Dale Welch of Aston Villa’s UAE Supporters’ Club, Dubai Lions examines the potential candidates to replace Tm Sherwood at Villa Park.
It all started so well for Tim Sherwood at Aston Villa, his brand of refreshing honesty and tenacity inspiring a club devoid of a winning mentality following four-and-a-half years of tedium – courtesy of Gerard Houllier, Alex McLeish and Paul Lambert.
With Premier League survival achieved with mere games to spare, legendary status beckoned for Sherwood after he led Villa to their first FA Cup final in 15 years.
Unfortunately, a 4-0 drubbing on that fateful day and an 80 percent loss record in this season’s first 10 games has resulted in the club’s board deciding to call time on Sherwood’s fledgling Villa career.
– League Cup: Stoke add to Mourinho woe
While poor results against “beatable” clubs have fanned fans’ frustrations, feelings about Sherwood are mixed. Some fans feel that losing his two strongest players in Christian Benteke and club captain Fabian Delph would have damaged any manager’s plans.
All agree, however, that Villa’s fall from grace is simply unacceptable for a club of our history and pedigree: founders of the Football League, ex-European champions and the fourth-most successful team in FA Cup history (seven wins).
As Villa look to a new manager to steer the ship from a seemingly unending storm, Premier League experience and achieving results on a limited budget must surely rank highly on the desired capabilities of potential suitors.
DAVID MOYES (Real Sociedad)
Step forward Moyes, whose vast Premier League experience surely puts him in the running for the Villa hotseat.
Despite a lacklustre year at Old Trafford, stepping into Sir Alex Ferguson’s giant shoes was only ever going to end in tears, with 11 years of helping Everton punch above their weight in the league’s top six being the real measure of his capabilities.
Following an impressive start with Real Sociedad in La Liga, recent poor performances and Moyes’ inability to speak the language have conspired to see fans turn on him.
Of all the candidates named thus far, Moyes stands head-and-shoulders above the others in terms of experience and the ability to get results on a shoestring budget. With Villa teetering on the brink and Moyes having a point to prove, fans would undoubtedly welcome his appointment. The safe choice.
LIKELIHOOD OF APPOINTMENT: 7/10
REMI GARDE (Free agent, ex-Lyon)
While mention of Garde first elicited a “who is he?” response from many fans, he has achieved a pretty impressive level of success in Ligue 1 with Lyon, themselves one of France’s largest and most historic clubs.
Following eight years as part of Lyon’s back-room staff, Garde made the step up to full management in 2011 and success followed.
A French Cup and progress to the knockout stages of both the Champions League and Europa League made him a fan’s favourite, with his departure from the Stade Gerland only due to personal circumstances.
Touted by Arsene Wenger as his own potential long-term replacement at Arsenal, Garde comes with his fair share of plaudits and is also familiar with many of Villa’s new recruits from their days in Ligue 1 – a unique strength among the candidates named.
While his lack of Premier League and management experience may count against him, his ability to produce positive, attacking football on a budget dwarfed by rivals would make his appointment a smart gamble.
LIKELIHOOD OF APPOINTMENT: 9/10
DWIGHT YORKE (Free agent, ex-Villa striker)
Plucked from obscurity by Ron Atkinson in the early 1990s during a pre-season tour of the Caribbean, Yorke became a Villa stalwart and later joined Manchester United – helping them lift their historic Treble in 1999.
Having thrown his own hat into the ring, Yorke has cited that hiring Premier League experience has thus far achieved nothing for the club, and his passion for Aston Villa and its history would be the perfect opportunity to inject new life.
While his logic does indeed point to a deeper issue within the club’s board, Villa can ill afford to rely on a novice to ensure Premier League survival and a huge payday thanks to next season’s inflated TV deals.
While his achievements as a player will always be highly regarded by the Villa faithful, the sentiment here couldn’t be more misplaced.
LIKELIHOOD OF APPOINTMENT: 0/10
BRENDAN RODGERS (Free agent, ex-Liverpool)
While his spending record at Liverpool raised many an eyebrow, he came painfully close to legendary status at the Kop and has years of solid experience gained at Watford, Reading and Swansea -the latter for which he is best remembered having inspired their promotion to, and survival in, the Premier League.
Rodgers would likely see the vacancy at Villa the ideal opportunity to get back into top-flight management and silence his critics.
LIKELIHOOD OF APPOINTMENT: 6/10
NIGEL PEARSON (Free agent, ex-Leicester City)
His achievement in gaining promotion to the Premier League with Leicester and securing their unlikely survival is truly commendable and Claudio Ranieri’s success this season with Leicester can be accredited to a spine of players that Pearson installed at the club.
Pearson’s sacking was viewed by many as a symbol of the Premier League’s ruthless and unforgiving environment.
He brings a huge amount of charisma, but ultimately lacks the track record needed to reassure fans of a change in Villa’s fortunes
LIKELIHOOD OF APPOINTMENT: 4/10
