I just hope these people are right about him. I can understand the excitement towards a new Manager but I do think the pressure on him to deliver from the fans (based on what is being written on this forum) is already unrealistically high.
He isn't taking over a failing club where the only way is up. He is taking over a settled squad and team that has already been performing to a very high standard and yet apparently:
- He is going to revamp the entire culture at the club
- He is going to get rid of the older players, play youth and have the team performing better than they have been the last three seasons
- He is going to have us playing tactically superior, attractive football whilst being totally solid at the back
- He is apparently an excellent coach (despite never having played even at a semi-pro level, and only reaching the position of "assistant" coach at Chelsea!) and is going to improve players like Bale.
- At Chelsea the only reason he didn't succeed was because he wasn't backed by the Board and because of the nasty Chelsea player clique. Apparently it seems no Manager could have performed under those circumstances and been successful......ever.
- People are looking forward to having him in the media spotlight after the last Manager because his PR is superb and he is a very nice guy who doesn't kitten himself out
- He will be our Manager for years to come so can build for the future whilst improving us in the present (this is despite the fact that he has shown zero loyalty to any club prior to us, and whether our own like to admit at once has only been under pressure once in his short managerial career and floundered massively).
The above isn't my perception of what is being said. I copy and paste comments I deem to be overly speculative or controversial and keep them in a file and all of the above HAS been stated by various posters on this board.
I hope they're right, I really do. But it's funny how not one single AVB follower will stick their colours to the mast and say next season will be an improvement on last year. Normally they come back with it doesn't matter what the results are as under AVB we're building for the future......
Why would he not revamp the culture? He's a completely different type of manager to Harry. In terms of preparation, in terms of having a set plan or style of play that runs from the youth teams to the first team, with the help of Sherwood implementing it and them working together it's hardly unattainable. What else do you mean by culture?
He probably will play more younger players. Levy has suggested in his statement that this is the plan. Again, not a totally ridiculous aim.
Coaches can be good if they weren't players. He's highly rated in the game. He is a coach in the sense that Harry is a manager. I don't really care if he only rose to assistant coach at Chelsea, he rose to be Head Coach at Spurs. He has impressed our chairman with his ideas, and our chairman probably knows a fair bit about football now to know whether someone knows what they are talking about or not. There can be mistakes, and I imagine he went for Ramos, seeing from the outside that he would be a good coach, and Ramos accepted. I think this time, he's gone for AVB sure, but AVB has also had to sell himself, even more so because of what happened at Chelsea.
The Chelsea thing...it doesn't have to be for a notion that players are 'evil' or that AVB is a brick coach, or that no other coach could have done well with the squad. The fit has to be right. If not, the results won't come. It doesn't mean that AVB isn't objectively a good coach or that if he finds the right fit he won't be successful. Why did Rodgers fail at Reading? Pardew at nearly everywhere before Saudi Sportswashing Machine? They were talented, they just need the right fit. I'm sure AVB could have done different things at Chelsea, but so could the players, and so should have Roman. But if everyone acted differently, they wouldn't be being who they are. It's important to be yourself in any situation, to know your strengths and know your value. If something isn't a good fit, find somewhere that is. There's a lot of reason to think he's found that with us.
Totally reasonable for people to look forward to having a manager that doesn't seek the spotlight like Harry does. Nothing wrong with that.
AVB wants the right 'project' that means he can leave something behind. He says as much in the interview Nayim posted. He only wants a 15 year coaching career and then wants to spend time with his family. But he wants something he can be proud of. I absolutely believe that if he is on the cusp of winning the league with us, or even taking us even closer than Harry did, he will see it through. There's always the chance Real or Barca could come calling, but that's the case with any manager. As I keep saying, not a reason to not hire somebody.
I'll nail my colours to the mast and say we will absolutely be among the clubs challenging for the top 4 again. Since you want someone to do it, I will. I will say that we will definitely not be below 6th, and that he won't be a failure. Can't predict anything more than that, because as you know there are a lot of other good clubs in the league that we will do well to challenge again. But I believe we will be well in the conversation for 3rd or 4th.
