The picture says it all about what managing Villa will do to a man.
And today we found out Tim Sherwood now gets a chance to recover because he really did have just two games to turn things around. And while many times the side came close to getting the results that would’ve saved his job, they couldn’t quite get over the line since opening day—and certainly not when Sherwood most needed them to.
Is Sherwood’s sacking fair? I don’t know. I do know that life isn’t fair, managing is precarious at best, and there’s big TV money for those clubs still in the Premier League come the end of the season. Never mind the fact that Lerner can’t fulfill the dreams of fans and sell Villa (for what he needs to recoup) with the club in the Championship.
Is Sherwood’s sacking the right decision? Could very well be. If relegation weren’t a factor, I’d have given him the season. But relegation drives many a panicked decision in football. The clock is always ticking. Villa are already finding themselves up against it, and October isn’t even done yet. We’ll never know whether Sherwood would’ve turned it around. But it seems that when the pressure was on, Sherwood wasn’t at his best.
Sherwood, of course, wasn’t the only recent Villa manager under pressure. It’s been relentless since MON walked and the club’s finances fell into free fall. While the money side has finally sorted itself out with the passage of time and moving on what seems like a laundry list of mismatched players, the resulting team still remains a shambles. Houllier, McLeish, Lambert, all with different ideas, clear-outs, various signings of questionable wisdom…
So here we are. Ownership and management have repeatedly come under fire, and I’m sure quite rightly so for a number of reasons. But I also don’t think Lerner or anyone else told the previous managers who they could play or in what formation. Take a stroll down memory lane and look at the £120m O’Neill spent, recouping just £39m, and who it was spent on.
There were some good buys, and some real flops. This happens. The problem was the prices and wages paid, the hit-or-miss signings that cost a lot. And O’Neill, of course, wasn’t the only one. Naturally Lerner sanctioned the spending, and we often hear that he should’ve intervened. Perhaps that eventually came to pass with this last summer’s transfer approach. At the same time, after MON there was no clear-cut strategy from above apart from staying up. Lots of positive talk, but no direction or vision.
What’s followed has largely been a function of funds being limited while the club was running at a substantial loss. And, of course, the effort to do anything more was rudderless. The sole remit was to keep Villa up.
Central to the short-lived Sherwood reign will be the debate about how the Benteke and Delph money was spent. The ensuing clear-out, which Sherwood seemed to precipitate and sanction, of necessity meant a number of new players. Before last season was over, Sherwood was loudly talking about a team of “losers”. Was Sherwood hampered in choosing what players came in to replace them? I don’t remember any of the supposed targets he wanted, but didn’t get, knocking down the door at Bodymoor Heath. Were there arguments about spending more on fees and wages for four or five proven Premier League players versus the unknown continental contingent?
We heard him say he had the final say, it was his team, and so on. What did that actually mean? Was he just playing the PR game? (Since Tim is a talker, we’ll likely hear his take on the lack of quality and whatever else in short order.)
Regardless, the players we have are the players he had to work with.
Which takes us to what Sherwood could control. For example, if he wanted Gestede, surely we had to play to his strengths? In the bigger scheme, Sherwood seems to have confused going out not to get beat with making tactical changes to hold on to winning or drawing positions. Then, of course, we have the haphazard search for a winning formula, the needless pressure of silly quotes and disavowing the players….Was Sherwood really so petulant as to pointedly leave out many of the summer signings? If we lacked creativity, how could Gil so often be on the bench, and Ayew only just start to play? If we lacked strength, and a bit of experience in midfield, where was Sanchez?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I liked Tim’s personality (although the “I, I, I…” quickly got a bit embarrassing), his brash confidence and roguish smile. I liked the attacking intent, and the confidence in young players, the passion on the touchline. I thought he could inject belief and get the best of them. I think those things are probably still somewhat true. Many players seemed to have liked him. Losing the dressing room wasn’t the source of his undoing, ultimately.
Perhaps it was too big a job not only for him, but almost anyone. All in all, though, Sherwood didn’t really do himself any favors.
We can, at the least, say thank you to Tim for getting the side to do enough to keep us up one more year. Villa now have to find someone who can work with what’s here and get it clicking quickly. It’s another big ask, and I hope the powers that be come up with an answer. I’ll settle for it being someone who’s “good enough”, though that will do nothing more than leave us in the exact same place this time next year.
It would be nice if we could finally hit on someone who can not only just keep us up, but see a way forward. It would be nice if the club were run better. I’m not exactly confident Villa’s management will get there apart from dumb luck, but maybe we’re due a bit of that.
The Author
John Clark
John is co-owner of AVL, and has followed the Villa since the '70s. A journalist by trade, he is, by most accounts, a very nice person. You can follow me on Twitter @JClarkKohoutek. It's an astonishing experience. Or a complete waste of time.Comments 9
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Thanks jc- I am beginning to think you are my brother from another mother 🙂 we could go for safety or we could be bold and sign up someone who will serve up more than just survival. For me moyes or rodgers dont. Guarantee a thing so im in the mood to roll the dice and bring on Garde
If anyone had read my piece after the game on Saturday,then much of what followed could have been omitted. Moyes is the favourite at 6/4 and as suggested he will be unveiled later in the week
Paul…
Must’ve missed that one. Are you in favor of Moyes?
Ha, Mark…
You talk a bit of sense as well! I was reading the info you’d pulled up on Garde. Would be a fascinating choice. I think you’ve nearly convinced me.
Oh, and Paul–
I’d like to think Moyes would do a job, but my main reservation is whether what we’ve got to work with would fit what he’d like to do. He’s certainly built solid teams at Everton from not much and does know what he’s doing.
I think almost anyone was going to struggle following SAF. It was an aging squad hitting a period of transition even if he’d stayed, never mind the pressure and the effect of the absence of such a dominant figure. I don’t really know what’s been going on for him in La Liga.
Thanks for the write-up, JC.
The writing was on the wall at the end of last season, wasn’t it? Oh well, here we go again.
I’d be happy with David Moyes to come in because he’s proven in the PL.
JC: ” It would be nice if the club were run better.”
That’s possibly the greatest euphemism ever uttered, John!
This is the *key* issue – it’s not really about anything else. Its the ownership that have been directing things in such a way that none of the managers have been able to do what they wanted to do. You can’t have 3 managers in 4 years all not totally fit for the job, surely?
The scenario now is not that different from how it was in the 60s, Then we got relegated and spent 8 years getting back to the top.
Haven’t we learnt?
But as far as this ownership is concerned, I have utter disrespect having now seen what disaster upon disaster he’s been inflicting on the club.
I’m afraid I must again recall the spin that appeared shortly after Lerner’s arrival. The slogan was “Great history … Bright Future!” – or words to that effect.
Whatever the misdemeanours MON perpetrated in his spending pattern, a new owner coming into Aston Villa FC should have realised that his word had to be his bond to keep the fans of this *great club* on his side – particularly in view of his promise.
With *no* “Bright Future” he’s turned out the lights, and it’s difficult to see how they can be switched back on again.
And while we keep on talking about team managers and their merits or demerits, we are mi-using our energy and missing the plot. We’ve been taken in hook line and sinker; we claim to be fans of a great club, but choose to ignore the real problem.
“It would be nice if the club were run better.” John – the club *has* to be run better – otherwise we’ll never see another cup final win nor even a 6th place in the Premier League.
Morning all .
Terrific write up John.
Mark has provided us with some great info on Garde and the positives are his apparent technical, tactical and intelligent approach . His apprenticeship with Lerner and Houllier means he has been taught by thinking football men . He has worked with financial constraints before and good with developing youth and obviously will be fantastic for the French recruits and our attempt at a money ball philosophy.
The glaring concerns are that he has only three years managerial experience in French football . This may not be such a problem if you have a CEO and Director of Football who knew about football . We don’t . As Stan said – DOF, very nice man , in marketing (with American football shirts on his office wall).
We have a scout who has bought players that neutrals have said are not premiership standard yet and has seen off Rodgers , Lambert, McLeish and now Sherwood.
Sherwood said “there’s only so much coaches can do , we can’t make them into world beaters. ” I think that a more experienced manager will get more out of them by deciding on a settled 11 , but its the DOF and Reilly who have sanctioned such a drastic overhaul and substitution with Premier League novices .
My suspicion is that Fox and co are aware of their footballing short comings and fear exposure if they were to appoint a seasoned Premier League Manager
. Under our system the manager’s success is to a large extent reliant on the footballing acumen of those above . Which is why I fear for Reme Garde and was hoping for a manager with gravitas and pedigree so he could teach the Directors a thing or two and not be dictated to by slick marketing analysts and a failed scout.
The fact is , a manager like David Moyes would see straight through the farcical set up we have at AV and no manager worth his salt is going to let others ruin his reputation. Is Rodgers going to reunite with Reily , who even with 350 million couldn’t get semblance a winning team together . Even managers of Koeman’s and Billics overseas experience are astute enough to know that where the manager is a puppet you have to ensure the puppet masters know what they are doing .
It seems that Garde has been lined up for weeks . Whether Tim deserved the sack or not is irrelevant . Leaking such info is a dirty tactic.
I’ve read that Wenger has said he will make a good manager – he’s not going to say he’s not when asked is he when Garde worked under him. SAF recommended Alex McLeish didn’t he .
There’s suggestion that Tim may be going to Swindon – I wish him great success there . I can’t help thinking that that is the level Reme should be starting at too.
For those that don’t favour the British manager , there are plenty of more experienced foreign
managers out there . As the neutrals are saying Reme who ???? What has he won ??!
We do not have a well ran , settled football team or structure at AV. We are bottom of the premier league , with a team devoid of confidence who have wasted the last 14 weeks been chopped and changed around in an attempt to find the “best team”. The task is huge for even the most experienced manager . They’ve already had one manager learning on the job , are the players going to have any more faith in another novice . I don’t think so . They need someone to come in and say don’t worry I’ve done this and that – I’ve been in this situation before . A relegation fight in the Premier League has seen off quite a few managers and clubs .
On a final note , Reme Garde left football management in 2014 . He is now a pundit , choosing to have a sabbatical from football . After being in a relegation fight with us he may be needing more than a sabbatical !
If he is appointed , I will give him my 100 percent support and pray for his success. Oh Reme , I hope you know what you are letting yourself in for .
well this might upset a few, what if Fox’s attempt at replicating a Southampton or dare I say Lyon type scenario is in its infancy? what if he does have an idea? what if in a couple of years we are over the teething problems? maybe a background team is being built of which the managers are transient? maybe Tim was the wrong cog in the machine?
I know it doesn’t address the problem of distance from the fans that this lot have created but it may be the answer to the playing side and the continual yo-yo style rebuilds. I think they are trying to build something that can out last a manager going and in the modern era doesn’t that make sense? leaving the manager to run everything is very hazardous if you don’t have the right man in place and there is only one way to find that out.
David Moyes at Man utd failed because IMO he wasn’t a big enough draw to attract the players he pursued. 3-4 weeks into a transfer window that’s a tough thing to realise and impossible to correct. Ultimately he couldn’t attract the players he wanted to put his plan in place to make Fellani effective and didn’t get the best out of players there already, or they were not impressed with him, he ended up looking a mug. He was ok at a lower level were he made the best of things over a prolonged period. Tim Sherwood would of suited Man utd better at least for a while.
If this was the end of last season I would go for Garde hands down, because we are now in the crap it make the choice so much harder. Its now about survival not building. I know plenty of Everton fans and they say Moyes is ok but boring to a man, Rodgers couldn’t do it at Liverpool, when they bought Daniel Sturridge he didn’t want him, does sound like someone we need.
Garde intrigues me and could be the best fit for this squad and the future.
Before I get pelters, I know its a lot of if’s and buts, that comes with the territory of dealing with the unknown but there are no guarantee’s whomever gets the Job.
Strange also that only a few youngsters that Tim gave a chance have came out and said thanks?
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