of good results - maybe not as good as last season's run after Christmas but decent enough to finish mid - high mid table.  He would have had to tackle the defence issue in January too and I can't believe that that wouldn't have happened (although I can't believe it didn't happen in the summer!!!).

[Mantis]

Henry is certainly a gamble, but with the way the game is going now I think traditionally "steady" managers (Bruce, Pardew, Moyes, Allardyce etc) are becoming less and less effective. We may as well give Henry a go.

[allani]

15 minutes ago, Keener window-cleaner said:

He has been no 2 in Belgium for a while, and their tactics and the way they played weren't that great in the world cup despite all the talent in the squad.

We are talking about Belgium - the team that finished 3rd in the World Cup?  When almost everyone says that France v Belgium should have been the final in terms of having the best two teams getting through.  Their only mistake was in not deliberately losing to (or drawing with) England in order to get into the easier half of the draw.

[Villan4Life]

10 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

MON sounds like quite a raver....

MON Used to go to Sundissential

[Guest av1]

Just now, Villan4Life said:

Sundissential

Those were the days. Queuing up outside Pulse at 10:00 on a Sunday morning to go clubbing. 

I feel old. 

[Dave-R]

3 hours ago, villarocker said:

After where we were early in the last close season, how any Villa fan can question Henry as manager is beyond me. 

I wouldn't want Henry doing it on his own, with Terry as his second we would have two managers pretty much making sure all goes alright. I think if Henry makes mistakes having Terry as support will help rectify anything, it could be a pretty dangerous partnership If they click and figure things out quick.

 

I am sure both Henry and Terry could bring the success back to our club, I am down for them trying so long as they do it together, both there minds put together with all there knowledge should be formidable for any manager in this league and the premiereship.

I say bring them in but even that's going to cost an arm n a leg, will be worth it though. Even if they are newbies to being managers, I just believe that both of them, there minds, love, knowledge, respect for the game, there maybe no one else out there at this time better equipped than henry and terry together.

[Dave-R]

15 minutes ago, allani said:

Gazza was a great player but I think everyone would be freaked out if he was being talked about as a candidate.  Whilst Henry has no experience to prove that he can / can not organise defences or sign defenders - he has always (in my opinion) come across as an intelligent footballer who could read the game well.  He was able to adjust his own game throughout his career as demonstrated by the number of different roles he played in and his success in most (if not all) of them.  This is some kind of evidence (in my mind) that he has a good understanding of the game and how to make the most out of players' attributes and skills.  He also talks well - in a studious, knowledgeable type of way - rather than some of the garbage that many "pundits" trot out.  However, none of that really changes the fact that he is unproven - we can all point to similar ex-players who failed or similar ex-players who succeeded.  I think he has a better "grounding" than Lampard or Gerrard having experienced football in more leagues/countries.  Plus he has played for some of the best managers around and will (hopefully) have learnt many lessons from them.  I think he also still has good relationships with most of them so he's got some great contacts for his "phone a friend" option if he needs some good advice.

I guess for me the "appeal" is the ceiling.  Bruce for me might have got us promoted, might have kept us up for a season but ultimately would have been unlikely to take us further than being PL strugglers.  Looking through some of the "experienced" names linked - few, if any, change that diagnosis.  Rodgers is possibly the exception to that in that I'd expect him to get us promoted and back up into top half / Europe qualification territory.  Many of the foreign names linked seem to have a slightly chequered past (some good results, some unconvincing ones) and so I thought most sounded like a risk.  Other Championship managers have (to date) failed to test themselves in a higher league - but I don't know how Wilder or Smith (for example) would sell themselves and the club to the type of players we would need to get beyond mid-table Premier League.  Which leads onto Henry.  No proof - granted.  Could be a complete disaster - granted.  But (and I appreciate that this is a big but!!!!) he could be brilliant.  He could be the next Pep.  His name alone could attract young players from across Europe to the club.  He probably won't be given how hard it is to move from a playing career to a managerial career.  But I think that is the excitement that attracts people and where the appeal comes from.

I conversely think we are in exactly the position to be a training course for a high profile wannabee manager.  I think we are too good to be relegated and we'll drag out enough results to keep us away from the relegation battle.  I would rather try this approach now, than after winning promotion to the PL.  If it doesn't work then we can go with a more "sensible" option.  But Bruce was the "sensible" option and that hasn't worked (and yes if we go through our recent managerial appointments there are examples of almost every approach failing!!).  But if it does work then it could be amazing and I don't think that applies to many of the other candidates.

Obviously that doesn't mean that there isn't another name out there that wouldn't be even better - but I can't think of who that might be.

Maybe thats why terry maybe his no2, terry can organise a defence to no end, i can see it now and picture a fruitful henry and terry partnership.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

Just a matter of time innit?

[Lerner's Driver]

30 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Again, for every Zola etc there is a Zidane.

Just like for every Sunderland there is a Wolves or Watford!

We always seem to spin narratives literally based on our personal feelings.

Just as likely to fail as succeed under a former player is the definition of a 'hope for the best' punt. If that's where we've got to, then so be it, but let's call it what it is and not bitch and moan if and when it does go tits up. 

[Villan4Life]

7 minutes ago, av1 said:

Those were the days. Queuing up outside Pulse at 10:00 on a Sunday morning to go clubbing. 

I feel old. 

You probably knew me then lol i used go Gods in 97/98ish, SS 97-2003 (Pulse, Que Club etc SS North) Passion (Coaville) first 1999 and still go now.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Villan4Life