This is a great post Chancer. I am guilty of perhaps knee jerking with regards to the appointment of Tim Sherwood and his band of merry men. I think it's madness that right now, he's playing without a more defensively minded player in the side, but that's the ramblings of a "lad on an internet forum".
I think the sacking of AVB and the appointment of Sherwood has sparked a huge backlash of those from within the game attacking the likes of AVB in favour of a "proper football man". Ex-pros like Lineker and Merson are happy to see a young English coach who knows the game inside out.
Wilson picked up on this point in his gg-criticised article:
This whole notion of you have to have played the game to have a valid opinion doesn't sit right with me. It always reads as a slap in the face of people like AVB and Mourinho who are studious about the game of football, and more importantly, us, the fans.
We are obsessive about this game. We absolutely adore this club. We watch every game, judge every player, analyze every detail to death at times. I think I personally qualify as a real "football man" myself! lol.
AVB has always come across as a real student of the game, I think he was heavily influenced by the likes of Van Gaal, Arrigo Saachi, Rinus Michels and real innovators of the game in terms of tactics. Football however has many facets which need to be addressed in order to be successful. Tactics, fitness, talent, not to mention psychology of players and the mindset of a club.
Ultimately for all a persons knowledge about the game and ideals about the way you want to play football, you will always be finally judged by your results and style of football. Perhaps it was correct to get rid of AVB, personally I would have given it until the end of the season, I feel he deserved that at the least. But that's just me.
But I do feel I'm perfectly within my rights to make a call on whether I feel our side is missing a defensive minded midfielder to bring a better balance to our side or not. Sherwood may well be innovative in his thinking here. I am happy to be proven wrong on this.
To be honest, I've read a fair bit about Saachi and his footballing philosophies too, and I subscribe to the school of thought that we don't need these specialist positions within our side but instead should have players capable of every job on the field. So defensive responsibilities should be carried out by the whole team as well as attacking duties.