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Garde Will Quit ...

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posted on 9/1/16

Yes I feel things are now boiling up and things will spill over in the next 2 home games.

Can't see Garde lasting, he looks a broken man even after 10 games, not his fault, truly dreadful appt in the circumstances(again).

I feel sorry for him, this situation is ready made for Nigel Pearson.

posted on 9/1/16


Doubt if even Martin O'Neill could keep Villa in the PL this season. What a shame for such a great club!

posted on 9/1/16

Think Garde is tougher than you think. He said he'd know what to do if he felt he couldn't take the club forwards. It might come to that. But at the moment I think he's intent on seeing what players he can get in and will take it from there.

He may not yet have a victory, which matters a hell of a lot, but he has improved things; out of 11 games he's drawn 5 and lost 6, which is a fair amount better than Sherwood. He's had to deal with a squad none of his choosing, coming in without the advantage of a pre-season and with lack of confidence rife, and a team stuck at the bottom. He knew what he was taking on, sort of, but I suspect he didn't realise it was this bad. Like all of us he knows now that without new players the club is going nowhere. If he can't get the players or doesn't get the support from the club, then that might be the tipping point.

Anybody else coming in will have an equally impossible task. I think Pearson did wonders with Leicester and he stuck to the job as he saw it, irrespective of what others thought. But he was under a hell of a lot of pressure and it showed. Whether is Garde, Pearson or somebody else in charge they need to be given time; I reckon it would take at least two years to get us back into the PL and that would be good going. At the moment if Garde is still willing to try I'd give him the shout. Both Garde and Pearson know what they want, which is more than the club hierarchy does.

The real problem is of course Randy. We are where we are because of the way the club has been run over the past 5 and more years. Unless the club is sold it's going to be a dodgy future whatever.

posted on 10/1/16

Oops! It's 10 games, 5 drawn 5 lost.

posted on 10/1/16

I think you're being a little generous to Garde, there McP.

One point from every game would pretty much be nailed on relegation form; one point from every other game is a dreadful record- and within those ten games, three were absolute must wins- Newcastle, Sunderland and Norwich, where Villa only picked up one point.

He's not up to the job and no doubt has even less knowledge of the Championship than he does of the Premiership . It's just a case of when he gets the chop, not if.

I can't pretend I haven't taken some delight in Villa's woes this season- I wouldn't be a fully signed up Blues fan if I didn't, - but it's a real shame that this season has been as painful as it has to date, and its a credit to your club, to be fair, that they can still attract the crowds they do.

This has been coming for many years now (don't forget, Villa were below Blues up until the final few games in the 2010-11 season when we went down) and its been a constant struggle ever since.
.And, despite a succession of poor managers (or, at least mangers who performed poorly at Villa), there has been one consistent in all of this- Lerner. Just as with Blues, until you get rid of a disinterested distant owner who doesn't care anymore, things will never get better.

posted on 10/1/16

Got to agree with bluenoseden here.

Garde's record of 0.5 points per game is 19 points a season. Dismal.

True.. if (a big if) he had won just one game or maybe two, things would look very different. But he hasn't. And his team selections come straight from the Tim Sherwood 'Havent a clue Handbook'.

Hopefully things will turn around.

But even if they do, it will still just be sticking plaster over a bullet hole: "until you get rid of a disinterested distant owner who doesn't care" it'll be the same story next year.



posted on 10/1/16

Come on, look what Garde was landed with. Would any manager have done better? Sherwood achieved a momentary boost when he came in but that was with a relatively experienced and gifted spine to the team consisting of Benteke, Cleverley, Delph and Vlaar, all of whom left; after the boost even that team slumped and by the time of the cup final was going backwards and we only just survived in the PL.

Before he came in Villa had lost all but one of their previous 9 matches, and the one draw was at home to Sunderland. Garde has managed to improve the way the team plays by drawing on the players with talent (mainly ignored by Sherwood). But he still has to use some of the dross. Time and time again we're throwing away points with stupid mistakes, and we lack a player up front who knows where the goal is. Not a huge amount Garde can do about either.

Let's hope we can somehow find some decent players from somewhere and see where we go with that.

posted on 10/1/16

totally agree, Garde imo will stay and I hope he does, 2 months in the job ffs, and he has the same sheite squad Tim left, which is just not good enough, if he can bring in 3 or 4 players in Jan then judge him, the team/squad has null confidence and it shows. It takes time not just 8 weeks.

Pearson is an idiot and I really dont know why you would want him

posted on 10/1/16

Granted the squad isn't great, and things would look a lot better with a win or two, but why does Garde keep picking the likes of Westwood, Bacuna, Hutton, Richardson, Gestede and one or two others?

Most of those names shouldn't even be on the bench never mind in the first XI.

And there are alternatives. Kozak could have been given a run instead of Gestede. Richards could have been played at RB instead of Hutton. And so on.

It's almost as if someone else is picking the team and both Sherwood and Garde have to do what they are told.

posted on 10/1/16

obvs Kozak is doing something wrong as he looks to be on his way

comment by DLo1984 (U6668)

posted on 10/1/16

Totally agree about Garde not being up to it .. Can anyone that backs him please explain why Richardson,Gestede, Hutton even Gueye get in the starting line up ?? The guy has had long enough to realise these players are totally awful and we have Players like Kozak sitting on the bench .. Sorry but there is giving managers time and there are mangers that dont cut it. Garde got the job purely cause of Tom fox's links to Arsenal .. Its a total joke being a Villa fan and accepting the tripe we are being served up. Are you seriously telling me our squad is that bad !!! The teams around us are no better squad wise they just have mangers who demand 100 percent every game and a bit of fight. We have none of that and Garde is responsible !!!!

posted on 10/1/16

Well said DLo.

posted on 11/1/16

For a loooong time we've had so-called experienced professionals who throw away points or fall asleep on the pitch. It's something the manager can do something about if it's a transfer window and he's got some cash to splash, otherwise like the rest of us he has to hope. Garde hasn't yet had a transfer window.

Richardson has played far less under than under Sherwood; think he played against Wycombe because Garde wanted to rest Cissokho for Palace, Cissokho having not played much recently. If he likes what he saw with Richards at RB then Hutton could be sidelined, but remember Hutton has often been the only player prepared to go forwards. Gestede plays because he's the only player with an upfront presence, but if Garde can buy a proper striker he'll be dropped. Difficult with Gana to know whether it's just taking him a long time to settle.

ANY manager coming in would have a hell of a job, just the way Sam is having troubles at Sunderland. Two months is nothing.

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