Steven Gerrard

[hippo]

2 hours ago, Steero113 said:

For the love of f**k. 

I doubt you were saying this when we hammered Leeds 3-0 playing attractive football. 

When we hammered Southampton 4-0, playing attractive football (should have been 6 or 7-0). 

Everton away we played for the result, we had lost a number of games up to that one and needed a result. Brentford away was a poor performance and they got comically lucky with their goals. 

Grow up, this isn't his side, judge him once he's actually had a summer. Do you think tinpot Liverpool fans were like this with Klopp in the first few games after he came in? Even frigging Guardiola took a while to get going at City. 

I don't even like the bloke and he wasn't my choice of manager but this is baseless shit. 

It's not baseless shit at all.

He isn't (imo) a very likeable guy  - and the results have been iffy - even the CEO said he was looking forward to a strong 2nd half of the season.

Clock up loses and the fans will get restless - that just how football is in 2022.

[WallisFrizz]

18 minutes ago, hippo said:

It's not baseless shit at all.

He isn't (imo) a very likeable guy  - and the results have been iffy - even the CEO said he was looking forward to a strong 2nd half of the season.

Clock up loses and the fans will get restless - that just how football is in 2022.

But you’ve made it quite clear that short of wining the league/fa cup/massively exceeding expectations/ there is nothing that he could do that would make you like him. That’s not how football is even in 2022, that’s your own problem with him.

[Ingram85]

Is he wearing his missus’ jumper or summat? 

[Zatman]

3 hours ago, Mantis said:

Also the football was pretty dour under Smith at the end as well.

Was it really? Giving Chelsea a game without Emi and Buendia and also taking them to penalties in the cup with a B team. Destroying Everton and winning at Old Trafford? 

Sounds like an excuse for this "coach" 

[VillaParkAvenue]

2 hours ago, thabucks said:

Give Gerrard time to get rid of the weaklings he’s inherited and then he can be fairly judged. 

Or give the players a proven manager so they can be fairly judged?

Whichever comes first, I guess.

[VillaParkAvenue]

1 hour ago, Tomaszk said:

I agree. 

Purslow wants him to be his mate but Gerrard isn't interested. It's a very silly position for the club to be in.

People have noticed Purslow’s fascination with star players when he was at Liverpool and how he enjoys being in their company. One would imagine it being awkward for Gerrard to be idolized by an older man, but it can obviously be beneficial for both parts.

So no, they’re definitely not mates. The best description is probably Purslow being Gerrard’s sugar daddy.

[Zatman]

As said as it is he won't be sacked until midway next season after ruining the squad balance with his hatred of wingers. He isnt Conte that can get away with a specific squad balans 

Its one step forward and 5 steps backwards 

[AvonVillain]

2 hours ago, useless said:

The idea that we appointed Gerrard just because he's Purslow's 'mate' is also ridiculous.

Certainly. But as we probably all know, who you know in this life really brings benefits, not necessarily earned.

[Mantis]

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

Was it really? Giving Chelsea a game without Emi and Buendia and also taking them to penalties in the cup with a B team. Destroying Everton and winning at Old Trafford? 

Sounds like an excuse for this "coach" 

Yeah it was. Those games were good but on the whole we were pretty dour for a while.

No? I never even mentioned Gerrard? Just countering this Smith revisionism that seems to keep cropping up.

[Zatman]

since the new manager bounce wore off

style of football - negative and crap

results - meh

media soundbites - top quality except actually following through with it

competition for places - another soundbite but yes all positions are open unless McGinn and Watkins

truth is he did nothing to deserve the job and is showing it. How would people feel if we had hired Ange Postecoglu for example and he is an actual manager

[Jareth]

Don't know if it is confidence, or a bit of a Trezegeut - but the bloke who was supposed to give us a bit of pizazz is lacking. I would still give him time. 

[Sam-AVFC]

The comments attacking the concept of anyone having criticisms do just as much to make the debate toxic as the constant negativity does. I genuinely don't have the energy to add my own criticisms and be dogpiled.

I mean pissed off because we've not won the league? Give me a break. Is that what it's taken Eddie Howe to win over fans?

Personally I'd just like to see some progress, which is unfortunately what I've been saying since January.

I was lucky enough to miss the game yesterday.

Edited April 24, 2022 by Sam-AVFC

[Zatman]

1 minute ago, Sam-AVFC said:

The comments attacking the concept of anyone having criticisms do just as much to make the debate toxic as the constant negativity does. I genuinely don't have the energy to add my own criticisms and be dogpiled.

I mean pissed off because we've not won the league? Give me a break. Is that what it's taken Eddie Howe to win over fans?

Personally I'd just like to see some progress, which is unfortunately what I've been saying since January.

I was lucky enough to miss the game Yesterday.

Sadly is a lot of happy clappers who have bought into the cult of Gerrard so any criticism is fought back with ridiculous comebacks like sorry he hasn't won the league yet 

Other Villa managers got less time and no coincidence that some of the posters were anti Smith in his first season. Difference is Smith showed that something had potential going forward. Stevie Me hasnt yet

[TheAuthority]

On 22/04/2022 at 04:05, TRO said:

because all the top teams have it......you maybe didn't see Ron Saunders teams?

Belief, workrate, resillience, desire, will, authority.

They had it.

Sorry mate, as much as I would have loved to have been even just a ball ball, I didn't have anything to do with it.

[TheAuthority]

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

Sadly is a lot of happy clappers who have bought into the cult of Gerrard so any criticism is fought back with ridiculous comebacks like sorry he hasn't won the league yet 

Other Villa managers got less time and no coincidence that some of the posters were anti Smith in his first season. Difference is Smith showed that something had potential going forward. Stevie Me hasnt yet

Just out of interest which ones got less game than Stevie G?

[Keyblade]

One thing that doesn't sit right with me is the notion that this isn't "his team". I was under the impression that we moved to a more "continental" model as it were, as a club. In that we have a model for the profile of player that we bring to the club, to fit a certain template or style of play. The idea being that no one staff member is irreplaceable. We can sack the head coach and bring in another to pick up where he left off and continue in the same vein. Think Brentford for example. Smith leaves, Frank replaces him and the club doesn't miss a beat.

But apparently now, after just the first managerial change under this new model, we need a huge squad clear out/overhaul and to spend a bunch of money to suit the manager and his style, when we've been led to believe it's supposed to be the other way around. This is the very thing that led to our downfall under Lerner, and what buried teams like Sunderland and why Everton currently look like they're headed the same way. 

Again, this isn't a knock on Gerrard at all, as I know people are super defensive over the guy for some reason. This is me questioning our ownership/higher ups, for the first time in 3 years really. 

[WallisFrizz]

Believe it or not, I’m not actually convinced by Gerrard either and I’m not a happy clapper, I have concerns re how poor we now look, formation etc but when there’s been people on here who have slated him since day one and many who have spent the last two weeks of no football going round and round in toxic circles until it all becomes disproportionate, it makes me want to add a bit of balance. I made a comment about one poster not being happy with him unless we won the league, I don’t think all critical posters think that, just the one who actively and openly despises him.

It hasn’t helped that Newcastle are doing so well but their resurgence is as unusual as it is exceptional. I think they have benefitted from the feeling of togetherness they now have whereas half of ours must be reading daily about big summer shake ups and mass exoduses and playing for their futures etc. Gerrard hasn’t helped that but equally I think some of these players have been half arsed or just rubbish for months and should be held accountable. 
 

My problem with those going so heavily against Gerrard is when the sticks they use to beat him with are touted as facts but are just not true.

[WallisFrizz]

5 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

One thing that doesn't sit right with me is the notion that this isn't "his team". I was under the impression that we moved to a more "continental" model as it were, as a club. In that we have a model for the profile of player that we bring to the club, to fit a certain template or style of play. The idea being that no one staff member is irreplaceable. We can sack the head coach and bring in another to pick up where he left off and continue in the same vein. Think Brentford for example. Smith leaves, Frank replaces him and the club doesn't miss a beat.

But apparently now, after just the first managerial change under this new model, we need a huge squad clear out/overhaul and to spend a bunch of money to suit the manager and his style, when we've been led to believe it's supposed to be the other way around. This is the very thing that led to our downfall under Lerner, and what buried teams like Sunderland and why Everton currently look like they're headed the same way. 

Again, this isn't a knock on Gerrard at all, as I know people are super defensive over the guy for some reason. This is me questioning our ownership/higher ups, for the first time in 3 years really. 

Totally valid point. Buendia who cost us 40 million pounds and was finally hitting form is now sidelined for a player who probably won’t be here next season. 30 million pound winger Bailey now finds himself playing in a system with no wingers (albeit he looks like he’d struggle at the moment no matter how we played). The theres the Ings/Watkins debacle. Letting Targett go to a rival. We have made some odd choices as a club in the last 12 months, maybe hiring a manager who is desperate to play a system that doesn’t suit many of our current playing staff and promising him a load of cash was one of them. 

[Keyblade]

2 minutes ago, WallisFrizz said:

Totally valid point. Buendia who cost us 40 million pounds and was finally hitting form is now sidelined for a player who probably won’t be here next season. 30 million pound winger Bailey now finds himself playing in a system with no wingers (albeit he looks like he’d struggle at the moment no matter how we played). The theres the Ings/Watkins debacle. Letting Targett go to a rival. We have made some odd choices as a club in the last 12 months, maybe hiring a manager who is desperate to play a system that doesn’t suit many of our current playing staff and promising him a load of cash was one of them. 

It's really weird. Our 3 summer signings with the Grealish money, it looks like 2 will be moved on in the summer because the manager doesn't fancy them. It doesn't make sense. Either the Grealish debacle has shaken our higher ups into making hasty decisions completely out of character or this really is some sort of vanity project by Purslow as people have been suggesting. 

[WallisFrizz]

3 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

It's really weird. Our 3 summer signings with the Grealish money, it looks like 2 will be moved on in the summer because the manager doesn't fancy them. It doesn't make sense. Either the Grealish debacle has shaken our higher ups into making hasty decisions completely out of character or this really is some sort of vanity project by Purslow as people have been suggesting. 

I think it’s the former to be fair. I think Purslow has looked to Gerrard and Coutinho to improve our attractiveness and commercial appeal which is logical but the Bailey and Ings transfers were panic buys after our entire summer plans went wrong. Probably a conversation for another thread though.