Steven Gerrard

[Guest av1]

Just now, nick76 said:

Only a few but that’ll always happen in any walk of life

You think so mate? There were a few that was against Smith from the start but to me anyway it seems many more are against SG

[barry'sboots]

I don't think he needs to be a genius to make a positive impression, he just needs to address the things that Smith was getting wrong and get the team selection right.

1. Key for me is - Buendia is clearly not a 10. We need three in CM - you could see the change in the Arsenal and Saints game when we did this and we took control of the midfield.
2. We need pace up front to stretch the opposition and make the space for Buendia to drift in to.  Bailey-Ollie-Buendia for me BUT if Bailey is not fit then shift out Ollie (Ings/Archer in to 9) or play JPB ... No ponderous AEG!
3. Return the defence to where it was last season. He managed to get Rangers from 50+ goals conceded to 27 to 13 last year so clearly knows how to organise/sort a defence and we showed last year that we have all of the necessary components to do this.

I just want to see Stevie G's passion on the side and some decisiveness as well ... it always felt that Smith/Sharkey/Terry needed a 30 minute consultation before a change could be made during games.

I think Gerard could be fantastic for us and here's hoping it starts on Saturday!

[Zatman]

10 minutes ago, av1 said:

Of course, I’m not fooled by the spin either, but you can’t argue that some seem to have made their minds up already? 

I said I would reluctantly give him a chance but I can certainly see why people are reluctant to praise the basics been done so far. If performances improve then so will the mood 

[barry'sboots]

6 minutes ago, stewiek2 said:

Interesting that he spoke about finding somewhere to live. I had assumed that he would travel down from Cheshire. Shows his dedication to do things properly. 

Probably glad to get away from that area given the number of footballer's houses that have been burgled over the last few years! 

[barry'sboots]

Just now, Zatman said:

I said I would reluctantly give him a chance but I can certainly see why people are reluctant to praise the basics been done so far. If performances improve then so will the mood 

Why reluctantly?

He wasn't my first choice but I think he could be fantastic. He is the epitome of a born winner and that's what we need to set the standards!

[AntrimBlack]

6 minutes ago, av1 said:

You think so mate? There were a few that was against Smith from the start but to me anyway it seems many more are against SG

Of course. Smith was a Vila fan. It could never be otherwise.

[DaveAV1]

16 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Or people are not fooled by club spin. Interview was in house so no tough questions he couldnt prepare and a few minutes of training ground clips. Saturday is when it is answered if this has worked 

So if all goes well on Saturday you’ll declare it a success? If we lose it’ll be a failure? Blimey who do you want next?

[ciggiesnbeer]

Not sure how much longer the club is going to carry on this charade.

Its clearly just a cardboard cut out with Jack Woodward doing a Gerrard impression from behind the camera.

Embarrassing from the club. Laughing stock. Down by Christmas.

[Guest av1]

3 minutes ago, AntrimBlack said:

Of course. Smith was a Vila fan. It could never be otherwise.

I get that mate and without going OT I’m still gutted he’s gone, and still a bit gutted he was replaced with someone I have reservations about. 
 

But Smith has gone and Gerrard is the Manager, he needs backing. 

[DaveAV1]

4 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

Probably glad to get away from that area given the number of footballer's houses that have been burgled over the last few years! 

I think the family home will still be in Liverpool, he didn’t move his family to Glasgow. Kids schools and all that. I assume he can find a nice little pad in Four Oaks to cut down the commuting.  

[AntrimBlack]

Let's not get carried away here. I think a lot of posters are endowing Gerrard with the qualities that we think are needed.

I am certainly looking forward with hope to the future, and my initial impression of him from that interview is positive, but it is early days.

We need to give him time and not expect too much in the games up to Christmas, which will be a big test.

[AntrimBlack]

3 minutes ago, av1 said:

I get that mate and without going OT I’m still gutted he’s gone, and still a bit gutted he was replaced with someone I have reservations about. 
 

But Smith has gone and Gerrard is the Manager, he needs backing. 

I absolutely agree.

[Zatman]

11 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

Why reluctantly?

He wasn't my first choice but I think he could be fantastic. He is the epitome of a born winner and that's what we need to set the standards!

Because people expected a proven winner and Gerrard is not that, one trophy in 9 at Old Firm is poor form. Its not Gerrard fault but people were expecting a proven quality successor to Smith 

[Adman]

23 minutes ago, stewiek2 said:

Interesting that he spoke about finding somewhere to live. I had assumed that he would travel down from Cheshire. Shows his dedication to do things properly. 

He hasn't looked around yet tho

[Guest av1]

2 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Because people expected a proven winner and Gerrard is not that, one trophy in 9 at Old Firm is poor form. Its not Gerrard fault but people were expecting a proven quality successor to Smith 

I can only speak for myself but I’m absolutely not expecting proven quality. 
 

I agree that his SPL record wasn’t fantastic, and his playing career “the name” means nothing. When he was announced I was pretty pissed off, and I’m not fooled by a 3min nor a 3min training clip. 
 

My point is that I try to be a glass half full type so now he is our manager he needs our support, and who knows, it might just prove to be an inspired appointment. 

[nick76]

22 minutes ago, av1 said:

You think so mate? There were a few that was against Smith from the start but to me anyway it seems many more are against SG

It’ll be the same with SG, a few will never accept but the rest including me will just need time to be more positive.  Loads of reasons why and unless SG is a complete failure from get go, the rest of us will be there over the coming period, however long that will take.

[Vive_La_Villa]

36 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Or people are not fooled by club spin. Interview was in house so no tough questions he couldnt prepare and a few minutes of training ground clips. Saturday is when it is answered if this has worked 

It is club spin but if it’s getting fans onside and optimistic I can’t really see how that’s a bad thing. 

[TrentVilla]

 

I'm very late to the discussion about Gerrard's interview so a lot of the points will probably have been discussed, I've not caught up on the thread, still I thought I'd add my thoughts.

Firstly it isn't an interview it is an in house PR piece produced as such so we do need to just remember that, proper interviews will no doubt follow and be less prepared. Some of the answers felt a little rehearsed such as that which referenced Smith, classy though it was, but you would expect a degree of preparation in a piece like this.

Regardless Gerrard acquitted himself very well, talked as openly and as candidly as you would expect and I thought was careful to layout certain expectations in public which I'm sure have been and will continue to be outlined in private.

The character of the player is still very clearly engrained within the manager and I like the sound of much of what he has to say, he is a man who will not accept or offer excuses and will expect the highest standards. I think the players will have a very different relationship with him to the one they had with Smith and without being critical of Smith I think there will be greater expectations placed upon them. With Gerrard you get the sense excuses will neither be offered or accepted, players will have clear expectations placed upon them and they will have to match up to them if they are to succeed under him.

I got the distinct sense that he has been watching our games closely for some time, I don't believe for one moment the first he knew of our interest was Wednesday and I like what he had to say about our defensive shape. It has been clear all season and perhaps a lot longer that this element of our game wasn't good enough. 

The biggest take away from it for me though was attitude, the belief in himself and in the possibilities of the club in the future. The Villa job is a graveyard of managers careers, those that have been the most successful in my life time (Taylor, Atkinson, Little, Gregory, O'Neill and yes Smith) have each embraced the expectancy of the fans. They've talked the club and its potential up, they've put themselves under pressure by talking about the club could and should be, I got that from Gerrard. The managers that have failed and almost always been broken by the job have been those that couldn't handle the pressure of the fans ambitions, the likes of McLeish, O'Leary, Bruce, Garde, Lambert and Houllier. (some will disagree on the last one but if you do just let it slide for the sake of the thread please)

Now people will rightly talk about era's. owners and the financial backing these managers had in comparison to one another and yes that is a factor but their strength of character or otherwise was also a factor. The first set of managers I mention embraced the potential of the club and in doing so willingly placed pressure upon themselves. They were each in their own unique styles leaders, they took on the leader ship of the club not just the team and they invited pressure on themselves by doing so. That is brave, it is leadership, it is self belief and it is what I believe this club requires.

To have any level of success in this job you have to essentially believe that the club can and should do better, that it should be successful and be willing to embrace that expectation. The second group of managers each almost from the day they arrived talked down expectations, talked down the club and ambitions, they didn't have the strength of character to embrace that expectation or to take that pressure on their shoulders. Yes money is important in football but leadership, real leadership is just as important.

Now Gerrard could be an unmitigated disaster of an appointment, we will have to wait and see because the job is far more than talking to a camera. I just get the sense that with everything we know about him, his playing career, his managerial career to date as brief as it is and how he conducted that interview that he is going to be a success. He is certainly not going to accept mediocrity or talk down the club to try and mask his own shortcomings.

As I said at the start of this post, it was a PR piece and the real tests are to come but promising, very promising.

[Tommo_b]

Where’s the training footage?

[Paul33]

Villa TV