Philosopher Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 5 minutes ago, mikeyjavfc said: The board are no fools so if they think SG is the man to take us back to European football then I think we have to respect that. This decision won’t be based on a hunch, they will have been considering all sorts of metrics to determine the likelihood of success. I know there will be a bit of a circus around ‘Stevey Gs Aston Villa’ to begin with but personally I don’t mind the extra exposure for Villa. I love Dean Smith but there is no doubt he is not box office in the eyes of the neutral fan and does not raise the profile of villa much beyond the fan-manager narrative. Obviously counts for nothing if he doesn’t take us back up the league but it is a nice side effect. The board aren't fools. But how many proper football people are on the board? As far as I can see only Lange! Purslow and the rest are business people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacketspuds Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted November 11, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted November 11, 2021 I wonder if they will now name the managers column in the official programme "The G Spot?" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Salad Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 Just now, sidcow said: I wonder if they will now name the managers column in the official programme "The G Spot?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhan_Zhuang Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 Lots of hot air in this thread unfortunately... We all want the interests of Aston Villa to be first and that means supporting Steven Gerrard as Head Coach of our illustrious football club. Every player needs to work so hard now as it's expected from Gerrard, and whether you like him or not he was one of the PL top midfielders. I'm also hoping he (and McAllister) can fix our midfield which has been a problem for too long. A story arose earlier about "big money" in January for Gerrard, I think a midfielder and a left-back will be top priorities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacketspuds Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 1 minute ago, sidcow said: I wonder if they will now name the managers column in the official programme "The G Spot?" I'll probably flick through it if I can find it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 7 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said: I thought that is what you do now working from home? Er boss? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLegendOfLeonBailey31 Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 I'm pretty excited. Can't wait to see the energy that's going to be reverberating around Villa Park next weekend. Place will go absolutely nuts with a few goals pumped in and a W for Stevie G's first match and then we'll be off and running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alreadyexists Posted November 11, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted November 11, 2021 15 minutes ago, Rob182 said: Oh god I hadn’t even thought about that “He Slippy’s new man, he’s better than Zidane” has a ring to it Well the original song was “Steve Bruce’s man” so the four syllables of “Stevie G’s Man” fits fine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MessiWillSignForVilla Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 15 minutes ago, Big Salad said: I don't see how saying you don't 100% agree with or like the hire means you don't support the team. That shows we care about the team because we are concerned with the hire. For those in the unenthusiastic about this hire camp as I am just want the best for Villa, have no personal vendetta against Gerrard, and I am quite sure we all want him to prove us wrong. I want him to succeed because it means we are succeeding. It just does my head in when somebody doesn't agree or back every single thing a club does, it automatically means we don't support the club. That's just ridiculous. Again I sincerely hope he does prove a lot of people wrong and I support him in doing so, but will have my reservations until that happens. There was a post from someone saying they wanted us to lose the next 5 games just so Gerrard would be sacked as soon as possible. There are plenty in here that are clearly willing to throw away their support of the club due to a childish dislike of Gerrard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAV1 Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 5 minutes ago, Philosopher said: The board aren't fools. But how many proper football people are on the board? As far as I can see only Lange! Purslow and the rest are business people. And an army of football people who they can take advice from. Do you think the people who run companies such as Ford could actually make a car? Is the boss of ICI a chemist? Probably not. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robtaylor200 Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 Welcome SG you are obviously a brave man and sure of your credentials You have taken on a tougher job than most people imagine being able to keep us all happy. But keep us happy and reap the rewards of a full house singing your name and undevoted support. People fall in love with the Villa and you will too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
est1874 Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 15 minutes ago, blandy said: An absolute classic, thanks for reminding me. Loved the Fast Show in my late teens. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Salad Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 Just now, MessiWillSignForVilla said: There was a post from someone saying they wanted us to lose the next 5 games just so Gerrard would be sacked as soon as possible. There are plenty in here that are clearly willing to throw away their support of the club due to a childish dislike of Gerrard. Oh ok I didn't see those posts but yes I agree that is extreme just because they dislike the dude. I dislike him but as I said I want him to win here because it means we are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakemineVanilla Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 Looking at Villa's recent nervous performances, the players will definitely benefit from Gerrard telling them to "Calm Down!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Peter Griffin Posted November 11, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted November 11, 2021 19 minutes ago, Big Salad said: I don't see how saying you don't 100% agree with or like the hire means you don't support the team. That shows we care about the team because we are concerned with the hire. For those in the unenthusiastic about this hire camp as I am just want the best for Villa, have no personal vendetta against Gerrard, and I am quite sure we all want him to prove us wrong. I want him to succeed because it means we are succeeding. It just does my head in when somebody doesn't agree or back every single thing a club does, it automatically means we don't support the club. That's just ridiculous. Again I sincerely hope he does prove a lot of people wrong and I support him in doing so, but will have my reservations until that happens. There is nothing wrong with not wanting Gerrard as manager nor thinking he will be a failure. As you say, that shows you care. It is the people that are posting that they hope we lose games and that they hope he fails because they don't like Gerrard are the ones that are hard to fathom 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danceoftheshamen Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 A Huge Welcome Stevie G!! I will be fascinated to see how the team shapes up now. It was truly a mess the last few games so this change was badly needed in my opinion. January & the summer will now be ultra interesting too. Dean Smith did his job, got us promoted and consolidated in the division so a huge well done to him but i feel this now gives us the opportunity to take the next steps up the ladder after what will surely be a period of assessing the tools he has & whats needed in Jan etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Follyfoot Posted November 11, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted November 11, 2021 9 minutes ago, sidcow said: I wonder if they will now name the managers column in the official programme "The G Spot?" Why would they name it after something that doesn’t exist? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robtaylor200 Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 4 hours ago, NoelVilla said: I have doubts and think it is a huge gamble. There is a way to change my mind. Win games. Welcome! also a huge gamble for him, he must be sure he can do a job here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dont_do_it_doug. Posted November 11, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted November 11, 2021 Jamie Carragher in The Torygraph Quote From the moment Aston Villa made Steven Gerrard their prime target, he had to leave Rangers. The timing is not ideal. In football, it rarely is. Given the choice, I expect Stevie would have preferred to stay in Glasgow for another six months and collect his second league title before starting at a new club with a full pre-season. Walking away from Ibrox now will feel like a wrench. It is also a risk. But every major footballing decision - whether it is by a player, manager or owner - is a gamble, especially when you are settled into a role, achieving results and choosing to leave to further your ambitions. It was also a risk when Gerrard joined Rangers. He was in a comfortable job as Liverpool’s Under 18s coach, learning his trade, in constant contact with Jurgen Klopp and in the perfect place to be mentored by the man many believe he will eventually succeed. He received several offers during that period but waited because he was determined to follow his gut instinct. He wanted the best option. Rangers fitted the bill as a club matching Gerrard’s status, with a fanbase he would connect with, in a city similar to Liverpool, and a board who were determined to give him the support required to end Celtic’s bid for ten league titles in a row. Let’s not forget what Gerrard had to overcome in Scotland. Brendan Rodgers was the dominant force and Rangers had no identity as a football team. There was as much scepticism of Gerrard’s capacity to cope with the goldfish bowl of Glasgow - a novice coach in shark-infested waters - as there was excitement. Within the football-industry, I know there is often resentment for high-profile ex-players who are perceived to be fast-tracked into the biggest job because of their name rather than coaching CV. Had it gone wrong in Scotland, Gerrard - a bit like Frank Lampard now - would have been forced to take time out of the game again and reassess. Instead, he delivered the title Rangers craved and did so with a modern, front-footed style of football which mirrors the 4-3-3 which is now commonplace around Europe. Given that success, it was inevitable Premier League offers would materialise eventually. Just as when he was at Liverpool’s academy, it was always going to be about the one which ticked the most boxes. Aston Villa clearly do. Villa is a club that can give its managers a chance to succeed. They are among that selection of clubs - which also includes Leicester City, Everton and West Ham United - who think if they get it right, they can qualify for Europe. Geographically, Villa is attractive. Do not underestimate the importance of Gerrard now being closer to home. And it also helps that Gerrard has someone he knows on the Villa board. Former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow is prepared to stake his reputation on an emerging coach, his connection undoubtedly helping to seal this deal. If things get sticky, Gerrard will have an executive ally. Few get that working environment over the course of a 30-year coaching career, never mind so soon into one. Gerrard is also inheriting a good squad. It does not need major work to oversee a big improvement at Villa Park. The nucleus of the team is there; a quality keeper Emiliano Martinez, right back Matty Cash, midfielder John McGinn, and Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins upfront. They are high-level Premier League players, and there is a lot more to come from summer signings Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia. Villa have been underperforming. They should already be 8th or 9th in the Premier League. Should they fulfil their potential without the need for a massive overhaul, Gerrard will immediately assume the credit. Are Villa bigger than Rangers? That is an irrelevant argument, just as it was when Rodgers left Celtic for Leicester City. The English Premier League is in a different stratosphere to the Scottish one. That’s what managers and players will always consider. Rangers and Celtic are big clubs in a division which cannot compare on and off the pitch. You can only take a club so far, especially if the investment is not available to qualify for and then challenge in the Champions League. That’s the Glasgow giants’ problem so they will always be susceptible to a talent drain. Every ambitious manager wants the chance to take on Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel and now Antonio Conte. Besides that, Villa are the biggest club in the Midlands and one of the biggest clubs in the UK, still seen as one of those sleeping giants who - with the right coach galvanising the fanbase - have the potential to regularly challenge the top six. Gerrard now faces similar obstacles to those he overcame in Glasgow, with cynics wondering if it is too soon for him to be entrusted with such a huge job. There is also the complication of many seeing him as continuing an apprenticeship until Klopp says farewell to Anfield and Gerrard makes his emotional return. Maybe that will happen one day, but I can promise you this: Steven Gerrard will only ever want to become Liverpool manager on merit, and the Liverpool supporters will only want him to become Liverpool manager on those terms, not because of some kind of romantic homecoming. When Klopp goes, Liverpool will only employ the best man for the job, as they did when making their last appointment in 2015. Gerrard's connection is an advantage if the day comes when he is a serious candidate. Until then, it is a subject overplayed and should not be on the agenda right now. As with everything he has done since becoming my teammate in 1999, and then captain for the majority of my career, his sole professional focus will be on the task at hand - in this case turning Villa into a Premier League force again. His presence around the club, the aura he has, and the demands he places upon himself and expects of others could be transformative. It is the most exciting Villa appointment in years, and brilliant for the Premier League to have a force of personality and world superstar such as Gerrard on the touchline. He will have no inferiority complex taking on the world-renowned coaches, that’s for sure. Only a fool would back against Gerrard eventually being seen as likewise as he takes the next major step in his management career. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/11/11/steven-gerrard-right-join-aston-villa-forget-talk-liverpool/?utm_content=football&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1636633145-1 5 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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