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The Next Villa Manager Part 3


bickster

Who do you want as the next Villa manager  

654 members have voted

  1. 1. Who do you want as the next Villa manager

    • Moyes
      305
    • Benitez
      86
    • McClaren
      15
    • Martinez
      41
    • Hughes
      54
    • Poyet
      4
    • Coyle
      23
    • Rijkaard
      87
    • Other (Please State)
      39


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Can we have a simple poll please mods?

Just a simple Yes/No/Not bothered about the blue Scot.

I think its pretty obvious what the feeling is...Cant see how a poll will help..

I would like a poll to see if the fans share the same stance on the applications having Prem Experiance though as the board.

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But this is the worst of all worlds. They literally couldn't have made a worse choice if they'd tried. I'm appalled, embarrassed and depressed.

If they go ahead with this I agree, its like they will have thrown a grenade into a room full of people to see what will happen. We all know what will happen if they appoint McLeish.

Lets just say he was good enough (which he isn't) at a guess I would say over 90% of supporters are against his appointment, there is no way he will get the backing.

The players will know this, put in a poor performance and its easy for them to let the manager take the flak, as they know he's unpoplar, then one of them out of favour will start a whispering campaign saying he has lost the dressing room and he will be under pressure to be sacked.

How is this an appoinment to ensure our best players stay, there is no chance of Downing signing now, and I bet Bent will be the next one out of the door.

Even recruiting players this Summer seems unlikely, if Mcleish said he wanted you as a player to come to Villa, would you go knowing there is a probability that he will be out of a job by Christmas, and that could leave you with a manager that didn't rate you.

Randy, what are you doing? take a long hard look at yourself before you press the destruct button. I honestly think there will be no way back for the board if they go ahead with this. There is a slim chance that McLeish would be a success, but without the backing of the fans it is so unlikely.

I think Randy has done everything right up until now, I understand that he needs to make the club sustainable, however why employ a manager with a track record of failure? If thats the kind of premier league experience he is thinking of I'd rather have an manager without premier league experience. People point to the carling cup in defence, did these people watch that game or their progress through the cup, they were shit and lucky. How Arsenal didn't beat them is a mystery. I don't want Villa playing football like that.

I support the Villa, but I'll vote with my feet as its the only way the board will understand. If Randy and Faulkner want to go against 90% of this club and make such a poor appointment then he has made his bed and he will have to lie in it. Its our club but his investment, if he wishes to piss it up the wall it his decision, but I don't want to hear any of the board ever criticising the fans for staying away, because they will.

I wouldn't attend a protest, I think the board can't fail to understand the groundswell against this appoinment and I don't think it achieves anything. But staying away will.

Just to reiterate, I honestly don't care about the Blues connection, its just such a crap appointment, someone who plays crap football and spells out exactly where we are heading from here on out.

Absolutely gutted.

Absolute top class post. 100% in agreement. :thumb:

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It is absolutely stupid to look past his time at Small Heath and instead focus on his record in Scotland. Using that criteria they may as well interview Gordan Strachan!?! And he is just as shit!!

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I, personally, expect McLeish to get the job now that things have reached this stage.

However, if you want a crumb of solace, Randy interviewed Alan Curbishley last year before appointing Houllier. He also interviewed Sven and found him to be unsuitable.

With that in mind, perhaps it's worth considering that Randy may have met with other potential candidates and decided them unsuitable or who declined the job.

The point I'm trying to make is: Do you really thank Randy Lerner would blindly go into the process of appointing Alex McLeish without meeting other candidates and without considering the impact the appointment would have? I don't think that would happen at all.

The Randy Lerner we've come to know isn't a cowboy. He isn't a publicity whore who craves love and adulation. He's not Peter Ridsdale, Dave Whelan or Bill Kenwright.

If, after a long and considered process, he deems Alex McLeish to be the best fit for the job (for reasons of availability, willingness or other), then I am prepared to back his judgement, put my scepticism to one side and support the new manager.

After all, what do I know? I thought Houllier was going to be a rip-roaring success.

Doubt it. All we know officially is that Martinez turned down the interview and we're now interviewing McLeish. Two months they've had to prepare for this. Yet Fulham mananged to bag Jol within 7 days.

They need to GTFO and allow a person who knows about football to take full control.

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Here is a novel idea,

IF you don't want McLeish (who hasn't even been appointed yet IIRC) use the money you would have spent supporting Villa over the season and make a donation to Acorns. If you really feel that unhappy, do some good with it. Please post proof on here as a recognition of your feelings. If even 5k angry Villa fans donate the price of a season ticket a fantastic good can be made of all this - £2m to a wonderful charity if my maths holds up.

The simple fact of the matter is that not one person will do this, because IF AM gets the job and IF AM wins say 4 or 5 out of his first 6, every single "fan" on here moaning and comlaining and generally acting like massive clearings in the woods, will be back, acting like they never complained at all.

We ALL want Villa to succed - lets at least given them the opportunity to try eh?

Double 'e' in succeed!

*runs and hides behind nearest rock*

:lol: :winkold:

Already edited smart arse.

Now, whats the :: code for the "kick in the crotch" smiley..? :D

In all seriousness mate, ive read what you've posted over the last 3 or 4 pages, and fwiw i agree with all of it.

:thumb:

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I, personally, expect McLeish to get the job now that things have reached this stage.

However, if you want a crumb of solace, Randy interviewed Alan Curbishley last year before appointing Houllier. He also interviewed Sven and found him to be unsuitable.

With that in mind, perhaps it's worth considering that Randy may have met with other potential candidates and decided them unsuitable or who declined the job.

The point I'm trying to make is: Do you really thank Randy Lerner would blindly go into the process of appointing Alex McLeish without meeting other candidates and without considering the impact the appointment would have? I don't think that would happen at all.

The Randy Lerner we've come to know isn't a cowboy. He isn't a publicity whore who craves love and adulation. He's not Peter Ridsdale, Dave Whelan or Bill Kenwright.

If, after a long and considered process, he deems Alex McLeish to be the best fit for the job (for reasons of availability, willingness or other), then I am prepared to back his judgement, put my scepticism to one side and support the new manager.

After all, what do I know? I thought Houllier was going to be a rip-roaring success.

But Alex McLeish wasnt available.. So what have we been doing all this time?

He quits his job then immediately Villa show interest in him.. So whats been happening all this time? And how broad has the manager search been?

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A big complaint against McLeish is the boring, but often effective football he played at Birmingham. Ask Hibs fans and fans in Scotland, they'll tell you different. Hibs fans have described their style big Eck as the most attacking they have ever seen at the club. Doing the best with what he's got. Worked well until March 2011. I can't see him playing the Birmingham style at Villa, I seriously doubt Randy would accept that. Good coaching team around him, it could turn out alright.

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Doubt it. All we know officially is that Martinez turned down the interview and we're now interviewing McLeish. Two months they've had to prepare for this. Yet Fulham mananged to bag Jol within 7 days.

They need to GTFO and allow a person who knows about football to take full control.

To use your own words, "All we know OFFICIALLY". We know that the only reasons we have been told this, officially, is because the blanket of secrecy was yanked off by Dave Whelan and Peter Pannu.

They haven't had two months to prepare for this. They have had just over 2 weeks. Before that, the expectation was that if Houllier was well enough to continue in the job then the status quo would be maintained.

Fulham managed to bag Jol so quickly because they had already met, interviewed, agreed terms and attempted to appoint him last year. In truth, it took Fulham over a year to get their first choice manager.

Now, here's a question. The person who "knows about football" that you'd like to see take control. Any suggestions?

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Can we have a simple poll please mods?

Just a simple Yes/No/Not bothered about the blue Scot.

I think its pretty obvious what the feeling is...Cant see how a poll will help..

I would like a poll to see if the fans share the same stance on the applications having Prem Experiance though as the board.

I'd like a poll highlighting why people don't want McLeish.

The blues thing has absolutely no bearing for me, I hate his tactics and that he has a terrible record in the premier league.

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Brilliant article in the Daily Mail, never thought I'd say that, but Moxley has absolutely nailed it - can't stand the man but in fairness it's the best piece I've read on the matter.

I’m going to borrow a phrase from my esteemed colleague, Richard Littlejohn, to introduce the theme of this week's column.

Aston Villa’s managerial situation… you couldn’t make it up, could you?

It’s now 55 days and counting since Gerard Houllier suffered his heart scare.

And, if anything, the club is now in a bigger mess than when the former France boss was admitted to hospital.

I’m struggling to think of a more haphazard, fragmented and amateurish managerial appointment process.

It’s has been handled appallingly.

Right from the moment that the prognosis was delivered on Houllier’s problems, the writing was on the wall that a new manager would be on his way.

And now we are here. Two sets of supporters in Birmingham at each others’ throats and Villa fans in open revolt over the imminent arrival of Alex McLeish.

Haphazard: Randy Lerner has not handled the appointment process well

It didn’t have to come to this.

I don’t see Fulham’s supporters out on the streets of SW6 following Mark Hughes’ exit.

Never mind 48 days, their decision-makers needed about 48 hours to bag their man.

I have applauded Villa owner Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner plenty of times in this column.

I admire their respect for the club’s values and traditions. I think the re-building of the Holte pub was a grand gesture. The gold-leaf mosaic on the back of the Holte End a nice touch. Villa’s corporate entertaining? Excellent.

But they have tarnished this good work by their actions over the past week.

Where are the strong, clear lines of thought?

Let’s take it back a few stages, right back to April when news seeped out that Houllier had been admitted to hospital.

Within 48 hours of that happening, inquisitive hacks had been given the prognosis and asked a couple of friendly medics what it meant.

Answer?

It was clear to us that at the age of 63, Houllier would be best advised to steer away from employment, let alone a high-pressure job such as management in the Barclays Premier League.

That being the case, I think it is fair to assume that Lerner and Faulkner would have had an idea of what should happen next - irrespective of the fact that Houllier should have been binned after the home game against Sunderland.

Lerner has a duty of care to both his employee and the football club and, as such, had to terminate Houllier’s employment.

Fairly simple, you might think.

Oh no. We are treated to the unedifying example of Gary McAllister re-inforcing Houllier’s position by trotting out: ‘Gerard will be back,’ in quasi-parrot fashion, flagrantly ignoring the medical evidence in front of him. (And us.)

Villa’s dynamic duo - still wrestling with Martin O’Neill - decide that issue is far more important than the here and now. So they concentrate their efforts on settling with the Irishman, rather than sorting out Houllier.

(Personally, I’d have postponed O’Neill. He would have had to wait for his day.)

But here comes the tricky part. Instead of having a friendly chat with Mr Houllier - or an unfriendly one, come to that - and telling him that due to a duty of care to the club, his employment would have to be terminated, Villa make two major mistakes.

And their whole world comes crashing down around them.

First, they don’t have the above talk. If they did and it became mired in legality as Houllier is protected by a nonsensically-large pay-off clause, then they would have another battle on their hands. (The Frenchman would have settled eventually, he wouldn’t have wanted to go through all the strife of that, believe me.)

Secondly, why didn’t Villa draw up a shortlist for the vacant job in the meantime and carry out their due diligence on the quiet?

Why is it that Fulham were able to line up Martin Jol effectively within 48 hours?

Villa have had the best part of two months - and still they fumble about like a teenager groping in the dark for a bra-strap.

Just to take you through the events of the last seven days…it’s painful, but bear with me because it underlines the magnitude of the errors.

We’ve seen Villa distancing themselves from the outstanding candidate by a country mile - Mark Hughes - because, we are told, of some personal relationship that Lerner has with Mohamed Al Fayed.

Then, they miss out on another name on the shortlist - Jol - because, presumably, of chronic indecision. David Moyes doesn’t want to come, either, apparently because he can read the signs from Merseyside that he is better-placed staying put.

Next, they offer Steve McClaren an interview - then refuse to carry through with it because of adverse criticism on web-site message boards.

Third, they write to Wigan and ask for permission to speak to Roberto Martinez, who turns them down.

(Since when has the manager of Wigan Athletic turned down the chance to be Aston Villa’s next boss? Incredible.)

Next, we understand that Alex McLeish has resigned three miles away at St Andrew’s, initiating the mother of all supporter backlashes.

Notwithstanding that, somehow Birmingham City now have the high ground.

Let’s face it, if McLeish turns up at Villa Park, not only will it fly in the face of web-site message board anger (see Martinez above) but it also smashes their lofty moral position of ‘doing things by the book’

into one million tiny pieces.

So, Lerner won’t risk upsetting his big pal Al Fayed over Hughes but will risk the wrath of half of the Second City in England by chasing McLeish?

(I’m not even getting into an argument about whether McLeish is a fit manager for Aston Villa, although the evidence of two relegations in three seasons in the Barclays Premier League suggests he shouldn‘t be, irrespective of a Carling Cup triumph.)

Wigan owner Dave Whelan has heaped further scorn on those at B6 by admitting he was surprised that Villa didn’t go for Steve McClaren - as he would have - in the event of Martinez’s exit.

And all the while in the background, Mark Hughes is jumping up and down, screaming, ‘Take me, take me.’

I ask again: Why not?

It’s a sorry mess. And I have to say it’s been symptomatic of everything that has gone wrong with the football side since H.D. Ellis and Steve Stride relinquished control.

Off the field, the corporate areas are fantastic.

But it’s on the field where Villa are struggling.

Too much money has been wasted by too many bad choices. Player contracts, in particular, are way in excess of what they should be.

You know, the media who enquired were told that the reason why a couple of chief executives left the club (Michael Cunnah, Richard Fitzgerald) was because Lerner knew how to run a sporting organisation.

That may be true as far as Cleveland Browns are concerned.

But don’t try to tell me he couldn’t have had better value for his £200m investment. I’m sorry, I don’t believe it.

No matter how this turns out from now on, it looks like a botch job.

As for McLeish, Villa’s owners have put themselves in a needlessly difficult position and a rightly coming under increasing criticism for the thoroughly unprofessional manner in which this whole episode has been handled.

Charles Krulak’s role within the organisation seems to be the guardian of the message boards.

Here’s one for you Charles: Randy and Paul have messed up - massive time.

Given the length of time they have had to sort out the managerial situation, the amount of money that’s been thrown at it and the inherent quality of a club like Aston Villa, there is only one question remaining.

Can the mess get any worse?

I sincerely hope not.

But then, given the events of the past few days, I’m not holding my breath.

clicky
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I'm sick of this board and football, I'll stop watching it this season. I'm too disgusted at it all. Worst thing to happen to villa in my life as a supporter. So disenchanted

:wave:

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He worked with what he had at Blues which was shit, to get the best out of them he had to play shit football.

Don't agree, he purchased two flair players in Hleb and Bentley and guess what never used them to their strengths, his style is one way. he will **** up Downing and the progress of Albrighton will stagnate just you watch.

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