Every now and then I look at our upcoming games.
Sky have saved me the trouble and showed the seven fixtures leading up to the World cup break.
And I struggle to see which one of them we can win.
That’s the first indictment against Gerrard.
As I expected, Forest were incredibly poor, yet a great shot from Ash Young apart, I don’t remember us seriously testing Henderson. Don’t get me wrong, if you look at events individually, it’s easy to blame the players and indeed Gerrard talked about our lack of quality up front.
My problem is we have players who have previously performed, so we know they have the quality, but are just not performing. Why is this? and why is this such a consistent state of affairs?
Players go through bad patches and fall out of form. We might moan about it, but generally as fans we accept it.
The trouble is it’s been ongoing and this is what concerns me the most. That’s indictment number two.
As with the lack of quality up front, it’s the same at the back. Mings gives away another stupid foul (and it was a foul to my mind) and costs us a goal. But that’s an indivual error that you can’t blame Gerrard for.
Yet the defending that followed was horrendously bad and we simply shouldn’t be gifting players free headers in that situation. Yet we do. Still.
I’m being massively repetitive, because I have no option. Nothing has improved probably since the turn of the year. The players look bereft of any conviction in their play. It’s always way to slow and we never look much like picking the pace up for more than the odd minute or two. There’s no movement and we just generally don’t attack the game and look for the win like a supremely confident side does.
How often do we see players trying to go round an opponent?
Answer, apart from Ramsey, we don’t. We’re more happy passing it side to side or even worse, backwards. The amount of times I’ve felt like pulling my hair out, because we’ve had a free kick well in their half, it’s not gone how we want, then we pass it back and it ends up with Martinez are many.
Why does that happen? It ought to be outlawed and only allowed if there is no other option, to my mind.
Are the players doing it under instruction? or is it just another sign of a serious lack of confidence and belief? Either way, it goes back to the coaching.
And then the ultimate indictment against Gerrard.
Do I think he can turn it around?
The answer is a massive NO, he can’t. We’ve had a year of his tenure now and the fact is we look worse than when he first took over.
Even if you don’t agree with that, there is no doubt that we are absolutely terrible to watch and have been for weeks. Which should be reason enough for Gerrard’s dismissal in itself.
This simply can’t go on.
But the problem is, as has been said, we’re unbeaten in four games and that will be used to justify his ongoing tenure. My guess is Gerrard will be given those seven games before the hierarchy even assess things.
The thing is, I don’t even get angry lately. This utter rubbish we’ve been watching has me not massively caring and I think it’s just caused a malaise around Aston Villa, as I’m not really sensing much vitriol among the fanbase. An acceptance that he needs to go, yes, but not the same sort of anger that was demonstrated against Bruce, for example.
Perhaps it’s the case that I’ve made my mind up too soon, which might be fair comment, as I never wanted Gerrard in the first place, meaning I’ve been proved right.
But I have no interest in that and the club’s/team’s performance is more important.
But I was very slow to call for Bruce’s head and likewise with Smith, so it’s not as though I jump the gun usually.
Assuming I am in tune with the majority of fans, what the club needs to careful of is that malaise I’ve just talked about.
We might have 10,000 people in the queue for a season ticket, but when times are hard, it won’t take much for the fans to not fill the ground every week.
I commented at work today that I’m glad I don’t have a season ticket, put it that way.
I know the fan’s cash for seats is insignificant in the modern scheme of things, but it’s not a good look seeing lots of empty seats.
The truth is I’ve been thinking that I want Gerrard out for weeks, but have kept it quiet on here because I was still hoping he could turn it around.
Now that I don’t think that’s possible, I can finally say it.
GERRARD OUT!
Comments
119 responses to “Forest 0 – 0 Villa; That’s it, Gerrard has to go.”
And so the whole circus will start again after what is only a matter of time.
I’m inclined to think that at some point we are going to have to just stick with a manager and let him build over a few years.
Gerrard isn’t that man though.
Of that, I have no doubt.
A big part of me thinks we should have let Smith have that chance as at least we knew he was aligned to the club.
Villa along with many other clubs around the world is a huge business, running a business on this scale requires people in executive positions to make good decisions.
Can you honestly imagine a handful of any of us on this site, sitting round the table and coming to the decision that Gerrard is a great candidate to fill out manager vacancy? I just don’t understand it.
Yes he was doing well with rangers. I said it from day one. They have taken a huge business in Aston Villa and completely gambled heir luck with Gerrard. Every game we loose from this day forward is crossing of a another pitiably decent manager we should have recruited weeks ago.
Don gamble with our football club anymore!!!
As i said yesterday we’re likely to have 10 points by the WC break. 10 points in 14 games. Let’s now double that to 20 points in 28 games. That leaves us TEN games to meet the accepted minimum needed of 38 points to avoid relegation.
NEWS must be able to see that even if they aren’t old school football men.
The only thing likely to save us are 3 teams worse than us, which is actually likely with the increasing disparity in the EPL.
This squad is clearly NOT PLAYING FOR GERRARD. We can guess why and things won’t change. Get Stevie Me out now. Poch IN!
Enough is enough. The Villa feel good factor is now consigned to the past.
NSWE are excellent owners but they have placed their fortunes in the wrong hands. Purslow and Gerrard need relieving of their duties.
Firstly, Purslow is not a football man in terms of creating a brand of football and building towards it. He demonstrated in dismissing Dean Smith and instating Steven Gerrard a wilful lack of football understanding. He has a history of this, at Liverpool he appointed Roy Hodgson. The wrong manager for that club and it’s footballing traditions.
Further, Purslow shows a lack of consistency. He dismissed Smith as we were not progressing as a club. Here we are one year later and no better off. He must act and remove the manager. Everytime Smith lost he hurt like a fan. It feels like everytime Gerrard looses his hurt is based around his decreasing ambition opportunities.
NSWE need to remove Purslow. He gambled in a manager who was a friend. Business and friendship should never mix as they cloud judgement.
Gerrard needs dismissing immediately. The team play without a positive style. Very rarely are players scene making positive plays. It is dour turgid play with the defenders trying to be creative. Gerrard they are defenders because they lack the skills of midfield and attackers. Moreover, the team set up is wrong, players are played out of position and their is a stubborn reluctance to change any of these. And again Gerrard’s response is to throw the players under the bus. Put simply, Gerrard is out of his depth.
NSWE, why are you going to waste money on improving Villa Park’s capacity with Gerrard in charge. His style of leadership will result in current season ticket holders not renewing next year, especially when there is a cost of living crisis going on. In times of economic adversity fans rely on their club an escapism from reality. Villa under Gerrard are eclipsing the negativity and outlook for this crisis. Watch how the waiting list dwindles. Why pay hard earned and limited cash to watch this rubbish served up match after match?
NSWE please stop Purslow and Gerrard wasting the vision you have for our club. Neither of them are the right people to take us forward. It is time to act now.
Anybody seen much on the other forums? I guess it’s the same as we’re saying.
Just flicking through VillaTalk. Hundreds and hundreds saying the same thing. Total unity in saying Gerrard has to go.
I second that Badger every thing you’ve just said.
I think he’s lost the dressing room players just going through the motions.
The fullbacks attacked more when Smith was in charge than they seem to now.
And Gerard is supposed to like attacking fullbacks.
Before they would play the overlap which is more effective than just attacking on their own.
Bloody rubbish
Badger, agree with what you’ve said.
I’d also add a couple of things that made me rage at the TV last night:
First – and this is an old one that I’ve moaned about before – our lot seem to slip/fall over too much; somebody please find them some boots with studs so they don’t slip and give the ball away so often…
Secondly, Martinez; good as he is, doesn’t ever seem to want to play the ball out quickly any more , even against the likes of Forrest. He used to try doing it under Smith, and perhaps he now doesn’t have the pacey players around him to whom he can throw the ball out, but the result is that he invariably slows the game down by waiting to kick it to out Mings, Konsa or Young – who usually pass it straight back to him before repeating the same over again.
And as you pointed-out, the constant backwards-or-sideways passing when we have opportunities to go forwards just drives me nuts. We end up with decent-looking posession stats, but spurn so many chances to press the opposition (& wasn’t that supposed to be part of SG’s ‘game’?).
Gerrard has hung his neck out by sticking with Couthino when the player is adding zilch to the team, and he seems to have reduced McGinn to being almost invisible for much of every game I’ve watched.
It is time to get in somebody who knows how to manage players in this league, because it’s become pretty obvious that SG isn’t up to the job.
Spot on. We are so slow in possession that its so easy for teams to get everyone back behind the ball. Gerrard wants more creativity but how can we create more when there is a wall of defenders in the way every time. If we played with urgency and bravery by pushing players forward more we would have far more opportunity to create and score. Yes it’s give and take defence v attack but it’s time to let the defence do it’s job and focus on putting the ball in the net.
The thing about Martinez: when he picks-up the ball, it always seems that he’s looking to throw it out very quickly to start an attack; but after 5-10 seconds he can’t see anyone willing to take the ball and stride forwards, so he gently taps it out to one of the defenders, who gently pass it back to him or sideways to each other.
It makes my blood boil watching this time after time – especially when as in the Forrest game, you could see Forrest leaving huge amounts of open space in the middle of the pitch, just ready for any of our lot to take the ball forward quickly. But no, let’s just retain posession at the back for another 5 minutes…
This is a classic sign of lacking confidence or just being too downright scared to do anything wrong, imo.
It’s what I was getting at and comes from the coaching/management.
R5L MNF is worth a listen with Dean Smith this week. He comes across as such an intelligent and emotionally clever guy. Always looking to learn and share that with others. A warm and genuine Manager, a great human being. Shame we couldn’t have shaken up his backroom staff to help him work out a few alternatives. Norwich are lucky to have him. I bet if we hadn’t have hired him already, NEWS would be approaching the Canaries!
P.S. Has Gerrard been sacked yet?
I suspect that the only reason SG hasn’t been given the push yet is that he’s Purslow’s man.
Purslow is going to cling on to his choice (& ‘mate’ ) Stevie until we’ve lost a few more games, when I can imagine the owners will say ‘enough is enough’…
I keep waking up and checking the B’ham Mail, expecting, hoping to see Gerrard has been sacked. What a nightmare.
I think, finally, I can say that I agree with you. Gerrard Out. He has to go, it’s simple. After what I saw on Monday night, he should have been sacked the next day.
I’ll start with the result and then move onto the performance after that.
Nottingham Forest are bottom of the Premier League and even after that draw they remain bottom of the Premier League. This fixture was a must win and for some stupid reason I genuinely thought that we would win it. They were even worse than us on the night and that says something!
Now for the performance. I honestly felt like falling asleep whilst watching that game on TV. It was the most boring Villa game I think I have watched in years performance wise, in my opinion just as bad as Southampton (H) in that 1-0 a few weeks back on Friday which I was there for at Villa Park. I absoloutely agree with you about the passing back thing it is so boring, it’s quite embarassing how often we do it. We are one of the most boring sides in the league football wise without a doubt.
Finally, all I have to say is Gerrard Out.
That’s just it Bradley.
We can’t beat clubs in the bottom half of the league and most of our upcoming games are against teams in the top half.
I’m seriously worried now and wonder how long Purslow thinks he can put off the inevitable.
Badger, I think Purslow will ‘go-missing’ on this one; it’ll be the owners who will push the button in the end, and Purslow will be ‘otherwise engaged’ when it’s done. Can’t see him losing face…
But he will ‘magically’ reappear to present, in his silver tongued, rehearsed manner, the new manager as if all is part of his grand plan.
You might guess, I’m beginning to find him somewhat disingenuous, only interested in his own image.
If Gerrard (sorry when Gerrard) goes then Purslow has to fall on his sword even if NSWE have to push him!
I disagree Ardent/Hitch.
If I was either of NSWE or whatever they’re called, I would instruct Purslow to make the statement or make a resignation statement for himself, whichever he prefers.
If hiring Gerrard was his baby, he has to accept that he’s made a mistake, simple.
If you can do the double on the bottom four clubs, then that’s a guaranteed 28 points.Are we anywhere near that?
Has he gone yet?
I keep checking for a club statement but still nothing. Do they really expect us to beat Chelsea? When we go behind on Sunday which we will, I dread to think what the reaction of the fans will be like. I’m guessing toxic. Maybe it’s better to see Gerrard gone on Monday when we are closer to the relegation zone so with a new manager in before Brentford which is more winnable especially with the feel good factor that a change of manager brings.
I don’t see that Holte.
First off, it’s no disgrace losing to Chelsea.
And there’s still the fact that we’re unbeaten in four, including Citeh.
We all know that stat means nothing, but the owners will just look at that fact pragmatically, which is probably correct, as much as we don’t like it.
Which is why I believe he still has weeks to ruin us even more.
Badger, the statement “it’s no disgrace losing to Chelsea” is a sad indication of how low expectations are for AVFC, regardless of who the manager is. I completely disagree with that statement. At Villa Park, losing to ANYONE is a disgrace, in my opinion. Any manager MUST drill that into the players of this club. The club will never progress with a “there’s no disgrace in losing” mentality.
Got to agree with you there BFR, but i know what Badger means even though it boils my piss.
P.s. Has he gone yet? (Gerrard, not Badger).
BFR, if you’re pool or citeh or similar then it’s a disgrace.
But we’re not at that level and it’s unreasonable to expect to beat the likes of Chelsea imo.
I’m not saying I like it and agree, we should be saying it’s a disgrace, but we also to have to be realistic.
Unfortunately, our current level means I’m thinking that it’s a disgrace that we didn’t beat forest 🙁
Badger, you dig in and get a draw, like we did vs City. The message has to be it’s NOT OK to lose!
Maybe it’s semantics on my part, but there’s a big difference between “not being ok to lose” and being a “disgrace to lose”.
It’s generally not ok to lose, I agree, but I can’t agree that losing to Chelsea would be a disgrace.
I mean, are you really expecting us to get something against them?
I’m hoping, but not expecting.
They’re a level above us at the moment, I’m afraid.
I’m expecting them to dig in and get a draw.
Well I would not like to be at Villa Park Sunday. The atmosphere will turn toxic and when we lose from another boring, safe, effortless performance I think the owners will act and Gerrard will be gone. What has happened to Ollie Watkins? First season he was good and since then he has just got worse and worse. That moment against Forrest near the end when the ball got played over the top and all he had to do was control it and feed Archer through for a 1on1, was like watching a Sunday league player trying to control a bouncing ball, absolutely shocking. What’s worse was I expected it and called it live, I just knew he was going to mis-control the ball, get it stuck in his feet and get tackled. He needs dropping.
I think you’re right about the game on Sunday: I can see VP getting very, very unpleasant for both manager and team as soon as we go a goal down. Just wonder whether the owners will be there to experience it for themselves?
Well according to Birmingham mail (not a great source I know) they’re saying the owners will be flying in for the game. That’s interesting if true and backs up my thoughts that if the result is a bad one they can give Stevie his marching orders face to face.
I read the same and think (hope) he’s gone either way.
Kwasi Kwartang is available. Maybe Purslow should give him a call? Better or worse than Gerrard?
Tuchel could have been contacted by Bournemouth, Leicester, Forest, Leeds, Wolves, never mind just us…Even Liverpool!
Adam great spot and just read the same article. Hopefully this is the final move for the end game. There is no way they will like the dross we have had served up time in time out. I expect Gerrard out by early next week, with a new manager in place to get results we need.
Or we may be reading too much into the owners flying in for the game!
Perhaps they’re planning on doing a ‘Cooper’.
Sorry, got to go the chaps in white coats have just arrived. 🙂
I’m not reading too much into the owners coming over.
They do it every now and again and I don’t think they’ve done it this season yet?
I definitely think they are coming over with a slightly different way of looking at things though and I’d expect them to be speaking to the players and Gerrard a lot.
Do I think they’ll sack him immediately?
No, not a chance, imo, but I’d be happy to be surprised.
The owners coming over for the game might not mean anything but they must surely be aware that the fans are unhappy. The argument that the World Cup break is the right time to make a decision is a stupid one. The options that are currently available like Pochettino and Tuchel might already be snapped up, so delaying could be costly.
My opinion is that if we lose against Chelsea then they MUST act. Hopefully NWSE will be there and if we are losing and playing the usual dire tripe then they will witness a toxic VP. Successful business people don’t hang around when they know their customers are pissed off. They make changes and surely that will mean cheerio SG and with luck Purslow for hiring him.
According to The Telegraph (via BBC gossip), Tuchel has turned down two offers from unnamed Prem. clubs since being sacked by Chelsea.
Read into that what you will!
I do think, however, if NSWE are minded to make a change they will not want an extended period of ‘purdah’ and will have already lined up Gerrard’s replacement
Holte, has anyone argued that the WC break is the right time?
I certainly haven’t, but do think that’s when it will probably happen.
I’d say the consensus is more that he needs to go asap, so we stop this rubbish.
I would expect that we’ve sounded certain managers out already.
Would things have gone as far as paying a retainer to the right man?
I very much doubt it, but would at least expect that the owners and maybe Purslow have some idea of how desirable the Villa job might be to any applicants.
I’ll bet they already know if Poch would consider the role, for example.
With all the Gerrard speculation, it seems that Luiz signing a new long term contract has slipped under the radar
Now I think that’s a good deal all round but others may differ.
Good that Luis has signed a new contract does this mean that poch is going to be the next manager going forward.
I hope so 😁
Didn’t see that one coming at all! Whether he stays or not, is a good player or not, that means we don’t lose him on a free would not have been good business.
I’m shocked by him signing.
I thought it was a cert that he was leaving.
Either the media have had this one more wrong than anything for ages or Doug has had the tip off that Gerrard won’t be here long.
Oh, I think it’s a good thing, fwiw.
I’ll go with the tip-off theory!
I agree with you Badger. He’d be off if SG was staying.
Luis staying is like signing a well tried and trustable player. Whoever convinced him deserves serious praise.