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Aston Villa News and Views Opinion Next manager; some laughable suggestions and my total guess.

Next manager; some laughable suggestions and my total guess.

12 February 201512 February 2015| Badger123Badger123| 291 Comments| 9:15 PM
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This one is mostly for fun, as guessing the next manager is nearly always wrong, but there is some logic in my final answer, so bear with me.

Let’s look at some of those suggested;

Moyes? Ha, no chance. Why on earth would he leave Sociedad when he’s doing not brilliant, but ok?
I can’t say I’ve kept an eye on things there, but am guessing he’s in the middle of a plan, where there’s no way he’d take on a poisoned chalice like the Villa, in my opinion.

Benitez? Interesting, but he’d want a boat load of money, which he has been prone to waste. Even if Fox suggested him, I’d guess Lerner would put the block on him.
Wasn’t he supposedly the manager who laughed at Lerner when he heard what the spending budget was last time? Whatever, no chance again.

Martin O’Neil? After he won an out of court unfair dismissal settlement against Lerner? Just laughable.
Alex McLeish? Stop, my sides are aching!

Back to more reasonable suggestions and we have the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann.
He’s another interesting shout, but again, why would he come?

Southgate? I don’t rate him at all, so I definitely hope not, although I’m sure Lerner would at least entertain an ex player. No, perish the thought.

Laudrup? Young and up and coming, but what has he done in any decent league? Nothing, I’d suggest.

Allardyce? Hmm, Smethwick born and I have a sneaky feeling he might even be a Villa fan at heart, but again, why would he want to move from West Ham to Villa?
That said, he hasn’t got a new contract yet has he???
Decent manager, but his footy is generally poor, hence he wouldn’t be my choice.

Hoddle? Excellent coach, but tainted, so I don’t see it.

I’ve no doubt missed some other choices, but quite frankly it’s a lottery trying to guess.
Lerner will want cheap and we have even less idea what Fox thinks.

The question is what does the club need at the moment?

While a top manager, who can make us win most of our remaining games and keep us midtable next season, while having some masterplan to build us into a European powerhouse is always the aim, the reality is we need someone who can get us out of the dire straights we are in now.
Someone who can have an immediate effect via a boot up the proverbial on a side, even if it’s only short term.

I know it’s not going to be a popular choice, but mine is to pay Tim Sherwood a right good wedge of money purely to keep us up this season. A short term contract, that he can’t refuse, in other words.

I know it seems he has far too many demands, but desperate times need desperate measures.
And for me, there’s no doubt he can fire players up to perform, which is what we need right now.

We can call for any manager you like and indeed they might prove better over the longer term, but our immediate priority is simply to survive this season. Hence I’m suggesting he’s the man.

Unless you can think of someone else who could hit the ground running, faster?

291 thought on “Next manager; some laughable suggestions and my total guess.”

  1. I don’t believe Sherwood will happen, fwiw, but I really think he would be my choice.
    This is the worrying part for me;
    Apparently, Lerner’s going to go with what Fox says and Fox is going to listen to our head scout/ seeming DOF?
    I’m not convinced by any of the setup, so god knows who we’re going to get.
    My real money is on someone we’ve never heard of.

    1. Fat Sam was apparently a Wolves fan as a lad, even though he’s from Dudley. There’s basically nothing to link him to Villa [& some of us will hope it stays that way….]

      1. Fair enough Ardent. It was only a sneaky feeling.

        Any debate about what I’m suggesting?

        1. Quite honestly Badger, No!

          I didn’t see the sacking coming at all, really believed they’d let Lambert go down with the ship.

          That said, I can’t work out how they’re going to play it now either – is it just a short-term 3 month appointment or are they going to plan for the medium/long term?

          The bookies seem to agree with you that Sherwood is on his way, but more worryingly from my POV, they’re now making Hoddle a close second-favourite. If that’s the only choice, then I’d plump for Sherwood, although without much enthusiasm.

    2. I’d ask Peter Withe to take the job until the end of the season, with Shaun Teale as his assistant. Pretty sure the players would get the kick up the backside they need from those two! We have 13 games to pick up some points and we can’t make a long term appointment unless that manager is going to be happy managing in the Championship next season…

  2. I see where you’re coming from badger and if we’re a betting man I’d put my money on Sherwood (well no I wouldn’t at 1/3 but you get my point) don’t think it’d be a popular appointment but I think he’d put the rocket up their arse they need at bmh.

    1. Yep the rocket is what’s required, imo.
      And Sherwood is the man to do it.
      The trouble is, I don’t think Lerner or Fox will wear his demands.

      I wonder if Sherwood might be the next Clough?
      It’s just a thought.

    2. BWS you’ve hit the nail on the head.
      OLL said it yesterday on another thread as well – the whole coaching set-up at BMH needs to be replaced [ & I’d argue that it applies to the WHOLE lot – Academy upwards].
      I do wonder how much difference a new ‘manager’ can make without bringing in his own backroom staff immediately, and putting the rocket up a lot of lazy arses straight away.

      1. It’s been shown rockets up the lazy arses doesn’t work, they need to be managed, and managed correctly.

        I do expect Fox to know we need a backroom staff and that Marshall and Marshall aren’t going to be what the new manager wants.

  3. I can’t see Sherwood coming. Bookies are rarely ever right with what’s going at Villa.

    I’m definitely sure it’ll be someone a few people on here have heard of though.

  4. Ardent, I’m the same as you, totally perplexed, tbh.
    Logic says Sherwood is the man, even if it costs stupid money for the 3 months.
    But that just isn’t going to happen, as we never have a plan and I don’t believe Lerner will entertain that sort of money, regardless of what Fox says.

    And I just get the idea that Lerner will just do something contrary, this time.

  5. Why all the talk with Sherwood? OK, he did alright at Spurs but certainly hasn’t got any other examples of great management! My choice would be Neil Lennon every day of the week – managed by MON in his Leicester and Celtic days and is a true chip off the block and gone on to do a great management job at Celtic and now is turning Bolton around. For me he’d hit the ground running and get the best out of this season before building a coherent plan for next season. If I was Tom Fox and Randy, I’d be up to Bolton asap.

    1. And from what I’ve seen, also decidedly dour, same as Lambert.
      I believe we need a personality; someone who can gee the fans up and create a positive atmosphere.
      Sherwood matches that, hence why I’d put him in the frame.

      Fair shout though Jon.

    2. Neil Lennon is a prize c@@k. Did a great job at Celtic? With what competition? Sorry, not for me.

      1. Must admit not a Lennon fan either, don’t know what it is about him (apart from his punch me punch me face) but no he doesn’t do it for me.

    3. ” a true chip off the block” – sorry, but that’s a very good reason for NOT having him near the place. MON mk1 was enough, then we got Mk2 in the form of Lambert.

      Certainly don’t want a MON Mk3 , who never seems to have a “Plan B”, can’t use substitutes properly, falls out with some for no apparent reason and plays his favourites regardless of how crap they perform.

      And that dour personality isn’t going to set the place alight either…

    1. No one does, we’re Aston Villa and no one knows what goes on behind the scenes. Hell Gregg Evans, Lambert’s biggest fan didn’t know he was getting sacked or even had a clue. I kinda prefer the media didn’t know, as they continue to bring up the same old names as per when anyone gets sacked and it’s usually boring. Sherwood unfortunately is becoming one of the usual names for every club.

  7. Remember when MON left and we were hell bent on Ancellotti!!! Unless there is a drastic change in policy by Lerner, which I’m somewhat sceptical about, I can’t see anyone decent mental enough to take the job.

    1. Difference is between Faulkner and Fox as CEO. Fox could probably talk just about anyone into anything.

        1. Which is where Fox comes in, he’s been brought in to make Villa money that will be on the table. He is doing more than 1 job.

  9. DSVilla – Lennon against what competition? How does beating a full strength Barcelona in the Champions League grab you?

    I think it’s Sherwood with the ego issues – apparently set some really tough wage demands for the vacancies he has been favourite for and for what?

    Sorry – I would rather have a straight talking and honest manager like Lennon any day.

    Football is all about opinions though and I’d even be happy with David O’Dreary if he kept us up this season!

    1. Oh behave. You know what I mean. Shall I look back at Lambert’s time at Villa and pick out one match as proof he was a tactical genius? I seem to remember Celtic losing 6-1 to Barcelona as well. Still, you’re right it’s just opinions and yours is as valid as mine. I suppose the punch ups on the touchline would be good entertainment!

      Lennon is a more realistic shout that many names that we will hear though.

  10. I would be happy with Sherwood. No top experience manager would come to us unless they had millions to spend. They couldn’t manage a team with out it.

          2. I have my doubts on that but it’s still the point he got a striker few have actually gotten playing really well. He won them games and that is what we need. He’s far from my first choice, not even in my top ten. Point is, he’s miles better than Lambert, though that’s not hard as Lambert’s conference material.

        2. lol ooh ahh, might as well keep lambert … I distinctly remember you stating anyone would be better than lambert .. several times! Lambert had to go in the end I defended him forever but these last few weeks were .. well .. I gave up, I liked the idea of a Lambert though,
          now .. who comes in or who can we get, this is still a huge black hole of fear for me, we have no real direction or continuity in managerial appointments we swing from one extreme to the other.. Lets hope tom fox knows a thing or two in that area, I haven’t a clue if he does, but just hoping. I think sherwood would give us that new manager bounce or would be likely to at least. But he is untried to be honest, half a season with a serious serious spurs squad is not an awful lot of experience .. outside that unless you back some one financially its up and coming un tried or over tired.

      1. On players, no. Not until May.

        But how many new back-room staff they can bring with them, and the obvious ‘how much are you going to pay me to risk my sanity/reputation trying to rescue this car-crash of a club?’ – most definitely!

      1. We should have sacked Lambert when Pulis was available. I have argued against him in the past but he would have at least taken us to safety and then top half of the table. That would probably have helped the sale of the club

  13. A European manager is all I’ve heard and Tyson I have heard Tuchel mentioned he managed Mainz for a few years in the bundersliga but can’t see that.My reasoning is this Fox has been put in charge of hiring and firing this is Foxes gig now.With that in mind would he bring in someone unproven without any clout who could make him look like a fool and relegate us?I think not.But that said you never know with the Villa it maybe a leftfield punt which would be normal in today’s Villa but I reckon we might be looking at a big boy.

  14. All the comments on here just reinforce the concerns on this blog over many months – if Lambert goes who the hell are we going to get to replace him? That question is partly about funds available to strengthen but it also reflects the paucity of experienced managers available who would be guaranteed to go a better job. (I acknowledge we possibly missed an opportunity wih Pullis)

    Eventually it was pressure from us, the fans, that forced the club’s hand – whoever they appoint we have a duty to get behind and support 100%

    Also interesting piece in the Telegraph where it suggests Lambert twice asked Lerner to sack him before he got his new deal?

    1. If that was true why didn’t he resign.
      Also in every interview he has given he has harped on about he is a fighter not a quitter.
      If Lambert stayed we were going down (the stats don’t lie). We may still go down but something had to change.
      Regarding a new manager i don’t know. I was inching towards Sherwood or hoddle but the more i read the less i want them.
      I haven’t got a clue. Nothing is appealing out there.
      We need a character to lift the place.
      Big Ron to the end of the season ?

      1. He didn’t resign because he wouldn’t have been eligible for a big pay off, hence he asked Randy to sack him…

  15. See ‘The General has come out of the woodwork in the Sun and challenged Lambert’s view of Lerner’s funding during his tenure.

    Apologies Badger, I misssed that you had already linked the Telegraph piece

    1. Villa lack of money claims Hogwash

      Sacked Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert was givern money to spend but produced a team that was not ” fun to watch” claims club General Charles Krulak .
      Krulak 72 also described suggestions that American owner Randy Lerner had not invested in the squad as hogwash
      Lambert was dismissed on Wednesday after Villa slipped into the premiere league relegation zone. This the one Hitchen 60.

        1. Note the comment:
          “Randy was loathe to remove a manager mid-campaign,” said Krulak. “But there was this intensely strong feeling, not least from the players and fans, that Villa should be doing a lot better.”

          ‘NOT LEAST FROM THE PLAYERS…’

          -if that’s true, then Lambert had lost some or all of the dressing room. Wonder which players went and complained to the hierarchy?

  16. I think we will see a different approach, Our last appointments were made by Lerner and fatty Faulkner who had little footballing experience – Mr Fox and Charlie Wij have footballing experience, Paddy Reilly is back and we are proactively looking for a DoF…. Maybe, just maybe we are building from the top, because those three with a new DoF have to be better than the chuckle brothers and general clueless…

    Personally I think Lerner is leaving the running of the club solely to Mr Fox (which is why Fox decided to join us), we are building a proper board room with footballing experience, which is better for the club and (maybe more importantly) make us a better prospect for would be purchasers.
    I appreciate Lerner is still the owner but with Lambert gone and with some footballing brains at board level we are in a far better position than a year ago….And I trust the footballing board (not Lerner) to find, attract and employ the best Manager for the job.

    WE WILL NOT BE RELEGATED UTV

  17. For me someone with some charisma and someone that likes to play attacking football using the full pitch not just the middle! Someone that realises Grealish has to start and that Cleverly is shit will do me fine!

  18. I can’t see any decent manager wanting to take the job to be honest, the remit is clear for all to see, this is the key line i took from the Lambert interview which pretty much sums up Villa’s intentions.

    “There was also a concerted effort to purchase and develop younger players who would provide a solid footing for the football club to move forward and enhance the value of the playing squad in the future.”

    In other words, buy low, sell high.

    We are now just a small feeder club. Absolute disgrace.

    1. We are a poor man’s Spurs. They often buy good players and sell for a profit (Berbatov, Modric, Bale). It’s a bigger investment but they probably don’t have a net spend far from Villa. Just a better negotiator and a better model for a decent team. Lerner has made a complete mess of the whole club.

      1. I agree DS, Lerner in his naive spending under O’Neill, then employing someone with a heart complaint, then listening to Fergie and employing McCleish, then listening to the fans and employing Lambert has made massive errors, which the club are now paying the price for……… But, and it is a tiny but, he may be doing things right al last and learning by his mistakes, by getting more football people on the board to make footballing decision..

        1. I hope so saddened, but there need to be consistent investment in quality players. It is hard to see that happening under Lerner.

          1. Completely agree DS and the next managerial appointment will definitely show us the clubs intent for the foreseeable future… As there are no managers out there with any pedigree who will come in with no cash to spend in the summer !

  19. At least this is a more interesting debate than continual moaning about the state of the club. Do I spot a tiny bit of hope or is that light at the end of the tunnel still a juggernaut’s headlamps!

  20. I’m hearing, on this and other blogs, about Tom Fox knowing about football. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

    Anyway it’s exciting isn’t it? God knows we’ve had little enough to excite us lately so I find I’m quite enjoying the speculation.

    Whether we get someone appointed for Sunday or not I think we’re going to give the Foxes a right tonking! I predict a Benteke hat trick 🙂

    UTV

  21. Laudrup? Young and up and coming, but what has he done in any decent league? Nothing, I’d suggest… well he would be my choice for Villa in my ideal world.

    In 2007 at Getafe (not an established force in the Spanish league) the club reached the final in Copa del Rey, but lost to Valencia, and the quarter finals in the UEFA Cup (lost in extra time to Bayern Munich). During his tenure, as successor to former Real Madrid manager Bernd Schuster, he brought a new brand of exciting and free-flowing attacking football to the club which brought back memories of Laudrup as a player.

    After Laudrup announced his departure from Getafe after one season he was linked with jobs at Barcelona, Valencia, Benfica, Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Panathinaikos, CSKA Moscow and West Ham United.

    Again, only for a season In 2010, Laudrup was appointed manager of RCD Mallorca. In his first season he managed to keep a struggling Mallorca team from relegation, which was suffering from losing many first team players and who was ejected from the Europa League due to a bad financial situation

    Although he already announced he will not leave his current post I think he would be a good short term (and long) manager if we managed to keep him…

    Another great aquiquisition as manager would be Frank Rijkaard who I believe currently is unemployed

    No TS pleeeease 🙁

    UTV

  23. Tim Sherwood would not displease me, he is articulate and truthful. He is still unproven as a PL manager though. I have a very clear idea who I don’t want – anyone who speaks with a Glasgow or Belfast accent.

    I am also not keen on the DoF idea which seems to be the latest fad. If the manager is any good will he tolerate being told what layers to buy by someone else?

  25. Pat57 has commented that he thinks we will give the Foxes ‘a right tonking’ on Sunday. Wonder with Lambert gone whether it will release the shackles that seem to have really affected some players since he changed our style of football to pretty tip tapping repeatedly back and forth across the face of all 11 players of the opposing team.

    General views on here seem to be we have some decent players and should be doing a lot better – time for them to show it.

    I’m looking forward to a game for the first time in a long period – hope I’m not disappointed. I’ll go back to being positive (At least until the whisky wears off) 3-1 Villa or am I just deluded?

    1. Suppose it depends how different the caretaker ‘coaches’ will be in their approach – would be funny if they had a completely different style in mind from what Lambert’s been doing all season.

      1. I expect they will put round pegs in round holes, which could go a long way in getting the right result. Although it should be said most of these players have been brought in under Lambert so who knows how they are feeling at the moment.

        1. Scott Marshall, “I’ve prepared the team as normal”. Oh dear, thats another defeat on Sunday then!!!

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