The next manager of Aston Villa

[sparrow1988]

2 hours ago, NoelVilla said:

Ambitious must mean that they at least talk to Unai Emery. That would be real improvment unlike most of the other names mentioned that are sideways move.

Were we maybe the reason Emery turned down Newcastle? 
 

CP: Unai, how’s it hanging? I hear you’re heading to Newcastle. It’s awful grim up north. I might have a more attractive proposition for you…
 

I would however be worried about communication with the players. During his time at Arsenal, he really seemed to struggle with the language. I’m basing this purely on interviews. Would that affect his ability to get his message across? In Spain it doesn’t seem to be a problem but in England it did seem so. 

[Peter Griffin]

13 minutes ago, IrishVilla10 said:

I’d be shocked if we appointed Roberto Martinez, I have a lot more faith in Purslow than that 

Me too. I think RM might take us down if we get him in. I would prefer Gerrard to him. RM doesn't know how to setup an defence and we badly need someone that knows this

[Villa87]

7 minutes ago, bully said:

Purslow invited Jack Grealish to the recent West Ham game in order to go onto the pitch and wave to the crowd. Jack obviously declined. Your faith may be misplaced.

Wait, what?

[Davkaus]

I think it's rather rewriting history to claim it's our first major bad run under Smith.

[KentVillan]

Just now, Vive_La_Villa said:

I agree with that.  Top player doesn’t always translate to top manager. How about clever player?  He definitely had a football brain. 

Lampard was a clever player, but it hasn't really translated. Hoddle was another football genius who never quite turned it into managerial success.

It's really, really hard to predict, because two different sets of overlapping attributes go into being a great footballer and being a great manager. Nobody thought Zidane would win multiple Champions Leagues and league titles.

There are things I really like about Gerrard, but there are also some big question marks.

He would be a much bigger gamble than even a Roberto Martinez (who I don't rate, but at least has experience of managing PL-calibre players).

[TheStagMan]

On a positive note, Villa now get another opportunity to throw Dwight Yorke's CV straight in the bin.

[Vive_La_Villa]

Just now, Davkaus said:

I think it's rather rewriting history to claim it's our first major bad run under Smith.

Purslow even said himself the whole of 2021 hasn’t been good enough. I’d expect non Villa supporters to say it’s harsh to sack him after a bad run but I’d have thought Villa fans watched us all year.

18 defeats in 2021, worst in the league. He has not been sacked just because we lost 5 in a row.

[Peter Griffin]

13 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

'We' didn't sack him, Purslow did. I no longer consider him one of 'us'. Sacking a manager the first time you hit a major bad run is utterly, utterly stupid. Dean was the most intelligent and astute manager in the Premier League, and had nowhere near reached his ceiling. We were in a post-Grealish period of transition, just starting integrate new players and new tactics, in the middle of an injury and illness crisis. We'd beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford. We had young players coming in and learning their trade. There was no need whatsoever to disrupt the season and the club. 

Frankly, I don't give a shit who the next manager on the Doug Ellis Memorial Merry-go-round is, the club has already blundered and undone three years' good work at a stroke. **** you, Purslow. 

Dean Smith's Claret and Blue Army. 

We as in 'Aston Villa' sacked Smith. Purslow is our CEO and we, as a club sacked Smith. It is maybe time to take off the Dean Smith tinted glasses.

[Jas10]

Like @nick76, I’m very underwhelmed by the majority of managers/names that have been banded about or linked…

The only one that genuinely has any appeal is Favre due to his track record. One or two others may perform well but who can really tell?

This is an opportunity for the owners to demonstrate just how ambitious they really are. “Ambition” itself has become a major cliche in the footballing world… it’s a word that is used so extensively but differs in context and is rarely lived up to.

Many of us seem to differ on how we see the club, how “big” it is. But I think we’re all of the consensus that we have top level owners with no real lack of nous or finances. Therefore, if our owners pursue and sit down with high level (unexpected/shock/seemingly unattainable) targets to sell them our vision and project (yet more cliches) then we may be able to entice someone like a Ten Haag or similar, or (setting sights lower) someone like Emery… I would like to see that kind of “ambition”. I know it sounds unlikely but I’d like to see us take that kind of approach if at all possible.

Maybe that’s dreamland stuff but why sack Dean unless we want to strive for “higher levels” or achievements?

I’m still feeling quite saddened by Dean’s departure (it’s a tough one, hard to shake off) but a change had to be made as we were in decline, despite the extenuating circumstances…

Again, it goes back to ambition and how successful/competitive we want to be. If we’re ok with having slumps then that would indicate that the level of our ambition may not be so high… but it’s hard to weigh up these kinds of decisions and predicting whether things will improve or not over time…

I just really want us to be a side that is comfortable in possession and doesn’t constantly resort to hitting it long/hoofball for our forwards to chase onto and try to hold up the ball… it’s turgid stuff. I want to be entertained and enjoy watching this team play, not be embarrassed or appalled at how poor we are…

For me, this is the absolute priority.

Dean gave us some of that but we seemed to lose it… yet again, I noticed against Southampton (who really are nothing special) and was embarrassed at the difference in how the teams managed the ball and controlled possession. They were completely comfortable, controlled and played the ball with ease and were never flustered. Unlike us lot who just looked lost and sloppy. McGinn is a major culprit too…

I want the kind of manager that can make us comfortable on the ball. One who can give us the ability to control, pass and build attacks with relative ease. Create chances in play and not resort to stupid long throws and solely focus on set pieces etc.

I’d rather we don’t go for a British manager tbh… but if Potter is really “that good” then I wouldn’t be against it.

Hassenhuttl could be seen as a safe pair of hands.

Maybe both of these guys just need to make that step up and have more resources/finances to show how good they really are. I wouldn’t be upset with either appointment but they are certainly not favoured options for me.

Would we be happy with that? Does that indicate “ambition”? Not really, not for me…

It’s up to NSWE to show what they are really made of and what their intentions really are… let’s go all out.

[KentVillan]

4 minutes ago, MCU said:

Surely the gamble would have been sticking with Smith rather than going for Gerrard. 

If you say so, but no. If it's a choice between a coach who has the support of the dressing room, has previously kept you up twice, knows the club inside-out, etc. Vs a new coach who has only ever managed in Scotland. Sounds to me like the latter is a much bigger gamble.

[est1874]

2 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

I think it's rather rewriting history to claim it's our first major bad run under Smith.

There is a great deal of history rewriting going on now. A lot of people putting in the early groundwork for their inevitable "Told you so" posts.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

I find when people say 'we' then project their own opinions onto everyone else to be incredibly irksome. It's probably the one thing that pisses me off most in the world.

I might be in the wrong thread. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 minute ago, KentVillan said:

Lampard was a clever player, but it hasn't really translated. Hoddle was another football genius who never quite turned it into managerial success.

It's really, really hard to predict, because two different sets of overlapping attributes go into being a great footballer and being a great manager. Nobody thought Zidane would win multiple Champions Leagues and league titles.

There are things I really like about Gerrard, but there are also some big question marks.

He would be a much bigger gamble than even a Roberto Martinez (who I don't rate, but at least has experience of managing PL-calibre players).

I though Lampard did well at Derby to be fair.  The Chelsea job was way to big for him. 

Hoddle did ok too until he had that melt down.

It is a big gamble but I do feel Gerrard will go on to have a very good managerial career. I don’t know why.

[Peter Griffin]

12 minutes ago, bully said:

Purslow invited Jack Grealish to the recent West Ham game in order to go onto the pitch and wave to the crowd. Jack obviously declined. Your faith may be misplaced.

My faith in people believing shyte they read on the internet has just been restored though

[YouUnastanFren]

11 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

I know what you mean but I'm kinda serious. Having a manager be a success for a few months and looking to leave us isn't an upside long term.

We'd be like Derby under Frank, dumped to rebuild as soon as their goal job is available.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

Just now, YouUnastanFren said:

I know what you mean but I'm kinda serious. Having a manager be a success for a few months and looking to leave us isn't an upside long term.

We'd be like Derby under Frank, dumped to rebuild as soon as their goal job is available.

I will be absolutely astonished if he got the Liverpool job after a few good months with us. For one, Liverpool currently have a manager.

[fightoffyour]

1 hour ago, romavillan said:

They wouldn't do anything like that surely? You'd think there would be a law against a news outlet running betting markets that they report the news on if there was any danger that Sky might be trying to rinse punters like that?
 

You'd be forgiven for thinking so, and yet here we are.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 minute ago, YouUnastanFren said:

I know what you mean but I'm kinda serious. Having a manager be a success for a few months and looking to leave us isn't an upside long term.

We'd be like Derby under Frank, dumped to rebuild as soon as their goal job is available.

Derby literally gambled the clubs future on getting promoted. That isn’t on Lampard. 

[Davkaus]

I wouldn't have a problem with a young, ambitious manager joining us, and doing such a good job they leave to one of Europe's top sides within a few short years.

It's just that Gerrard is an absolute word removed. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

22 minutes ago, est1874 said:

I'm not Purslow's biggest fan, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the decision, but this is just silly and childish.

Saved me a post.

Extremely dramatic.

Also, Purslows job isn't to be " One of us ", it's to try and make sure the Cub is as successful as possible for the " One of us's " and to match the Owners ambitions.

I genuinely think some people would have been ok with with us getting relegated due to sentiment. the message would then have been " He's the only man to bring us back " etc. ( FYI, I don't think we would have been relegated, just making the point, based on the fact that it is clear alot of people have removed " Head " from some of these expressions and are 100 percent heart driven at the moment ).

Issue is, you can imagine that any guy who now comes in, will be slated from the word go if things aren't going perfectly from the get off.

Great, we now have a new Fan faction division League ffs.

In my heart, I didn't want Dean to go, but my common sense head could clearly see why he probably should/could have!

Only time will tell if it was the right decision, or not.

Edited November 8, 2021 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN