What a difference sacking a useless manager makes, eh?
While of course I’m chuffed with that result, I think it leaves me with lots of questions about the players.
The game first and how refreshing was that to see?
MOTM and it’s difficult, because Luiz, Buendia, Bailey and Mings all had good games, I thought.
If I’m pushed, I’ll give it to Luiz, who mopped everything up and just ran the game, so much so that I thought Brentford were awful, which I know they they’re not.
Ah sod it, I’m finding it impossible to say anything without making the Steven Gerrard comparison.
First off we played with much more pace and actually looked like we could pass the ball to each other.
Then we played with width, which for some bizarre reason Gerrard totally refused to do.
The players looked like they were playing for each other, putting tackles and overall effort in.
So what’s changed? Is Danks some sort of tactical genius?
Obviously not, but it struck me we set up with some sort of plan and it worked.
Our Blitkkrieg start didn’t help Brentford at all, but we just looked far too good for them and I found myself genuinely shocked.
Which is where I have to put a bit of a dampener on things and question the motivation of our players.
I can quite easily accept that Gerrard was a shockingly bad manager, who lacks any idea of man management.
But at the same time, I have to wonder how many players were more interested in doing the manager down, rather than playing for the club?
I have no doubt many of you will be thinking I should just gloss over this and concentrate on a glorious victory. And you’re probably right.
But it concerns me that we seem to be in a situation where the players seem to be choosing the manager and if they don’t like him, they just down tools.
The reality is that it’s probably indicative of today’s players in general and maybe we don’t need to appoint a manager at all.
Leave the players in the dark, because there’s noone they can get sacked, perhaps?
I much prefer to think that it was the case that the lads just couldn’t possibly play under such a poor manager in Gerrard, but we’ll see.
Play like we did today and safety is easily ours. And maybe even more.
But if that was just an indication of the players demonstrating their power, we need a serious clearout, with more kids coming in.
I hope it’s not Dick Emery 🙂
An agreement has been reached though.
lol
Firming up now;
“Aston Villa are now closing in on Unai Emery appointment, confirmed. Deal is considered set to be completed on a long-term project. Villarreal sources again think he’s gone, as reported earlier 🚨🟣🔵 #AVFC
Villarreal, informed that €6m release clause will be activated by AVFC.”
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano
All managerial appointments carry a degree of risk but Emery is in a different class to Gerrard.
As Badger says he has an enormous amount of experience at the highest level in the EPL, La Ligua and Liege1 in France. He’s won trophies (including European trophies) at every team he’s managed.
He only turned Newcastle down because of his commitment to Villarreal last season in the Champions League.
If signing Gerrard lifted our profile then to get someone like Emery will lift it higher and would be a real coup for NSWE and a serious statement of intent that says – enough with the experimentation, time to flex our muscles.
All done.
Blimey we haven’t messed about there!
Aston Villa
@AVFCOfficial
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1m
Aston Villa is delighted to announce the appointment of Unai Emery as the club’s new Head Coach.
Bloomin’ heck! Nice one!!!!!!
Badger, can he stay at your gaff until he finds his own place?
🙂
Great comment on the bbc:
So does it become “Unai Emery’s Steve Gerrard’s Aston Villa” then?
Brilliant!
Welcome Uni to Aston Villa. You have my total support and I look forward to the next 3 years.
https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2022/october/24/manager/
In Emery we trust.
Was the best we could get and has shed loads of experience at the highest level, his teams have always played good attacking football and I’m happy with this appointment, no messing around for weeks on end and ending up with a Remi Garde scenario, well done NSWE, a huge improvement on Gerrard.
UTV