The next manager of Aston Villa

[Peter Griffin]

4 minutes ago, nick76 said:

I wonder how many of the people who thought it was time for Smith to go would’ve had a different view if they knew Gerrard would be his replacement?  

 

I would say very few. If the manager is not the right man for the job then he must go

[Steero113]

1 minute ago, KentVillan said:

Now *this* is revisionism.

Here’s the actual table for 2021 calendar year: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/jahrestabelle/wettbewerb/GB1

We’re 14th.

But carry on lecturing people about revisionism

Thanks Kent, I will revise that to 3rd worst. 

PS: I am categorically not the person who has been calling 'revisionism' on people. Maybe re read some posts or something. 

But, yeah, thanks. 

[Zatman]

1 minute ago, Wainy316 said:

Seeing the Rangers fans worrying about losing their manager made me think how we haven't had that concern here since Graham Taylor part 1.

Also, if Gerrard were to leave us for Liverpool to replace Klopp then you'd have to assume he'd be leaving us in a better position. 

I remember Nowich fans similar when they lost Lamberto

[dont_do_it_doug.]

2 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

Now *this* is revisionism.

Here’s the actual table for 2021 calendar year: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/jahrestabelle/wettbewerb/GB1

We’re 14th.

But carry on lecturing people about revisionism

Only 17 teams in that table are relevant though, considering games played. Unless you can be arsed to work out PPG. 

Regardless we have been crap for a long time now, that surely can't be denied. 

[meregreen]

2 minutes ago, hippo said:

I'm not a fan of Gerrard in any way shape size or form. But I doubt he would be stupid enough to read sites such as this.

That’s why I said if. And we don’t know what he reads. My point stands regarding giving the guy a chance. 

[Lord Willard]

3 minutes ago, Peter Griffin said:

I would say very few. If the manager is not the right man for the job then he must go

Only if the right man is available though right?

[Vive_La_Villa]

6 minutes ago, nick76 said:

I wonder how many of the people who thought it was time for Smith to go would’ve had a different view if they knew Gerrard would be his replacement?  

I know the hardcore on here of Smith Out wouldn’t have changed their minds and if they did wouldn’t admit it but I reckon a lot of fans that were on the fence would be having doubts right about now re Smith leaving given his replacement is looking like Gerrard.  

The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Good question. I would have been ok with it. 

[macandally]

1 hour ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

Grow up.

You want to be inflammatory but rankle when you get it back?

Grow up! 

[Sam-AVFC]

3 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

Thanks Kent, I will revise that to 3rd worst. 

I guess this is what they mean by lies, damned lies and statistics.

[meregreen]

Just now, Lord Willard said:

Only if the right man is available though right?

As to wether a man is the right man. Only results will ascertain that.

[DCJonah]

1 hour ago, foreveryoung said:

But it's glaringly obvious fans who didn't want Smith sacked either want a Klopp or GTFO. Like a world class manager are the only ones better than Smith.

Unfortunately aint happening.

I mean, that's just made up nonsense. 

The moaning about Smith and wanting him gone, was that he wasn't going to get this squad challenging for European places, either this year or next. So surely the point of replacing him is the next one will do that. The question is, given his record so far, if Gerrard is that man and therefore was it worth getting rid of Dean. 

Nothing about demanding a world class manager. 

[El-Reacho]

10 minutes ago, Zatman said:

In fairness the Liverpool link I think is the least bit concerning for a lot of people. 

If he's going to replace Klopp he'll need to be one of the top 10 managers in the world I reckon. If it turns out that he's that good then that'll be great from our perspective because we'll obviously be in good shape at that stage. Unfortunately I don't think he'll be anywhere close to it. Will happily eat my words though.

[Vive_La_Villa]

5 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

Thanks Kent, I will revise that to 3rd worst. 

PS: I am categorically not the person who has been calling 'revisionism' on people. Maybe re read some posts or something. 

But, yeah, thanks. 

Guess he shouldn’t have been sacked after all.  Smith In ! 

[MaVilla]

10 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

Now *this* is revisionism.

Here’s the actual table for 2021 calendar year: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/jahrestabelle/wettbewerb/GB1

We’re 14th.

But carry on lecturing people about revisionism

 

Do you think an average position of 14th, over the entire of 2021, with the joint most losses (18), is an acceptable performance level for the money invested in the playing squad?

Edited November 10, 2021 by MaVilla

[hippo]

12 minutes ago, nick76 said:

I wonder how many of the people who thought it was time for Smith to go would’ve had a different view if they knew Gerrard would be his replacement?  

I know the hardcore on here of Smith Out wouldn’t have changed their minds and if they did wouldn’t admit it but I reckon a lot of fans that were on the fence would be having doubts right about now re Smith leaving given his replacement is looking like Gerrard.  

The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

I warned about DS going for that very reason. The same people who purchased those players in the summer would be choosing our next manager .

[KentVillan]

2 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

Only 17 teams in that table are relevant though, considering games played. Unless you can be arsed to work out PPG. 

Regardless we have been crap for a long time now, that surely can't be denied. 

Sure, but basically our form has been mid table. This massive year long slump is a myth. We’ve beaten Chelsea, Spurs, Man Utd, Arsenal, Everton and Leeds this year, amongst others.

I won’t have his narrative coming from our own fans that Smith’s Villa just fell off a cliff in 2021. It’s motivated reasoning (and yes, “revisionism”), mainly from people who never liked him in the first place.

[Peter Griffin]

7 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

Thanks Kent, I will revise that to 3rd worst. 

PS: I am categorically not the person who has been calling 'revisionism' on people. Maybe re read some posts or something. 

But, yeah, thanks. 

Come Steero,

You are showing revisionism here. We are clearly only the 4th worse team. Burnley, Newcastle and Saints are below us. Deano was doing a fantastic job this year keeping us out of the bottom 3 

[DCJonah]

I'm equal parts intrigued, excited and disappointed that it's looking like Gerrard. 

I think his name and potential could be really exciting. I'm intrigued to see how a change of manager impacts the current squad and yet I'm disappointed that we gave up on Dean Smith for someone as unproven as him. 

I'm 100% behind him if he gets the job. I seriously hope it was worthwhile moving to another manager for. 

[striker]

10 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Not you particularly - just this recent spate of people assuming that our recent results are because the manager went mad and picked the wrong players, as opposed to the ones we have - the ones we're still going to have. This idea that "We're getting a new manager so the player I've fallen out with will definitely get dropped, because he doesn't fit into a position that he was last years player of the season in" is just odd. 

It's interesting you 've gone for the same midfield that Dean picked in his last game - for me, Nakamba, McGinn and Ramsey isn't a Premier league quality midfield - my preference would be Luiz, McGinn and Sanson - but ultimately, I've seen nothing to suggest that anyone but McGinn and Luiz are good enough out of those five - there's a reason that it's difficult to pick a strong three in the middle of the park - we don't have three players good enough. 

On the flanks we have Buendia, Bailey, Traore, El Ghazi and Philogene-Bidace who are all better wide men than Nakamba is a central midfielder - we have five options there for two positions - in midfield, we have three, maybe four decent options for three positions - it's imbalanced.

If Gerrard plays three in the middle, he's going to be picking the same three's that Smith did - he's a manager, not a magician.

Right now the squad is short a back up left back, a back up right back and three central midfielders - for me those five positions are our priority - but it's the hole in the middle of the park that will be the difficulty for the manager. 

We've got nine games until the window opens - we're going to need to be really patient with the new man through those nine games - he'll do very well to win three of them.

Dean had to go - you can't excuse those results - but he was a good manager with a squad that has holes in it and had suspensions - until the new manager has a chance to improve that squad, I think it'll be difficult for him.

We seem to be building up the idea that the squad is fine to finish top half, it just needs a decent manager - I don't think that's true - I think we need a good manager and a shed load of money spent in January.

 

‘A shed load of money spent in January’ on the right players I would add to that.

In my opinion Smith lost his job due to failing to strengthen the obvious weakness in Villa’s team which is midfield. Whatever permutations used there with the players available in those positions, was never going to be good enough to sustain a push for top half or indeed a place in Europe.

Moreover, throughout Smith’s reign Villa had a soft spine. Watkins isn’t a lone striker. He’s not clinical nor technicality gifted enough to be that. He would have been far better employed as a wide forward cutting in from the left!

Villa’s CBs are too nice. Yes they can play out of defence but it was no surprise to me Villa constantly conceding from dead ball situations this season. Neither Mings or Konsa have the physicality to deal with balls into the Villa box. Villa need at least one rugged hard CB in there who can deal with that.

I’d also agree with the poster you are debating with that Target is yet another weakness in the Villa defence. Target is desperately short of pace to deal with the type of forward or indeed wingbacks plying their trade in the Premiership now. He has been exposed time and time again against pace!

I’d also question whether Cash is defensively sound enough? I would suggest he would be much better played as a wide midfielder.

To bring my post on topic. If Gerrard is to be the next Villa manager I am in no doubt that he will immediately strengthen midfield in January and possibly buy a replacement for Target. You might also see players shifted to positions better suited to them to create better balance in the side. I would further suggest that over the next 2-3 transfer windows players like Luiz, Sanson, Target, Trez, El Gaz, Davis, Marvelous, Hause, and Young will be phased out or sold..

Gerrard by all accounts doesn’t suffer fools and slackers gladly and will make Villa much tougher opposition to play against!

[Mister_a]

5 minutes ago, nick76 said:

I wonder how many of the people who thought it was time for Smith to go would’ve had a different view if they knew Gerrard would be his replacement?  

The thing is that Football doesn't work like that. We don't know who the next manager is going to be.

DS was given time to build an identity that culminated with us leaking goals left right and centre (13 in our last 4? or something similar), with no discernible pattern of play, and lumping on 4 strikers in his last match in charge. I can't see how more time would have made a difference. I understand injuries and bedding in new players etc etc, but that's all part of the managers remit, and it didn't work out. That's football.

DS always has long winless runs, i think that is fairly undeniable from Walsall to Brentford to us. The PL has 38 games a season, the Championship has 46. Long winless runs translate badly in the PL, as you have less room for manoeuvre, and a long run of bad results ends up with CEO's and owners getting very nervous as you sink down the table. 

It's a shame it didn't work, because the vast majority of us wanted him to succeed, but it didn't.