[Football] Gerrard Confirmed as Villa Boss

[Icy Gull]

I hadn’t thought of this, but [MENTION=36757]Happy Exile[/MENTION] suggested this in his, have to say excellent, explanations of emotional intelligence in another thread. I’m now of a similar view.

We’ll need to win something before a top 3 chance comes up imo. Liverpool were also rans when Klopp took over, things have changed dramatically since then

 

[Gwylan]

I'd love to know about the differences in structure behind the scenes between clubs like ours and Brentford, and pretend big clubs like Everton and Villa.

Fans of the latter talk as if just pinching people like Potter and Frank will just fix everything, but what they don't see or are unaware of is the root and branch reform throughout Brentford and Brighton that mean two clubs with a combined average attendance of 14,000 just 13 years ago are now sitting in perfect new stadiums, have excellent managers, whole new behind the scenes infrastructures (scouting, coaching, academy, commerce, community presence, player procurement etc) that sees us comfortably outperforming the likes of Villa and Everton where it counts.

I would hate to lose Potter and doubt it will happen any time soon, but when he goes we can be assured of one thing - at that point in time, the club will already have drawn up a shortlist of alternatives who they feel would slip seamlessly into the structure of the club. The longer these mid sized Prem clubs act like dinosaurs - bouncing from gaffer to gaffer to fix things, the longer Brighton, Brentford and others will continue to embarrass them.

This.

You can probably add Newcastle to this list too. Despite their new found wealth, they appear to be taking things slowly and getting a good structure in place rather than spending like crazy.

GP has a structure at Brighton that he trusts, he has absolute job security here and plenty of time to develop a coaching strategy. He'd have none of that at Villa (or any number of PL clubs)

 

[Icy Gull]

This.

You can probably add Newcastle to this list too. Despite their new found wealth, they appear to be taking things slowly and getting a good structure in place rather than spending like crazy.

GP has a structure at Brighton that he trusts, he has absolute job security here and plenty of time to develop a coaching strategy. He'd have none of that at Villa (or any number of PL clubs)

There is a catalyst for the way both clubs have improved, at least in recruitment, Ashworth

I think his legacy continues at the Albion and Newcastle are now also benefitting.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I'd love to know about the differences in structure behind the scenes between clubs like ours and Brentford, and pretend big clubs like Everton and Villa.

Fans of the latter talk as if just pinching people like Potter and Frank will just fix everything, but what they don't see or are unaware of is the root and branch reform throughout Brentford and Brighton that mean two clubs with a combined average attendance of 14,000 just 13 years ago are now sitting in perfect new stadiums, have excellent managers, whole new behind the scenes infrastructures (scouting, coaching, academy, commerce, community presence, player procurement etc) that sees us comfortably outperforming the likes of Villa and Everton where it counts.

I would hate to lose Potter and doubt it will happen any time soon, but when he goes we can be assured of one thing - at that point in time, the club will already have drawn up a shortlist of alternatives who they feel would slip seamlessly into the structure of the club. The longer these mid sized Prem clubs act like dinosaurs - bouncing from gaffer to gaffer to fix things, the longer Brighton, Brentford and others will continue to embarrass them.

It’s also worth noting how much Villa and Everton have spent in recent years compare to Brighton and Brentford.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Which club did GP support as a boy?

Was it Stoke?

Wash your mouth out, Baldrick.

 

[brighton_tom]

Which club did GP support as a boy?

Was it Villa, WBA, Wolves or Stoke?

There's an Argus interview from 2020 where GP describes himself when younger as a casual football fan. In his own words ''I was one of the strange ones in that I wasn’t so passionate about supporting a team.'' He then goes onto talk about family connections and an ''interest'' in both Villa and Birmingham, saying ''Most supporters will tell you, ‘Hold on, you can’t be Aston Villa AND Birmingham! You have got to be one or the other!’. But I think I pretty much was.''

Hardly the words of a die hard Villa fan that some twitter warriors seem to think he is. A lot seem to think he'd leave Brighton instantly if Villa came calling because he's such a massive Villa fan.

 

[Weststander]

I can’t stand their fans either - particularly remember being up there when we were 1-0 and all over them until Mooy got sent off then they won it with the last kick of the game. As we were leaving their fans were taking the piss big time - absolute tossers. And who do they think they are thinking that either Poch or Potter would snap up the opportunity to go their if they make an approach !

I’d rather see them go down more than Palace or Southampton !

Do you watch other EPL games? Their 2016 relegation relegation season provided much fun here - Bunn, Guzan, Cissokho scrambling around as the goals flew in, a small army of older players on colossal contracts laughing at the fans and club - Lescott, Richardson, N’Zogbia. Fans trying to get to the players, players boasting online about supercar buys, players laughing on the bench as they were losing.

8 months of pain, couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch.

 

[Springal]

This.

You can probably add Newcastle to this list too. Despite their new found wealth, they appear to be taking things slowly and getting a good structure in place rather than spending like crazy.

GP has a structure at Brighton that he trusts, he has absolute job security here and plenty of time to develop a coaching strategy. He'd have none of that at Villa (or any number of PL clubs)

GP doesn’t strike me as someone who stays in his comfort zone though. Starting in Sweden tells you that. And he left Swansea pretty quickly. Or that I think it matters either way, but I don’t think staying somewhere ‘safe’ is a big factor

 

[trueblue]

GP doesn’t strike me as someone who stays in his comfort zone though. Starting in Sweden tells you that. And he left Swansea pretty quickly. Or that I think it matters either way, but I don’t think staying somewhere ‘safe’ is a big factor

I'd like to think Potter will stay, as we all would. I reckon the crunch comes when we've genuinely reached the ceiling, which for a club of Albion's resources is, just about realistically, Europa League. If we get into Europe and can't compete effectively, then it would be understandable if he wanted to move to a club that can. I guess we know he's not going to stay forever so should enjoy it while we can.

 

[Simster]

I'd like to think Potter will stay, as we all would. I reckon the crunch comes when we've genuinely reached the ceiling, which for a club of Albion's resources is, just about realistically, Europa League. If we get into Europe and can't compete effectively, then it would be understandable if he wanted to move to a club that can. I guess we know he's not going to stay forever so should enjoy it while we can.

I'd say winning the UEFA Cup and thus qualifying for the UCL is probably our ceiling. Although Leicester have won the league and an FAC, and thus qualified for Euro competition twice in the past 7 years and I don't think they're that different from us.

 

[Happy Exile]

I hadn’t thought of this, but [MENTION=36757]Happy Exile[/MENTION] suggested this in his, have to say excellent, explanations of emotional intelligence in another thread. I’m now of a similar view.

Thank you

 

[Guinness Boy]

This.

You can probably add Newcastle to this list too. Despite their new found wealth, they appear to be taking things slowly and getting a good structure in place rather than spending like crazy.

GP has a structure at Brighton that he trusts, he has absolute job security here and plenty of time to develop a coaching strategy. He'd have none of that at Villa (or any number of PL clubs)

No, no, no. Someone else taken in by lazy punditry.

Since the Saudis took over their transfer deficit is over 100 million and once they'd signed Isak it's the fourth highest in the league. The first thing they did was break their wage structure for Trippier who is on 145k a week. They have the 10th highest wage bill and climbing. Pope, Isak and Bruno Guimaraes aren't Ashworth signings, they're the players any kids would sign in FM22 if they had taken a bang average squad and found an unlimited budget cheat but had only heard of the same players BG used to harp on about - obvious ones. They even overpaid for Burn.

 

[Lever]

I'd love to know about the differences in structure behind the scenes between clubs like ours and Brentford, and pretend big clubs like Everton and Villa.

Fans of the latter talk as if just pinching people like Potter and Frank will just fix everything, but what they don't see or are unaware of is the root and branch reform throughout Brentford and Brighton that mean two clubs with a combined average attendance of 14,000 just 13 years ago are now sitting in perfect new stadiums, have excellent managers, whole new behind the scenes infrastructures (scouting, coaching, academy, commerce, community presence, player procurement etc) that sees us comfortably outperforming the likes of Villa and Everton where it counts.

I would hate to lose Potter and doubt it will happen any time soon, but when he goes we can be assured of one thing - at that point in time, the club will already have drawn up a shortlist of alternatives who they feel would slip seamlessly into the structure of the club. The longer these mid sized Prem clubs act like dinosaurs - bouncing from gaffer to gaffer to fix things, the longer Brighton, Brentford and others will continue to embarrass them.

Great post and spot on!

 

[Weststander]

I'd love to know about the differences in structure behind the scenes between clubs like ours and Brentford, and pretend big clubs like Everton and Villa.

Fans of the latter talk as if just pinching people like Potter and Frank will just fix everything, but what they don't see or are unaware of is the root and branch reform throughout Brentford and Brighton that mean two clubs with a combined average attendance of 14,000 just 13 years ago are now sitting in perfect new stadiums, have excellent managers, whole new behind the scenes infrastructures (scouting, coaching, academy, commerce, community presence, player procurement etc) that sees us comfortably outperforming the likes of Villa and Everton where it counts.

I would hate to lose Potter and doubt it will happen any time soon, but when he goes we can be assured of one thing - at that point in time, the club will already have drawn up a shortlist of alternatives who they feel would slip seamlessly into the structure of the club. The longer these mid sized Prem clubs act like dinosaurs - bouncing from gaffer to gaffer to fix things, the longer Brighton, Brentford and others will continue to embarrass them.

They have:
- meddling owners, without an ounce of football (not “soccer”) knowledge. Bloom’s a lifelong fanatic, with generations of football club boardroom nouse in his dna.
- knee-jerkers who appoint and sack managers/directors of football, based purely on the eternally angry Gwladys Street or Holte Ends.
- more money than sense, reacting to every agent chancer proposing their third rate overseas player or aged EPL mercenary looking for one last lucrative pay day.
- the same boardroom donuts desperately pile in new players each 1st Sept and 31st Jan to appease the scowling masses.

Bloom and Benham have common sense and make every pound work.

 

[Gwylan]

No, no, no. Someone else taken in by lazy punditry.

Since the Saudis took over their transfer deficit is over 100 million and once they'd signed Isak it's the fourth highest in the league. The first thing they did was break their wage structure for Trippier who is on 145k a week. They have the 10th highest wage bill and climbing. Pope, Isak and Bruno Guimaraes aren't Ashworth signings, they're the players any kids would sign in FM22 if they had taken a bang average squad and found an unlimited budget cheat but had only heard of the same players BG used to harp on about - obvious ones. They even overpaid for Burn.

Not taken in at all. I was thinking more about the overhaul of the non-footballing side. They've appointed a CEO who appears to be a Barber clone (lots of experience in the MSL and a background in English football too). Obviously, they signed Ashworth but have looked at all aspects of the club, including PR and fan relationships. Contrast this to a team like Villa, where owner, CEO and manager don't seem to be acting together at all.

I was considering the management team but let's look at the playing structure too. They're the richest club in the league and yet their wage bill is only 10th largest (I'll take your word for it). They've bought a lot of workmanlike players rather than megastars and, until Isak, haven't spaffed huge sums of money, They clearly could spend more - when the Saudis took over, there was talk of £150m in the first year alone and a big name manager coming. But they've not even reached that limit in the second season and have employed a (youngish) England manager. Considering their wealth, they're not big spenders at all

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I'd love to know about the differences in structure behind the scenes between clubs like ours and Brentford, and pretend big clubs like Everton and Villa.

Fans of the latter talk as if just pinching people like Potter and Frank will just fix everything, but what they don't see or are unaware of is the root and branch reform throughout Brentford and Brighton that mean two clubs with a combined average attendance of 14,000 just 13 years ago are now sitting in perfect new stadiums, have excellent managers, whole new behind the scenes infrastructures (scouting, coaching, academy, commerce, community presence, player procurement etc) that sees us comfortably outperforming the likes of Villa and Everton where it counts.

I would hate to lose Potter and doubt it will happen any time soon, but when he goes we can be assured of one thing - at that point in time, the club will already have drawn up a shortlist of alternatives who they feel would slip seamlessly into the structure of the club. The longer these mid sized Prem clubs act like dinosaurs - bouncing from gaffer to gaffer to fix things, the longer Brighton, Brentford and others will continue to embarrass them.

Excellent post and it can't just be a coincidence that both clubs are owned by former colleagues/friends.

Really Brighton and Brentford should be a blueprint for anyone outside of the big 6/7, even they could learn something from us though, on how a club should be run from top to bottom. You've got to get more than just the manager right to see the kind of progress we have, its a real team effort both on and off the pitch which pretty much requires starting again from scratch with a new ethos and these things take time. We were lucky that Bloom has had this vision since day one so by the time Potter arrived a lot of other areas were all ready functioning.

Unfortunately for the other clubs they have dinosaur owners and fan bases who think that winning something in the 70s or 80s is somehow relevant today and demand instant success from the manager and are ready to ditch them after a few months if they aren't storming up the table. Rather than giving that manager time to build the squad he wants, that buys into his football philosophy, giving time for the other infrastructure to build and bed in.

Potter would never have got those 2 years of what were small progressive steps in playing style over points and table positions at most other clubs. The fans would have turned on him and it would be no different if by some ridiculous turn of events he ended up replacing Gerrard at Villa (i'd assume he'd taken leave of his sense, maybe suffered a bang to the head and get him to hospital immediately).

 

[Guinness Boy]

Not taken in at all. I was thinking more about the overhaul of the non-footballing side. They've appointed a CEO who appears to be a Barber clone (lots of experience in the MSL and a background in English football too). Obviously, they signed Ashworth but have looked at all aspects of the club, including PR and fan relationships. Contrast this to a team like Villa, where owner, CEO and manager don't seem to be acting together at all.

I was considering the management team but let's look at the playing structure too. They're the richest club in the league and yet their wage bill is only 10th largest (I'll take your word for it). They've bought a lot of workmanlike players rather than megastars and, until Isak, haven't spaffed huge sums of money, They clearly could spend more - when the Saudis took over, there was talk of £150m in the first year alone and a big name manager coming. But they've not even reached that limit in the second season and have employed a (youngish) England manager. Considering their wealth, they're not big spenders at all

Double post

 

[Guinness Boy]

Not taken in at all. I was thinking more about the overhaul of the non-footballing side. They've appointed a CEO who appears to be a Barber clone (lots of experience in the MSL and a background in English football too). Obviously, they signed Ashworth but have looked at all aspects of the club, including PR and fan relationships. Contrast this to a team like Villa, where owner, CEO and manager don't seem to be acting together at all.

I was considering the management team but let's look at the playing structure too. They're the richest club in the league and yet their wage bill is only 10th largest (I'll take your word for it). They've bought a lot of workmanlike players rather than megastars and, until Isak, haven't spaffed huge sums of money, They clearly could spend more - when the Saudis took over, there was talk of £150m in the first year alone and a big name manager coming. But they've not even reached that limit in the second season and have employed a (youngish) England manager. Considering their wealth, they're not big spenders at all

They've reached £122 million just this window without even recouping a cent of it. The fourth highest net spend this window. We have the the lowest (or greatest profit as I like to think of it). Add in what they spent on Burn et al and they are very close to 150 mill if not more. They won't make a penny on Burn or Wood - they only bought them to weaken their rivals. Burn's already down to filling in for the injured Targett at left back.

https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/soc...ez-Richarlison-Jesus/l0rj2wd9arkzt7goqkkri6ps

They're putting in a structure that any sensible club would do. It's one that the likes of City and Spurs have also had for a long while. I'd be amazed if they were just winging it. When you're a despotic, murdering petro state you can pay for people who know things.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I'd love to know about the differences in structure behind the scenes between clubs like ours and Brentford, and pretend big clubs like Everton and Villa.

Fans of the latter talk as if just pinching people like Potter and Frank will just fix everything, but what they don't see or are unaware of is the root and branch reform throughout Brentford and Brighton that mean two clubs with a combined average attendance of 14,000 just 13 years ago are now sitting in perfect new stadiums, have excellent managers, whole new behind the scenes infrastructures (scouting, coaching, academy, commerce, community presence, player procurement etc) that sees us comfortably outperforming the likes of Villa and Everton where it counts.

I would hate to lose Potter and doubt it will happen any time soon, but when he goes we can be assured of one thing - at that point in time, the club will already have drawn up a shortlist of alternatives who they feel would slip seamlessly into the structure of the club. The longer these mid sized Prem clubs act like dinosaurs - bouncing from gaffer to gaffer to fix things, the longer Brighton, Brentford and others will continue to embarrass them.

Gerrard has an eye on the Liverpool job and my view was that he was trying to put a team together that would perform in the short term. Coutinho is a classic example and he was clearly after Suarez. Dish out a lengthy contract to get them to come and ideally he gets them on the edge of the European places and buggers off to Liverpool when Klopp strops off and Gerrard is perceived to be job well done at Villa. The next manager would be left with a load of old players on big fat contractson the downgrade. Not that Stevie G would care

As it happens, it seems he will be off by the international break and if that was the plan it isn't working. Letting a manager seemingly dictate the signings which have more self interest than long term planning won't end well for Villa either way. I have no inside Info but I'd put big money on it being a complete shit show behind the scenes long may it continue. I dread the day the rest cotton on to our approach.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Gerrard has an eye on the Liverpool job and my view was that he was trying to put a team together that would perform in the short term. Coutinho is a classic example and he was clearly after Suarez. Dish out a lengthy contract to get them to come and ideally he gets them on the edge of the European places and buggers off to Liverpool when Klopp strops off and Gerrard is perceived to be job well done at Villa. The next manager would be left with a load of old players on big fat contractson the downgrade. Not that Stevie G would care

As it happens, it seems he will be off by the international break and if that was the plan it isn't working. Letting a manager seemingly dictate the signings which have more self interest than long term planning won't end well for Villa either way. I have no inside Info but I'd put big money on it being a complete shit show behind the scenes long may it continue. I dread the day the rest cotton on to our approach.

Our approach is uniquely tailored to our budget, senior management, fans and coach. It's not really replicable. Brentford are the closest and the next best well run club. That probably irks TB because I suspect he taught Benham a lot of what he knows but I can't see vast Middle Eastern states, Chinese oligarchs or American multi-team owners taking an apprenticeship at Star Lizard.