Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Swain’s take on Martinez’s Villa snub
Friday 10th June 2011, 1:00PM BST.
If there was any doubt about the scale and pace of Aston Villa’s alarming decline, it has been banished by Roberto Martinez’s rejection.
Who would have thought the day would ever come when Villa could not put together a package alluring enough to persuade the manager of Wigan Athletic to switch jobs?
Villa fans will ruefully acknowledge that football’s food chain decrees Ashley Young will sign for Manchester United, just as Dwight Yorke did 13 years ago and just as Gareth Barry and James Milner were poached by Manchester City’s enormous pay cheques.
The claret and blue faithful will equally accept that, ever since missing out on the boom of the Premier League 15 years ago, they are destined to always be pushing their noses against the window separating the club from the Champions League’s VIP lounge.
But they will be left bemused and bewildered by the news that a 37-year-old rookie boss from one of the smallest clubs in the top two divisions – never mind the top flight – has said ‘thanks but no thanks’ to an offer to take the reins.
Martinez is a rare animal in today’s scandal-drenched, money-obsessed game – a principled figure who believes he still owes something to his current employers after being given both opportunity and then backing during a trying Premier League baptism.
But, undoubtedly, he found it a darn sight easier to reject Villa’s overtures now then he would have done 10 months ago.
Just 10 months ago. That’s all. When Villa were fresh out of the Carling Cup final and FA Cup semi-finals, finishing sixth having spent a large proportion of the season pushing for fourth and even beyond, packed with top-class players and run by an owner who stayed out of the way but backed his manager in the transfer market when needed.
What’s changed? Villa have slithered down to scraping a finish in the top half of the table but with what looks like the last of the family silver – Young and possibly Stewart Downing – being flogged in the summer.
They have a disaffected squad unsettled by a season of discontent over the faltering reign of boss Gerard Houllier.
The ‘big boys’ they were chasing – United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Spurs – are disappearing over the horizon.
Now it’s all Villa can manage to finish top dogs in their own West Midlands back yard.
There is no single person who can be blamed for this sudden collapse from four, five years of steady growth and mounting excitement under Lerner, rather a chain of events which sees just about everyone culpable.
The timing of Martin O’Neill’s resignation as manager has forever stained his standing within the Villa community. The Irishman would, of course, dispute the charge vehemently, but Villa fans believe it to have been unnecessarily vindictive.
The selection of Houllier, long out of touch with the Premier League and compromised by his health record, seemed to confirm what many feared in the wake of the American regime’s decision to expunge the club of all its experienced operators.
Once O’Neill had gone and taken his ‘team’ with him, the club were left bereft of personnel who knew the ways of head-hunting through the Premier League jungle.
Houllier’s performance itself was sadly underwhelming and riddled with gaffes which displayed an ego running disproportionate to his achievements.
While he was upsetting supporters by waving affectionately to the Kop while showing an absence of knowledge of, and regard for, Villa’s history, he wasn’t getting on much better with key figures in his dressing room.
It was dangerous, some might say foolhardy, to make enemies of so many senior players when a season of transition beckoned.
But, even allowing for their resistance to the new boss, they cannot escape blame for some of the wretched performances delivered in the name of Aston Villa last season less than a year after they were threatening to dislodge the old order at the top of the table.
No one person, no single cause. Put it all together, however, and you’ve got an episode of When Football Goes Bad. VThe Villa of 2010-11 became a template for how not to run a club.
The Martinez episode is just one more depressing link in that chain of mis-management and now casts a shadow over the man who will step into the role.
That manager will be a second choice and he and the players will know it. And all this still waiting to be concluded 50 days or more since Villa knew they would need someone to replace the stricken Houllier.
Lerner’s regime has brought some major advances from the fumbling last years of the Doug Ellis era.
But, right now, they are going backwards at an alarming rate.
By Martin Swain
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A brilliant concise summing up of what went wrong at Villa and what continues to be wrong – including spending too long in appointing a manager.
Well who will want the job ??
The fans are hard to please on that. 12 months ago I would have given Curbishley the chance.
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I think you are missing the entire point, there was no offer, there was no meeting. Martinez clearly has some loyalty and this is a rare trait in football these days
Dave Wheelan pulled a fast one saying how well Villa had behaved and blabbed all what was going on to protect his man.
Either way you are being completely melodramatic about the whole situation. Yes we may be in a period of transition but this is more than required. It is quite clear that none of you in the press have any idea what is going on as Mr Lerner never gives you anything and you lot don’t like it. Sorry to say I and a number of Villa supporters find it hilarious.
Randy Lerner has not let this club down yet and will not do so this time. He will appoint the right man and get some stability back into the place.
effectively 4 managers in one season and still finished top half of the table. Not sure many clubs could have done that
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Hoddle anyone??
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He wasn’t even interviewed! This is all spin by Dave Whelan to make his club look bigger than they are and you’ve fallen for it hook line and anti-Villa sinker.
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Time to admit that we’ve all been had by Dave Whelan.
No meeting ever took place with villa, but now Whelan has increased the reputation (and value) of his manager and tied him to a longer contract in one swift move!
Should anyone come calling next summer or even January it would be quite a nice pay day for Mr Whelan and Wigan.
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What a terrible article. The reason Martinez turned down Villa was nothing to do with the current state of the club. Its because he has been affiliated with Wigan for most of his playing/managerial career, has a great affinity with the Wigan chairman and is showing signs of turning Wigan into a decent premiership team. Since christmas and the return of their star midfielder (McCarthy) Wigan have shown top 10 form, while playing attractive, easy on the eye football.
12 months ago Roberto Martinez would have still turned Villa down. He has shown loyalty which has usurped the lure of bigger stadium, fan base, chance of success, personal wage, transfer kitty etc.
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Yet another depressing Summer at AVFC. Thankfully the Ashley Young saga is being dusted off quickly.
I really can’t think of a single candidate who jumps out. I personally like the idea of a young, ambitious manager rather than an old fossil like Grant (please NO), McClaren, Curbishley etc..
We need some charisma, someone who can relate to professional “young” footballers.
I just hope this is dealt with quickly so the mega can get off our backs.
Zola?
UTV
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mega? I meant ‘media’
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Absolutely spot-on analysis of the situation Martin and anyone who disagrees simply can’t face up to an unpalateable truth. Villa clearly wanted Martinez from the off and actually played a patient wiating game in a bid to seal the deal. Personally, while you do have to admire his loyalty I also thing Martinez is a mug. What’s he got to look forward to apart from another season attempting to keep Wigan in the top flight and in all likelihood without his best player -N’zogbia
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No, no. He was only in Birmingham for a few days on a city break!!
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Good to see the black country loving paper bash the birmingham teams.
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Paragraph 4 of the article:
But they will be left bemused and bewildered by the news that a 37-year-old rookie boss from one of the smallest clubs in the top two divisions – never mind the top flight – has said ‘thanks but no thanks’ to an offer to take the reins.
It is clear to anybody paying attention that Martinez received no such offer. He declined to be interviewed is all.
Hard to argue with the rest of the piece, unfortunately.
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Good comments, unfortunately!!
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Well said Nick
What a terrible article. You should be done for plagiarising Adrian Durham. I suggest you go back to basics and report the issues properly and based on facts before spreading this sort of muck over your rag in a blatant attempt to appear controversial.
Furthermore may I suggest you actually go to games and watch Villa at least twice before formulating your pathetic opinions. You cannot be a proper journo from your armchair.
When did downing say he wanted to leave? Young was always going once United came sniffing as most of the half decent players in the Prem would, what about Nasri, Modric, Bale, Clichy? Does that mean Spurs and Arsenal are in terminal decline also?
Please stop being so negative, Lerner is one of the best things to happen to this club, and when we need to know something we will be told. Whoever comes in I will support and have already renewed my season ticket. Perhaps I could have your job as I actually watch the games, it cant be that hard!
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2,4 and 5) it was widely reported Martinez met Learner yesterday, is this not true then?
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I have to agree with Nick, Dave and Dennis.
No offer was made, therefore making this article very very pointless!!!!
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What a concise piece of journalism that is. What package put together and when did he say “thanks but no thanks”. All we know is that Martinez chose to stay with his current employer out of loyalty and…. a big pay rise. There was no communication between the club and Martinez.
As for the rest of it, what a load of guff.
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Crass journalism at its best
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This is now embarrassing for the once top midland club.
The pull of Wigan is stronger than that of Villa.
Top players leaving like RFASS, and average managers not even considering taking you on.
Within the next season, the midlands club hierarchy will read ;
1.Wolverhampton wanderers
2,Aston vila
3,Birmingham city
4,West brum /walsall
Its a shame. But things move on. At least you will be second.
“My old man, said be a vila fan,,,” av a banana.
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What a stupid anti-villa article!! Anyone would think that we were Portsmouth the way you are going on!
Aston Villa never even spoke to the Wigan manager!!
They will apoint a new manager very soon and next year will no doubt be among the top Six, at least .
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Yet more sloppy journalism showing little understanding of what is happening in B6. RM was not offered the job merely the opportunity to be interviewed. This information was circulated by his Chairman and out of loyalty or perhaps an intelligent understanding of his own capabilities he declined this opportunity.
Sniping is something we get used to especially from the L
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what about trying for Coyle ,he had a good season with Bolton and have more to work than Bolton
.
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are we in the middle of Mark Hughes’ one month cooling off period from when he resigned from Fulham???????!!!!!!!!!! You know, the period written into his contract with Fulham where he cannot approach or be approached by a n other within 1 month of leaving them.
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see 16 – I missed out “supposedly/allegedly” written into his contract.
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Always good not to let facts get in the way of a half baked story!!
He declined the chance to have an interview, not have the job, while getting himself a nice pay rise at the samw time.
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19) Loving your made up league table, “Nurse, Nurse!, hes out of bed again”
Lobo, short for lobotomy presumably!
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I am a Wigan Athletic fan living in Willenhall. I am fed up of everyone slagging Wigan off all the time. They have been in the premier for seven years and have fully deserved it. We have the best chairman in the premier and Martineez has shown his loyalty to the club knowing where he is better off and better appreciated. We are not glory hunters but enjoy Wigan being a family club with ambition
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if it was up to me , i would go for david moyes
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Love it, all you Villa fans in denial, god forbid a manager has turned you down! deal with it! The truth is evident you were once within touching distance of top four but you are now a million miles from competing in that company. Who’s faults this well look at the chair he should have come in and took you to the next level instead I fear you’ve become mediocre. Last season surely was a blip but without clever investment you’ll struggle again with all of us (wolves fan) I personally wish to see all maidland clubs dominate the top of the table and I really hope this is just a ploy to kill time before Mr Hughes is employed. However I fear he’ll become part of chelsea and you’ll end up with dross. I have no faith in your chair neither should you!
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My the media don’t like Villa do they? Could it be because our chairman refuses to talk to you…
If you look at what Dave Whelan actually said yesterday it was he was meeting with Martinez at lunchtime today and Martinez would have to decide if he was signing a new contract with Wigan or going to ‘talk’ to Villa.
Obviously he was given a deadline by Wigan and had the choice of signing his contract or talking to Villa. A slightly different situation from being offered the Villa job and choosing to stay at Wigan.
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Wonderful to see the arrogant,deluded fans of a club in turmoil and serious decline, panicking as their ‘big’ club falls apart at the seams.Loving it!!
Pssst-don’t tell everyone but they won the European Cup once,about 30 years ago.
Laughing stock!!
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Villa were done up like kippers; Whelan (DW) played a blinder, getting massive publicity for him,Martinez (RM) and Wigan (WAFC); Imagine the scenario, DW phones RM and says got a fax from AVFC,he says “I would remind you of how I’ve stuck by you and would have even if WAFC went down, also if you go to AVFC and they are in the bottom 3 at Xmas, they’ll get rid of ya and you’ll probably neber get a Prem job again, also AVFC are disfunctional, lot’s of in-fighting and a selling club, but we’ll play along, I’ll sing your praises, say you are loyal and that kills all the grief you got by walking out on Swansea”, RM could hardly do the dirty again, could he?
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I heard John Deehan singing the praises of the one and only ‘Muppet’ Mick McCarthy on Talkcobblers on friday evening, please please please make an approach, I beg you Villa, I beg you !
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