Hitchens60 asks an interesting question;
The position Director of Football or Sporting Director – what’s in a name; aren’t they essentially the same roles? -raises an interesting dynamic.
For the Head Coach the role provides a degree of protection; if the players don’t come up to expectation (or more importantly show improvement) it’s because the DoF failed to recruit the right players; for the MD who makes the appointment, given the same scenario the DoF has failed in the role expected of him and can be removed.
Sound familiar?
On that basis the DoF appears to be firmly positioned between a rock and a hard place and any opportunities to succeed appear limited!
Of course the role of DoF encapsulates more than just player recruitment and includes areas such as developing a culture and playing styles that are recognisable throughout the club from the first team through the U23’s right down to the youngest of the junior teams and, of course, the women’s team. It also includes developing and improving sports science which now has a prominent role in all professional sports.
Villa, of course have an unenviable record in this area.
First there was Gary Karsa. Sacked after two years.
Henrik Almstadt then teamed up with Paddy Riley and the reaction was – at last an identity and new modern thinking direction for the club. Sacked within a year.
They were followed by Steve Round and the so called ‘Villa Engine’. Another new identity – surely we now have the right new direction but no, within two years Round is sacked and Suso is appointed with the strong Spanish and European scouting network – finally this must be it; the new direction we’ve been looking for – again sacked!
Now Johan Lange, the best there is in Europe with his highly successful FC Copenhagen model.
There’s a familiar pattern developing here – yet another new direction but this has to be the one!
The question is – is it?
There is a world of difference between FC Copenhagen playing in the Danish Superliga and Villa in the EPL. Yes, they win trophies and regularly qualify for the Champions League – but then they should be if you believe the recent analogy with Celtic in the Scottish Premier League. Like Celtic they rarely make it through the group stages and more often play in the Europa League – not that we should knock that from our 17th position – but the point is generally still valid. Copenhagen are known as a ‘feeder club’ which has been successful in developing local talent and selling them into the German and Italian leagues for values in and around £10m. These are functional players sold at inflated prices who don’t necessarily go onto better things – don’t we already have plenty of these? – not that I’m knocking it, if that’s the limit of our ambition.
Our owners’ stated ambition though is very different – to improve from our current lowly position to be regularly challenging the top clubs in Europe (where have we heard that before?).
The point is they don’t just want us to be a feeder club so Lange is therefore operating in a very different environment from that at Copenhagen. His challenge is to respond to much higher expectations than at Copenhagen and in a tougher, more competitive market place. Can he do it? – well at least he has previous experience of living in the West Midlands and English football as assistant manager at Wolves – albeit for six unsuccessful months!
But what of our two other summer recruits – Craig Shakespeare and Rob MacKenzie?
Both have excellent CV’s and a lot of experience in the EPL – particularly with helping Leicester City break the mould.
When Pearson was being suggested as Villa manager, many fans wanted us to go for his assistant Shakespeare instead.
Mackenzie is credited with playing a pivotal role in signing Kante, Knockaert, Mahrez and Vardy for Leicester – just now, I suspect, most of us would take just one of those signings at Villa.
I think these are both very savvy signings. It’s clear we don’t just need quality and EPL knowhow on the field; we need it to reinforce a very inexperienced management team and it’s something which both Shakespeare and Mackenzie can provide. Will they prove to be more valuable acquisitions than Lange?
Only time will tell.
Comments
74 responses to “Backroom restructuring – good or bad?”
Spot on. If they’re not performing by age 20, get rid and save the time and money ready for someone else to come in. The outgoers should still be good enough for the lower leagues so we’ll still be doing our bit for the game generally.
In other news, apparently Trippier is dumping Atletico to come to us 🙂
Oh, and Ramsdale has gone back to Sheff Utd.
Still no new signings! Why is it so complicated to get players in these days? Answer, agents!
I was hoping that with the season starting without fans, we would be able to watch all games on either Sky, BT or other channels. Unfortunately it looks like a large amount of games will not be on live! For season ticket holders it is a double whammy. I dare say Sky and BT will look after the big 6 clubs fans however.
Holte, a question that’s entered my mind is, I wonder if there’s a risk that quite a few fans will lose the habit of football?
You’ll always get the diehards, who’ll attend whatever, but I’ve often heard it said (particularly amongst Villa fans over the last few years) that they attend because it’s basically a habit.
Break that habit……..
Holte66, we will know tomorrow about signings, I feel confident we are close.
Bill, do you know something we don’t? Hmmmmmm… (scratches chin thoughtfully)…
Following the web Bum Bum , not that rag Bham Mail . Just seen a bit on Twitter saying a certain defender turning down West Ham and wanting the Villa . Smith is in talks. It’s close Bum Bum . Should be soon .
This guy has made it known to West Ham ,he wants the Villa …
In those outings, the 21-year-old averaged 36.7 passes per game with an
impressive completion rate of 80.95. He also averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.3 clearances and one dribble per game (Who Scored).
McKennie is young, hungry and supremely talented. In other words he is exactly the kind of player David Moyes has repeatedly said he wants to sign this summer.
So if the American does move to Villa instead, it will be a big blow for the Hammers.
The 21-year-old is industrious, robust and technically gifted. He seems to be ideally suited to the Premier League. And if Aston Villa do end up signing him they will have a seriously good player on their hands.
It will also serve as further evidence of just how far we are falling behind the teams in and around us in the table
Get ready lads, Southgate announcing the England Squad today!! Is he or isn’t he. My bet he’s not.
No place for Grealish in the England squad. A poor decision and one that may influence Grealish in feeling he needs to move to a “bigger” club.
Poor Grealish! What a joke!
I’m disgusted. truly disgusted. the England selection policy is a joke and corrupt to say the least. Sad for Jack as he deserves his call up. Wish he had stuck with Ireland now. I hope we lose these games coming up and Southgate gets the sack.
There was some talk over the weekend that if grealish was called up he would stay at the villa.
Maybe manure are picking the england team now. ???
Philips ahead of grealish is a joke
Southgate obviously has something against Jack, Villa or he aint picking the team.
Seems to me like Southgate has done man United a favour and kept Grealish price tag down!
Greenwood?? Dier????? Winks??? Rice??? Maguire??? I’d love to see some injuries now from this lot!
Truth, Southgates a joke. He’s been a lucky England manager having to not worry about club players performance, either Villa done him a bad turn at sometime or he’s a Man u supporter in keeping in with the club or banks. Your right Tom Grealish will not get honoured at Villa Park in the England team. I hope Southgate fall on his Arse in the coming months. Wanker. Better days to come for us and our Captain. …
Apparently Southgate never picked grealish for U21s so its personal.
Southgate when playing for villa questioned our ambition (cos collymore was on more than him ??) and went to boro !! Where he was also a shit manager – relegation.
Sucked up to be england U21 and main manager. I didn’t succumb to hype of us getting to the world cup semis. Luck of the draw. Any decent team beat us.
Read this lads, , Southgate asked the interviewer not to mention Grealish in asking why? Just shows he’s hiding something. . Swine.
I lost respect for Southgate today.
Grealish could not be selected for England last year as he was not in the Premier. Hey ho Phillips from Leeds gets selected. Southgate contradiction!
Grealish had to prove himself in the Premier. He played virtually every match, scored and created many goals. Southgate contradiction!
Grealish falls into the Hoddle category. England managers never know how to utilise truly talented players.
Jack, go speak to Paul McGrath and get yourself signed up to the Republic of Ireland. As an Englishman I would not blame you at all.
I look forward to you next year making a complete mockery of Southgate as you help Villa improve to a higher level.
Southgate is a hypocrite and a terrible manager. He gets praised for beating pub teams in qualifying matches before tournaments and praised for scraping their way to semi final of World Cup before going out against the mighty Croatia. I couldn’t care less if England ever win another game under this traitor. I only care about Villa and I hope Jack tells the media and Southgate who are trying to force him to move to Man Ure, to do one!
I’ve said it on here a few times that I’ve never rated Southgate as a manager.
He’s just the right sort of FA man, that’s all.
But, what we shouldn’t forget is Grealish’s shenanigans a few months back.
I’m pretty sure I said then that it would cost him a place in the squad and so it’s proved.
Frankly, it’s his own fault, but it is a shame.
What’s interesting here is that Southgate said he supports Maguire for now, earlier. Fair enough, innocent until proved guilty and all that.
But surely this should also apply to Grealish?
It transpires that Maguire has just been found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and repeated attempts of bribery.
This should now be enough for Southgate to drop Maguire from the squad immediately, even if the player is going to appeal.
If he doesn’t drop him, this stinks and Southgate should be forced to explain why Grealish wasn’t chosen.
If the explanation is that Southgate thinks Grealish is flawed in some area of his game, fair enough.
But if no explanation is forthcoming and it probably won’t be, well…..
does not surrise me one bit that southgate has ignored Grealish once again. i have harped on about this before and will continue too until southgate is sacked.
first off it is not about villa, if grealish was at utd he would still not be one of southgates favorite sons. i will tell you why, grealish is what england need, but southgate is one dimensional. he wants england to play quick passing footy, side to side and create a gap on the flanks with quick passing / switching . that is all fine and dandy against the sh it sides. but will not win world cups, cause you have no flair. ( grealish = flair) that is the top and bottom of it all.
what needs to happen is southgate needs to be accountable for his selections. with the way qualifying is set up england like other top euros countries will not face any real competition until the wc or euros.
grealish needs to do his talking on the pitch. he runs the show for villa and sometimes he does too much that needs to stop. he has to have better players around him and he has to trust the players around him more. he can be a southgate robot. but he is so much more than the worker bee in the england or villa hive. bobby robson would never have said to gazza don’t do that or this. but i want you too curve the inventions keep it simple gazza. but southgate is no robson.
i think villa will have much better attackers this season and grealish will be able to show more his skills and southgate will get sacked and grealish will end up playing for england and will become a star for the national team. he just needs to patiant and use this set back as motivation to improve further. i really don’t think there is much more he can improve on. only sometimes he slows the move down too much when your counter attacking you do not want to slow the move down. sometimes he has been accursed of going to ground too easily, bu t i dont think this is fair. he is fouled 9/10 and has been targeted by all our opposition
I particularly agree with that last paragraph, Nath.
Horseface has come out with some bollocks that I can’t be bothered to repeat.
Basically, Grealish has too much competition.
I agree with the earlier reply, in that I’m worried that Grealish will now think he’ll never get an England start while he’s playing for us.
If Grealish stays he WILL play in the middle
somethings is wrong with my posts badger, their is a hour delayed on appearing on site after i post 🙁 i thought it was my phone but it happened again today on my lappy.
grealish has to continue to carry on doing the things he is doing. he has done nothing to warrant being treated like this. england manager should be ashamed of himself.
every club villa have faced last season. came up with the same game plan. double up on grealish, sometimes he had three on him. they didnt all come up with the wrong plan. they did all the same cause he is the danger he is the master cog which turned villa’s game. without grealish we were history.
hopefully the club can give jack players around him who can show piece his game more. cause we were dog poo jack has to do more than he should. this makes him look greedy or he does too much cause he is not a team player. but this is not true. he had too do everything cause the players around him were sometimes lacking.
That’s a strange problem, Nath and I don’t have a clue what would cause it.
I’ll do some digging, but in the meantime let me know if it keeps happening.
I saw the same delay…
Cheers.
The hosts are doing some sort of upgrade in the background.
That might explain it.
I’m trying to put myself in Grealish shoes now. I don’t think I would be pushing for a move if there wasn’t much in terms of money offered and a chance to play for England. In fact I would be tempted to shove two fingers up to Southgate and play my socks off, prove my worth at my club and know he he will be sacked as manager by this time next year anyway. Grealish will get much more satisfaction playing for England when Eddie Howe selects him first time. 😉
From day one I’ve never thought Southgate knew much about football, I’ll be glad to see the back of his negativity in the game. I’m not bothered to see his input in trying to beat other teams ,as far as I’m concerned I hope we get stuffed as from now. Sterling has saved him over the last two years and he’s not the player he was. I see talks are still going on over the players Smith wants but we are close to finalising 3 of the names that’s been wrote about. Utv.
In other news, Maguire has been dropped. Rightly so, imo.
And Messi has handed in a transfer request with the aim of coming to the Prem.
I’m really not kidding!
Who said he was coming to the Villa; it may well be true.
Sadly, it’s suspected Man City will be his destination.
Imagine the crowds he’ll pull in.
Is everyone forgetting about K.Walker – he got up to much more (call girls) during lockdown !!
If Jack believes what GS says about pecking order then theres no need to leave us – unless he wants Euro footie – as he can really ask for the world at Villa and would surely get it. GS will be sacked more short than long term and Jack can play for England but just a bit later than he wanted to.
test
thanks badger
still no signings 🙁
it didnt appear straight away badger, but i got distracted i returned 20mins after i posted and my post is here. so looks like you fixed the little error. cheers bumbum i glad i wasnt alone in suffering, but alls well now except no new signings
it took 3mins to appear so much better badger 🙂 now get villa to sign somebody lmao