Steven Gerrard

[CVByrne]

We all want Gerrard to succeed as Villa and us will succeed. It's a huge game now Everton. A performance is needed and a win. A quality performance where we are unlucky to draw is also ok. We just need to see Villa playing with a style of football that lets us believe we're on the right track to something.

Arteta won the FA cup so had credit in the locker when he was backed through the bad season and a half he had there to emerge with a quality looking side. Gerrard has nothing in the bank, post a new manager bounce the form hasn't been good, performances are inconsistent.

[DaveAV1]

27 minutes ago, Philosopher said:

On a final note, Gerrard has been operating on a net spend  in the region of 30 million over 2 windows, on the back of a window with a net spend of 0. It seems like the boardroom have either been cutting back, or are unwilling to back the managers due to doubts over their abilities.

I don’t think that they’re cutting back, but I do think that there are concerns at boardroom level about SG. That’s not to say they have completely lost faith, but they understandably have some concerns. These concerns may not be entirely with SG but either way it would be a little negligent to go all out spending wise when there are doubts. Live for today but keep one eye on tomorrow type of thinking. Since our owners have demonstrated that they are pretty switched on and to some degree ruthless, their approach of keeping some powder dry shouldn’t be a surprise. I think that they hope that SG can turn things around, in the short term anyway. A change of senior managerial staff is always damaging and disruptive in any form of business and I doubt NSWE will be taking it lightly. The last few weeks of the transfer window may well be a barometer as to how concerned they are. 

[Condimentalist]

8 hours ago, Zatman said:

its easily the worst, McLeish or Bruce didnt have the quality we currently have. 

At least we knew Herd or Whelan was capable of, now we have Coutinho, Buendia, ings and many more on the books

It's not the worst. You could make an argument that we're underperforming more but the standard of the Prem has also raised considerably. 

I'm no Gerrard fan and I am now calling for his head but the football is nowhere near as bad as McLeish, Remi Garde etc.

Edited August 9, 2022 by Condimentalist

[Wurzel]

 

 

Damning. Things need to change.

[CVByrne]

I suppose the easiest way to judge it, we're worse than the sum of our parts. Playing a 4 2 3 1 the players know and are effective in and we'll be the sum of our parts.

Ideally we need to be more than the sum of our parts. I do worry there is division in the dressing room. The people Gerrard doesn't want are essentially cast aside and that's causing some unrest which can be impacting the team. 

We'll see quite quickly as the performances over the next 3 games will tell us everything. 

[Philosopher]

8 minutes ago, Wurzel said:

 

 

Damning. Things need to change.

Can't say I disagree with this viewpoint. Maybe a couple things are harsh, but you can't dismiss any of what he said.

[Tayls]

I really do not think he has long to turn it around. The owners want victories on the field, they aren’t seeing enough. My guess is that he won’t recover from the split dressing room situation and the crazy captaincy debacle. 

We keep getting fed this BS from those at the club about ambition etc, but when it comes to match day we are nothing but an absolute joke. Fed up with it. I want us to actually win some football matches before doing all the other stuff behind the scenes. 

[duke313]

4 minutes ago, Tayls said:

I really do not think he has long to turn it around. The owners want victories on the field, they aren’t seeing enough. My guess is that he won’t recover from the split dressing room situation and the crazy captaincy debacle. 

We keep getting fed this BS from those at the club about ambition etc, but when it comes to match day we are nothing but an absolute joke. Fed up with it. I want us to actually win some football matches before doing all the other stuff behind the scenes. 

He won’t be here come the end of December. I think you’re right about the dressing room, he won’t recover from it. And the terrible football will turn many of the fans quite quickly on him.

[TRO]

5 hours ago, Lerner's Driver said:

Mate, following the Villa is one mistake you can't pause or put right, you are destined to keep repeating it and it will continue to be something that haunts you even after you are dead.

Aston Villa is a cruel mistress, only interested in raising your hopes purely in order to destroy them, slowly and painfully through a mix of neglect and incompetence.

Your suffering is her delight! For those who have been abused over prolonged periods of time, they often say the only available choice is to enjoy it.

You've had plenty of chances to walk away, but you always come back, don't you? You are in it for the long haul, I'm afraid mate. Bend over and present like the rest of us.

Everton next and when we scrape an unconvincing 1-0 win after Tyrone comes on to nick it, she will be back in your ear, promising you the world. This time in return for one of your kidneys. 

comical, and in some ways apt.....but you seem to miss out the Saunders years, I was fortunate to live through.....A time when you when 1-0 up and the game was secure, that wasn't luck, it was by design.

Some laughed at him then, with his mantra for workrate, but his philosophy worked, and since then Ron Atkinson, Brian and Johnny G all gave us some entertainment.

We have been in the doldrums for so long, but spending money has rarely been our way.....Prudent buys has been our only salvation.

SG has to find some pragmatic signings to add to this squad, big money, is not always the way out......appropriate additions is.

 

[TRO]

43 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

I don’t think that they’re cutting back, but I do think that there are concerns at boardroom level about SG. That’s not to say they have completely lost faith, but they understandably have some concerns. These concerns may not be entirely with SG but either way it would be a little negligent to go all out spending wise when there are doubts. Live for today but keep one eye on tomorrow type of thinking. Since our owners have demonstrated that they are pretty switched on and to some degree ruthless, their approach of keeping some powder dry shouldn’t be a surprise. I think that they hope that SG can turn things around, in the short term anyway. A change of senior managerial staff is always damaging and disruptive in any form of business and I doubt NSWE will be taking it lightly. The last few weeks of the transfer window may well be a barometer as to how concerned they are. 

sensible offering.

[Follyfoot]

5 hours ago, Lerner's Driver said:

Mate, following the Villa is one mistake you can't pause or put right, you are destined to keep repeating it and it will continue to be something that haunts you even after you are dead.

Aston Villa is a cruel mistress, only interested in raising your hopes purely in order to destroy them, slowly and painfully through a mix of neglect and incompetence.

Your suffering is her delight! For those who have been abused over prolonged periods of time, they often say the only available choice is to enjoy it.

You've had plenty of chances to walk away, but you always come back, don't you? You are in it for the long haul, I'm afraid mate. Bend over and present like the rest of us.

Everton next and when we scrape an unconvincing 1-0 win after Tyrone comes on to nick it, she will be back in your ear, promising you the world. This time in return for one of your kidneys. 

Brilliant 

[Laughable Chimp]

I'd say he has about 2 more games to save his job. If we don't win either of them, he's gone. At least I would sack him if it were up to me.

[duke313]

1 minute ago, Laughable Chimp said:

I'd say he has about 2 more games to save his job. If we don't win either of them, he's gone. At least I would sack him if it were up to me.

It won’t be that soon. Leicester game at the earliest I reckon.

[Lerner's Driver]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

comical, and in some ways apt.....but you seem to miss out the Saunders years, I was fortunate to live through.....A time when you when 1-0 up and the game was secure, that wasn't luck, it was by design.

Some laughed at him then, with his mantra for workrate, but his philosophy worked, and since then Ron Atkinson, Brian and Johnny G all gave us some entertainment.

We have been in the doldrums for so long, but spending money has rarely been our way.....Prudent buys has been our only salvation.

SG has to find some pragmatic signings to add to this squad, big money, is not always the way out......appropriate additions is.

 

You are quite right, Tro.

I was a kid at that time and my old man took me to Rotterdam, so I know what glory tastes like.

I guess my comments are a charicature of the modern era Miss Aston Villa and her ghoulish desire to strangle the hope out of us all.

We most definitely do need some more pragmatic types, perhaps even a bit rough, to keep her and us moving in the right direction.

[daft]

1 minute ago, Laughable Chimp said:

I'd say he has about 2 more games to save his job. If we don't win either of them, he's gone. At least I would sack him if it were up to me.

In the spirit of @Lerner's Driver's most eloquent description of the tribulations of being a Villa fan, we'll scrape an unconvincing win and a decently played loss so we can maintain some semblance of hope while still being extremely unsure of our actual status.

[CVByrne]

2 minutes ago, duke313 said:

It won’t be that soon. Leicester game at the earliest I reckon.

Yeah it'll be Leicester/Southampton as then there's international break.

So if we are on like 3 or 4 points going into Leicester away it's win or fired surely. 

All depends on who we can get in to replace him. 

[TRO]

38 minutes ago, Philosopher said:

Can't say I disagree with this viewpoint. Maybe a couple things are harsh, but you can't dismiss any of what he said.

I don't disagree, with this guys assessment.....but there is a clear distinction here, with what went on prior to 1 Jan 2002....and whats happening now.

His initial impact was good....first 7 games was fine......something has happened since, that is clearly affecting the team.

2022 is a car crash.

He needs to fix it .......Quick.

[Philosopher]

18 minutes ago, duke313 said:

He won’t be here come the end of December. I think you’re right about the dressing room, he won’t recover from it. And the terrible football will turn many of the fans quite quickly on him.

If he doesn't get at least 4 points from the next 4 or 5 games he'll be gone by the middle of September.

[The Fun Factory]

10 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

I'd say he has about 2 more games to save his job. If we don't win either of them, he's gone. At least I would sack him if it were up to me.

No chance. They have set their stall out in getting him, esp Purslow.

[Zatman]

4 minutes ago, TRO said:

I don't disagree, with this guys assessment.....but there is a clear distinction here, with what went on prior to 1 Jan 2002....and whats happening now.

His initial impact was good....first 7 games was fine......something has happened since, that is clearly affecting the team.

2022 is a car crash.

He needs to fix it .......Quick.

Called a honeymoon period. Sherwood had one too