Despite his ultimate short-comings as a Villa manager, Tim Sherwood gave most Aston Villa fans their favourite memories in the last seven miserable seasons of supporting the club. We’ll always have that FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool! For that reason, MOMS was only too happy to have a chat with the ex-Villa boss about some current Villa issues.
Tim On Terry
TIM SHERWOOD reckons John Terry is far from finished and has urged his former club to get the deal over the line.
Chelsea legend Terry is tipped to join Villa once his contract expires at Stamford Bridge on June 30. The 36-year-old, according to media reports, has a £60,000-a-week contract on the table with substantial bonuses in place if Villa were to get promoted.
And former Villa boss Sherwood, who managed the club in 2015, says the move would be a “great signing” for both club and player.
“I think it’ll be a great signing for John and a great signing for Aston Villa,” he said.
“Not only what he gives you in the dressing room but what he can give you on the pitch.
“I don’t think he’s finished. He makes people better around him.
“He knows how to win. He’s not there to just pick up his money, he’s never been like that. He could have stayed at Chelsea for that but he wants to go out there and finish on a high.
“There would be no better than getting promoted with a club like Aston Villa. I can tell him first hand, once you get that place buzzing there’s nothing like it.”
Sherwood, who managed 10 wins from 28 games before being sacked, was speaking at The Belfry ahead of this weekend’s Ryder Cup-style Icons of Football golf tournament.
So Tim, what went wrong? Top bloke nonetheless. #avfc #utv pic.twitter.com/Ft2HN9y3nR
— Ashley Preece (@Ashley_Preece) June 23, 2017
Sour Taste
The 48-year-old opened up about his time at Villa, which according to the Premier League title winner, still leaves a sour taste in his mouth.
Sherwood said: “Yeah, I was really disappointed with the way I was treated to be perfectly honest.
“It’s a great club and, if you look at it, in the cold light of day, coming in there and keeping them in the division; taking them to a cup final and then four of your best players come out of your team it’s difficult.
“You then only get a short period before the next season to try and put it right. It was very difficult.”
Sherwood went onto call the Championship “the toughest league in Europe” but said that Villa have a “good combination” in place.
“The owner there is supporting the manager and the manager knows how to get out of the league so it’s a good combination,” he added.
Sherwood, meanwhile, confirmed that he was looking to get back into football after leaving his role at Swindon Town last season.
Green Love
One player he’d love to work with again was Villa’s Andre Green, admitting that he would sign the 18-year-old in a heartbeat.
The ex-Spurs boss said: “Andre Green is one who, if I was to go and get a job, he’d be one I’d be coming to take.
“Andre has got an attitude to die for and I think he needs to continue that.
“He’s a man physically already and he’s got so much in the locker there.
“He can play centre forward; he can play off the left. Andre Green has got a massive future.”
Defining Grealish Season
As well as Green, Sherwood says it’s an “important year” for the likes of Jack Grealish and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, two players who really caught his eye during his time at Villa Park.
“I think it’s an important year for all of them boys,” he said, especially with Jack.
“Jack has to play week in, week out. He really needs to affect the football match. He’s got the ability to do that, we all know that.
“Jack needs to knuckle down. I’ve spoken to him a few times since I left. I’m always on the end of a phone and I know how to develop players, I know what it takes.
“And it isn’t always telling them what they’re good at. We all know what Jack’s good at.
“He’s got to try and address the things he isn’t good at and someone needs to tell him honestly about that.”
On Hepburn-Murphy, whom he handed his professional debut at the age of just 16, Sherwood said: “Rushian is a box player, goalscorer. He’ll score goals but needs an opportunity.
“He needs to go out and play regular men’s football in my opinion.
“Under-21 and under-23 football is no good for anyone. He needs to go and play, whether it’s League One or League Two, he needs regular games and then come back as a stronger person.
“There’s no coincidence that Dele Alli is such a good player. He was playing men’s football at 16 and he’s not been brought up in an academy and didn’t have everything done for him.”
UTV
Follow Ashley on Twitter here – ASHLEY PREECE
Seeing Benteke play for Crystal Palace and then read about how Frank DeBoer is about to become their new manager makes me so sad.
Sherwood is a clown by the way, just like all our managers since Martin O’Neill.