A new image has surfaced on a British tabloid that looked at who signed who. The signings made by Aston Villa in the summer transfer window were made between Sherwood and chief scout Reilly.
As you can see, the transfers made by Sherwood were predominately more experienced players, and preferably had experience in English leagues. Whilst Reilly focused more on young players and the odd bargain. Based on this graph, the majority of Sherwood’s signings have been good. Richards, Gana, and Gestede have done well for Aston Villa. Bunn is a good backup keeper but can’t be categorised into one side or the toher. Whilst Reilly’s additions have not played too much, with the exception of Amavi, the majority have often found places on the substitutes bench.
Most of the signings have done alright, but they just need to play more. The players that have disappointed the most have been the players already at the club. The likes of Westwood, Sanchez, Agbonlahor and Bacuna do need to step up.
It’s difficult to make a conclusion on this, some signings have been good, medicore or poor from both Sherwood or Reilly. But what could be said is that Reilly has a large influence over Aston Villa and the type of players that were brought in by Reilly show that he and the board of Aston Villa want to build more for the future. Whilst Sherwood wants more experienced and established players in the side. At the same time it’s important to point out that Reilly most likely recommended these players to Sherwood, and it was most likely Sherwood who had the final say. At least that’s what I assume.
No matter who brought who, Sherwood needs to understand that he has these players and should utilise them. The goal for Sherwood is to find the best starting 11 and make sure that those 11 players can play well together.
By now he should know the teams stronger & weaker performers,I don’t think he does & Times ticking.if he continues as manager when is the light going to come on?no excuses this weekend bar Clarke he’s got a full squad at his disposal it’ll be very interesting to see who he leaves on the bench.I can see this being his final game & more than likely be a cricket scoreline to boot.
Even if he puts his best 11 out, it will be no good as Timmy Wimmy just hasn’t got the tactical awareness to harness the true ability of those players.
And after the Chelski game, we could be 7 points adrift.
SHERWOOD OUT.
Very early for a sacking I think. I don’t really have a huge counter argument to the legitimate criticisms of Sherwood.
I.e. Team selection and this recurring statement from Sherwood about players either not being ready or fit? It’s October?
Most of the squad had a summer and if they didn’t had August and September unless they were injured
So the likes of traore, Gil, ilori, kozak – I don’t accept any excuse for them not being selected based on Fitness concerns
My concern as it always is, if Tim has failed already ( which maybe true but for me a little early to sure of that)
Who do we get to replace him
And considering there is a long way to go yet in the season – and considering every manager for the last 6 years has failed or fans called for their sacking inside 6months of their tenure do we want to pull the trigger this early?
That means that come April when the next one is also being asked to leave by fans/ pundits Etc we would be right in the shit
I give up anyways 5/6 seasons of struggle – we have chopped and changed pretty much everything bar the owner.
And I don’t have the energy to talk about him – but suffice to say other prem teams have been better than villa over the last 5/6 years with arguably worse chairmen
I.e. Newcastle,
Sherwood is already coming out with all the excuses. You just know he’ll be sat in the $ky studio in a few weeks bemoaning that he didnt bring the players in and he wasnt given enough time, blah blah blah
Never has a complete and utter chancer managed at the top level and that is what Tom Fox gave us. Time to admit your mistake….. but does he have the balls to do so? Im not sure
The Times does not do 1+2=5 journalism so for them to publish a half page article yesterday headlined ‘Villa may renew interest in Moyes’, is a clear sign of somebody trying to justify his position. No, not Sherwood, rather our first Sporting Director Hendrik Almstadt.
The split between the signings made by Reilly/Armstadt and Sherwood is clear. What is not clear is who is right. The Times does not say who gave them the opinion that Amavi has been mediocre, but I disagree with that. Amavi is the sole Reilly signing who is clearly worth his place and an improvement. Traore looked good but was quickly injured. Veretout has not impressed me at all, Ayew has the makings of a centre-forward but has not impressed played on the wing. Crespo has had one outing and was not outstanding. Ilori and Sarkic haven’t yet appeared.
I do not think Richards’ best position is centre half (IMO a full back) and I do not think he leads the back line or the team well. Lescott is another player who needs leadership and can’t give it, so those two don’t make Sherwood’s case. Sherwood also signed the one keeper bought in the last window – and yet Bunn can’t displace the inadequate Guzan so that is a real black mark.
Analysis of the goals-against comes up with the direct culprits being Guzan, Richards, Hutton and Clark with assists from Gabby and Amavi. Analysis of the 3 blanks in our scoring record points to a weakness in Westwood and a lack of a right winger. Also the playing of Sinclair without a partner who is a similarly fast forward.
One thing is clear. Villa’s experiment with having Sporting Director and his sidekick plus a Manager and his sidekick is not working yet, and is very close to being a confirmed failure. A new manager of proven ability is not likely to join Villa unless the Almstadt and Reilly are dismissed without replacement.
Great post OLL – the question rightly that keeps coming up is ‘Why did Sherwood accept the job if he had an issue with the roles of Almstadt and Reilly’ or didn’t he bother to find out which is either extremely arrogant or extremely negligent (foolish might be another term).
Clearly there is something very fundamentally amiss at Villa Park and ultimately this has to fall initially at The Chairman’s door – and I’m not referring to limitation on spending and lack of investment. However, having said that, I assume that the management structure we now have in place is a Fox creation with approval from Lerner.
Lerner has gone public on his desire to step back and appoint a new (executive?) chairman to run the Board. In theory that would leave RL as the major shareholder but without any day to day executive responsibility. It will be interesting to see who is appointed and how that works – sooner the better for me.
Just to add to my last post – whatever we think if Lerner he seems pretty shrewd financially. It occurs to me that his stepping back might be part of an arrangement to divest some of financial interest through a sale of shares (rather than looking for a new outright owner).
H60 I am not sure that Sherwood was told who would be getting the jobs of sporting director and chief scout, they were appointed over his head. Then I think Sherwood was asked to agree the signings of several players he had never seen play, and I am sure he asked Reilly to affirm that they were match fit by EPL standards. I also presume he was told they were EPL match fit. If it turns out they are not then I am not blaming Sherwood.
My guess is that 50% of young players signed from the French league would fail to make the transition, Arsenal and Newcastle seem to have that sort of success with their imports. So a prudent Manager would ask for more players with proven EPL experience to cover the expected failures. I think we saw that request – and we saw it turned down.
Lets all look forward to yet another new manager, who will come with promise, but deliver nothing…. The club is a mess and will not be sorted until Lerner leaves and takes his scrooge mentality with him.
As far as I’m concerned the ‘signings questions’ are a side-show; a distraction from the real issue, and perhaps indeed an attempt by Sherwood to try and deflect the blame onto ‘others’.
IMO the very simple issue is that Sherwood doesn’t seem to know how he wants the team to play or even what team he wants to put out.
The squad didn’t just all turn up on a plane last week; he’s had the best part of 3 months to work with most of them, and that should be enough time to get them ‘fit’ and playing with some sort of cohesive pattern. HIS pattern – right or wrong. Not the complete shambles of selections and tactics which he’s demonstrated so far. No consistency at all, unless you include the hopeless near-guaranteed selection of Agbonlahor whenever fit.
Instead of which, it now looks as if the Emperor has finally realised that he doesn’t have any new clothes at all – regrettably, as had been predicted by a few people on here when he was appointed [& I’ll admit that I wasn’t one of them!] – and is trying to blame everyone else for his exposure.
The more I see about the ‘signings’ the more I’m convinced Sherwood needs to be sent on his way – if he can’t accept that he’s responsible for how the team plays this season then he’s not going to last long whatever else happens.
I haven’t heard any bullshite excuses coming out of Flores’s gob yet & Watford signed more players than us in the summer.they seem to be gelling & performing possibly they have a manager that actually knows what his job is.ilori almost taking 3 months to get match fit is an utter joke.
I feel like I have stepped into an alternate reality – Sherwood and Reilly worked together this summer on ALL signings for the club. Sherwood may not have recommended these players but he surely didn’t object to the club signing them. He was aware and signed off on all the players we signed – I refuse to believe these players just showed up one day out of the blue. If so, it is a damning reflection of how out of touch Sherwood is with regards to managing and no fault of the club for “going being his back” as the media might suggest.
This whole narrative being bounced around is doing my head in. Just because he is an English manager doesn’t mean he is void of criticism or immune to being held accountable for his ineptitude as manager. His job is to motivate and instruct the players regardless who they are – foreign or not.
That’s is the other thing really- lots of talk about who signed who, who wasn’t wanted etc- but does that really matter? We are certainly no worse than last year over all and there is a strong case to be made that we are better all round – we have options for positions
To me There can be no talk about signings not working out so far. They just haven’t perfemed but there is no reason to believe that any are a write off and will not improve.
That’s down to the manager in my opinion – also Sherwood is on record as stating that this is his team now – it’s up to him
So .. Get on with it Tim – pick a tactic & style that you can instruct and prefer and stick with it- rotate the players to see who performs best in it maybe or change the tactic to suit the squad selection but chopping and changing both is indecisive and ineffective- even if you win it will be luck
Colonius – agree completely.
Sherwood has to show that he can actually manage a team, rather than just rely on being a glorified cheer-leader.
So far this season he looks about as useful as Shearer was at Newcastle – a man who’s got no idea beyond talking the talk…
I hope he can still prove me wrong, but I’m losing any faith game by game.
Sorry for the typos in my above rant – going behind his back, etc.
Shearer is a good comparison.
Nevertheless according to some at the B.Mail it appears Sherwood should, or may, be given more than two games to prove himself, so who knows maybe he will pull a win out of nowhere. But will he improve things?
Wow, the press really thinks Sherwood can honestly turn this around. BMail and the Telegraph have both spent the day defending Sherwood and in vain spun this narrative of how unjust the club and supports are.
sick of this blame game being played out in the press, at the end of the day we have a decent looking squad and any manager worth his salt would get a match winning performance out of them, unless he is really shit as everybody (except the cockney press) have been telling us.
If we were sitting top 4 I bet tactic tim would have said I agreed to sign all these players but because we ain’t there are mischievous comments saying he daint . He needs to go after Saturday win or lose and do what sunland have done and given themselves a chance . With tactic tim we have none . Move on it ain’t worked out !!
Who signed them?
Who’s to blame?
Why are we still shite?
Well perhaps a net spend of £1.23m is to blame (http://www.90min.com/posts/2522905-every-premier-league-club-s-net-spend-for-the-2015-summer-transfer-window)
All roads lead to Randy (imo).
I think that’s a bit simplistic BWS, as we never got all the dough for Benteke, for example.
But that’s not our worry, as it’ll come out as cash in, over a period of time.
The main point is, you’re right; Lerner’s spend is next to nothing again and if the investment is insufficient, the outcome will be the same. Even more so, over time.
Agreed, the problem is Lerner.
Badger we can go through all the the whys and wherefores mate but this all leads back to lack of investment, poor management from top to bottom and a lack of any coherent direction for the club for the past five years.
Since MON was shown Randy’S master plan and said “hasta la vista baby, it’s not for me” we’ve have been stumbling from one disaster to another with Randy giving one patsy after another – Mc****, Faulkner, Lambert and now Sherwood.
It’s a fantastic piece of misdirection performed by our (in)glorious leader, while in the meantime we’re all calling for Mc***’S/Lambert’s/Sherwood’s head the club sinks ever deeper into the mire.
A simplistic view?
You’re probably right but it’s unlikely any of us are going to be put up for a nobel prize, it’s just how I see it mate.
BWS I fully agree MATE
Cheers Giddy, I ain’t saying I’m right it’s just my opinion. I know some on here will defend Lerner till their last breath regardless of how far the club sinks but that’s their opinion and they’re entitled to it however misguided.
Off topic but just heard on 5 Live the club have announced there are no foundations to the rumour Sherwood wasn’t invited to a ‘strategic meeting’ Randy held in America this week. It was just the case of he preferred to train with the team.
If the writing ain’t on the wall.
BWS, I wasn’t suggesting your answer was simplistic.
I meant the article you linked too.
I’ve seen various figures going up to about an £8 mill net spend (which I’m not sure I believe).
As I said, I think everything you’ve said is spot on.
Cheers Badger, it was the first one I found, should have crossed referenced it really but whatever the net spend figure is we both know it’ll be peanuts in premiership terms.
And here’s the answer to the question –
Telegraph
The director of scouting and recruitment Paddy Reilly came back from Liverpool last year for his second spell at Villa and his connection with Randy Lerner, the club’s owner, has proven crucial. THE VILLA OWNER HAS THE FINAL SIGN-OFF ON ALL TRANSFERS and he has endorsed the view that young players, with the potential to be sold at a profit must be a priority.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/11932271/If-Tim-Sherwood-is-sacked-those-behind-Aston-Villas-deeply-flawed-transfer-policy-should-pay-too.html
That article is rubbish. Lerner always has final say, he’s the bank and why wouldn’t Reilly work close to the owner of the football club? After all it’s Reilly’s job to work with Lerner and Sherwood, which he has. Like I said before Sherwood worked with the two to sign all the players we have now. He knew. What he is doing now is like going to a restaurant and ordering a dish, eating it all, and then telling the waiter the meal was shit and asking for a refund.
What I think you are suggesting is that the club should spend careless money on has been English players – if so, we are going to be left behind with the times. If people like it or not the EPL has moved on and if the club doesn’t try to find the next Benteke what’s the point? We have to live in the now and right now we need to live within our means. Sadly the club has appointed an inexperienced manager who agrees with the above argument and we are paying the consequences because of it.
Not at all Southampton are an example to us all showing it can be done. Well that is if you have a man with a plan that sticks to it and the evidence before us suggests the present owner isn’t that man.
Southampton is exactly what I think Lerner and the new regime is trying to do but like you said can they see it through. I hope they. The only issue is Villa have always dithered with its appointments of mangers and have only now implemented a new club structure with the wrong man. Where as Southampton have been blessed with stability, positive recruitment, and great success with appointing young foreign managers who are used to working within the new system. The fact that GH was Villa’s last foreign manager speaks volumes and before him Vengloš in 90-91.
…hope they do.
Venglos was ahead of his time if we had appointed him 5 years later we would if succeeded under him. Gerrard H was great with youngsters and we played good attacking football under him. We did finish 9th do not too bad. If he had been a bit younger and healthier he could easily have taken us forward. We need a Ranieri or Kouman or Benitez though he would want too much money but he would get us 4th-6th. Forget these British grey dull managers they are all clones of each other let’s go foreign it’s the only way fwd.
I’m with you there. If the club sacks Sherwood soon, I was thinking along the lines of a Koeman, a promising young manager from Europe or someone who wouldn’t mind working as part of a larger system. If the board is going to scrap the whole system, or wait until/after the next transfer window, we are going to need someone with pedigree (ie, Ancelotti) to turn things around.
We are being heavily linked with Moyes and reported he wants tic one bk to England. I think he’s only won one game out of 7 this season too be awful if we got him another Lamberk imo
And just how is the article rubbish?
It seems pretty fair and balanced to me in simply pointing out Villa’s whole transfer policy is flawed, that all the blame should not put all on Sherwood’s shoulders.
That the others are equally to blame (if not more so) should be held accountable too.
What’s so wrong with that?
The fact that it complete washes Sherwood of having any involvement in the club’s recruitment which he has been involved in the whole time – working with Lerner and Reilly. Sherwood knew of every single player before the club purchased them. Just because his more expensive options where not picked apparently the club is to blame for finding cheaper, better options elsewhere. We are a club who can’t spend like the top 4-6 clubs and Sherwood has to come to terms with that.
Well said. Every club’s owner has the last say, it’s how business works. However Sherwood knew of every player coming in, and as you say just because we didn’t get the crappy Spurs players he wanted like Lennon and Townsend, doesn’t mean he didn’t know what he was getting.
It’s an interesting debate this, because while I don’t believe we’ll ever do much under Lerner, I don’t believe everything’s his fault either.
Marvin’s correct that Lerner ought to be having the ultimate sign-off, as it is his money.
But then, how long do we have to live within our means?
If anyone is suggesting that it’s until we get relegated and beyond…. well I guess that’s one viewpoint.
I’m on record as having said I think Lerner has taken a lot more back from the club than the books suggest and I’ll stand by it.
Which means that it’s about time he put some money in and actually invested for the good of the club, if he really cares.
How long have we had to put up with austerity that just isn’t working?
All that said, I’d guess the only one Lerner might have refused to sign off would probably be Adebeyor and rightly so, imo.
£100k a week on someone who might bother to turn up and play properly?
No thanks.
It still goes back to the question of who has been the only constant during our demise? for me.
And there’s only one answer to that.
As for Southampton’s way of doing things;
Can anyone explain to me exactly where the money goes?
It’s a straight question, as it seems at first glance that it’s not going anywhere, apart from Ms Liebherr’s pocket?
Indeed, if you read BWS’ link, they spent a massive £900k.
If that’s the case, I fail to see the point and if we were going to go down that road, I’d be expecting the money to be pumped back into the team and not the owner’s pocket, although he’d be entitled to a reasonable percentage, of course.
Otherwise how can you ever expect any more than we ever hope to achieve?
And no, I’m not talking about our current relegation candidate status.
It’s irrelevant they still have a team that over achieves without them having to spend a fortune.
Over achieves what though?
We achieved an FA cup final, so what?
If we’re going to over-achieve in getting to say, sixth (theoretically our best bet), I’ll ask the same question again;
what’s the point?
The aim has to be for top four and the only way we could achieve that is to play the Southampton game, whilst adding quality from the money that’s made.
So no, it isn’t irrelevant at all.
You can’t keep selling your best players for a fortune and expect to keep bringing kids through.
Otherwise Ajax would be the biggest club in the world.
Nope, no you can’t, not if you want “success” (depends on your definition, a lot of fans would love the success of just being a Premier League club fan in fairness).
However, any way you look at it, none of the bottom clubs have the finances the big 4 and City have. Spurs have Levy who’s a world class negotiator and that’s the only real reason they’re where they are. Unless we can get to the state he’s in, we’ll be around mid-table for a while. Unless of course this buy foreign, have a good tactical coach approach comes through. Kinda like well… Southampton. But I guess a better version?
Once spuds and Liverpool extend their stadiums we will be left even further behind
Saints weren’t far off a top four place last year. Remember they sold virtually all their best players and actually did better when everyone was tipping then to go down so they massively over achieved.Fa cup is luck off the draw let’s face it we had a piss easy draw all the way except Liverpool in semi. Once we played a quality side we got hammered
Apparently we’re looking to bring in Real Madrid’s Jese in January, according to a Madrid-based Paper. Facing Inter and Napoli for his signature. 12 goals, 8 assists in 59 appearances before getting seriously injured. The all Spanish attacking midfield 3. While possibly not a position necessarily needed to fill, I’d never say no to quality young players like him.