The next Villa Manager

Can't imagine why it would be Clarke - number 2 's tend to only get appointed if they've done a good job holding the fort or if the club wants the cheap option.

Unless the postmortem has revealed that Clarke disagreed with every sub made, wasn't allowed to do the team talks & that the player quotes about feeling there was improvement was a reflection of the love they have for the coaching team.

With Bruce being available you would think it would be done deal by now, so I'm thinking cant be him............ on the other hand, he's the type that would want to let the world know he's available if he's not in the running for AVFC and he's unusually fat... quiet.

Gods knows.................... hurry up DR.

UTV

If, as the local press would have us believe, Bruce is so good at getting promoted, why is he out of work? Why didn't Cardiff pick him?

Trent on VT doesn't think its Bruce. I will be very downbeat if its clarke. Other than being cheap I don't see how he can be passed of as a credible choice. I didn't want Wagner - but accept there was a case for him - I can see no such case for Clarke.

Clarke, Bruce, Smith - seems the most touted shortlist of 3 - I just wonder if the 3rd isn't smith - and is someone weve all overlooked ?

If we were still owned by dipshit lerner, I would think fvck it, bruce is about the best we could do............ dipshit has gone.

Its nothing to do with blues for me, they are nothing to me and I merely dislike their fans for their hatred and jealousy towards us, people call them our closest rivals, that statement has always made me smile, closest my arse, dream on..... dream on, their closest rivals are Walsall.

Dions bald head..... I like your thinking which would make perfect sense if Clarke gets the nod. Hope its not the case though.

I'd rather have the following back again............. Little, Gregory and Evans then Clarke and bruce.

We've often spoken on here about smoke screens set up by the club, particularly when discussing new owners. So if it isn't going to be Bruce or anyone else bandied about for that matter, then the press are going the clubs work for them. They're hardly going to come out and say, "No you're all wrong we've got someone much better lined up". Until obviously Pepe is revealed.....

I posted saying Brian little other week, you never know http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-legend-reckons-ideal-11996614

I have no idea what is going on either. BUT this is the way I see it.

The Dr says there are 3 candidates, not 2. That is how I read his tweet. So that's Bruce, Clarke + 1. Bruce has not been appointed yet not because it won't be him but because they really are doing a full review of options, preferring to take their time and not panic.

So all 3 are equally in the frame. The question is, who is the third. My guess is Smith or Wagner. All the noise coming from Huddersfield is from the chairman, no direct quotes from Wagner. So on that basis, it's him. Smith's credentials are thin to say the least. Sounds like a potential Graham Turner style appointment to me - appointing a small fish to lead bigger ones. Not a great idea. Wagner is also untested and, for me, a big risk.

Who will get the job? Who knows, may well be the mystery third candidate for many of the reasons already stated on here as to why the 'known 2' won't.

Why didn't Cardiff appoint Bruce? Why would he go there when this job is possible, or even something in the bottomw 10 of the PL as another will be free soon so why work for that fruit loop? Bruce has just left one bad situation, why join another?

Villa is still one of the big jobs. The arrival of the good Dr has made it an even better one. RDM has screwed somethings up - unbalanced team, signed a couple of past-it players et al, but that can be remedied over time.

So the board is taking its time to do things properly and get the best they can to meet the plan.

I have no idea what is going on either. BUT this is the way I see it.

The Dr says there are 3 candidates, not 2. That is how I read his tweet. So that's Bruce, Clarke + 1. Bruce has not been appointed yet not because it won't be him but because they really are doing a full review of options, preferring to take their time and not panic.

So all 3 are equally in the frame. The question is, who is the third. My guess is Smith or Wagner. All the noise coming from Huddersfield is from the chairman, no direct quotes from Wagner. So on that basis, it's him. Smith's credentials are thin to say the least. Sounds like a potential Graham Turner style appointment to me - appointing a small fish to lead bigger ones. Not a great idea. Wagner is also untested and, for me, a big risk.

Who will get the job? Who knows, may well be the mystery third candidate for many of the reasons already stated on here as to why the 'known 2' won't.

Why didn't Cardiff appoint Bruce? Why would he go there when this job is possible, or even something in the bottomw 10 of the PL as another will be free soon so why work for that fruit loop? Bruce has just left one bad situation, why join another?

Villa is still one of the big jobs. The arrival of the good Dr has made it an even better one. RDM has screwed somethings up - unbalanced team, signed a couple of past-it players et al, but that can be remedied over time.

So the board is taking its time to do things properly and get the best they can to meet the plan.

jimbop wrote:I posted saying Brian little other week, you never know http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-legend-reckons-ideal-11996614

No thanks. Great reputation, lets leave it at that. After managing us what did he achieve? I saw him at Wrexham a couple of years ago - looked lost. I have great admirationfor the job he did for us, but never go back seems appropriate to me.

I'd like to think that our shortlist is.......... Hiddink, Bielsa and Mancini

Trotters wrote:

Wriggle wrote:From 25 to 10 to 3 (not as reported) to 2

That suggests to me that the final decision hasn't been made yet, and also that what the press are reporting aren't the final 2. Which would rule out Bruce.

That "not as reported" is very interesting. It would rule Bruce out. And fucking Sherwood.

If Wagner has been ruled out, could it be someone from the continent?

The club might also look at Woy as has been suggested if he had anything to do with youth development at the FA. But I'm really hoping it's not him.

And I'll laugh my arse off if @WendyOz picked it.

So would I but it would be a laugh of joy as it would be a huge gamble, and I'm to sure he could step up to English football. Wouldn't give me the most confidence.

I don't for one minute think it's down to Bruce and Clarke as some are suggesting.

Pat Murphy ‏@patmurphybbc 9m9 minutes ago

Steve Bruce had exploratory talks with Keith Wyness Villa's chief exec 3 times since Wed,the last a 20 mins chat y'day. Waiting for the 1/2

Pat Murphy ‏@patmurphybbc 9m9 minutes ago

2/2 club to get back to him now. No formal interview as yet. Bruce told the 'process was ongoing'. Steve Clarke shouldn't be ruled out #avfc


For what it's worth Trent on Villatalk has suggested it won't be Clarke and doesn't think it will be Bruce.

4BetLite wrote:I'd like to think that our shortlist is.......... Hiddink, Bielsa and Mancini

It is obvious that two of the three are Bruce and Clarke, the unknown is the third choice on that list!

I have absolutely fuck all clue, but wouldn't Bruce be hired already if he was the pick of the litter?

Why speak with him 3 times? I'd have hoped the successful candidate would have blown them away. Pick up the phone to Bruce once as a courtesy but FFS no more.

I'm really hoping this is a coordinated effort by the local rags to keep shouting Bruce for so long and so loud that the fans just give up, accept it and the club sees that the fans are ok with him.

This is a big test of Round and his encyclopedic knowledge of everyone in the game. If the best two candidates he can come up with are either already at the club or dossing about the Midlands with nothing better to do then, well, fuck him.

Why are so many people still talking about 3 candidates when Xia has said they are down to 2?

And he has also said the names are not what's being reported so why is everyone jumpmingon the Bruce and Clarke bandwagon? They've both been reported from day 1 so I don't think it's either of them. They certainly wouldn't speak to Bruce 3 times this week and still not have had him in for an official interview. Fuck me I may as well become a reporter and put my guesses out there!

Wriggle wrote:Why are so many people still talking about 3 candidates when Xia has said they are down to 2?

And he has also said the names are not what's being reported so why is everyone jumpmingon the Bruce and Clarke bandwagon? They've both been reported from day 1 so I don't think it's either of them. They certainly wouldn't speak to Bruce 3 times this week and still not have had him in for an official interview. Fuck me I may as well become a reporter and put my guesses out there!

Dr Xia has actually said that there are 3 candidates rather than 2 as reported!

Quite honestly it would be extremely foolhardy not to consider both Clarke and Bruce for obvious reasons and equally foolhardy to dismiss either if your 'potential plan A' goes down the pan, so I don't really read anything in the second statement form Dr Xia.

You make a good point about Steve Round Trotters. If he has been brought in to make us "Southamptonesque", then you would expect candidates a little less obvious than Bruce and Clarke. He hasn't been here very long so you'd think he needs to make a decent first impression.

Just been for crystal ball reading, guy came highly recommended......... I asked, who will be the Villa manager and I just took one look at his face............ its Bruce and we're fvcked.

Holy Moly, I'm behind Bruce in the shop................ Ill ask him what the crack is

Joppe84 wrote:I have absolutely fuck all clue, but wouldn't Bruce be hired already if he was the pick of the litter?

Don't forget ...and I know it seems longer - but RDM has been sacked less than a week. If you recall in the summer it was obvious that RDM was going to get the job - but it was still a little while before he was unveiled. We also dismissed RDM during a two week spell when there is no football. Xia instructions were probably to use that time and scour the market. having given ourselves a 2 week window to get it sorted - it would seem daft to rush 100mph towards Bruce.
Xia said he wouldn't be around much until the end of october. Im guessing he's suffled one or two things around - and will jet in early next week to make his choice.

Thats my guesses - It could be we are in extensive negotiations with Burnley over Dyche - but I don't see that happening - its either Bruce, Clarke, or a total left field appointment....

I honestly think we should have had the replacement ready when sacking RDM. No point sacking him when we don't hire anyone.

Sean Dyche odd's slashed by half on sky bet and other bookies?