After 4 years, Martin, Steve and Robbo have resigned from their jobs at our Club. In the near future other people will be appointed to fill the vacancies, perhaps from within the existing staff, perhaps from outside. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is soon upon us.
What did you make of the last 4 years? Why did they go? What happens next?
Around 4 years ago Martin O'Neill was appointed manager, just before the start of the season. The club was in the process of being passed from Ellis to Lerner, Martin knew this and knew he had some pretty decent players to work with, he knew too that the potential at Villa meant that with a fair wind he could make us much better than we had been in recent seasons. We had after all been run by a numpty and a self-obsessed clown (pin tail on donkey whichever way you wish).
For his first game away at Arsenal barely 2 weeks after he started, Martin had a squad that had a core of very decent players – amongst them Laursen, Mellberg, Barry, Agbonlahor, Bouma, Gary Cahill, Steven Davis, Sorensen and Baros. He also inherited the back up of a truly excellent youth and reserve set-up that continues to provide a good batch of promisingly talented young players.
So the raw ingredients he had to work with were by no means bad, and he had the benefit of the feelgood factor he himself brings, together with the impetus of a long overdue change of ownership, plus the prospect of strong financial backing from Randy Lerner, a man he'd met prior to accepting the managers role as Ellis was on his way out the door.
In that first game at the Emirates, the team's effort was genuine Ron Saunders 110% stuff, and despite being outplayed by Arsenal for long periods a draw was earnt, where defeat was perhaps expected. It's fair to say that the Villans, including myself, in the away end that day were pretty euphoric throughout the match. Things were on the up.
Throughout Martin's 4 years as manager, the away games have been a real joy to go to, by and large. The style of play, the commitment, the resolve and the results have been excellent, for the most part. Over the 4 years, I'd say 8 or 9/10 would be a fair mark. From local derbies to games at Old Trafford, the Emirates, Anfield and so on, the team and the manager has done the fans proud.
At home things have been less clear cut. Results have been more mixed. Too many draws, some soft defeats and some pretty depressing cup exits to the likes of QPR and Leicester. Of course there have been some highlights, too. Blackburn in the cup last season, beating Chelsea and Morinho – he never won a game at VP, Jose. Whatever happened to him, anyway? A series of high scoring games towards the end of the season before last, culminating in an absolute shoeing of Small Heath. Marvellous.
This failure to really produce top form, consistently at home is something that produced an undercurrent of muttering about the style of play amongst a fair proportion of fans. Predictability (no "plan B"), inflexible selection and substitutions, over-playing players to the point of injury or exhaustion are all comments that have a degree of validity about them. But when all the talking has stopped, it's undeniable that each season the team did better than the previous one. Villa had returned to the top quarter of English football.
This has been done at a fair old expense, both in terms of outlay on transfer fees and the overall wage bill. Randy has funded transfers to the tune of just short of £100 million, net, in the past 4 years.
With signings such as Ashley Young, James Milner and Richard Dunne, Martin showed an eye for picking players he could work with and improve and gel seamlessly into the side.
Other players, such as Martin Laursen, Gareth Barry, Freddie Bouma and Gabby also benefitted greatly from Martin's influence.
Then there's the case of Nigel Reo-Coker. He's a player who I think has improved a deal under MO'N and his coaches. His passing is far better than in his first season here, the needless bookings eliminated, and the commitment on the pitch maintained…..But…..But he isn't (or wasn't) a regular. 8 million quid for a squad player.
Luke Young an excellent right back, again expensive, but often left on the bench while a centre half plays right back. A quirk that has been apparent throughout MO'N's time is the curiosity of playing the likes of Olly Mellberg, Craig Gardner and Carlos Cuellar at right back, rather than a "proper" full-back.
And the next category to look at is the one that contains Marlon Harewood, Nicky Shorey, Emille Heskey, Zat knight, Steve Sidwell and Habib Beye – players signed for sizeable fees and wages who bluntly are not good enough for a side challenging, or wanting to challenge for a top 4 place. The jury is out too on a few others – Stewart Downing has yet to show he's worth 12 million quid, Curtis Davies started well, got injured and hasn't threatened to recapture that first year's form ever since.
In terms of "why did he go?" my take on things is that a combination of the real downer of going so close in the cups and to the top 4, but on each occasion falling short, through being outplayed, outspent, out thought or just through poor refereeing has taken a big toll on morale. Combine that with new found ability of Man City to just buy the Moon on a stick if they want, and the continuing presence of Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal in a class above and I think the will to keep going at it has ebbed away. Add in disappointment at not being given yet another 30 million to spend on players and the sensible need to keep wages in check and you have the loss of the vital spark that is a key part of MO'N's persona.
I make absolutely clear that the past 4 years, for me, have been hugely enjoyable as a Villa fan, and for that definite thanks go to Martin O'Neill, SW and JR, plus of course Randy Lerner. Whatever we write or think about the ins and outs of it all, basically the purpose of football, for me at least is to provide enjoyment. And Martin's teams did that; they restored a deal of pride to a very badly tarnished club.
So what next? The timing leaves a lot to be desired, to say the least. Kevin McDonald who has done superb work with the reserves will be in charge for the West Ham game, and I'd have no problem with him carrying on for longer, should he wish to do so, though I don't want to see the reserve and youth pipeline broken to fix the first team.
This is now the first real test for Randy Lerner, though Martin O'Neill wouldn't have come to Villa without Randy taking over, he was already on a short list of two, pretty much. This time, the choice is all Randy's. Will he go for Jürgen Klinsmann this time? We'll see.
