The next manager of Aston Villa

[KentVillan]

It’s possible to be sceptical about this appointment and still get behind the new manager when he joins.

I’m very much in the middle on this.

Positives:

• Gerrard took on Rangers at a tricky time and has made it work
• He has worked under some very good managers in Houllier, Benitez, Rodgers and Klopp (as youth coach)
• He plays the right kind of football
• He handles the media well, and speaks very calmly and rationally about his job
• He recognises that he can’t do it all himself, and has put together a really strong coaching team
• He has that obsessive winner’s mentality and natural leadership qualities

Negatives:

• This is a huge step up from a two-horse race to a league where every week you’re up against top players and top managers, and constantly need to be preparing perfectly for the next game.
• Success in Scotland has often not translated south of the border. McLeish, Lennon, Souness, etc etc.
• I never thought Gerrard was very tactically aware as a player - he used to run around like a headless chicken. Has he suddenly developed deep tactical understanding in retirement?
• I can’t be **** with the media circus around this being an audition for Liverpool (although this is a minor concern tbh).

But yeah, if he joins, I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do. Personally I still feel it would have made a lot more sense to change manager in the summer, but what’s done is done.

Edited November 10, 2021 by KentVillan

[John]

16 minutes ago, hippo said:

Looks like we are.

...I wonder if we are up for sale. And Stevie G makes us a bit more marketable.

The only positive is that SG must have seen something he likes and/or promised transfer kitty cash.

 

I think our owners won't let £7m stand in the way of getting the man they want. 

I see nothing to suggest that our owners are looking to sell.  

Agree 100% on your last point. 

[Wainy316]

£7m is a drop in the ocean.  Let's not forget Ross McCormack and Scott Hogan cost a combined £25m.

[Lord Willard]

Just now, Wainy316 said:

£7m is a drop in the ocean.  Let's not forget Ross McCormack and Scott Hogan cost a combined £25m.

7m is ALOT of comp for a rookie manager.

[Delphinho123]

1 minute ago, KentVillan said:

It’s possible to be sceptical about this appointment and still get behind the new manager when he joins.

I’m very much in the middle on this.

Positives:

• Gerrard took on Rangers at a tricky time and has made it work
• He has worked under some very good managers in Houllier, Benitez, Rodgers and Klopp (as youth coach)
• He plays the right kind of football
• He handles the media well, and speaks very calmly and rationally about his job
• He recognises that he can’t do it all himself, and has put together a really strong coaching team
• He has that obsessive winner’s mentality and natural leadership qualities

Negatives:

• This is a huge step up from a two-horse race to a league where every week you’re up against top players and top managers, and constantly need to be preparing perfectly for the next game.
• Success in Scotland has often not translated south of the border. McLeish, Lennon, Souness, etc etc.
• I never thought Gerrard was very tactically aware as a player - he used to run around like a headless chicken. Has he suddenly developed deep tactical understanding in retirement?
• I can’t be **** with the media circus around this being an audition for Liverpool (although this is a minor concern tbh).

But yeah, if he joins, I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do. Personally I still feel it would have made a lot more sense to change manager in the summer, but what’s done is done.

I can't get onboard with this. He was an unbelievable player. 

[KentVillan]

1 minute ago, Wainy316 said:

£7m is a drop in the ocean.  Let's not forget Ross McCormack and Scott Hogan cost a combined £25m.

Agreed, £7m is small change in the Premier League nowadays. Not sure why anyone is bothered about this.

[Lord Willard]

9 minutes ago, Spoony said:

Just some weird weird arguments on here. You can counter pretty much all of them.

You know who else had only managed in Scotland? Sir Alex Fergusson.

You know who we’ve hired who have won big things? Roberto Di Matteo.

You know who else had loads of Premier League experience? Steve Bruce.

You can spin it however you want…just support him if he comes in. Sure you’re allowed to be disappointed but there’s a lot of hyperbole on here and that all needs to stop if this happens. 

If you're mentioning experience like Steve Bruce its only fair to mention managers with little experience like Remi Garde, Tim Sherwood etc. 

[Steero113]

1 minute ago, Lord Willard said:

7m is ALOT of comp for a rookie manager.

A lot of compensation for any manager but I'm concerned as to your understanding of the term 'rookie'.

[KentVillan]

Just now, Delphinho123 said:

I can't get onboard with this. He was an unbelievable player. 

He was an unbelievable player, yes, but he was given licence to maraud, with more positionally disciplined players around him. Benitez used to tear his hair out at Gerrard’s positioning. It’s why the Gerrard / Lampard pairing never worked for England.

[Spoony]

1 minute ago, Lord Willard said:

If you're mentioning experience like Steve Bruce its only fair to mention managers with little experience like Remi Garde, Tim Sherwood etc. 

agreed but this is my point. You can spin it any way you want. Experience, age, leagues, etc are not really (necessarily) indicative of a manager’s ability. 

[TrentVilla]

3 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

It’s possible to be sceptical about this appointment and still get behind the new manager when he joins.

I’m very much in the middle on this.

Positives:

• Gerrard took on Rangers at a tricky time and has made it work
• He has worked under some very good managers in Houllier, Benitez, Rodgers and Klopp (as youth coach)
• He plays the right kind of football
• He handles the media well, and speaks very calmly and rationally about his job
• He recognises that he can’t do it all himself, and has put together a really strong coaching team
• He has that obsessive winner’s mentality and natural leadership qualities

Negatives:

• This is a huge step up from a two-horse race to a league where every week you’re up against top players and top managers, and constantly need to be preparing perfectly for the next game.
• Success in Scotland has often not translated south of the border. McLeish, Lennon, Souness, etc etc.
• I never thought Gerrard was very tactically aware as a player - he used to run around like a headless chicken. Has he suddenly developed deep tactical understanding in retirement?
• I can’t be **** with the media circus around this being an audition for Liverpool (although this is a minor concern tbh).

But yeah, if he joins, I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do. Personally I still feel it would have made a lot more sense to change manager in the summer, but what’s done is done.

Great post and agree with almost every word.

I think a change in manager is always better in the summer, perhaps it should have happened last summer but I don’t think they could wait until next.

 

[El Zen]

I’m not 100 per convinced Gerrard is definitely the right man for the gig, but a 7m compo is the absolute least of my concerns. A relative drop in the ocean of money that is modern football. Any new manager wouldn’t have to meet much more than a minimum of expectations long term to justify a 7m investment. 

[rodders0223]

14 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

I mean, what the actual f**k is this?

Guys one of the biggest characters the prem has seen in the last 25 years, was at the absolute top of the game and would be an inspiration to any of our youngsters who we all want to do well. He's not my ideal pick either but to say he has no character or personality is just comical. 

He doesn't look inspiring? What the hell does that mean?? Does he need to be Spartacus or something? Attila the Hun??

Keane was a great character, Kompany was a great character in terms of being a captain and showing character and guts and leading by example.

It doesn't make them good managers, a good manager nowadays needs to be tactical, inspiration and motivational. I just don't get that from him.

[pintpotvilla]

4 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

I can't get onboard with this. He was an unbelievable player. 

So was Solksjaer

[Zatman]

2 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

I can't get onboard with this. He was an unbelievable player. 

He was a very good player but he was headless. Rafa had to put him out of centre midfield as he was a huge liability. Rafa 2 worst league seasons Gerrard played centre midfield because he had no discipline. Watch first half of the 2005 final he was absolutely lost. 

Why him and Lampard failed together

[wict01]

28 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

I think it's an appalling appointment but it just goes to show all those people that said Purslow was always attracted to "big names" were right.

Rangers aren't that good.

They won 1 trophy out of 9.

They beat a shambles of a Celtic team with an alcoholic manager to a title. Big deal.

 

 

The guy has no personality, he doesn't look inspiring once the fact it's "Steven Gerrard" wears off. He's drab, boring and dull. I iisten to him talk and I think 'were you really playing in 2000s' as you talk like a 70 year old man.

He's a proper yer da rolls your sleeves up get in their face gaffer.

 

 

It's not a good appointment and I fear for the season now.

This is pretty much how I feel tbh. If appointed, I will back him of course. But right now I do fear the worst. 

[Peter Griffin]

57 minutes ago, It's Your Round said:

Seems a lot of compo for a manager, but £7m gets you a Libor Kozak, so compared to that it’s not so bad. It would be imperative that we get his back room coaches too though. Paying all that compo and only getting Gerrard would not be it. 

If we do sign him up it would be interesting to know the compensation clause if Liverpool come calling

[Peter Griffin]

53 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Rodgers only cost 6 million 

Bruce only cost Toon 5m

[Lord Willard]

5 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

A lot of compensation for any manager but I'm concerned as to your understanding of the term 'rookie'.

Go on then Mr Dictionary, tell me the term rookie.

Just a reminders that an "experienced" manager is someone that usually been managering for over a decade. 

[Spoony]

You’re all sort of proving my point. He was an unbelievable player. So was Solskjaer. He has won trophies. So did McLeish. Keane was a hard as nails captain and leader. Awful manager. Rodger’s cost £7m. Bruce cost £5m. He’s young like Pep. Also young like Sherwood.

All you can really look to is his own managerial achievements and what he has done so far as a manager plus other attributes such as how he deals with the media, how his players seem to love him and want to play for him, how he handles the likes of Morelos, etc. Little else particularly matters. 

Edited November 10, 2021 by Spoony