I like to think I’m a pretty patient bloke.
I was slow in calling for Lambert out and I was slow calling for Sherwood to go.
And I think the Villa away fans are similar in being patient.
But you know when they turn, the manager is on borrowed time.
And rightfully so, as today’s performance sounded like an utter disgrace.
When you listen to commentators insinuating that the side are a shambles and actually hear words like “mish-mosh” even after the manager makes his changes, you know there’s something majorly wrong.
As fans, we were generally happy with our incoming players in the window.
So how is what on paper, the most potent attacking force in the league (by a mile) made to look so impotent?
And how is the defence made to appear so nervy when it’s faced with the slightest bit of pressure?
These are the questions that I think the away fans are asking and for me, it has to come down to the manager, why is why they were singing “You’re getting sacked in the morning” to RDM.
Let’s look at some facts.
We had one shot on target, yet dominated possession with 60 odd per cent of the game.
Whereas Preston had a boatload.
And the commentators reported that they didn’t think Preston were a very good side.
It just isn’t good enough, because even if you consider we’ve only lost two in eleven games, we’ve still only won one.
And when you hear commentary along the lines of “the players are looking for someone else to do it”, “they don’t have the belief” and worst of all, “they don’t look interested”, you quite simply know it’s all over.
I suspect the away fans have called this exactly right and Dr Xia has to sack RDM quickly.
We have an international break coming up and it would be an ideal time for a new manager to come in and get his ideas across.
Sadly, I think Dr Xia won’t want to be seen as trigger happy and may not have started a backup plan yet.
But if he has, he has to bullet RDM as soon as possible.
Is there anyone who can still defend the manager?
Is it a case of we click our fingers and we get someone elses manager….if RDM has gone.
I know money talks but hate what all the rest of the teams think of us …big time charlies.Mind you we have had some of ours nicked in the past.
It’s also why teams will go balls out against us.
I’ve just been reading Preston’s local paper reporter saying it was their best performance of the season. Typical.
And yes, it probably means we can nick most managers.
And players.
As we can just pay way more money. Kodjia was a good example, as we must have given him a massive pay rise.
I don’t like it, but that’s how it is.
Fortunately, while we’re nowhere near the top, we are still qute high up the food chain.
We are like the Utd of the championship every team will rise to the occasion against us but we can’t deal with that sort of pressure like utd can. It’s not all about money though look at Utd today played well but still only got a draw to stoke despite being at home, scoring first,having a good manager and spending a £100m on one player!!
Which reminds me.
Massive praise for those who made the trip yesterday and Tuesday.
Stunning support, especially given the tripe they had to witness.
I agree 100% , I take my hat of to them.
I would take Mick Mcarthy in a heartbeat, with the squad we have he would kick ass and get the best out of them. RDM was never the man and anybody with a football brain would know that. We know the Doc hasn’t got one, so start listening to people that has.
Di Matteo has to go now. He keeps picking Westwood and has reverted back to Hutton! That is the final straw for me. How much money have we wasted in paying off managers?! Why can’t we just get a decent one in?! Newcastle got Benitez and we got Garde ffs. Says it all. Surely Xia can attract someone with a bit of experience. Maybe they can bring a keeper with them too!
Yep, millions in pay-offs.
It’s another reason why I’m leaning to Bruce, in that he’s available and won’t cost anything to get him in.
Pearson is taking the legal route against Derby, so I suspect he won’t be available for a while.
I’d like to know more about RDM’s contract, myself.
I know it was two years, but I wonder how much of it was performance-related? (as I’m guessing it would have been).
And how much it’ll cost Xia to sack him?
Bruce is another one on my radar and I couldn’t give a toss who he managed before hand.
If DM contract has anything to do with performance the Doc is on a winner, now saying that I would not have a clue what is put into contracts with manager’s.
Has it crossed anybodies mind that Bruce is possibly in the running for the England job I’m sure if he had a choice villa or England?????
The only problem I’ve got with Bruce, is that he too will pick Westwood; you can put money on it.
In fact I think any manager would, even if the majority of us fans can’t see it with him.
Which is incredibly worrying, as he must be head and shoulders above most of the mids in our squad, when it comes to the training ground.
Me, I can’t believe Sanchez is considered not good enough, compared to what we currently have available.
I’d put him in over Jedinak or Westwood atm, no problem. So recall him. Unless we’ve messed up there too and don’t have the option?
But wtfdik?
Jedinak is a strange one highly rated by the palace fans yet comes to us & nothing special,gana goes to Everton & playing a blinder is our club cursed
It certainly seems that way Giddy or perhaps it’s about the fans level of expectations putting unnecessary pressure on players?
Oddly enough though we’ve still not lost at home yet so at least that’s improved a bit
We are 5 years too late for him
Reluctantly I’d have to agree that RDM has to go – now.
I’d usually say that two months is hardly long-enough for a completely new management set-up, along with a huge number of new players, to settle-in – but at the moment RDM’s team and tacticts seem to be going backwards, towards the shambles of the Luton game.
My suspicion is that Xia probably wouldn’t want to pull the plug on his first manager so quickly, but that others on the Board [the more experienced ones] will be advising him to bite the bullet now, rather than wait until it’s too late to salvage anything from this season.
Pretty much my thoughts Ardent.
He won’t want too, but I think he’ll be outvoted.
But given that it seems Xia ignored all the due diligence done by the previous board, that might be a worry.
Hence we could still be stuck with RDM.
That said, Oohaah makes a rare good point, in that we are stuck with what we have and nothing can really change squad-wise until January.
Which might be a more realistic time to bring a new manager in.
In which case, I’d be worried even more, as it’ll definitely be too late.
Not sure that the squad needs yet more wholesale changes; my gut feeling is that the present lot should be OK- albeit with a choice addition or two in the next window.
It just seems that what’s missing is ‘management’: RDM still doesn’t seem to know his first-choice lineup, nor does he ever seem to have a ready ‘Plan B’; I’d also expected to see more passion/anger/motivation coming from the bench, but they all look as if they retreat into their shells whenever there’s any sort of setback.
As I say, I’m not keen on frequent management changes, but at the moment RDM looks clueless…
Giddy, I hinted when we bought Jedinak, that he might be finished and that’s why Palace let him go.
Hopefully I’m wrong and it’s just form.
But apparently he’s looked miles off the pace and is just plain slow.
Funnily enough I was just thinking about Gana doing well. Clark is rated as a “rock” at Newcastle already (well, at least until he drops a major clanger).
I’ve got a post in mind about this, but in short it revolves around a theory I put forward a while back, where we have good players and they’ll look a lot better at other clubs.
Which says the problem might not necessarily be the manager.
And there’s still something intrinsically wrong at the club as a whole.
‘ intrinsically ‘ what the fucks that mate??? Have you digested a dictionary.after a barrel of Stella I couldn’t even say it lol
Ha! 🙂
In-built, mate.
I was trying to speak the word to Google I gave up after a dozen goes I kept getting intestinal I suppose that’s to do with insides aswell
There is a losing culture at villa and you could put Messi in the team and we would still lose
The point about whether or not a new manager would make a difference given the ebbing away if confidence and the lack (or perceived lack) of quality in mid field us a good one BUT the real issue is that RDM was not universally welcomed by the fans and many of those (me included) have fast lost any confidence we may once have had.
There are not only questions around selections and tactics but also over the focus on buying forwards rather than strengthening the mid field (although I think he saw McCormack and Ayew as providers as well as goal scorers).
For me it’s essential we change the manager and try and bring one of the new bright stars rather than the tired old names – they will bring fresh ideas, enthusiasm, ambition and no fear – isn’t that what Dr T is about? But more than that it will reignite and reconnect the fans with the club and the team which is absolutely essential. If the current situation is allowed to continue we risk reigniting the animosity of last season followed by guaranteed disaster.
*many of those willing to give him a chance have fast lost confidence
Good point Hitch.
Only, if you look at the advisors, I’m not sure which of them would opt for a young, hungry type manager.
Round might and apparently is, but any of the others?
They all seem far too traditional to me.
Why ain’t the doc took to twitter yet????somethings happening me thinks
Some of the media seem to think that Brolly-Wally McLaren is being lined-up…
Hope not
God no!!!!
Agree with both of you !
I’ve been waiting for Xia to comment too, Giddy.
The fact that he hasn’t tells me there’s something going on too.
Ardent, as I said earlier, there’s no chance Mclaren will be coming in, because of the outcry last time his name was mentioned.
If he does, I’d have to think hard about why I wouldn’t give up totally on the club.
It would be that bad a mistake, imo.
Westwood has to go, not so Matteo. Are there any stats on games won/lost/drawn, from being in a winning position, from being in a losing position, when Westwood plays?!!! There needs to be! He probably does amazing on te trailg ground and there is one reason why, he’s bottles a challenge.
Regarding rdm, dr x was clear he has a two year plan, I see no sacking.
His plan was to get promoted in 2years not get relegated at the first attempt.
Perhaps we might get promoted after getting relegated again this year
Whilst I expected any manager to struggle with the upheaval over the summer and the weak mentality surrounding the club, Di Matteo has done himself no favours. He seems out of touch tactically, and it is all very reminiscent of his miserable failure at Schalke.
We need to stop looking at proven failures and yesterday’s man. Its frightening that people think mccarthy or bruce could be the answer. We need young and progressive. And for that reason the club should be breaking down doors to get David Wagner in. He’s from the same school as Klopp and I for one want to see the high pressing style at Villa Park with a passionate and enthusiastic coach.
Weren’t Sherwood, Garde, and Lambert classed as “young and progressive”?
We have tried that route on a number of occasions and failed, time to bring in a proven, experienced manager who won’t use the club as a learning curve.
STEVIE BRUCE’S CLARET AND BLUE ARMY!
Not really, Lambert is the only one of the three you could say were.
Bruce has 1 promotion in 9 seasons. His main experience is relegating teams. He’ll also be hounded out once he loses a couple of times because of the ex blues links. It will be a disaster waiting to happen.
But we actually played Huddersfield of the park but u can’t legislate for what Gollini did
Can’t keep blaming Westwood. Yes he dosnt help but look at the defensive howlers we’ve made from Gollini and Elphnick that’s what’s really cost us
finally somebody speaks some sense. westy isn’t to blame, so stop making him the scapegoat. the player maybe miles from a world beater but he is no way to blame. all players make mistakes. players lacking in confidence make more.
Some of our ex managers would do a job in this league! RDM not been in a job longer than a year and a half.
On another note with all the talk of bungs and corruption you have to ask what one of our ex managers was upto paying over the odds for mediocre players and then not playing them?
Guardian now saying it so it must be true.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/02/roberto-di-matteo-faces-sack-aston-villa-manager
Favourites are Bruce and Wagner according to them
Wagner, please. Bruce would be a pair of safe hands but so would Pulis – and uninspiring. We are still at the stage of the season and Xia’s tenure were going all in on a promising manager makes sense.
I had a really good reply written there Morgan, but it failed.
Suffice to say it’s easier to ask who hasn’t been bent in footy since the early 70’s, imo.
Clubs were providing houses as a hidden way of paying wages, for example.
And F1, Cricket and Golf are also equally bent.
Too much money and the rise of on line gambling = corruption
Sadly an all too familiar story. A new manager, working with a team he didn’t choose, trying to survive demotion, with one quarter of the season burned away.
When will we break the cycle? We need a hero and I have no idea where we will find him (or her)…
Are we destined for some years in the Doldrums of the lower divisions? I fear so…