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Given the frequent turnover of Villa manager’s of late, you could be forgiven for finding the latest “hunt” for the new boss tiresome.
It truly comes to something when as supporters we are bickering and mindlessly debating the true dregs of the football manager job market.
Any attempt to comprehend the rationale for revisiting the likes of Sherwood or risking everything on another unknown quantity, defies explanation.
It is though a list of candidates which makes for either comical, scary or outright risky reading.
After an apparent group of possible candidates were shortlisted [the longlist wouldn’t have taken long to whittle down surely?] – Villa’s hierarchy have been reported to have met with Steve Bruce repeatedly.
This leads many to believe, well placed press and supporter representatives alike, that Steve Bruce will shortly be unveiled as the new Villa boss.
The Villa Underground can’t pretend to be 100% sure of this appointment. However, when was the last time we could be, indeed, if ever?
With each failed appointment, the task of replacing and correcting the failure that came before it becomes greater. With the risk rising exponentially, the suitability of candidates appears to take a counter trajectory.
At a time where we need an assured, bullet proof appointment, it’s certainly slim pickings.
Bruce, on paper, is arguably the most logical amongst options whom we at Aston Villa can now reasonably expect to lure.
A free agent, he has experience of taking teams back to the Premier League. His experience of this extends over many years but more reassuring did this with Hull just last season.
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The biggest challenge for Bruce will be being charged with turning things around quickly, with the added hindrance of being the former Birmingham City boss.
The latter shouldn’t be so significant, but he will inevitably be afforded little grace given our poor start in the Championship, the history that precedes both parties and that a Birmingham derby looms.
Putting aside the years of rivalry, incessant ridicule received on the touchline and memories of him celebrating victories against us are readily dismissed, but in the real world things play out somewhat differently.
In his favour are a number of factors.
Villa invested wisely in the summer. The new faces have been badly implemented to date, but Bruce will inherit a team that with some thought has the potential to improve.
It would also be interesting to see how a relative veteran of the game, both as a player and also as a manager will approach the task at hand.
Ultimately, it boils down to the simple facts. As a club we are starting to reach the point where things urgently need to turn a corner.
For many years we ambled along aimlessly in the Premier League.
We suffered a gradual, preventable, decline, but now risk finding ourselves thrashing around desperately in The Championship. If unchecked, this has the potential to make matters very grim indeed.
If Bruce is appointed, no sane person’s response would be to hold a position other than to back him. He is charged with improving our fortunes after-all.
However, the lack of managerial options throughout the process should open our eyes to the fact that this instability cannot continue indefinitely without inflicting greater harm upon our football club.
Indeed, even the manager of Huddersfield Town wouldn’t even entertain the notion of risking his reputation at Villa Park, which reveals exactly where our stock sits within football right now.
LATEST PODCAST RELEASED
You can hear the demise of Di Matteo and the Villa Park managerial merry-go-round discussed on the latest episode of the podcast here. Also hear the latest fan questions answered, ‘Jedinaks Jungle’ & ‘5 Reasons To Be Cheerful’:
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AYEW INJURED FOR GHANA
Jordan Ayew has returned to Bodymoor Heath after suffering an injury whilst on international duty.
The injury has not yet been clarified at the time of writing & so it’s unclear whether this will see the Ghanain sit out this weekends clash against Wolves at Villa Park.
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