Tim Sherwood: Villa reject

Aston Villa Football Club is an unquestionable mess, but so too is Tim Sherwood's team


24 OCT 2015. BY ANDY DUNN

The Villans fell to yet another defeat at home to an equally out-of-form Swansea and are increasingly looking like relegation fodder in their current state


It is not Tim Sherwood's fault Aston Villa Football Club has been shedding its dignity over the last half a decade.

It is not Tim Sherwood's fault one of football's grandest institutions has shifted into a swamp of mediocrity.

It is not Tim Sherwood's fault Villa's transfer policy might as well have been made up over a few jars.

There has been a desperate inertia - lifted only sporadically - about this place for a long time. A long time before Sherwood arrived with his smile, swagger and soundbites.

But it is Sherwood's fault this team looks devoid of a cogent plan.

It is Sherwood's fault the only people who find his tactics harder to decipher than the punters appear to be his players.

It is Sherwood's fault he trusts defenders who have perfected the art of letting him down at key moments. And Sherwood knows it.

He knew it as he drew down his eyelids with a clawed hand when Andre Ayew dispatched the most predictable winner imaginable.

Only 10 league matches into a season and, as a glaze of quiet anguish flushed his face, you suspect Sherwood - for all his instinctive defiance - is expecting the call.

Even that defiance carried the sort of defensive half-heartedness that allowedSwansea and Garry Monk this shot in the arm.

Sherwood's voice croaked with the soreness of having to trot out the cliches again. Until I hear otherwise, we battle on. We'll keep going. I love this job, I'm not giving it up. I'm no quitter.

Yet there was a desperation distorting that familiar, confident lilt. He lamented how Swansea's winning goal was side-footed home from six yards without a challenge and his exasperation was laid bare as he pondered on how Jordan Ayew's goal was really just an equaliser scored first such was the certainty of a Swansea leveller.

More tellingly, he bemoaned 'poor quality' and virtually implied that much of Villa's summer transfer business has turned out not to be to his liking.

That, of course, brings Villa's recruitment system into the spotlight.

You can probably find only one man and his dog who believe recruitment should be the sole preserve and duty of the manager. And that man is Arsene Wenger, by the way.

There would be considerably more decrying the use of analysts and number-crunchers but they probably have their role as well.

But what has happened at Villa Park is the people commissioned with the acquisition of new talent have lost sight of - or never had sight of - the person they are buying for. Unless, of course, they know he is on borrowed time.

Raw, international, potential talent was not what Sherwood wanted. It's not what he felt this football team needed.

If the club felt he was wrong, they should have shown him the door before a ball was kicked this season.

Sherwood's job is no longer to nurture young talent, pockets of which might be of use to the first team.

It is to keep Aston Villa in the Premier League. And improve them. He felt he knew the tools the club needed to go out and get and the club came back with a different set for him.

Sherwood knew all this, though, and bought into it. And that is why he cannot deflect a single shaft of blame being shone towards him.

Confident character he is, Sherwood thought his motivation, his inspiration, his training ground nous would be enough to overcome a transfer set-up that is clearly not to his liking.

It has not been enough. Nowhere near enough. As Sherwood himself said, Aston Villa is a club in a hole.

That it got there is not his fault. That there are absolutely NO signs of it being lifted out IS.

And that is why the call will come. Sooner rather than later.

Trotters wrote:Some by on our Twitter feed suggested there's an announcement due in 48 hours. Whee that's coming from or what it's about, we can only guess (hope!).

What really adds more piss to my chips is that, with the dominance of the top sides, the only thing left to play for are the cups. And we need to get knocked out so we can focus on staying in a league we can't win.

lukevilla wrote:

Trotters wrote:Some by on our Twitter feed suggested there's an announcement due in 48 hours. Whee that's coming from or what it's about, we can only guess (hope!).

What really adds more piss to my chips is that, with the dominance of the top sides, the only thing left to play for are the cups. And we need to get knocked out so we can focus on staying in a league we can't win.

i hear fans saying that but i disagree think its important to get confidence back up with a win on Wednesday!

AVFC Official wrote:Club Statement

Aston Villa Football Club has parted company with manager Tim Sherwood today.

The Board has monitored the performances closely all season and believes the results on the pitch were simply not good enough and that a change is imperative.

However, the Club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Tim for all his efforts during a difficult period last season and for the many positive contributions he has made to the entire football setup during his time with the Club. We wish him well in the future.

Assistant manager Ray Wilkins, first-team coach Mark Robson and performance analyst Seamus Brady have also left with immediate effect and do so with our best wishes.

A search for a new manager has commenced and the squad will be managed in the interim by Kevin MacDonald.

There will be no further comment from the Club at this stage.

AVFC wrote:Assistant manager Ray Wilkins, first-team coach Mark Robson and performance analyst Seamus Brady have also left with immediate effect and do so with our best wishes.

Mooseman wrote:I really don't trust this board to pick the right man!