Steven Gerrard

[pacbuddies]

3 hours ago, M_Afro said:

What makes you think that they think it’s acceptable? I am 100% certain that they will not think it’s acceptable. I am also certain that, as measured business people, they will not make an impulsive decision. They will make the change when they think that the time is right.

7 points from 7 games. The time is right fella!

[M_Afro]

24 minutes ago, pacbuddies said:

7 points from 7 games. The time is right fella!

It may well be fella but fortunately you won’t be making that decision and neither will I! We have to trust the multi billionaires who have made their fortunes off the back of knowing when the right time is to hire/fire their staff.

[avfc1982am]

Another thing that really bothers me from his interviews.... Now I don't know why it has gone unnoticed, but he keeps referencing us needing to get back to basics and forgo the pretty stuff. I may have a short memory, but I can't remember us playing any pretty stuff since he's been in charge. Then the continual shit about getting back to basics. I mean, if the players can't do the basics under a manager when they've been doing the basics most their lives, who should be called into question?! The whole point in bringing in a well-paid manager isn't to just do or learn players the basics. Surely, it's to improve and technically enhance the group, otherwise it's the wrong appointment at this level.  

For nearly all of his time here we've looked disjointed. We've increased the collective quality of the squad and not improved, in fact gone backwards. We have no football identity on the pitch and look one of the most incohesive sides I've seen this season. Yeah, he's somewhat honest in interviews, who really cares though if the product is still crap week after week. I honestly feel like we are playing at the moment some of the worst football since getting promoted.  After having so much expectation leading into this season my expectations have now dwindled to not caring while Gerrard is in charge. That in itself feels shit because it feels like the light at the end of the tunnel will never be in reach while he's here. 

 

Edited September 18, 2022 by avfc1982am

[Zhan_Zhuang]

12 hours ago, AntrimBlack said:

If you are happy to let him `learn on the job' while the club flounders around the bottom half of the table, then that is absolutely up to you, but I expect better from a very well paid manager.

Never in my post did I say I was happy, yet I support Aston Villa which means in essence we have to support the manager and team.

Gerrard is a rookie manager, still think people expect way too much at this moment.

[Keyblade]

13 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

Never in my post did I say I was happy, yet I support Aston Villa which means in essence we have to support the manager and team.

Gerrard is a rookie manager, still think people expect way too much at this moment.

The lowering of expectations at this club that's happening in real time is a real sight to behold.

Being a rookie manager explains his performance, not the club's. That should be his conundrum to sort out with like Sheffield Wednesday or some shit, not us.

[Zhan_Zhuang]

10 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

The lowering of expectations at this club that's happening in real time is a real sight to behold.

Being a rookie manager explains his performance, not the club's. That should be his conundrum to sort out with like Sheffield Wednesday or some shit, not us.

It is what it is...

We've been also-rans for so long, that is the problem...like a deep, dark hole Villa cannot climb out of.

[Keyblade]

3 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

It is what it is...

We've been also-rans for so long, that is the problem...like a deep, dark hole Villa cannot climb out of.

Looked like there was light at the end of the tunnel at one point, but normal service has resumed I guess.

[nick76]

3 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

It is what it is...

We've been also-rans for so long, that is the problem...like a deep, dark hole Villa cannot climb out of.

Doesn’t help that after we were climbing slowly out of the hole that Gerrard has turned us around and we are going back deeper into the ground.  While we’ve been also rans for so long you try to keep improving little by little which we were under these owners, Gerrard is undoing this and we are slowly regressing on the pitch.

[daft]

31 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Doesn’t help that after we were climbing slowly out of the hole that Gerrard has turned us around and we are going back deeper into the ground.  While we’ve been also rans for so long you try to keep improving little by little which we were under these owners, Gerrard is undoing this and we are slowly regressing on the pitch.

I think it's worth remembering that improvement is rarely linear. It jumps ahead, then falls back a bit, then starts up again.

We are experiencing a set-back for sure. It started under Smith and it is continuing under Gerrard. If we truly are to be a great club again, we will work through it somehow. 

Otherwise we are simply stuck in mediocrity for ever. 

[DaveAV1]

14 hours ago, AshVilla said:

Another tailor made interview with his best buddies and no difficult questions asked.

When he starts coming out with stuff like roll their sleeves up e.t.c it's almost as if Bruce is back in charge.

 

For me there is plenty to criticise SG for and I’ve personally got doubts as to whether he’s the right guy for the job. If we had the opportunity to swap him for someone like Poch I wouldn’t hesitate.
 

However finding sticks to beat him with become a bit petty and critical for the sake of criticism at times. No pundits, whatever their personal relationship with the manager they’re talking to, ever give them a really hard time. They want to be able to interview them again. It’s at least a professional curtesy thing.
 

Criticism of a manager for saying we have to work hard, whatever the actual phrase he chooses to use is just daft. At least we’ve moved up to sleeves now, with Brucie we were grovelling down around our ankles to pull up our socks and tie our boots. 

[nick76]

1 hour ago, daft said:

I think it's worth remembering that improvement is rarely linear. It jumps ahead, then falls back a bit, then starts up again.

We are experiencing a set-back for sure. It started under Smith and it is continuing under Gerrard. If we truly are to be a great club again, we will work through it somehow. 

Otherwise we are simply stuck in mediocrity for ever. 

I agree, the problem I have is that we can all see one of the main issues in falling back is Gerrard.  Improvement only grows over the long term if you realise your mistakes when they occur, which you then learn from to grow and try not to make those mistakes again.  We must sack Gerrard, learn from that mistake in the next appointment and then move forward.

[PerryBarrPet]

1 hour ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

It is what it is...

We've been also-rans for so long, that is the problem...like a deep, dark hole Villa cannot climb out of.

So very true. Anyone who thinks that what they are experiencing now is a new phenomenon is sadly wrong. Just a quick look at our history say from 1960 onwards will show we occupied also-ran status for much of the time: 1981/82 being the only time we have been a real “contender”. Hence the difficulty in climbing out of this deep, dark hole.

[MWARLEY2]

Ability to get the most out of Villas 150 million attackers ... fail 

Tactics .. fail 

Attractive football .. fail 

Improvement in players in the squad over previous form... fail 

Man management .. fail 

 

 

[nick76]

4 minutes ago, PerryBarrPet said:

So very true. Anyone who thinks that what they are experiencing now is a new phenomenon is sadly wrong. Just a quick look at our history say from 1960 onwards will show we occupied also-ran status for much of the time: 1981/82 being the only time we have been a real “contender”. Hence the difficulty in climbing out of this deep, dark hole.

While this is all true, we need to focus on the here and now.  We have owners, infrastructure and all the off the pitch set up to grow.  Of course we are likely to be also rans for the long future, the issue at present isn’t about challenging or even being the best of the also rans, it’s the dire mess on the pitch.  

Getting rid of Gerrard isn’t going to turn us into title contenders, probably won’t get us Europe soon but will at least try and get us back on trying to be the best of the also rans.  

Trying to make this about the bigger Villa history is deflecting from the issue at hand….Gerrard.  So yes we have been middle of the road for most our history in the decades I’ve been alive at least, we need to stop wallowing and crying about that and focus on what we can do today.  What are the issues? Number one is Gerrard.

[DaveAV1]

19 minutes ago, nick76 said:

I agree, the problem I have is that we can all see one of the main issues in falling back is Gerrard.  Improvement only grows over the long term if you realise your mistakes when they occur, which you then learn from to grow and try not to make those mistakes again.  We must sack Gerrard, learn from that mistake in the next appointment and then move forward.

I agree with this except I would add that the sacking only works if the following appointment is right. We need to be both decisive and ambitious now. The last couple of results have moved us up the table and I think that makes the next appointment a little easier. We want to be a project that needs to move forward towards the European places with genuine chances in the cups. Not a basket case that needs saving from relegation again. 
 

I’ve not disagreed with any of our recent sackings, including the last one, which was ultimately sad but pretty inevitable. The problem for me has generally been who comes next. As a fan I  tend to default to being supportive of anything or anyone who is at the club, certainly until they have chance to make a mark good or bad. Never the less I can’t say I’ve been overly excited about an appointment in recent years. Let’s get the next one right. 

[AshVilla]

Gerrard is a trainee according to some but he's not paid as such and happens to get paid in the region of 5 - 6m a year.

At a time where ticket and merchandising prices have been increased it's nice to know that the fans who are paying through the nose are being rewarded with football that would make Stoke under Pulis look like Barcelona.

If Gerrard needs to learn he should drop a division or go back to the SPL and admit he's not ready for the job and stop using us as a vehicle to learn his trade.

We need someone with proven ability to match the ambitions of the football club.

Everything about this appointment is resulting in us going nowhere but backwards at a time when we should be pushing on.

 

Edited September 18, 2022 by AshVilla

[Tomaszk]

3 hours ago, Keyblade said:

The lowering of expectations at this club that's happening in real time is a real sight to behold.

Being a rookie manager explains his performance, not the club's. That should be his conundrum to sort out with like Sheffield Wednesday or some shit, not us.

Going to be funny when the next manager comes in and the same content voices now will be barking for top 8.

[Anything11]

22 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

Going to be funny when the next manager comes in and the same content voices now will be barking for top 8.

You will be hard pressed to find anyone who is content right now.

[Tomaszk]

20 minutes ago, Anything11 said:

You will be hard pressed to find anyone who is content right now.

Not met a villa fan who rates him highly yet! Little club on here though.

[daft]

2 hours ago, nick76 said:

While this is all true, we need to focus on the here and now.  We have owners, infrastructure and all the off the pitch set up to grow.  Of course we are likely to be also rans for the long future, the issue at present isn’t about challenging or even being the best of the also rans, it’s the dire mess on the pitch.  

Getting rid of Gerrard isn’t going to turn us into title contenders, probably won’t get us Europe soon but will at least try and get us back on trying to be the best of the also rans.  

Trying to make this about the bigger Villa history is deflecting from the issue at hand….Gerrard.  So yes we have been middle of the road for most our history in the decades I’ve been alive at least, we need to stop wallowing and crying about that and focus on what we can do today.  What are the issues? Number one is Gerrard.

I agree. But as I have said multiple times now. building a successful club is a multi-part problem where manager is one parameter. We also have culture and squad that we must deal with as well. Our current obsession with manager risks us missing other vital components needed to be successful over the long term. But yes, getting our next managerial appointment right is vital. Are we really set up to make that a success, is a question we must be able to ask.