Is Taylor a step backwards for Villa?

Former boss Graham Taylor succeeds John Gregory as Aston Villa manager.

Can he restore some pride? Or is it a shortsighted move by Villa?

The 57-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Birmingham club, having initially refused the offer.

Taylor first joined Villa in 1987, guiding them to second in the League before leaving at the end of the 1989/90 season for the England job.

Many fans blame chairman Doug Ellis for the club's waning fortunes and may wonder whether Taylor can succeed unless funds are made available.

Will Ellis and Taylor make a successful team? Or will both live to regret their decision?

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Another nonsensical decision by the Villa board

Alistair Wright, England

As a life long Watford fan, I will now watch with interest as one of the finest club managers takes the helm at Villa Park. His love for football and his passion for getting results will ignite the team and the fans. I predict a European spot for Villa. Good luck Graham.
Glynn, Washington DC, USA

Another nonsensical decision by the Villa board. Villa are a big club lacking in ambition. Mr Ellis should look to Peter Ridsdale as a role model on how to go all out for success!
Alistair Wright, England

Some of comments here amaze me. Villa are seventh in the table, only a few points behind Leeds who have spent millions and won precisely nothing. Anyone would think we were on the verge of getting relegated. There are only six clubs better than Villa in the country - that's a fact, and the table doesn't lie each year.

We'd all like it to be less than that number, but I would still like to have a club to support when TV money disappears and Leeds and Chelsea go bankrupt. Anyone who says Graham Taylor is yesterday's man should please get in touch at the end of next season and eat your humble pie. You fools know nothing!
Troy Gillespie, UK

As an Albion fan I think it is hilarious! I am sure every fan of a West Midlands club will join with me rest in congratulating Doug Ellis for yet another moment of genius. If he keeps this up Villa will enjoy the same success as Albion, Wolves and Blues have had over the past 20 years!
Pete Daw, London, England

Graham is a first-rate club manager who I support as a good appointment

Malcolm Turner, N Ireland

Not the appointment that I would have wanted but not a bad one either. Villa have the players to do well. Maybe Taylor can get the best out of them. He sure as hell won't spend his time berating players in the press (he'll do it on the training field where it can have a positive effect).

Class players have been at Villa's disposal but Gregory was unable to cope with them. Taylor is a wiser manager. We can qualify for Europe with what we've got, but we will need to get new blood in to compete in Europe.
John, UK

In answer to the people criticising Graham Taylor, didn't a lot of the media and public say similar things about the appointment of Bobby Robson at Newcastle? Graham is a first-rate club manager who I support as a good appointment. I still think Ellis should go - the sooner the better.
Malcolm Turner, N Ireland

The appointment of Graham Taylor will steady the Villa ship and get us back on course for honours. I believe Villa have a good squad of players, and that players like Gareth Barry need to be in the side. Finally, I do not see the need for Villa to spend millions on new players. Leeds Utd and Chelsea, for example, have won nothing despite their open chequebook policy.
Mervyn Charter, Grenada, W.I

Doug Ellis is living in the past. It's time to get rid of him and get a new chairman, one willing to inject money into the club to take us forward. It's a new century - time for a new chairman.
Frankie, W'ton, UK

He has the experience and knowledge to pull the whole team together and will do a great job

Paul, Lancs, UK

It is definitely a step in the wrong direction. Taylor has seen better days and will only compound Villa fans' misery futher after the departure of, John Gregory who left to manage Derby because he couldn't work with that tyrant Doug Ellis.
Peter McAllister, Scotland

I am pleased with the appointment. I think he will bring some stability back to the club and will get the best out of some of the players that Gregory seemed to forget. He is loved down there and will get us challenging next year. I don't understand how some people can suggest we are not a big club. We haven't been out of the top six or seven years. Taylor will push us that one step further.
Tom Bloomer, England

As a Watford fan, I am sure that Taylor will do a fine job at Villa. He has the experience and knowledge to pull the whole team together and will do a great job. The very best of luck to him!
Paul, Lancs, UK

I wish him all the success he deserves. He is a wonderful manager - he's done it once at The Villa and he'll do it again. I hope he can bring on our talented youngsters with a few shrewd purchases as well as the existing squad, but will hopefully refuse to be Ellis' puppet. My only gripe is that this was a blatant step by Ellis to placate us supporters. Good Luck Graham.
JP, England

Let's get one thing clear - GT is a smashing fella, that is not in doubt. However, can anyone truly state with hand on heart that we are moving in the right direction by going back 12 years? In light of how the game has progressed in that time - the answer is a resounding 'no'.

Graham Taylor is a big name that will attract some top players to Villa

Sarah, England

Ellis is getting a 'yes' man, someone who is not going to give him grief over money available for transfers. We need funding to strengthen an under achieving team. It doesn't matter whether we have Alex Ferguson, Louis Van Gaal or Dale Winton in charge! We need a Jack Walker - someone with the club at heart prepared to invest in the team! We are going nowhere with Ellis at the helm. The protests must not stop - he must go!
Mike Dixon, Birmingham, England

Another myopic decision by an out of touch chairman. Ever the Premiership journeymen, Villa find themselves looking back into an increasingly murky, but one time, glorious past. Taylor isn't a terrible choice; he is just not the best choice of manager.

The club is stuck in a geographical, fiscal and footballing rut. The former two constraints seem unlikely to ever change; a brave new management ethos was probably the only thing that could change the latter. Taylor I feel isn't it. My boyhood club remains in limbo.
John Booth, UK

Well done Doug! For once I agree with one of his decisions. Graham Taylor is a big name that will attract some top players to Villa. Hopefully, we will be able to keep our top stars such as Angel and Merson. I'm looking forward to the attacking football that he has promised after the years of dull, uninspiring football played by Gregory's sides.
Sarah, England

How we remain the biggest club in the Midlands is baffling!

Jim Horton, Walsall, England

Taylor's appointment offers a degree of sanity in a period of time when it would be prudent to get off Doug Ellis' back, get behind the team and stop imagining that throwing good money after bad will help anyone. The players at Villa Park have a lot to answer for. They have had many opportunities to do the talking on the pitch.
Adrian Miles, England

Villa tend to finish seventh every year, either scraping into Europe or just missing it. This is a situation that is the best we can hope for. If we do get into the Uefa cup this season, how far does Ellis think this side can limp along? Until there's a change at the top this is as exciting as it gets for a villa fan. How we remain the biggest club in the Midlands is baffling!
Jim Horton, Walsall, England

I do agree that Taylor was brought in as a budget manager; we know he can do well whilst not spending, so does Ellis. That's his sole reason for appointing him. Taylor is a great manager but times have changed, you just need to speculate to accumulate now. Spend the money and you will reap the rewards!
Simon Stewart, England

Graham is the master and will deliver the goods. Villa are not a wannabe big club, they were founders of the Football League and have won the European cup. They have a history and a future others only dream about.
Jojo Martinez, UK

Do I not like this!
Surjit, UK

Doug Ellis refuses to take any risks whatsoever. He has appointed one of his friends and will now be satisfied with mid-table, middle of the road mediocrity.
Ben Hibbs, England

Villa can look forward to a few more seasons in the shadow of the genuine big clubs

David Ascroft, England

For a man who left Watford on the grounds of spending more time with his family, Doug Ellis must have made Graham Taylor a spectacular offer. The question is, is he the right man to take Villa forward? The fact he is one of the previous managers Ellis used and only left because he got the England job is irrelevant.

He is no longer a big name and will not bring in the players Villa fans want to become a big club. Some managers attract players because of who they are, not because of the money on offer. Maybe another couple of seasons of mediocrity awaits for Villa
Phill Thorne, UK

Taylor has never won a domestic trophy, but then again Villa have only won the Worthless Cup in 20 yrs - hardly a record of a so called big club is it? It's a step to disguise the fact that Villa aren't a big enough club to appoint a top name manager.

It is also a quite brilliant political move by Deadly old Doug to deflect criticism and secure his position. Doug knows Villa fans love Taylor and will get behind the team now, rather than chant "Ellis out" at every game. Very clever, but Villa can look forward to a few more seasons in the shadow of the genuine big clubs.
David Ascroft, England

Taylor may be the man for the job but the fans won't forget Ellis. Taylor maust not trick the fans into supporting Ellis - it is still time for him to go.
Tommy, UK

Taylor's mangerial history speaks for itself - no success or even a sniff of success

Dully, UK

How shortsighted is that. Until Villa get rid of Ellis and start releasing some money for top quality players, they will never be a real challenge in the Premiership. It's time for Ellis to go and allow for some excitement back at Villa Park.
Nigel Rooke, UK

Taylor was appointed because he was already in-house. With a chairman who has repeatedly shown he is not prepared to invest in the team it was inevitable that the big name managers that Villa need to become a sucess again would avoid the club like the plague. Until Ellis leaves, Villa will be tied to the mid-table attracting people without any real drive.
Dan Leaphard, England

Graham (God) is a perfect appointment for a team that was losing direction. As a Watford fan, I know full well what a talented, honest and hard-working manager he is. Villa will be challenging for cup and European honours next season. Good luck Graham.
Simon Ricketts, England

I can't believe Ellis is trying to brainwash the media into thinking that all the Villa fans will be happy with this decision. I, like many other Villa fans, am definitely not. Ellis is clearly trying save money by getting rid of Gregory and bringing in Taylor from upstairs. Unfortunately it seems we finally have to admit that we are a bottom half of the table club...thanks Ellis!
Lee, Birmingham, England

Of course it's a step back. Taylor's mangerial history speaks for itself - no success or even a sniff of success. No suggesstion that he will turn things round for a 'wannabe' big club when they are just a mid-table team who are doing better than a lot of people (other than Villa supporters) would have expected.
Dully, UK