I like to think I’m a pretty patient bloke.
I was slow in calling for Lambert out and I was slow calling for Sherwood to go.
And I think the Villa away fans are similar in being patient.
But you know when they turn, the manager is on borrowed time.
And rightfully so, as today’s performance sounded like an utter disgrace.
When you listen to commentators insinuating that the side are a shambles and actually hear words like “mish-mosh” even after the manager makes his changes, you know there’s something majorly wrong.
As fans, we were generally happy with our incoming players in the window.
So how is what on paper, the most potent attacking force in the league (by a mile) made to look so impotent?
And how is the defence made to appear so nervy when it’s faced with the slightest bit of pressure?
These are the questions that I think the away fans are asking and for me, it has to come down to the manager, why is why they were singing “You’re getting sacked in the morning” to RDM.
Let’s look at some facts.
We had one shot on target, yet dominated possession with 60 odd per cent of the game.
Whereas Preston had a boatload.
And the commentators reported that they didn’t think Preston were a very good side.
It just isn’t good enough, because even if you consider we’ve only lost two in eleven games, we’ve still only won one.
And when you hear commentary along the lines of “the players are looking for someone else to do it”, “they don’t have the belief” and worst of all, “they don’t look interested”, you quite simply know it’s all over.
I suspect the away fans have called this exactly right and Dr Xia has to sack RDM quickly.
We have an international break coming up and it would be an ideal time for a new manager to come in and get his ideas across.
Sadly, I think Dr Xia won’t want to be seen as trigger happy and may not have started a backup plan yet.
But if he has, he has to bullet RDM as soon as possible.
Is there anyone who can still defend the manager?
Bbc confirm RDMs sacking this chairman ain’t fucking around
Swift, decisive action. Nice. I like it.
Only one name for me, Lee Johnson, what that young man has done in his short managerial career is nothing short of miraculous. He will be managing in the Premiership one day, please Dr. Tony let it be with the Villa.
I think he’ll go for someone unattached due to the compensation issue he’s got to pay RDM off paying another club won’t come cheap possibly breaking into the January transfer kitty I’d take Bruce
A footnote on 4-2-4.
The first essential requirement of this formation is that both of your wingers are capable of scoring themselves, not just crossing the ball. When that is the case it stretches the defence, but if one winger is no danger when he is on the ball it will fail. All that can be expected of the two in midfield is that they scurry after the ball putting in tackles and breaking up play. The second requirement is – if the opponent’s full backs overlap then your wingers have to track back.
That is why the current Villa squad could not make 4-2-4 work.
I’m relieved that Xia has acted. I’m not confident that we will make the right appointment this time either though. I don’t think compensation will get in the way here. That said, I do wonder who will want the job given the way the club has performed in the last few years. Sure the usual suspects, but nothing inspiring.
Bruce would do a decent job, but will only take us so far. It might even be a case of a two step process (3 counting RDM)- one manager to get us out of the Championship, another to take the club forwards.
I’m getting pretty cheesed off about the whole thing really. Sick of having my weekends ruined by miserable result after miserable result. There just seems to be an air of a ruined club about us.