A Reply To Dwight Yorke

The very fact that I`m writing this whilst Villa are playing Reading probably shows my state of mind towards the team and football itself. Whatever we do, whoever we play or employ as management, we lose games. It`s tiring. So much so that I find it hard to be particularly motivated to follow what`s going on.

So with this in mind, you`d have to really annoy me to make me bothered enough to write something down. Well, Dwight Yorke, you`ve managed it.

Dwight Yorke is complaining that Aston Villa didn`t give him the recently filled vacancy of manager. Dwight Yorke says he is upset he wasn`t interviewed for the job. Dwight Yorke is suggesting that perhaps the colour of his skin is one of the reasons why he didn`t get the chance to be manager of Aston Villa.

No, Dwight. That isn`t the reason. Quite frankly the club has been dragged through the mud enough times in the past few years without the need for this, but hey ho – let`s be honest with you.

Reasons why Dwight Yorke didn`t get the job:

Number One
After a summer of recruiting players who had experience of the Championship, and the last recruitment process having an importance placed on Championship experience, and the club having shown in every game played so far a lack of experience for closing games out – it was pretty obvious we needed experience. Dwight, you don`t have that. You were assistant manager for your home country during the qualifying stages of the World Cup and then left. This is not the experience we needed. You would have not been considered because of this. You were unsuitable for the job.

Aston Villa have had a long line of questionable appointments. But certainly in it`s modern day history (beyond the Premier League), we haven`t appointed a manager with no experience. We aren`t that kind of club. Even John Gregory was managing – even if it was at a much lower level.

Number Two
Your application consisted of a text message. “I spoke to Keith Wyness by text” is what you say. Anyone who applies for a job through text message does not deserve to have an interview. If you were serious then you`d produce a plan, a reasoning for employment and an explanation as to why you are the best person for the job. I don`t think this is possible in a text message. I`m surprised that Keith even bothered to reply.

Number Three
Whilst you may have tried to reinvent yourself as a ‘Villa legend` over the past years, talking about the club on TV, making public noises about wanting the manager job every few months it becomes available, many of us haven`t forgotten how you have treated the club. Actions speak louder than words. We remember you throwing a tantrum when the manager didn`t want to sell you. We remember the zero effort performance against Everton in the game after a bid was turned down. How can you inspire players wanting moves away to stay when you acted like that? We remember the badge kissing of the Manchester United shirt when you scored a goal against Villa after you got your desired move by sneaking off and tugging at Doug Ellis`s ego. We also remember you saying “Everyone knows Birmingham City are historically the biggest club in the area.” shortly after your move to them. Which, dear Dwight, can only possibly be true if the area you are talking about there is the square mile of Small Heath itself.

You see Dwight, those actions are not ones of somebody you want as manager of a football club. They are unprofessional and attention seeking.

That`s why you weren`t given an interview, Dwight.