Aston Villa: club in crisis?

A week after John Gregory's departure, Villa's star striker Juan Pablo Angel looks set to follow suit.

Is Ellis' empire beginning to unravel?

Gregory quit the managerial hotseat at Aston Villa last week, amid talk of clashes with chairman Doug Ellis.

And shocked fans are now coming to terms with the news that star striker Angel, who has scored 14 goals this season, may be following him out of the door.

Most fans blame Ellis for the turmoil, and a protest urging the chairman to quit is being planned ahead of Villa's next home match.

Just what can be done to steady the ship at Aston Villa?

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As a passionate River Plate fan I became an instant Villa fan when Juan Pablo Angel was transferred. I have found John Gregory to be a very capable, enthusiastic manager with updated football concepts and master motivator. A 'player's coach', Doug Ellis has probably made the biggest error of his career. I believe Juan Pablo will stay and continue scoring many important goals and he'll help Villa go to Uefa or Champions League tournaments.
Ricardo Pardo, United States

If they make the mistake of selling JPA, it will only be to JPA benefit, he is a great player, and deserve to be working for a much better management team.
Erick, USA

Aston Villa are not a big club anymore. Doug Ellis must quit the club. He is known to sack managers. Nevertheless, they were not responsible and Ellis knew it. So Villa are going to appoint Graham, and I'm sure he will be sacked if Villa don't reach an European place. It's sad to see a chairman like Ellis.
Renaud Heeren, Belgium

John Gregory did a tremendous job on very limited resources

Owain Gosling, England

Doug Ellis must go if Villa are to be a force again. If (when) Derby and Leicester go down, Villa will be the ONLY Premiership side between Leeds and London. So the fan-base is there for world domination. Except for the fact that Villa have an old fool as a chairman. PLEASE LEAVE, MR ELLIS.
Ned Hall, UK

I was disappointed to see John Gregory go as I think he has done a tremendous job on very limited resources. The Kachloul and Hadji transfers were typical of John's efforts to improve the squad at least cost to the club. However, they are symbolic of the ambitions of the board. A player plus cash deal and a free transfer are not going to get you into the Champions League, despite Doug Ellis' claims, that's what the club is aiming for.
Owain Gosling, England

Villa just aren't capable of generating the kind of money that the likes of Liverpool and Man Utd are. This much is obvious. So why do people attack Ellis as being tight fisted when he hasn't got it in the bank to spend? Villa fans need to face the reality that they aren't the footballing power they think they are and give Doug Ellis a break. He can't perform miracles.
Anton, England

I think this will be a bad spell for Villa, we need to get our heads down and get up the league to prove Gregory wrong. I hope Derby go down. I live in Derby and I feel gutted that John left for a team like Derby. He has done the same thing he criticised Ugo and Gareth for. All I want is to see Villa get the respect they deserve. If Angel goes, that's it. All I hope for is a good win on Wednesday so we can silence a few critics. Come on you Villa!
Adin Memetovic, Derby

Ever since Mr Ellis crossed the City from Birmingham City the man has led an egotistical existence. The only important person at Villa Park is Mr Ellis. He, other than Mr Bates at Chelsea, has to be the biggest profile Chairman around.

If Ellis was 20 years younger he would appoint himself manager

Frank, England

Commercially he has done well but man-management is not his strength. Please Doug don't turn Aston Villa PLC into another Ellermann Travel. Do the decent thing and leave football management to those that know what they are doing. Good luck JG.
Peter Gregory, West Midlands

I bet if Ellis was 20 years younger he would appoint himself manager at Villa Park. ELLIS OUT!
Frank, England

Don't forget:
1. Gregory has spent £67m on players. Some have been good buys: Angel, Alpay, Mellberg, Merson, Hadji, Schmeichel, etc. However, when cash is tight, we shouldn't forget he squandered £6m on Bosko Balaban and £3m + big wages on 'fat' David Ginola. That's effectively the takings from the Ehiogu deal wasted!

2. He hasn't handled dressing room morale very well: the Southgate debacle, publicly announcing Ginola is podgy, not assuring David James about his future, letting the Joachim unrest go on far too long, and letting Barry wither on the vine. (We can forgive him anything to do with Collymore.)

3. He inherited a "reasonably good" team from Brian Little. We finished fourth in 95-96 and fifth in 96-97. He took over in 97-98, we finished 7th, then 6th, 6th and 8th, dropping out of UEFA spots. That isn't a great record.

John Gregory's colourful character is a beacon in a world of boring managers

Jim, England

4. Sure, money matters! And given a few more millions, he could maybe have done a bit better. But he has spent £67m, allowed dressing room unrest to fester, and in my opinion has done a worse job than Brian Little.

5. At the end of the day, Doug Ellis is prudent. He isn't going to gamble (like Man City, Boro, West Ham, have). If he stays, which is likely, what he needs is a manager who can take us the next step with a reasonable amount of resources.

6. Gregory was a fan, and did his best, with no previous premier/Euro experience.

Thank you John, and goodbye!
Dave, England

I like John Gregory; his colourful character is a beacon in a world of boring managers. But, I think he needs to learn from his mistakes. Sometimes he goes too far in publicly criticising his players, when the likes of Wenger and Houllier back theirs to the hilt, and his outbursts bring bad publicity to the club. Doug Ellis needs little enough excuse to get on a manager's back without handing him one on a plate.
Jim, England

No high profile manager will ever come to Villa while we have that tight-fisted fool in charge. Villa need to spend a lot of money to challenge for honours again, which Ellis blatantly won't do, I'm sure Ellis will look at someone who can run things on a tight budget.
Mike Prime, England

First Little then Gregory. If they sell Juan Pablo Angel then Mr Ellis should close down Villa park and build a supermarket or shopping centre. Just what is going on at the Villa. The first time in years they have a young, gifted and talented forward and he has been for sales since he arrived. Come on, we won the European cup before.
Ian, Cork, Ireland

To those of you hoping for Louis Van Gaal, I think he's got a better club to go to, one which actually backs its managers.

Richard Taylor, UK

I think Aston Villa fans are never happy. Aston Villa fans seem to believe that since they are the biggest club in Britain's second biggest city, gives them an automatic right to second place. John is a good manager but with little money coming from Ellis, nothing short of a miracle would produce a team that fulfils the average Aston Villa fan's expectations.
Robert, England

John Gregory was a manager who was also Villa fan through and through, he fought for this club (which is a lot more than Mr Ellis would). I can understand the fans' frustration after the FA cup etc, but these things happen (just look at Liverpool recently).

And to all those people who said he had to go, now that he has gone who is going to take the job, because all I see is a bunch of mediocre candidates....and those of you hoping for Louis Van Gaal, I think he's got a better club to go to, one which actually backs its managers.
Richard Taylor, UK

Having fans with extremely unrealistic expectations and a chairman with the patience of Mike Tyson (albeit expressed in a different way) is a dangerous combination for Aston Villa. Gregory was right to quit. Whoever takes over needs to have eyes in the back of his head.
Matt W, UK

With no backing, the Big G had a glass mountain to climb wearing ice-slippers

Bill Aulak, England

Maybe it's Old Trafford as the next stop for John Gregory... a few months off, time to rest and plan, and then take over from Sir Alex.
Roger Thrush, England

Yes, with no backing (financial, emotional,) from Doug the Mug, the Big G had a glass mountain to climb wearing ice-slippers. Yes, we are a top five side - but you cannot race against an Aston Martin when you are in a Fiesta and expect to win...hint hint Mr Ellis.
Bill Aulak, England

Gregory is more proof that whatever you do at Villa, the chance of real success will always be undermined by Ellis. Another cheap appointment is imminent.
Tim Evans, England

As a Villa season ticket holder I am gutted at the news. John Gregory has had hardly any funds and villa have never finished lower than sixth in the league. He is an amazing manager, and Villa were stupid to let him go. Good luck to the Villa - we're going to need it now!
James Findon, England

Without the support of your chairman you can only take a club so far

Simon Doughty, England

George Graham is the last man Villa need. Do you really want to watch more boring, boring football. That's why we wanted Gregory out!
John, England

If we can't get Alan Curbishley or Louis Van Gaal to do the job, how about tempting Graham Taylor from out of the director's box? Let's face it, the last time we looked like winning anything other than the League Cup was when he was in charge.
Matt Smith, England

I think John Gregory was right to resign. He was a good manager, but without the support of your chairman you can only take a club so far.

Doug Ellis still believes the club is a major force and should be competing for the Champions League alongside Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool etc.

However, transfer fees spent under John's four year reign were £67m whilst fees received were £51m averaging out at a paltry £4m spent per year. It's time for Doug Ellis to wake up.
Simon Doughty, England

Apparantly The Villa have made a video promoting Angel to European Clubs in order to sell him. THE END!
Andy Hare, England

I have supported the Villa since 1948, and I have experienced just about every success and failure any football supporter can possibly imagine, from relegation to the old Third Division to winning the European Cup.

Throughout much of that time, Doug Ellis has been a major influence on the club. I note that the only time Villa achieved any real measure of success, ie winning the League Championship and then the European Cup was in the short period when Mr Ellis was NOT the Chairman.

I am a realist. I firmly believe that although Doug Ellis has contributed much to stabilise the club's finances and to develop the facilities at Villa Park, I feel he is too conservative and "careful" ever to invest enough in players of sufficient merit to allow Villa to make a serious challenge for high honours.

As long as Mr. Ellis remains Villa will remain an underachieving club of enormous potential.
John Fisher, UK

Gregory absolutely loves Villa, and for Collymore to criticise his man-management is a complete disgrace

Desmond Curry, Northern Ireland

Who can really blame John Gregory for having to admit defeat in the battle against Doug Ellis?
Peter Wilson, England

Woah woah woah. What is Deadly Doug up to now. Enough is enough, from this point onwards I'll be supporting a different team from the West Midlands. So after 30+ years of following the Villa I'll shouting for the Baggies. Yeah enough is enough.
Tony Cheat, The Black Country

I have just read Stan Collymore's comments on John Gregory's resignation. Gregory absolutely loves Villa, and for Collymore to criticise his man-management is a complete disgrace. Gregory helped to resurrect Paul Merson's career and worked very hard for Juan Pablo Angel when he first cam over from South America.

He has no time for unprofessional money-grabbing prima donnas like Collymore who have no respect for the badge they wear. Gregory managed the club like a fan, and that is why I am so dismayed at his resignation.
Desmond Curry, Northern Ireland