I wasn't going to post today because it's Friday and I've got a lot on over the next couple of weeks that needs actual work, but I feel as if I was forced to write this post by Aston Villa CEO, Paul Faulkner.
After everything that has gone on this week, the last thing the manager needs is the CEO coming out setting targets. Surely these things are something that would have been agreed before the season started and if they were, why are we getting told now?
I suppose you could liken this to the manager getting the public support from the chairman and seeing ours doesn't speak - could this be what is happening, but in a different form and from the CEO?
Spin and hope
Let me put my spin on it and the reason why I've posted what he said below. You see, if Europe is the target and he doesn't get it, surely that means he has failed at his job and if he has failed, surely that is a good excuse for the CEO to give the manager the sack - at the exact same time as saying 'our target is Europe' for any new manager they might be speaking with.
The thins is, Europe isn't just something that randomly happens. You need to be culturally up for it or spend a bit of money and have a manager that knows what he is doing. Culturally it is more than possible at a lot of clubs, but we are so far from it at the moment, that any new manager coming in is going to want to know the club have targets - but at the exact same time, because we are so far from it culturally, he is going to want to know he is going to have money to spend.
So, me posting the comments below is something to link back to when we are out of the fight for Europe and I don't mean mathematically, I mean realistically.
The reason; we can look back at previous seasons and say, with a fair amount of confidence, what the chances of the team sitting in a specific position have of finishing in Europe - it isn't rocket science. Basically, we can put a likelihood score on our chances.
We will be able to say, with a fair amount of confidence, if this manager will get us European football this season before Christmas and if we can say, with little doubt, that the answer is no - then that in itself, is reason to call on the owner and CEO to sack this clown and bring in someone else - hopefully a process they started a long time ago.
I for one think he should go now. He isn't up to it and it isn't just this season that tells me that, but now the club have provided us a target, it isn't long before we can start asking them to act upon what they have said. Actions and words and all that.
Words
I think Europe sits there as a goal and this year that would be our goal – that’s what we want to try to achieve. It’s not easy because there’s other clubs trying to do the same, but we want to do that. I believe it’s do-able this year.
We’ve got lots of ambition. The Premier League is a very, very tough league, but Villa is a great club and we should be up there challenging at the top of the league and we should be there pushing for Europe.
I really do think, if we can put a good run together, we’ve got a good squad. I think this year is one where we want to be there pushing to qualify for Europe.
Exactly where that means we’re not really clear yet, but I think that’s got to be the goal and it should always be the goal for a club like Villa.