Rémi Garde: Ex-Aston Villa manager

That's part of our whole mentality thing. That lack of dominant characters at the top, on the coaching staff or even in the team. Our captain is Micah Richards who I'm sure is a lovely chap but I see him more as a court jester than a king. Look at any successful team and they have dominant characters usually as a manager and as captain and even amongst other team members. We don't have that. I bet it's a lovely place to work for the players and senior management. I mean who wouldn't want to work somewhere where there's so little pressure to succeed? Sadly it's a football club not a holiday camp and the emotions of hundreds of thousands of fans are bound to it.

Dyche would be a good shout for the kind of manager to get if Garde goes. Exactly what we need.

But do we think there's anything in these rumours? Would a few more bad results really see him going? I'm not convinced, surely he is still looking at bringing in players of his choosing to improve us? If only there was some kind of window open that allow us to do that..

Sandie wrote:Dyche would be a good shout for the kind of manager to get if Garde goes. Exactly what we need.

But do we think there's anything in these rumours? Would a few more bad results really see him going? I'm not convinced, surely he is still looking at bringing in players of his choosing to improve us? If only there was some kind of window open that allow us to do that..

We've heard from Fox and Garde that he's here for the long term, but in order to make that happen he has to start showing that he can win games. How long can a manager at any club survive without having won a game?

villabromsgrove wrote:How long can a manager at any club survive without having won a game?

If you'd asked me before now I'd have said less time than Garde has had. It wasn't that long ago we still thought Sherwood was the thing holding us back...

Remi has been honest about his lack of previous knowledge about Villa. Unfortunately it looks like that lack of knowledge extends to English football in general. It seems that the football he's trying to play isn't a fit for our squad. I know we've got some disillusioned awkward buggers in the squad, but we should be able to win the occasional game with the players we have.

Are the players so disinterested in "project Villa", that they've irrevocably switched off?

villabromsgrove wrote:Are the players so disinterested in "project Villa", that they've irrevocably switched off?

I'd not be surprised, just look at Guzan and Lescott's behaviour on Saturday.

I think Garde walked into a holiday camp and found himself unable to turn that around quickly enough. Before long, we've ended up in a situation where pretty much everyone thinks we're doomed. How are these players going to get motivated for the rest of the season? Do it for the fans? They don't give a shit about us so that's out of the window. Part of the problem is that Garde might be too nice a guy, maybe he has struggled to get them to take him seriously?

As things stand the list of players we need to fuck off stretches longer by the day.

Remi is a studious decent guy. Current Villa players need to be aware of the consequences of not doing what they're told, and they need to be frightened of the consequences of not giving 100%. Unfortunately it appears that Garde does not have the personality to impose his will on the players.

I'm not sure it's Garde and a lack of personality to impose, I see it more as the horse having already bolted and he's left holding the rope to nothing. I genuinely feel and have been told, there's big problems behind the scenes, much wider than just results.

Garde has smartly come out and pushed the ball firmly onto the board now and is clever is saying he asked two weeks ago for them to speak up. He's done what no other villa manager has managed and said, he shouldn't be the lone voice for the club and the fans need to hear from Lerner. This shows me he has an astuteness and a steely will. Whether that means he's the right man to get us winning is another matter altogether. I'd say right man, wrong time.

He is trying to weed out the bad apples and sort out a right Royal mess, when it really needed to either of been done last sumner or somehow waited until this summer. This clearly isn't his way though and it's not his fault if the board have listened to his vision and employed him based on that. Maybe a Pearson or a dyce would have got the new manager bounce (who can really say?) I'm convinced though this set of players don't have what it takes ability wise and in some cases, bottle, interest and desire to get the club out of the mess we're in.

So I guess if we look at it as we're down, do we think Garde is the man to rebuild this club and get us back or do we need something else?

As for when does he get sacked if he keeps on not winning? You have to consider the above in my eyes. This season is now a write off. So of we think he's the man, let him do what is needed to prepare for next year, if not get rid now and get who we think will (do you have any faith in that lot choosing another manager? I know I don't)

Let's see what Lerner has to say off the back of his meeting with fox and Henrik today.

Oh and where's this imminent chairman of a few weeks back????

As I said earlier, I think Remi Garde is a good guy. He isn't afraid to speak out about his need for support from his bosses.

The truth is a hard core of these players have failed under the last three managers, in fact they've seen off hard faced nutters like Roy Keane in the process. They've stopped listening to anybody and are just going through the motions in order to pick up their wage packets. They aren't about to take notice of a quiet spoken man, even if he does happen to be the boss.

So these players need to leave, but the reality of the situation is that they wont and the manager will pay the price.

GadgetMan wrote: As for when does he get sacked if he keeps on not winning? You have to consider the above in my eyes. This season is now a write off. So of we think he's the man, let him do what is needed to prepare for next year, if not get rid now and get who we think will (do you have any faith in that lot choosing another manager? I know I don't)

That's the crux of it really. I'm unconvinced but don't think he's had a fair crack. I'm not sure Garde is the man to take us back up but I think he needs a fair crack of the whip, if it's possible to have such a thing with Lerner and Fox running things. He needs to have his own players and some time. If we're still not winning then there will come a point then, next season that things will have to change. Before then, I'd prefer not to see him quit or get sacked.

I think it was questionable whether Garde was the man to get a reaction out of our relegation bound squad. Where he might be on steadier ground is in assembling a promotion squad and rebuilding a club.

Sandie wrote:

GadgetMan wrote: As for when does he get sacked if he keeps on not winning? You have to consider the above in my eyes. This season is now a write off. So of we think he's the man, let him do what is needed to prepare for next year, if not get rid now and get who we think will (do you have any faith in that lot choosing another manager? I know I don't)

That's the crux of it really. I'm unconvinced but don't think he's had a fair crack. I'm not sure Garde is the man to take us back up but I think he needs a fair crack of the whip, if it's possible to have such a thing with Lerner and Fox running things. He needs to have his own players and some time. If we're still not winning then there will come a point then, next season that things will have to change. Before then, I'd prefer not to see him quit or get sacked.

I think it was questionable whether Garde was the man to get a reaction out of our relegation bound squad. Where he might be on steadier ground is in assembling a promotion squad and rebuilding a club.

I agree Sandie, looking at the bigger picture it would be extremely harsh for him to be sacked (I personally wouldn't rule out him quitting if he didn't feel he was being supported, he threatened it at Lyon and their board backed down, so a man of principle) However I do think he could given time, rebuild our identity as a club and god do we need it. So many have tried and I just think he has what it takes. Will the fans and board give him time? Doubt it. The away support are already singing "you don't know what you're doing" Nice work after 10 games lads.

The club is a mess and as the saying goes, it will get worse before it gets better. If Garde was to go in the summer, I hope sincerely Fox and Co are going with him too. They are massively involved in this huge mess.

GadgetMan wrote:The club is a mess and as the saying goes, it will get worse before it gets better. If Garde was to go in the summer, I hope sincerely Fox and Co are going with him too. They are massively involved in this huge mess.

I have the feeling that Lerner does little other than set budgets for the club these days with Fox being responsible for our operations day to day. This feeling was something I was reminded of when I read the 'crisis talks' article from last night with Fox and Almstadt being flown over to New York to account for things as well as discuss January activity. If Garde is to be seen to fail then I agree Fox has to go, Fox appointed Garde (and Tim Sodding Sherwood) after all. Lerner relies upon him to make his calls for him and so far he's been flunking them.

I think tonight was crucial for Remi. So far he's had a 0% win ratio round his neck but tonight has sorted that and will hopefully boosted the players' confidence in him and the club's willingness to back him.

Spare a thought for Remi Garde.

He's the only football man in the Villa hierarchy, and he's doing his best to bring in new players to strengthen a vulnerable team, at the same time that he's trying to lift and coach our existing squad. He is restricted in his endeavours by both a low level of expenditure and a low wage scale.

I've been critical of RG's team selection, but he's got one hell of a job to do, and he seem's to be rising to the occasion. Good luck Remi, you'll need it.

The only concern I ever had with Remi Garde was results, he's getting them now and is showing some steel when it comes to dealing with things. Whisper it quietly, but I'm starting to think he's the man to take us forward.