The Premier League took it’s second managerial casualty of the season on Sunday as Tim Sherwood was relieved of his duties as Aston Villa manager.
The news was unsurprising and probably welcomed by significant sectors of the Birmingham outfit’s fan base, who have witnessed their club pick up just four points out of a possible 30 so far this term.
That leaves the Villains at rock bottom of the Premier League table after Sunderland took all three points from Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby and subsequently, on the look out for a new manager.
But who’s in the frame to take over at Villa Park? Which managers would be open to accepting the troubled task of steering the struggling club clear of relegation?
The tabloids have already mooted a number of possible candidates so being the helpful bunch we are at Football Fancast, we’ve shortlisted the FIVE most likely.
Which of these would you like to see get the job Villa fans? Let us know by commenting below!
SEAN DYCHE
Sean Dyche may have failed to keep Burnley in the top flight last season but the fact they finished just five points short of safety and gave a positive account of themselves throughout the campaign was an achievement in itself, considering they had virtually no Premier League experience in their squad and one of the smallest budgets in the division.
Dyche demonstrated an ability to make players consistently perform beyond their means, albeit at the cost of exciting football on the most part, through discipline, organisation and motivation, suggesting he could well perform wonders with a squad of superior quality.
The Aston Villa gig would certainly intrigue the former defender but he’s committed to the long-term project at Turf Moor and was allowed to invest heavily during the summer. With Burnley currently third in the Championship, he seems unlikely to walk out.
NIGEL PEARSON
Accusing journalists of ostrich behaviour aside, Nigel Pearson was the mastermind behind Leicester City’s great escape at the end of last season, winning seven of their last ten games to become only the third club in Premier League history to avoid relegation after being bottom at Christmas.
He was sacked in favour of Claudio Ranieri during the summer as relationships with Foxes board members strained, in no part due to his son’s involvement in racist-orgy-gate.
But the 52-year-old has proved he’s capable of performing minor miracles and maintaining confidence in his own abilities even when results aren’t going his way – which could prove vital for a Villa side who haven’t won in the Premier League since the opening day of the season and haven’t picked up any points since the end of August.
Likewise, he’s well acquainted with Midlands football from his time at the King Power Stadium. Controversies, however, including his berating of a journalist, expletive rant at a fan and touchline strangling of Crystal Palace’s James McArthur, cast doubts over his capacity to handle the pressure of top flight football.
BRENDAN RODGERS
After getting the boot in favour of Jurgen Klopp earlier this month, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool tenure continues to divide opinion – some declaring he’s been hard done by, others insisting his time at Anfield has rightly come to an end.
Indeed, the northern Irishman’s complicated tactics and poor record in the transfer market slowly turned the Reds fan base against him.
But he was also the manager who guided Liverpool to a second-place finish, matching their best ever league standing throughout the Premier League era, less than two years ago and although certain aspects of his job left much to be desired, there’s no questioning Rodgers’ ability as a first and foremost head coach.
He’s an imaginative tinkerer, an entertaining character and has priot experience in relegation battles. Well, not exactly – his Swansea side finished in 11th place, a comfortable eleven points above relegation, during their debut Premier League campaign.
But the 42-year-old wants a short break before returning to management so the Villa vacancy might be a little too soon for him.
DAVID MOYES
David Moyes’ decade as Everton boss, propelling them from relegation battles towards the realms of regular European football despite operating on a shoestring budget, has unfortunately been overshadowed by his nightmare ten months as Manchester United boss, but he’s still a talented and proven manager who knows all there is to know about Premier League football.
It’s not going so well for him at Real Sociedad at the moment, winning just twelve of his 40 games in charge, and rumour has it the Scot’s adventure in Spain could soon be coming to an abrupt end.
Although Moyes has always held a soft spot for the Bundesliga, the Premier League is the right place to revive his stuttering career. Furthermore, there are plenty of similarities between the challenge of the Aston Villa job and the Everton gauntlet the 52 year-old picked up back in 2002. Particularly, a big club with a passionate fan base operating on limited financial backing.
Moyes has already turned down offers from English clubs to stay in Spain, however, so it may require Sociedad pushing out the Scot as much as Villa pulling him in.
REMI GARDE
Former Villa star Stan Collymore believes the club are already in talks with Remi Garde about the managerial vacancy whilst The Guardian also moot him as the front-runner.
The news is perhaps no great surprise, considering the 49 year-old is well respected from his tenure at Lyon and has been linked with a number of Premier League hot-seats since stepping down at Stade de Gerland in summer 2014 – particularly the Newcastle gig.
Indeed, the former Arsenal defender gained a reputation for exciting football and developing young players during his three years at Lyon – something which last year’s Ligue 1 runners-up are now reaping the rewards of through the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Nabil Fekir – and many have resultantly compared him to ex-employer Arsene Wenger.
Villa signed five French speakers and four former Ligue 1 stars during the summer, all of which have struggled to settle, and Garde’s bi-linguistic skills give him a significant advantage over the rest of the candidates on this list. Whether the Birmingham outfit can match his ambition, however, remains to be seen.
