Well, we all knew it was coming, didn’t we? and it was only a matter of when.
Apparently Nas Sawaris was fuming when Luiz got his red card and stormed out of the directors box, with Purslow in hot pursuit. Well, I might have made the last bit up, but I just have this mental picture of Waylon Smithers fawning around Mr Burns from the Simpsons.
Whatever, somebody hasn’t messed about and to be honest I’m very surprised it’s happened so quickly after the game.
Where does this leave Purslow, I wonder?
No doubt Gerrard will walk away with a big fat payoff, which is a bit of a coincidence as I was just reading about how Liz Truss will get a lifelong yearly payment of £115,000 and a pension of up to 10% after being in power for 44 days.
How can such absolute failure justify such crazy amounts of money? You couldn’t make it up.
But it is what it is.
And so I find myself wondering who’s going to be next to manage our glorious club?
Did Sawaris have a rush of blood in sacking Gerrard, or are the stories regarding the club sounding out managers already, actually true.
I really hope it’s the latter and we have someone coming in promptly.
The thought of McAllister being a temporary coach isn’t something I want to see because I’ve never rated him ever since he was Houlliers frontman.
And then there’s the matter of the myriad of coaches that we seem to have built up. Do any of those deserve to stay?
My money says we need a total clearout, including Purslow too, because things plainly aren’t working.
There’s a pall over Aston Villa now and I genuinely wonder if changing the manager and maybe another one or two coaches would be enough to remove it.
And then, we need a renewed aim of where we want to be, to try and kickstart that feelgood factor that existed not so long ago.
But at the same time I worry about what if this next manager can’t get it right either?
Where would that leave us as a club? Would our owners continue pouring money in?
You’d have to expect that even they would have enough.
But that’s for the future.
So, basically, I’m happy, but worried at the same time .
UTV!
Trepidation is probably the right word.
Still, onward and upward!
Badger, great respect to you. I recall your had serious doubts about Gerrard being appointed and you were right.
I think NSWE will take a more proactive role in this appointment. Purslow
Played his card and failed. I think he is now seriously wounded. There will either be a reshuffle or roles or he will go by the end of the season.
I wait to see who they appoint.
Purslow’s job will be to take care of the Villa Park re-development; I expect to see a lot less of him at games, or in the media.
I think we will bring in a new bloke to sort the business out, and yeah maybe Purslow will be left for jobs like that. I’d like that.
Was coming. Poch for me now, if not then Liz Truss till the end of the season.
Alfie – you heard about the job swap then? SG took a taxi from the Cottage to Downing St to hand in his CV for one of the jobs in [next week’s] Cabinet.
He should get top marks for being popular in Scotland, Scouseland, and a winner in Europe but his answers to
Can you form an effective team?
Can you balance the Budget?
Can you halt Migration?
means he won’t get the jobs of PM, Chancellor, and Home Secretary.
I don’t believe there’s a ‘pall’ over the club, or that we’re in any way jinxed. And I think that overall the club is pretty well run.
But there is something not right about our transfer activity, we’ve had two sporting directors in recent years who at times have been called ‘brilliant’ by managers and the likes of B’ham Mail/Live, but when I look at the money wasted on some transfers (Wesley, Sansom, Guilbert, etc.,) I beg to differ.
Gerrard’s appointment seems like another attempt to get a bargain (relatively speaking, compared to a proven high-calibre manager) that has backfired.
I think that they were right to call time on Dean Smith when they did (much as I like the bloke); Gerrard was a big gamble and it didn’t pay-off. The next appointment is crucial and they need to do whatever it takes to get someone with proven ability in the PL and the charisma to engage the fan base.
And yes, that should also mean replacing the ever-growing multitude of 1st team coaches who’ve come in the last couple of years, and take a serious look at the effectiveness of the ‘sporting director’ before spending yet more money on ‘bargain’ transfers – save the money for some quality over quantity.
Not sorry to see Gerrard go. He sucked the joy from the club and his record was worse than Smith. Poch did well for Spurs but he’s a proponent of the tippy tappy keep ball style. Frankly I’m sick to death of that style and Villa haven’t got the players to do it. Call me a luddite but I want blood & thunder ‘up & at ’em’ football. I’ve had a bellyfull of the patient, slow build, 80 minutes of sideways passing from the back style. I want some much needed excitement and I want ‘our’ club back. But who is the manager to do that ?
Credit to McGinn he diplomatically backed the manager to the end even though I genuinely suspect their poor form and frustrations on the pitch are due, at least in part, to poor management.
Players like Buendia, Cash, McGinn and Watkins in particular all playing without confidence and well below their best over a long period – there has to be a reason for that.
Unsurprisingly all Stevie’s pundit mates have put the blame squarely on the players.
Whilst I believe the fans were open minded about his appointment, it seems to me there was always a disconnect; maybe part of the problem lay in the manager whom he followed who was a fan favourite to the end.
Badger, I understand your concerns and NSWE have to get this right BUT who is the highly experienced senior football man in the club to advise them? The answer is – there isn’t one – and that is a worry.
Relying on Purslow will be a disaster.
The first thing they should do is put Critchley in temporary charge. I’d have more faith in him than in McAllister.
Judging by what I’m reading on “B’ham Live” (OK, I know…) – Mr Purslow seems to have a lot of brown-nosing to do to with the owners in the next few days, which may help in that he’s going to be desperate to redeem himself in their eyes with the next appointment.
Badger’s vision of Smithers & Mr Burns may not have been too far off what actually happened last night!
NEWS must have been looking around for weeks. They’re businesmen. When you see your stock plummeting you take action. Just hope they choose the right man! It’ll be a swift appointment.
So glad he’s gone!!!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
On another note, I feel sorry for Wolves who seem unable to attract a manager. Great club. They deserve better.
Boy about time, yes the long hair twat as well and McAllister I hope ,what a disastrous twelve months with Gerrard you could see when he was with Rangers he was not Premier league material , it’s made my day after my shit cruise I’ve been on and seeing our games with other clubs laughing at us. Badger your a mind reader well done for highlighting how he was not ableto lead us to the good times.
Badger, remeber that dodgy twitter clip of Gerrard supposedly in tears last night? I saw the original footage before it had been doctored. Scary what you can do nowadays!!!!!
Badger 123 I agree 💯percent with what you posted UTV VTID who next
I hope the new man won’t pick a team like SG did on the basis of who impressed him in training, but on who can impress everybody on match-day.You may remember from your school days lads who topped the class during lessons but flopped in the exam.
It is a fresh start for SG’s bomb squad – all players he inherited. On the other hand SG’s favourites who kept starting despite poor performances e.g. McGinn, Watkins, Bailey, Ings will be hoping the new manager doesn’t start by watching the videos.
Picking players on the basis of training?
Some players look world betters in training but fail to perform in game situations due to the intense pressure.
Sergio Agüero was apparently a woeful trainer, couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo but in matches another animal.
According to the BBC everyone other than Aaron Danks and Fanny what’s his name have left the club – that includes Critchley.
Danks is now in charge but why has the Fanny been retained? Must have a hold over someone 🙂
pick your poison boys
Next Permanent Aston Villa Manager
Mauricio Pochettino
5/4
Michael Beale
9/4
Thomas Frank
3/1
Sean Dyche
9/2
Unai Emery
7/1
Rafa Benitez
14/1
Thomas Tuchel
16/1
Kjetil Knudsen
20/1
Julen Lopetegui
20/1
Scott Parker
25/1
Dean Smith
25/1
Marcelo Gallardo
25/1
Marcelo Bielsa
25/1
Brendan Rodgers
25/1
Chris Wilder
33/1
John Terry
33/1
Wayne Rooney
33/1
Ralph Hassenhuttl
33/1
Jose Mourinho
40/1
Antonio Conte
40/1
Gareth Southgate
50/1
Roy Keane
50/1
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
50/1
Steve Bruce
66/1
Erik ten Hag
80/1
Tuchel already indicated not interested according to BBC.
For me Pochettino or Frank (even though I really don’t like him!).
Beale’s an interesting one but I really can’t see the owners going for another risky appointment,
Apart from Pochettino, Emery & maybe Julen Lopetegui none of the rest really appeal.
Michael Beale – Been there, done that, got the T shirt.
Thomas Frank – Why?
Sean Dyche – Really?
Rafa Benitez – Just the thought of his type of football – NO.
Thomas Tuchel – Das Schmollen (By all accounts)
Kjetil Knutsen _ Who??
Dean Smith – (unfortunately – see Micheal Beale)
The rest – a big thank your application, we’ll be in touch.
I can see some media-types and ex-player-pundits being tempted by Benitez. Got all the top-level experience & all that.
IMO he’s rather too old-fashioned, and I think he’s another one who can’t get his Liverpool days out of his mind.
Still, I can think of worse names…
A safe pair of hands and a record that speaks for itself – (maybe I was a little harsh).
Beale won’t leave QPR.
Beale hasn’t proven a lot yet at QPR; good start to the season, but it is ONLY the Championship (i.e. a bit better than the Scottish PL, but not by much!).
Also, remember that Gerrard’s woes at Villa started earlier this (calendar) year, while Beale was still with him; we’ve been declining since the start of 2022. So while Beale’s departure may have exposed Gerrard’s weaknesses even more since July, I don’t think that people should assume that somehow Beale is the real deal yet.
In fact, I’m very surprised that Wolves actually tried to get him in there. Let’s see what his stock is like when he’s actually had a season in the EPL.
Joachim Lowe? Germanys old manager???
That would be some double bet. Boris back at No 10 and Dean back at the Villa.
Can’t see DS coming back – at least not at this time.
It would be too ‘awkward’ for the powers-that-be at Villa, and anyway I suspect that DS would want to show some loyalty to Norwich, who employed him immediately after his high-profile sacking by Villa.
https://tbrfootball.com/aston-villa-willing-to-give-new-manager-a-blank-chequebook-after-gerrard/ – This article is interesting. I’m sure there were suggestions on here that the reason the owners were not willing to give Gerrard much spending money over the summer when we clearly needed it was because they had at that point already seen enough and realised this doesn’t look like working. Blank cheque book to a new manager, very interesting and if true means our owners are still very much invested in making us a top club again.
Interesting, but also usual ‘journo over-hype’.
I’m sure that if Villa manage to recruit a top manager the owners will back him with whatever they can do to get around the FFP rules – but even then, they’re not the Saudis or the Emirates.
As you say, at least it suggests that the club are still thinking ‘big’, rather than looking for a Sam Allardyce / Steve Bruce ‘survival specialist’ !!
I hope we see Bednarek and Chambers starting next match. I thought Bednarek had done ok in the first half and Chambers I always thought played well whenever we’ve seen him. Konsa and Mings, their heads have gone and they need a break. I’d then have Cash (RB) Young (LB) Nakamba (DM), Ramsey (CM), Sanson or Mcginn (CM) Buendia (RW), Watkins (LW), Archer (CF). worth a go I suppose!
Certainly agree about Chambers. He’s always looked pretty good defensively, and unlike Mings or Konsa, tried to push us forward rapidly whenever he got the ball – especially when he had Digne beside him.
I’m not sure what I’d do with McGinn though. He’s been rubbish for us for about the last 20 games, and making him Captain semed to make matters even worse. Maybe he needs a break as much as anyone else?
Yep agree, that’s why I put Sanson there too, I think he deserves a run in the team and Mcginn a rest, but because Mcginn is captain unfortunately it’s hard to see him being left out. Martinez should have been made captain as he is the mainstay in the team. The rest of the team could then all be swapped around without a problem.
Danks to take over on Sunday’s game but that twat Mcphee staying the rest have left the club .I’m panicking again .