Next Villa manager (Poll added)

[OnlyOne]

Carlo Ancelotti is a good laid back manager, but I don't think he fits in with the boards criteria.

He may go to Liverpool if Dalglish steps down or Man City if Mancini gets sacked.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I'd take Ancelotti of course, I think anyone would. If he's willing to take a club outside the top 6, there is no bigger club outside that than Villa but it just depends on if that story is actually true...I'm sure he'd get much better offers across the world.

[steve-67]

I'd take Ancelotti of course, I think anyone would. If he's willing to take a club outside the top 6, there is no bigger club outside that than Villa but it just depends on if that story is actually true...I'm sure he'd get much better offers across the world.

What a great way to prove he's a very top Manager by taking a club like Villa to the top level. If he succeeded, he'd be up there with Mourinho. It would be fantastic to get someone like him. A real statement of intent from Randy too.

[Qwpzxjor1]

Ancelotti would be a quality manager. The guy just oozes class and coolness.

He's a little out of our range though, unfortunately. Spurs when 'Arri moves to the England job I would guess.

[steve-67]

I really don't see the fascination with Spurs! They have finished above Villa four times in something like 20 years. Yes, they are in a purple patch right now, but drop out of the top six just once and they go back to being the underachievers they really are. Once fuckface leaves them, they'll drop down the league again. Spurs are no bigger than West Ham. Villa are a sleeping giant. Someone, the right man, could wake us again.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I really don't see the fascination with Spurs! They have finished above Villa four times in something like 20 years. Yes, they are in a purple patch right now, but drop out of the top six just once and they go back to being the underachievers they really are. Once fuckface leaves them, they'll drop down the league again. Spurs are no bigger than West Ham. Villa are a sleeping giant. Someone, the right man, could wake us again.

But they won't drop down the league if Ancellotti takes over, if anything, they could even progress. Just because they have the name Tottenham don't mean they are going to slip off the radar. They still have a quality team and if they have a quality manager, they are going to do very well.

I think most if not all managers would rather take over Spurs than Villa at this point, they have a better team, squad and attraction (being in London)

[steve-67]

All I'm saying is that Villa, in the right hands, are a bigger a dn more attractive club that Spuds. They are a very attractive club right now but will fail at some point, just like Villa are at the moment. Villa is every bit an attractive club to take on, London calling apart, that any other London club, apart from Arsenal. We could be huge if Randy appoints the right man.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

All I'm saying is that Villa, in the right hands, are a bigger a dn more attractive club that Spuds. They are a very attractive club right now but will fail at some point, just like Villa are at the moment. Villa is every bit an attractive club to take on, London calling apart, that any other London club, apart from Arsenal. We could be huge if Randy appoints the right man.

Yeah, they will fail when they start appointing the wrong manager. If Ancelotti took over, they aren't just going to fail because the name of their club.

They are in a better position than us at the moment and that's all that will matter to someone like Ancelotti, not to mention he already lives in London...

Yeah, we could be better than them but we aren't at the moment. We're deluding ourselves if we think we are.

If Ancelotti took over Spurs, do you really think they would fail?

[TheDon]

I really don't see the fascination with Spurs! They have finished above Villa four times in something like 20 years. Yes, they are in a purple patch right now, but drop out of the top six just once and they go back to being the underachievers they really are. Once fuckface leaves them, they'll drop down the league again. Spurs are no bigger than West Ham. Villa are a sleeping giant. Someone, the right man, could wake us again.

"Sleeping giant" means nothing. So what we used to be massive. It doesn't give us the right to be big again.

In the same way the fact that Spurs previously being rather mediocre means nothing, it doesn't mean they'll eventually go back to being pretty average.

Man city as well, sure they've historically been pretty damn crap, but that doesn't say in the future they'll return to being crap, or that they have to play out the rest of their existence being crap.

No one has a place they should be based on their history. The fact is that at the moment Spurs and Man City are far more likely to finish above us, and are far more likely to win things. We can sit here going "sleeping giants" all we like, but the fact remains that no one outside of Villa Park cares about that. People care about the CURRENT league table, the CURRENT situation.

All any team needs is "the right man" to come in and they could do things, but if it happens it's got nothing to do with how big a club was in the past and everything to do with how well it's being run at the moment.

We need to stop dwelling on history and saying "we should be up there" because we have no more right to be up there than Spurs or anyone else, to get up there we have to earn it in the present day, and that's what Spurs are doing at the moment, which is why they always get bought up, they're doing what we want to do.

[Villan4Life]

Seems in past he has had kind words about us:-

villa very dangerous

[beasley14]

I think i might prefer Moyes anyway tbh.

[theunderstudy]

Moyes if possible please. Lambert looks quite good as well.

[mykeyb]

If Gerard has managed his last game I can't imagine it being formerly announced until the end of the season as it will surely have repercussions for the back room staff currently employed. I would have thought though that the wheels will be in motion looking for his sucessor

[maqroll]

Moyes to Villa would seem a sideways move for him.....similar clubs in terms of size, spending, quality, etc. The only difference is we are more chaotic right now.

[bose]

Moyes to Villa would seem a sideways move for him.....similar clubs in terms of size, spending, quality, etc. The only difference is we are more chaotic right now.

I think the highlighted word is the difference between the clubs and the reason he might move.

The only reason he would come here would be because he would have a bigger budget and thus a greater chance of winning something.

[steve-67]

I really don't see the fascination with Spurs! They have finished above Villa four times in something like 20 years. Yes, they are in a purple patch right now, but drop out of the top six just once and they go back to being the underachievers they really are. Once fuckface leaves them, they'll drop down the league again. Spurs are no bigger than West Ham. Villa are a sleeping giant. Someone, the right man, could wake us again.

"Sleeping giant" means nothing. So what we used to be massive. It doesn't give us the right to be big again.

In the same way the fact that Spurs previously being rather mediocre means nothing, it doesn't mean they'll eventually go back to being pretty average.

Man city as well, sure they've historically been pretty damn crap, but that doesn't say in the future they'll return to being crap, or that they have to play out the rest of their existence being crap.

No one has a place they should be based on their history. The fact is that at the moment Spurs and Man City are far more likely to finish above us, and are far more likely to win things. We can sit here going "sleeping giants" all we like, but the fact remains that no one outside of Villa Park cares about that. People care about the CURRENT league table, the CURRENT situation.

All any team needs is "the right man" to come in and they could do things, but if it happens it's got nothing to do with how big a club was in the past and everything to do with how well it's being run at the moment.

We need to stop dwelling on history and saying "we should be up there" because we have no more right to be up there than Spurs or anyone else, to get up there we have to earn it in the present day, and that's what Spurs are doing at the moment, which is why they always get bought up, they're doing what we want to do.

I kind of agree with you in terms of us having the live in the here and now. Both Man City and Tottenham will finish above us for the next couple of years by the looks of things. That said, we have to try to be ambitious and get the right man in so we can compete with both of those clubs.

I find some of your post a little defeatist if you don't mind me saying. Particularly with Villa's current situation. Randy has to sell the club to get the right man in. That man, whoever he may be, hopefully an Ancellotti, a Moyes etc will have the funding and the skill to bridge the gap that MON couldn't.

I appreciate that our history now means little in terms of the here and now but we should never stop being ambitious. Apparently the aim for the club is the top four. The same target for Tottenham and Man City. Our motto of proud history, bright future needs to stand for something. The next Manager, if Gerard doesn't come back, needs to be the equal of Redknapp etc if we are to even try to get back up to a minimum of the top six.

We ARE a sleeping giant. We are still a massive club. That will never change. The appointment of the next Manager might just the springboard for where we all want the club to be. Amazing really just how far we have dropped since August when MON walked out. You and I would not be having this discussion last season would we? We were big then, but not now?

[Rodders]

but more potential unless everton get investors.

moyes is not going to be going to chelsea man united arsenal, liverpool, man city, or spurs anytime soon is he?

if mancini goes moyes would not be the replacement, likewise at chelsea, they're now fully continental in their approach. wenger is leaving in a coffin, redknapp is safe for a while, so is dalglish so it's united or abroad or stay put... or villa. Fergie hasn't retired yet and I presume he'll go on another year at least.

[Mantis]

Moyes to Villa would seem a sideways move for him.....similar clubs in terms of size, spending, quality, etc. The only difference is we are more chaotic right now.

I think the highlighted word is the difference between the clubs and the reason he might move.

The only reason he would come here would be because he would have a bigger budget and thus a greater chance of winning something.

I agree. That and sometimes things go stale and it's best for all parties if the manager changes jobs.

Look at Bent. Called by many to be a step-down for him when in actual fact it's the opposite. He's in rich goalscoring form and has much improved England chances.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

We are still big but the point is, no manager would chose us above Spurs/Man City. I'd say if you asked a manager who in order they would take over. We'd be 7th on most lists but we are below Spurs and Man City. Sure, we could overtake Spurs in the next couple years but the fact remains, RIGHT NOW...we aren't above them. So no manager would chose us above them. They have similar finances, a better team/squad and more attraction with players. It's really that simple.

If we appointed say David Moyes, finished 5th, 4th next two seasons (as well as improving the squad with some very good additions), while Spurs finished 9th and 13th, while Modric/Bale/VDV etc...all left. Then we'd be a more attractive club to go because we would be doing better than Spurs and most likely have a better squad to work with, it's that simple for me.

[steve-67]

We are still big but the point is, no manager would chose us above Spurs/Man City. I'd say if you asked a manager who in order they would take over. We'd be 7th on most lists but we are below Spurs and Man City. Sure, we could overtake Spurs in the next couple years but the fact remains, RIGHT NOW...we aren't above them. So no manager would chose us above them. They have similar finances, a better team/squad and more attraction with players. It's really that simple.

If we appointed say David Moyes, finished 5th, 4th next two seasons (as well as improving the squad with some very good additions), while Spurs finished 9th and 13th, while Modric/Bale/VDV etc...all left. Then we'd be a more attractive club to go because we would be doing better than Spurs and most likely have a better squad to work with, it's that simple for me.

There is no job available at Man City or Spurs though mate. I'm not sure why we are comparing us to them, perhaps I am misunderstanding things? If all three jobs are available as of the end of the season, then yes, I would totally agree, they are ahead of us and look attractive.

All I am saying is that Villa are just as big and could reach the same heights as those clubs with the right Manager and backing on a reasonable level. I guess what I am saying is that, with Aston Villa, right now, the only way is up. I hope that Randy gets the right man in, if GH has to leave us.