And so after just a few short months, the reign of Remi Garde is over.
Much has been made of the phrase of “right manager, wrong time” although, in reality, such a situation still implies the wrong manager. Garde, for all of his positives, ultimately failed at Aston Villa, whether the blame is to be attributed to him, the players, the board, or some combination of the aforementioned trio.
A 10% win percentage – the lowest ever of all Villa’s managers – is indicative of a bad choice. Some will, perhaps rightfully, argue that January’s lack of purchases crippled Garde to an unrecoverable extent, but even without additions, there must be few who could imply that Villa’s (now former) French manager would have hoped to have done more.
Why? In failing to get the club off the bottom of the table, never mind out of the relegation zone, Garde’s impact has been minimal. Despite some thoughts expressed on social media to the contrary, the suggestion that the manager was joining to rebuild from the Championship seemed a little far-fetched. Randy Lerner, for all of his many mistakes as owner of the club, would not have seen fit to accept such immediate defeat.
Some will say that the inaction in January was the major reason why Garde was unable to arrest the club’s slump, but even if Lerner had sanctioned spending – and the players had wanted to come – the amount of money available would have been minimal. Throwing anything more than a token amount had Villa been unable to escape the bottom three would have likely been chided as gross financial negligence, and this at a time where the difference between survival and relegation will be more stark than ever. The narrative, had the spending failed to save Villa, would have changed to one of a board who were clearly even more financially incompetent because, realistically, decisions aren’t judged but rather the success or failure of those choices.
Reflecting back on the time, Garde joined because he believed – like many managers – that he could have an impact on a team. Cynics may well also argue that the lure of the Premier League – both as a lucrative place to earn and a place to show one’s abilities – proved too much and that, like many others before him, the draw was a risk worth taking for his own benefit, not just that of Aston Villa’s.
To throw all of the blame at Garde’s feet, however, would be foolish. In truth, many of the seeds of the club’s disarray were sown before the Frenchman even arrived at the club. A summer of unparalleled risk taking sold many previous players and replaced them with a whole different team. The cliche would be to suggest that the players were poor, but this isn’t wholly true – if anything, what the team lacked was cohesion, a product of massive changes that left Villa looking like the proverbial group of strangers with no clear view of how to operate as a team. Invariably some of these individuals will go on to better things elsewhere, likely leaving fans shaking their head as to understand why the players couldn’t do it for Villa.
As has been written repeatedly by many journalists and columnists alike, Villa’s seemingly inevitable relegation has been coming for a long time. As I wrote myself in the Express & Star over the summer, switching out so many players for new ones – however capable they are or aren’t – was a massive gamble. In the eyes of the board, the view was presumably that things couldn’t get any worse although, as fans can appreciate now, they almost certainly can do.
Had Garde been in a position where relegation did not exists and where he could build a team over years, not weeks, there’s an argument to say the club’s now ex-manager could have been a success. Such a view isn’t able to be proven, of course, as we can’t observe the outcome. That said, English football is not set up in such a way, so the point is moot and Garde will have known this.
So, in only a short space of time, Villa are looking again for a new manager. The hope will be that the board can find a more suitable alternative who will be able to build the club up from the league below, although past decisions made by the club will make the wait for the new manager a very nervous time for fans who have seen Villa repeatedly struggle to pick the right manager at the right time.
Aston Villa – it is over to you.

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Matt Turvey
Matt is the owner of, and chief writer for, Aston Villa Life. He is also a columnist for the Wolverhampton Express & Star, appearing in the Kick Off pullout on Saturdays and the Final Whistle pullout the Monday after Aston Villa play, as well as every Thursday as a blogger on their website. He has previously been featured as a writer on Football365 and Life's A Pitch, and was a regular pundit for Sports Tonight TV on Sky.

Comments 86

  2. John Lerwill

    Matt,

    I’m afraid I don’t like this slur of “failure” hanging over Remi. He came in to do a job under a false remit and has clearly been misguided pretty well all the way down the line. As he strongly hinted at least once, he did not realise what he was coming into.

    Because of the situation (executive management and the players he was given – not his choice) we have not had chance to see what he really is capable of.

    The “failure” should be directed purely and only to the owner and the previous CEOs i.m.o.

  4. Paul Whiting

    I don’t agree with the ‘cohesive unit’ theory…step through the team from keeper to striker (Guzan/Bunn all the way out to Gestede) and you cannot name a talented footballer among them.

    You don’t really want me to list them all do you….Hutton, Clarke, Richards, Cissokho, Richardson, Westwood, Gana, Bacuna, Veretoute, Gil….that’ll do

    🙂

  5. runtings

    good to see you back Matt

    I find it hard to judge a manager who has had zero backing after walking into a squad that couldn’t buy a win before he got there

    As in my last post the one criticism of him is the fact the players are doing silly things online and in the face of supporters and no discipline or punishment was forthcoming to keep these guys in line

    love the Pearson quote doing the rounds today

    ”If i get the villa job those player will be wishing they were adam johnson”

    for those very reasons though i don’t think he will get it but he would bring a much needed butt kicking to this lot

  7. Paul Whiting

    John…why would kicking the players help the situation? They are all people who are not very good at playing football….if I joined Villa tomorrow would you kick me, no, you’d say “what an awful signing”

    Most of the players I listed should never have been brought to Villa as they were failures at their previous clubs. Even Lambert tried to get rid of Hutton. Rudy Gestede, Vertoute, Ayew, Crespo, Luna, Bacuna, Westwood etc are all recruits that defy logic for an EPL team.

    Think also that Villa have finished bottom of the EPL in the year that Leicester will finish in the top 3

  8. runtings

    Micah slating a fan for tagging into a photo and his complaints of his long hard season is disgraceful

    i hope only clark and amavi stay from the current back line — and how dare these guys call themselves Villans – they are not one of us

  9. southwestvillan

    Paul W,

    How can Bacuna be a bad player he wants to go to a CL side, at least the BBC rolling sports news are having a good laugh at our expense, just take a look I cannot be bothered to post a link.

    SWV

  10. steamer

    PP,
    Actually mate its –
    Jose Carreras to be announced as new Villa manager in days.

    New owners will be Chinese who own Wing Yip, and they will be our major Sponsors for the new season, and Villa will have at least one top Asian player in the team next season….. Citizen Khan.

    Hello Matt, hope your well.
    Board, Fans, Players & Club are all outdated, its now Committee, Customers, Vermin and Shambles.

    A lot of folk have mocked Gardes achievements with Lyon, i think it was two 3rds and a 4th all done with a squad shorn of its best players to fund the new stadium and under the French equivalent of Herbert, Monsewer Aulas, well i’d like someone to name a British boss who could do that.
    By the way, talking of British flops, isn’t it nice to see the rat brothers suffer at Valencia after attempting to humiliate our club.

  12. Paul Whiting

    Bacuna….utter shyte…wouldn’t have him or any other current Villa player carrying the water bucket…who cares where he may or may not be going…look at him on the pitch…do you think he’s a good footballer?

  15. John Lerwill

    Paul W: “why would kicking the players help the situation?”

    Help!! Did I use the word “kicking”?

    I wasn’t talking of applying punishment but merely stating that its the executive management *and* the players (that Garde inherited) are and were the problem.

    Any manager working with that lot should get a medal for bravery! 🙂

  16. southwestvillan

    Paul W,

    I would not have any of these gobshites in a Villa shirt ever again, good riddance I hope whoever has the misfortune to accept the poisoned chalice gets shot of them all.

    SWV

  18. runtings

    pp i think if Pearson along with a good few other managers were in charge of this lot we wouldn’t have the abuse of fans by players that are not even giving there all

    someone like Pearson wouldn’t tolerate this type of behaviour from our player neither the shocking lack of effort

  19. Mark King

    hello matt nice to see you writing again.

    For me Remi’s time is best looked at by his comments as it rolled out. when he turned up he was happy and excited by the future painted for Villa by fox and Lerner and was buoyed by the owners willingness to back him, unfortunately he didn’t know it was into a corner. As he got to work at club med Villa he soon discovered discontent ordered the french to talk English to help integrate them unfortunately he didn’t know he was dealing with a bunch of moronic arseholes (see xmas video).

    What killed him dead was the betrayal in Jan, a couple of signings and 2-3 loans would of done,we cleared them out in preparation and Garde was looking until the end so that suggests he would have been given a budget. Garde is not a fool and would not have gone looking at players for the entire of Jan for a laugh, my thoughts on what happened? Hollis and his we have spent £60 m in the summer speech.
    After that what hope was there of motivating a hugely unmotivated bunch he inherited? They lack cohesion but then Villa have lacked that since Mcleish, square pegs in round holes. The damage was done in the summer and the repeated cock ups say all you need to know about our professionals. Its highly likely the French will move on and look like players again, the rest? will they ever?

    4 managers in a year by our next appointment is that a new Record for us??

  21. John Lerwill

    Mark: “4 managers in a year by our next appointment is that a new Record for us??”

    To be pedantic, it’s not one year is it as Tim came in February last year – now it’s March so it’s just over the year.

    But we’ve never before had more than 2 managers in such a short space of time before.

    All the wrong records have been broken these last 2 or 3 years.

  22. steamer

    See Grealish and his Dad being slagged off on Facebook now, that’s all we need, the only quality Brit on the books being alienated, he’s had injuries most of the season and is played in a team of idiots when fit, whats he supposed to do ? The customers will regret it when he goes and he’s actually the only one who would fetch a decent fee.

  23. John Lerwill

    Steamer,

    You’re right – “that’s all we need”.

    It just shows how remote the owner has been about what has gone on at VP. And why it’s so important for him to be have been on the ground to share the experience.

    There’s an awful lot of repair work to be done. If the new manager were to organise a couple of wins between now and the end of the season that would possibly help.

    But don’t you think the way the owner has operated is a bit like the distance from reality that’s maintained by the Tory Party? We don’t seem to be able to get away from it whatever we do!

  24. B62 Villa

    Matt
    Welcome back mate, and an excellent leader which sums up our turmoil and Gardes stewardship well.
    I’ve just watched an interview with Ian Taylor in which he states those responsible for this season are being held accountable. Which is in effect true, the poor start, TS lost his job, poor recruitment and crazy contracts see Almstadt and Fox going, a terrible record has seen Garde now go, ALL have failed in their respective roles and objectives. The board are being replaced and I’m sure the playing squad will also see massive ins and Outs. The only person who can’t be sacked is the owner, here lies a massive problem, but we are up for sale and we have to hope with the right managerial choice we can start the rebuild and the long road back.
    We have to make the right choice, we may even fall back in love with Villa and Football all over again, this could be the shock we needed.
    There are an awful lot of negative things surrounding AVFC at the moment, we have to take our club back, let’s be the biggest club in the championship, let’s take a leaf out of Rangers book, the club were in disarray, owners robbing off the club , the club went down the gurgler. The one constant were the fans, they still flocked to Ibrox and followed them in their masses, this enticed players to the club as they believed in a bigger long term picture. We need this at Villa, otherwise what’s the point.
    Why people are bagging out Moyes, Pearson, Rodgers etc after watching this absolute shite on offer this season baffles me, I don’t think anyone could have done much worse than RG and TS this season, I really don’t and that is taking the arsehole players and board into account

  27. Mark King

    B62- If you thought about it and garde was able to make a go of it with this squad (as you seem to think moyes etc would have) then fox and co would of been deemed a success would they not? no hollis, no change at Villa.

  30. B62 Villa

    MK
    I think Moyes would have got more out of this squad if he had come in instead of Garde, at the same time under the same circumstances. That is just my opinion, and we will never know. As for the board of Fox and Co their crimes go further than just this fiasco.
    We have to work towards a common goal of promotion, appointing the right man is crucial in this, as is backing him to re vamp the under performing squad. But we need to do it properly and get players to get us promoted and have the right character for a 46 game slog plus cup games( so 48 games then lol). We need a goalscorer and I don’t mean that fat overpaid cigar smoking peice of shite, we need to sort most areas of the squad, and this could be an ideal time to do it. I’d like to see the likes of Gards given a real go.

  32. B62 Villa

    MK
    Not quite, but we need to utalise the youngsters better and bring in players in key areas, whilst shipping out the deadwood. I’m not naive to think this is going to be done overnight, but I do expect a high turnover of personnel. Those that I think will leave, Guzan, Lescott (MLS), Richards( some daft twat will buy him, even Sunderland were rumoured), Bennett, Nzog( contract run down), Ayew( back to France/continent), Gana, Veretout( as Ayew), Kozak Bunn or Steer and that’s just the start. I’d love it if Gabby and wastewood also got the boot especially Gabby . This will free up a considerable amount of wages and bring in some revenue to hopefully re invest. We could all name further players we want out, but until we bring in recruits that won’t be possible.

  33. steamer

    Apparently, according to Herbert, the committee have decided on the next victim and it will be announced before the weekend.
    Some of the names involved are amazing, Ruud Gullit wants it, the rat brothers too, they don’t know what they’d be letting themselves in for. Gullit could be the new Tommy Doc, we’d get full houses and probably be relegated again.

  35. Paul Pears

    You are all no where near……

    I am the new manager…..

    My missus is the new masseuse, and my uncles are the new owners…!!!!

    The Villa will now revert to playing from the Holte Brewery on Aston X.

  36. Trinity

    Hello All.

    Pretty good article, Matt. Cheers.

    I agree with the sentiment that Remi Garde was a decent manager who wasn’t supported. He leaves with dignity.
    It’ll be interesting to see who the next manager, sponsers are?

    Whatever became of BSA? I used to own a BSA .222 rifle. They also used to make bikes. Be great if Villa had a sponsor like that. Guess BSA is a small company now.

  39. steamer

    “someone who knows the championship inside out’ – Brian Little.
    Think that rules out Moyes.

    It would be worth giving the job to NP just to see him grab Scraggy by his neck and nut that permanent look of stupidity off his dial.

    The 30.06.2016 theory is gathering pace, Lerner gets his Sky cheque on 28.06.2016 and apparently has already put the assets of AVFC in his name ready to sell. There was even a story that a nose was buying VP to build a hi-tech site as Aston is being re-developed as a business site.

  40. steamer

    Trin,
    BSA is a dead parrot, the building/factory at Tile Cross is some sort of Social Services building, the Small Heath factory is also a dead duck like most of the famous names from Birmingham’s history, will Aston Villa be joining them ?

  41. John Lerwill

    Mark: “if I was pedantic I’d count Kmac’s spurs game and black for five in 13 months”

    Good point!

    In which case we can say that there were 4 managers in the 2010-11 season …

    O’Neill, Kmac, Houllier, Mc-whatever.

  42. Trinity

    Steamer

    Let’s hope Villa doesn’t become a “dead parrot” like BSA. That would be tragic. Can Villa get back up this time? We know Villa have been down and up before, but can Villa do it in this era? I suppose so, but we all know it will take proper stewardship for that to happen. That’s the worrying part. It will take a decent manager who has the support from the chairman with a view to promotion. This five year plan stuff is nonsence, isn’t it?

  45. Paul Pears

    Steamer,

    I am utterly amazed to read Stan’s article, and see how much effort he must have put into it. I will now give him a second chance, after such an honest and open piece.

    It shows his heart is in the right place, although he is not short of self praise…!!

  47. John Lerwill

    Trinity: “Be great if Villa had a sponsor like that [BSA].”

    The point is a good one, but sad about BSA.

    I’ve said many times we should have JLR as sponsors. I can’t understand why we haven’t got that organised yonks ago – except maybe they don’t want to upset their Blews employees. Also they may not want to have their name associated with what is now (effectively) a second-tier club.

  48. John Lerwill

    On Collymore

    Though his common sense remarks have to be applauded I still can’t get my head around how much he let his favourite club down. He was signed for what was then a big fee and effectively we had to do a Darren Bent to get rid of him.

    In some ways it could be said that his antics really started the demise of AVFC. If he’d done his job we may well have been a top force and won trophies. He and Dubbers were a lethal combination on paper, with Hendrie (another let down).

    What a contrast: Dubbers the profound professional who never let anyone down and nearly got killed for his pains (his broken neck), and the two disappointments that were Colly & Hendrie.

    I note that Collymore mentions his past as a player at Villa but in the same breath seems to play down how much his negativity affected the progress of the club. Yet now he wants to impart his great wisdom!

    Though a person can be forgiven for his foibles (we all make mistakes) I rather feel his tone ought to be more quiet instead of proclaiming that he’s been called in by BL. I praise Brian for talking to anyone who has status and has something valid to say, but maybe BL should have said “please keep our meeting quiet”.

  49. DarrenO

    Great article Steamer, going to copy and paste for all the facebook warriors who want second division managers to come to us, nevermind ones that have Prem League experience.

    Moyes is my choice if it’s the British route, having been so badly burned by Venglos and now Garde (tongue in cheek) but would love the club to still go all out to get a top coach with European experience and a director of football to get rid of player power by selling Flabby, Lescott, Richards

    FOL

  53. Trinity

    Paul
    Yes, the press snapped them. Why don’t the likes of them just go somewhere where nobody knows them? And why do they hang around together and like to be seen and heard? They’re typical rich young people I suppose.

  56. steamer

    Unfortunately i doubt whether he could be actually booted for that, probably a fine and suspension. Apart from his lack of effort he’s dragging the clubs name through the gutter. Gardening leave for four years, keep him away from the club.

  57. southwestvillan

    Typical of todays footballers too much money and very little brains, and he has the cheek to call himself a Villa fan just hope one of our lot chins him if they see him out.

    SWV

  58. steamers75

    SWV
    When Andy Grey left us for wolves and said he was “going to a bigger club to win trophies” it pissed a few of us off and low and behold the night we went to his club “The holy city Zoo” he turned up giving it the big l am , and JG went up and dropped the nut on him, he had a thigh strain so his club said , now l reckon l could give JG a bell and ask him to give Gabby a belt as JG owes me a favour from the wigan game a few seasons ago. l did tell he had to behave himself as the tickets were in their end and he did have his young son with , Nah !!! it kicked off and there he was . )) when l saw him after the game , l said what you doing J you got your kid with ya , ” well he ‘s got to learn sometime aint he !!! ” good ole JG . )))))

  60. James Gill

    So we have more managers than league wins this season
    Lerner makes jesus gil look sane
    Mon McDonald houiller McAllister mcknob Lambert Sherwood MC Donald again garde and now black some record,everyone of them walked away with our money
    Wages league show us down in 12 place ,where rest wages gone?Lerner’s back pocket
    Mark klng
    I did say black would be manager before season out
    As for Gabby it’s alright for him to be 4 stone overweight that’s not breaking club rule?,but caught with pipe smoking lol
    As for all this boardroom reshuffle Riley still here,remi was stitched up by board and let down by group players who should never play for villa again,we all know them
    Guzan Hutton Richardson lescott wastewood bacuna Richards Gabby zog and finally kozak never fit

  61. Mark King

    JG- yes mate he’s made the big time, notice he thanked Remi for bringing him in so at least he was not a board choice said he’s a very good coach that he’d learnt a lot from. Watched his presser for the game he says there is no split in the squad, that means they are just shit then 😉

  63. B62 Villa

    Matchday is here again, I expect another defeat and another footstep closer to the drop. Judging by blacks comments it seems the club are waiting until relegation is confirmed, before announcing the next manager as rightly so they won’t want this relegation on their CV( although everyone would know it has nothing to do with them). Some of those responsible have paid the price with their jobs, I’m sure the cull isn’t over and will move onto the players by the summer.
    I’m hoping we go for Moyes with an experienced No2 and back room staff. Rodgers won’t come he wants top flight and I can see him heading back to Swansea, Dyche has ruled himself out, Eddie Howe would never leave Bournemouth, Pearson is still amongst the favourites but unfortunately the likes of McCarthy and Bruce are still being touted and haven’t ruled themselves out.
    In some quarters it’s been suggested a Moyes/Neville combo could work, whoever it is will be taking on a Herculean task.
    Be funny if we won today , it’s been that long if forgotten what it’s like

  64. steamer

    Well, another day of humiliation expected, 0-4.
    It’ll be interesting to see EB’s team.
    Reading the utterings of potato head i think he’s the favourite now. Seems that he can’t wait to get away from Hull. IMO he would be a really bad choice.

  66. Mark King

    Well Chelsea have players out,Villa players have a point to prove that it was Gardes fault and a Scottish bloke managing them so they have no excuse not to put a shift in, chances are they will be tripe as they don’t give a flying Fook, or at least most of them don’t, role out the u21’s Eric.

  67. Mark King

    VILLA: Guzan, Hutton, Richards, Lescott, Cissokho, Gana, Westwood, Sanchez, Gil, Ayew, Gestede. Subs: Bunn, Okore, Bacuna, Sinclair, Veretout, Lyden, Grealish

  69. James Gill

    Steamer the back 4 are definetly not crepe ,they are crap crepe is french,crap is British and USA ,Clark great for Ireland,guzan Hutton lescott and Richards will be at fault for 3 goals,wastewood will not make 10 forward passescin opponents half

  70. Jenny Truman

    Hello all. Well written leader Matt and good to see you back. Personally, I think you are a little harsh on Remi – shafted by the board etc and the players. We know now that a a big part of the problem is player power/and player stupidity and arrogance. Mirror wrote that Remi fell out with the senior eng players because they supported Grealish – who had fallen out with him over clubbing after the 4-0 defeat. Grealish is rapidly sinking to the unprofessional and undignified level of the seniors – first of all liking then withdrawing the tweet announcing Remi’s sacking then posting a pic saying “glad to be back” an hour later the Remi sack announcement made. The Richards and Gabby es capade in Dubai (yes Richards was there too) shows how unprofessional they are and what utter contempt they show for the fans. The club is being exposed for the circus it is and on this note why is the circus leader Riley still in a job.

    Trinity BSA was founded in the 1870s and was a big employer in Brum – making amunitions during the war. Most of my Dad’s family worked there and I have gleaned from marriage and birth certificates that my great great great something or other worked there in the 1880s.

    What to expect from today – well with Lescott and RIchards partnering in front of Guzan we can only hope it is in single figures.

    I had to smile at that joke you put on Runtingz – re Pearson and Johnson. This lot seem such a law unto themselves I doubt anyone could reign them in though.

  71. James Gill

    Anyone read carragher in mai,l spot on the senior players are a disgrace and no other club will touch them with a barge pole
    Jenny yes grealish went off the rails,but bad advice taken,but compare the way he was treated to 4 stone overweight flabby, black was able to drop flabby straight away or as Pat Murphy said it was done to try defuse the protest

  72. Mark King

    There goes the manager bounce then, They are without doubt the biggest pile of shit to grace the Villa shirt ever. Thank you Tim fox and Riley but mostly Tim who bigged up flabby and played him in front of Kosak and made him club captain, knobhead, Ditto goes for his mate Richards another gobshite.

  74. Jenny Truman

    Steamer I said 10 games ago we won’t win another game – tony candcerino said on TS – they’ve shuffled the players – doesn’t matter who you play the results the same . Thought Sanchez would’ve come off at half – he’s not up to speed .

  75. steamer

    Hello Jenny, hope your feeling well despite watching this, looks like you were bang on with that prediction.
    The committee should get Pearson in straight away never mind at the end of the season, Black is out of his depth and the players are a law unto themselves, consult the PFA about the lack of effort.
    The MF is worse than pathetic, Clark needs to play there to add aggression,
    At the end of the season i’d offer free transfers to all the main problem players, with a bit of luck they’ll piss off.

  80. John Lerwill

    David Pleat says:

    “I just feel sorry for this club. Desolation on the terraces and desperation on the pitch. This is such a sad club at the moment.”

  82. John Lerwill

    Steamer: “This shower won’t get another point this season.”

    Charlatan! 🙂

    I’ll let ’em have 2 points. Maybe 5.

    But, in all seriousness, this *is* without doubt the worst Villa season EVER!

    I never thought I’d ever see anything like this at VP.

  83. John Lerwill

    Steamer,

    It’s going to be very interesting indeed to see what scheme for revival they come up with now.

    It seems they’ll have to go right back to the drawing board.

  84. steamer

    JL,
    I think it will involve lots of money which we don’t have. To be honest, the situation has gone beyond shameful, we’ll lose fans permanently if this doesn’t stop, you can take losing but regular humiliation is something AVFC isn’t used to.
    Statistically we’re not the worst ever EPL team but in reality we’re pathetic from the top down, custodian, committee, coaches, team, total crepe.

  85. steamer

    I still can’t believe the cowboy not only had the nerve to attend the CF but sat next to the Duke of wherever where he would be noticed.

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