Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: Avfc94 
Date:Monday April 30 2012
Time: 9:59AM
UK time is: 09:46:59
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If You Were Manager?!?!
Could you be what the villa need?
Every article about managers seems to be about how Eck should be shot... I mean... sacked..... or who our next manager will be. But to lighten spirits, how would any of us do as a manager?
Yes, most of us will be a better appointment than the ginger nut shell but how would we do as a manager? Despite having no training in an academy. The idiot managed to do it, so what about any of us.
Me, I would get the team to play an attacking style of football, no matter who we are against. I play a short, fast paced style. I would use the wings to cross in or for the wingers to cut in and take a shot. I would want to have lots of through balls. I would like passing in space to create time for themselves. I would like my forwards to be poachers, not target men.
So... My tactics and line up. 4-4-2 attacking.
Given in goal with Clark and Cuellar in front, Herd on the right of them with Lichaj on the left. In the middle of the field, Gardner paired with Ireland. N'Zogbia on the left and Albrighton on the left. Up front, Bent and Agbonlahor.
The tactics. I would want Herd to play as a defensive-winger whilst Lichaj being our fullback. Clark will be the limited defender whilst Cuellar will be the marksman, the one getting his head on the ball and the hard tackler. Irelend would be the main man in the middle sticking in the middle making passes to support the strikers and wingers, not to run up and take a shot. Gardner, he would be our Gerrard. He would be running up into dangerous areas, making vital passes across the box to free man to put in the back of the net or to take a shot. N'Zogbia, he would be used as our Messi. Taking players, cutting through the defense and either putting the ball away or passing to an open man across the box. Albrighton will be used to whip in supreme crosses in dangerous areas. Bent will be waiting in the box, where he is best, to put his foot behind the ball on a low cross or taking on the keeper from a through ball. Agbonlahor will be the one that finishes low crosses, high crosses and taking defenders on to pass to his partner.
The captain will be Ireland as he is the one that can visually organise the team, he will tell players to pass into certain areas or to a free man. The player taking direct free kicks will be Gardner, second man for this will be Albrighton and third will be Ireland. Indirect will be Taken by Ireland, second favourite will be Albrighton and third will be Clark. Penalties, first choice will be Bent, second will be Ireland, third Albrighton, fourth will be Garner, fifth N'Zogbia, sixth Agbonlahor and seventh will be Clark. Free kicks will be Albrighton as the primary taker, second will be Ireland and third will be Gardner.
So, what would you be like in the hot seat? McLeish, eat your heart out.
Avfc94
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Your Comments
I'd give the team a link to Vital Villa, tell them to follow every bit of advice on there, and then go down the pub.
tmg513
I would play a diamond 4-4-2 with Bent & Gabby up top. I would teach Gabby how to get in the box and also where I want him to make his runs. I would play Herd as the DM, Gardner & Albrighton as the wider men with Albrighton being more of a wide man and Gardener bombing up and down. Ireland at the head of the diamond playing in Gabby & Bent around 20 times a game so Bent should score about 6 and Gabby may get the odd one every 5 games. (Maybe Wiemann if Gabbys finisghing doesnt improve). I would play the Zog as an attacking LB, I would play Lichaj RB for his throw ins, maybe Herd if I played Warnock as DM. I would have Clark & Baker at the back as if we are scoring 4 a game we can concede the odd one while they get match practice!
I would also employ Paul McKenna to get the team thinking as positive as I do, they are unbeatable, they are invincible. We will never play to draw and we will never look up to our opposition. We will stand toe to toe and go all Rocky on them, I would even go as far as playing the Rocky soundtrack in the dressing room pre match. I would break the heating in the away dressing room, I would tamper with the showers also so they got from boiling hot to freezing cold without warning. No opposition player will ever like coming to Villa ever again!!
Chelt Villan
Just simply a modern approach. The kind of football people want to see. You don't have to be Barcelona, just look at Swansea, Burnley (under Owen Coyle), Blackpool etc. Attack and entertain. Yeah sure, a few of those teams were relegated, at least they went down in style. Difference is Villa will always have better players. Oh and when it comes to transfers I wouldn't spend millions of pounds on crap players. I would also wear a suit jacket, shirt and tie but with football shorts and boots. And have a drinking problem.
Stephen Jay Hawkings
I would use brian clough methods, tell the chairman to pull his finger out, punch hutton in the stomach, Then get drunk in my office.
lerneravfc
I can't see N'Zogbia and Albrighton on the left working ;)
AVNath
I would do a MON on Hutton and bench him... Forever.
Zarch
given in goal, baker, clark and cuellar cb, nzog lwb, lihaj rwb, gardner + delph anchors, irleand am, gabby and bent, bent playing on the shoulder gabby making runs from deep in a kind of 5 3 2 (in old school terms) or same defence with herd as an anchor drop gabby and play the same midfield in a 5 4 1 diamond. but as graham taylor said, the fans team always wins as it never has to face the oposition
deaf dean
or is that too defensive? no i am not eck in disguise
deaf dean
I would play a 3-5-2 formation against the teams below Citeh Chelski Manuire and a 5-3-2 against the top 3 sides, counter attack away from home with 3-5-2 i would have 2 sitting in front of the back 3 and let the wide men get forward as much as possible, where against the top 3 sides i would rely on the wide full backs to push forward yet still have 3 at the back and 2 sitting and protecting them in midield to stop the silva's scholes etc from picking up lose balls and causing problems. I have been saying this formation would work for ages, Dalglish played it at stamford bridge 3-5-2 and it stifled chelski's midfield and allowed liverpool to get forward in the wide areas and push chelski back, also Bialsa of Atletico Bilbao has been playing these formations and they outplayed manuire in the europa league, Swansea's style of football in a 5 man midfield is the way to go dominate teams rather than like we have all season be dominated i say!
clivethevillan
Formation 3-5-2 Gk-Given CB-Cueller-CB-Clark-CB-Collins-RWB-Albrighton-LWB-N'Zogbia-CM-Makoun-CM-Herd-CAM-Gardner-FWD-Gabby-Stkr-DB-. I would have Makoun and Herd sitting in front of the back 3 and let Garner wonder and create and score goals getting forward and joining Gabby and DB9, N'zogbia played left back for the toon army so he is can add width as a left wing back bombing forward, and Albrighton as a right wing back he would need work on his defensive side but he can learn. Gabby as a centre forward and DB9 lurking in the box waiting for crosses from N'zoggy and Albright's, thats the way i would go, Mcleish has never even tried a new system or formation tactics he has no variation in his locker.
clivethevillan
To be in Ecks position you cant cheat and have got to use what he has available at the moment so no db9 . Given Lichaj, Dunne,Collins(if fit) Baker if not, Warnock Herd and Clarke holding Ireland left Albrighton right Nzobia in the hole with a licence to roam Gabby up front
Merlin128777
Personally I would play both keepers, 8 defenders, 6 midfielders and 12 strikers and hope that nobody notices.
voiceoftheholte
If I were manager I'd get Guardiola as my assistant and let him do the team. I'd do the TV etc and revel in the money.
chocolate teapot
Then I'd get Guardiola to tap up Messi and friends and explain to them the delights of living in Brum. How could it go wrong?
chocolate teapot
I wouldn`t sit in the middle seat.
lerneravfc
I would tell everybody my name is Ron Saunders, that the Chairman has to keep his nose out of team affairs, I would demand loyalty and expect my players to give 110% every game. I would never smile even after taking us the the league Title. I would then demand that a Stand me named after me rather than an ex chairman.
voiceoftheholte
lol choc like it .
Merlin128777
1st job for me would be to get the pride and passion back ...
ByEck
If I was Aston Villa manager I'd be givin it all sorts of rascal behaviour each week. I'd be in the press goin "yeah, we're 15th, but John Terry's going to jail and then hell. Which is worse?" or "Zoggy can tweet all he likes, he's the undisputed FIFA champion at the club". When it comes to match-days I'll put 3 strikers up front, then when we take a 3-goal lead, sub the keeper for another striker just so they get the message. When we then concede 5, that's when I'll worry about defending. If the chairman says I can't have any money for players I'd sell his car and use the money to pay for Darren Bent's surgery, saying that he owes the chairman a personal debt and to sign a new deal. I'd sign autographs and have pictures after every game and if the supporters threw bricks at me I'd take it, as the customer's always right. If players underperformed I'd make them play the next game in their pants and vest and if they played excellently each week they'd only get beatings with a ruler instead of a cane (it's a carrot/stick regime I'm running here). I'd play mind games with Sir Alex in the form of riddles and guerrilla warfare and applaud referees who make ridiculous decisions during matches, all the while doctoring footage of them wearing opposition shirts. Match of The Day would be refused the right to broadcast Villa games and highlights as payback for all the years we've played second fiddle on the show, and we'd have our own YouTube channel called HolteEnders where games, press conferences and everything Villa is shown, totally free. Actually, cancel that last idea, it's not very realistic.......
mmlozza
I'd do the following
1) work on set pieces, get some decent corner routines and leverage the long throw of Lichaj. get the players practising patterns / runs and individuals practising dead ball delivery.
2) get them working on movement without the ball. Practising running into space and providing options for the man with the ball
3) finishing - every out field player would be practising finishing but the forwards would get extra duty. Not being able to hit a cows proverbial aint good enough.
4) based upon the players we have I'd emphasise quick delivery into the box anytime the ball goes wide, hard and fast no faffing around or trying to beat everyone or cutting in.
5) right footed players on the right, left footed players on the left.
6) the pacy forwards (gabby, bent, fonz, weiman) would be drilled in coming short for the ball, returning it to midfield and then spinning in behind allowing through balls to be played
7) the get out of jail ball - hard into the corners with players chasing. If no obvious pass (even for the keeper) put it into the corner.
8) defensively I would train two banks of four leaving two up top. Full backs would not abandon the wings and try to play as centrehalves they would cut out the cross at source.
As far as personnel go, Collins and Clark would be my first choice centrehalves (sorry can't see the fascination with Cuellar) Lichaj and either Hutton or his replacement as full backs. Ireland or Carruthers would be the play maker in midfield with Herd alongside them, along with Warnock on the left (yes that's right) and possibly Albrighton on the right. The forwards would be any two from those available. For certain games I'd go 3 across the back (eg arsenal) and add an extra body in midfield which could be acomplished by Nzog on the left or by putting Gardner into the centre.
AVbornandbred
A better job than the current incumbent
notthedougellisstand
If I had to work with the current situation I would get down to the Bham bullets basketball team and sign as many players a possible that are as tall as the cross bar, ideally maybe just below it to allow room to move. I would line the 8 of them up on the line with Shay in front and play for a nil nil vs Spurs as I believe thats enough to keep us up. Obviously I am hoping to catch them on the break and therefore have Gabby and maybe Darren Campbell upfront. When Shay gets the ball he launches it to them, I think even with those tac tics I am more positive than Eck as I am playing for a draw / win rather than not to lose / draw if possible
Chelt Villan
tell the players to pretend the ball is ecks head and be positive about sending it to the back of the net
leftfoot
I don't think anyone of the posters here have had the training to do a better job than McLeish. If you did have it you possibly could. One thing I'm fairly certain of is that virtually everyone who posts on VV could probably do a better job than Randy Lerner in identifying a decent coach/manager for the club. Actually doing the recruiting might be hard but Houllier and McLeish? Please. Maybe those two really were the best they could do?
VillaWillRiseAgain
I would dye my hair ginger and try to get us relegated, blaming global warming and leaves on the track along the way.
DoLpHiNaToR
If I were manager I would appoint Ian Holloway as my deputy, sit back, and enjoy watching my team
stennyvilla
LOL DoLpHiNaToR please don't dye your hair ginger! If i was manager i would retire after a season cos i would be a millionaire and say ''UP YOURS'' to the lot on ya, and sit in Tenerife sipping Sangria with them little fruity umbrella's in the glass ;)
ClivetheVillan
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