I've got no idea who Baldini recommended and as far as I know, neither does anyone on here.
I doubt that we sacked AVB with the intention of appointing Sherwood but the board collectively might have decided that he was the best available option.
In all walks of life you have to work with people that you haven't chosen. I don't see why people think that this is more of a problem in football than any other area.
With regards to Baldini's preferred playing style. This is the first time that he has held this type of position in England. Maybe rather than being a devotee of a single style of football, he is more pragmatic and adapts his preferences to suit a league.
Have you listened to the 2nd Captain podcast I linked to on page 2? What they had to say about Baldini and AVB falling out was very interesting.
Was this them saying in the podcast that Baldini wasn't a fan of AVB's methods once he saw them, or the guy that said players didn't really like AVB's 'eccentric way of viewing football'? Either way, I don't see why their claims are any more worth listening to than the story that started this thread, or the ones that said Chelsea players liked his training methods but didn't like the man.
From a personal perspective I don't buy the 'Baldini saw AVB's methods and was turned off' as if he had no idea what those methods were in the 2 years previous that they were trying to work together. Besides, Baldini is the newcomer to the club, AVB had been here a year, and most other stories that have been more credible have been backed up more than once, where as these two stories appeared from nowhere and no one else really mentioned them to my knowledge. And again, I find it hard to believe that Baldini was so keen to work with AVB for at least a year previously (during which time he would have taken references and understood enough about his methods to want to hire the guy) only to then suddenly not like the methods once he saw them. It appears to be one of those nonsense stories that tried to piggyback off of bad form at the club but doesn't hold up the slightest bit of logical scrutiny.
And again, no one knows anything does sure really, not unless there are very basic, easy to understand quotes in a story. But it doesn't mean we can't put some various obvious pieces together to draw a pretty realistic picture for ourselves. Of course the board decided Sherwood was the best option, because they hired him. But that doesn't take away from the fact that he probably wouldn't have been, if the decision was totally Baldini's, the choice that would have been made. It just suggests the board are raking into account other consideration than what Baldini's preference would be, and whilst that isn't a problem in itself, as Sherwood may have been the best option baring in mind constraints that we are not privy to, I don't think it sends out good omens for Baldini's, or the continental structure's, time at our club.
It's a problem in football as opposed to any walk of life because we are trying to implement a structure where there is a clear plan running through the club, and where by we get the long term benefits by doing so. If the DoF isn't aligned with the coach, there's not much point in the system. If the coach does want a scout that the DoF doesn't, that represents a disconnect when the DoF is supposed to be implementing a scouting system, setting up a playing style that runs through the club and providing the coach with the players to enact that style.
I think Baldini with us has been / will be reduced to a negotiator, a deal maker if Sherwood remains. And if Baldini remains under that's arrangement, I can't imagine it will be for too long. Again, no quotes to back this up but it's my personal opinion based on what we see folding out in front of us. If Baldini picked his own coach, I'd have a lot more confidence that the continental structure will last as it would have been intended upon inception. What I feel is that Levy has decided to see how this season goes. If Tim does well and gets top 4, I think he gets more control over the club, an improved deal, and Baldini goes. If Tim performs anything below excellent, we bring in Van Gaal and he and Baldini build this club in the way the continental structure is supposed to be used.
It's the only thing that makes sense to me considering all the information we do know. I don't believe for a second Baldini has decided to alter his playing preferences because he has been given Sherwood. I thinks he's taking a nice and easy paid 6 months, knowing he either returns next season to build the is club or he goes off to some other project. It would cost Levy too much to sack him now anyway and I think he wants to keep Baldini around to keep his options open. Either Tim lives up to his own hype and delivers what he says he can or we go for LvG when the World Cup is over. There's no other reason why Levy would spend 6 hours with LvG only to the job to Tim the next day.