Scientific Experiment V2#12-MON(thly) Approval Ratings

[NowDoINotLikeThat]

The standard of football played at times should and could be better but Risso exagerates.

Incidentally the 2007-08 season was entertianment wise one most exciting i ever remember- albeit not all for the right reasons.

[flashingqwerty]

end of the road for me

in many of his ecent interviews he appears to have lost his passion and desire and confidence that he can improve us.

i find this very starnge as there are a great many players out there who could add and improve to our squad that could be picked up for less then 4 million or even on frees (Joe Cole) but it appears we're not making moves.

As a team we are making the same errors time and time again, no right back, playing people out of position, paying over the odds for useless players, signing people that will never play, over using/not rotating players who are playing badly, playing players through injury, not signing people before the start of the season so they have no time to gel, freezing players who have a lot to offer out of the team... he list goes on

its time for a change as MON's ego has grown larger than the club as far as team selection goes and he's given up the ghost on achieveing top 4.

[TheSufferingVilla]

i find this very starnge as there are a great many players out there who could add and improve to our squad that could be picked up for less then 4 million or even on frees (Joe Cole) but it appears we're not making moves.

Revenue - Wages = Ability to sign players.

[mykeyb]

I suspect this may be MONs last season unless he can get top 4, and I dont think we stand a cat in hells chance without some squad improvement and for that we need Milner and 3 or 4 fringe players to go.

[Richard]

There is no one who could do better under the current circumstances that he is operating

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

There is no one who could do better under the current circumstances that he is operating

This is an ironic statement, since previous managers have done as well as him in much more terrible conditions! Yet he is likened to Jesus for keeping us sixth, playing shite football, playing players out of position, signing players on high wages that he never plays, being stubborn tactically etc. with immense support and finances. I recognise football has changed since then and a sixth place finish isnt shabby, but there are so many other negatives which have been blaringly obvious!

We used to be a good football team who played some exciting football and were pretty much consistently top 6 in the Doug days. Don't get it twisted!

[Jon]

he is likened to Jesus for keeping us sixth

genius. :oops:

[Jon]

There is no one who could do better under the current circumstances that he is operating

Under the CURRENT circumstances, you areb possiby right Trickie, although Moyes may also be able to do simialr or better.

But what about the past 4 season, when those circumstances had been much more favourable?

Has he perhaps not quite got us to where he should, or needed to, or was expected to?

I think RL's spending on signings and wages perhaps suggests he had banked on CL qualification by now. Now we're not there, we have to cut back.

[briny_ear]

I recognise football has changed since then and a sixth place finish isnt shabby,

That represents a bit of progress towards a reasonable point of view, then.

[gilbertoAVFC]

The appeal to 'domestic competition' success last season is not really plausible in my opinion.

The most difficult teams we beat in both were Blackburn and Sunderland. Not exactly ground-breaking now is it? We also played our best team in each game (which I support, yes, but other teams such as Sunderland didn't). You can point to the league position as a reason why MON has been successful, but not the cups, as we were outplayed in both of the difficult games.

We've spent loads of money, and that money has run out seemingly. My answer is no, I feel we need a more pragmatic, less stubborn and generally more modern manager. I won't be upset if he stays, as MON's still a decent manager in many respect, but I don't think he can take us forward from here.

[MR.Smalljob]

I just want him out, rather today than tomorrow.

End Of Line

[Gramme]

We used to be a good football team who played some exciting football and were pretty much consistently top 6 in the Doug days. Don't get it twisted!

By the end of the Doug days we were most certainly not a consistent top 6 finisher. For the times, Gregory spent a lot of money (often on older players) and emptied Doug's coffers, then O'Leary turned us into relegation candidates. Coming back from that is a massive undertaking which you seem to make light of just because we used to finish at the top end of the table.

Looking back at last season's table, Wigan finished 16th - same as we did when O'Leary left. They were 28 points behind us and had a goal difference which was 55 inferior to us. Can you imagine how much expertise and money it'd take to turn that sh*t around? We've come a long way, baby.

[villabromsgrove]

Mon is unique, he is a charismatic manager who gains AVFC a disproportionate amount of media coverage considering our results and performances. He is generally very good for Villa's image.

Mon is not a shrewd tactician and football coach, neither does he believe that tactics are that important. In fact Mons biggest weakness on the coaching side is possibly his loyalty to Steve Walford. I am probably being unfair to Steve because he can only do what he is told to do, but imo SW is more of a trainer rather than a coach. He doesn't seem to have the up to date skills or desire to improve the way we play football ready for the year 2010/2011.

95% of what our team do on a matchday is the product of hundreds of same old, same old training sessions, the other 5% is the odd piece of individual improvisation.

I agree with Risso, I would like to watch more entertaining football at Villa Park, but imo the continuing influence of Mon and SW at Bodymoor Heath will ensure that we don't start playing flowing pass and move football through the midfield any time soon.

[Richard]

But what about the past 4 season, when those circumstances had been much more favourable?

Not sure that they have been that much more favourable Jon. We were a team heading for relegation with a squad that needed 99% replacing. He was given top 6 money, not top four or top two but top six money over the last 4 seasons and has bought top six players to achieve top six finishes. We were told it was slow and steady progress, sustainable progress if you like. Well even that requires money to take us to the next step, or even the same money for less players but a higher standard. This is something he has not been given and Randy is sadly lacking in.

MON iis a top six manager at a top six club crying out for the next step. The next step is one that the owner is not capable of taking, in my honest opinion however much that opinion is unpalatable for some and however much abuse I will undoubtedly get for having it.

Has he perhaps not quite got us to where he should, or needed to, or was expected to?

Should do = top six players get you top six position so I think should do is about right

Needed to = probably not but given the investment and starting point he was never going to

expected to = from the fans probably not but then our expectations were set by the owner and board making ( and continuing to make ) announcements that CL and league title challenges were our aim. Unreasonable without league title spend. If he has failed to meet the owners expectations then I would suggest that the owner should look to replacing the manager, has he ? is he ?

I think RL's spending on signings and wages perhaps suggests he had banked on CL qualification by now. Now we're not there, we have to cut back.

If he thought that the level of spend would ensure CL qualification then I would respectfully suggest he hasn't a clue of what it takes to compete at the top end of the table

[Gramme]

If he thought that the level of spend would ensure CL qualification then I would respectfully suggest he hasn't a clue of what it takes to compete at the top end of the table

To be fair though, the goalposts have been moved quite significantly in the last year. It may be that our apparent austerity is a reaction to what's happened at Eastlands; why pour more money into a dream that all of a sudden has a significant chance of disappearing off over the horizon?

Last season may have been our best chance of CL football for the foreseeable future.

[gilbertoAVFC]

If he thought that the level of spend would ensure CL qualification then I would respectfully suggest he hasn't a clue of what it takes to compete at the top end of the table

To be fair though, the goalposts have been moved quite significantly in the last year. It may be that our apparent austerity is a reaction to what's happened at Eastlands; why pour more money into a dream that all of a sudden has a significant chance of disappearing off over the horizon?

Last season may have been our best chance of CL football for the foreseeable future.

Until the Premier League introduce a wage-cap, it'll be forever, unless some Sheikh buys out Randy. Yaya Toure's transfer is just crushing for a team like Villa. What hope do we have?

[Richard]

If he thought that the level of spend would ensure CL qualification then I would respectfully suggest he hasn't a clue of what it takes to compete at the top end of the table

To be fair though, the goalposts have been moved quite significantly in the last year. It may be that our apparent austerity is a reaction to what's happened at Eastlands; why pour more money into a dream that all of a sudden has a significant chance of disappearing off over the horizon?

Last season may have been our best chance of CL football for the foreseeable future.

In which case reevaluate your ambitions for the club. Stop making announcements that we are aiming for consistent top four and title challenges

OR

seek additional investment

OR

sell up to someone who can do it, the return on investment would be pretty high I would estimate at this point

[Risso]

But what about the past 4 season, when those circumstances had been much more favourable?

Not sure that they have been that much more favourable Jon. We were a team heading for relegation with a squad that needed 99% replacing.

Not that nonsense again.

Barry, Laursen, Mellberg were all top class players.

Cahill, Ridgewell and Gabby were all promising youngsters.

Davis, Delaney, Sorensen, Bouma, Berger and Baros were all good enough for a team looking to finish in the top half of the table.

You can also argue that a lot of the replacements hardly showed themselves to be mmuch of an improvement, eg

Davis - Sidwell

Cahill - Knight

Ridgewell - Davies

Sorensen - Carson

[Gramme]

Not that nonsense again.

Barry, Laursen, Mellberg were all top class players.

Cahill, Ridgewell and Gabby were all promising youngsters.

Davis, Delaney, Sorensen, Bouma, Berger and Baros were all good enough for a team looking to finish in the top half of the table.

You can also argue that a lot of the replacements hardly showed themselves to be mmuch of an improvement, eg

Davis - Sidwell

Cahill - Knight

Ridgewell - Davies

Sorensen - Carson

That's a massively subjective view of that squad. I personally disagree with almost all of it. You're (IMO) particularly generous towards Ridgewell, Davis, Berger (by that stage in his career), Baros (ditto), Sorensen (ditto), and Delaney was already crocked as far as I remember.

You're arguably quite selective in your choice of replacements too.

It's certainly not 'nonsense' at least.

[gilbertoAVFC]

Not that nonsense again.

Barry, Laursen, Mellberg were all top class players.

Cahill, Ridgewell and Gabby were all promising youngsters.

Davis, Delaney, Sorensen, Bouma, Berger and Baros were all good enough for a team looking to finish in the top half of the table.

You can also argue that a lot of the replacements hardly showed themselves to be mmuch of an improvement, eg

Davis - Sidwell

Cahill - Knight

Ridgewell - Davies

Sorensen - Carson

That's a massively subjective view of that squad. I personally disagree with almost all of it. You're (IMO) particularly generous towards Ridgewell, Davis, Berger (by that stage in his career), Baros (ditto), Sorensen (ditto), and Delaney was already crocked as far as I remember.

You're arguably quite selective in your choice of replacements too.

It's certainly not 'nonsense' at least.

Davis > Sidwell

Sorensen > Carson

Cahill > Knight

Ridgewell < Davies

Baros < Carew

Berger < Milner? (can't think of a direct replacement)

Delaney (when fit) = L. Young

Bouma = Warnock

Pretty inconclusive really. It's not 'nonsense', nor is it the opposite.

However, I'd have to favour Risso because the replacements cos about 5x more!