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Although a number of Leeds United fans are not pleased with the appointment of David Hockaday as the head coach, but, Dale Vince, the chairman of Forest Green Rovers (a 5th division team in English football) reckons that the 56-year old deserved that opportunity.

After the departure of Brian McDermott, somebody with a high profile and a lot of experience was expected to be named as the next man in charge at the club, but, , the Leeds board decided to go with Hockaday much to the surprise of the fans.

Hockaday has only been in charge of one team in his 4-year managerial career so far and that team is the Forest Green Rovers. To pick a man from the 5th tier and give him such a big responsibility, it’s a bold move by Leeds United and now, it would be interesting to see if Hockaday manages to repay the faith of the owners or not.

Vince reckons that his former employee is not a bad choice at all for Leeds united. Talking to the reporters yesterday, the Forest Green head said, “David has got a great footballing brain. Apart from that, he has got other qualities too. He’s loyal and he puts 100% effort in his job. That’s what you want from your manager. He deserved to have this opportunity to showcase his potential. I want to see him doing wonders at Leeds. I have had a chat with him and I have wished him all the luck.”

“He’s actually been appointed as head coach and not as manager and that’s pretty interesting. He will not have to take care of the recruitments. The president (Massimo Cellino) would do that and it would certainly reduce some pressure from David’s shoulders.”

For the past 3 seasons Aston Villa has been struggling trying to get out of the bottom spots of the Premier League and the fans of the club have agreed with the decision of the club owner Randy Lerner to sell Aston Villa.

Randy Lerner took control of the club in 2006 when he paid €63 million but the American entrepreneur announced a few days ago that Aston Villa is up for sale with a price tag of €200 million.

The fans of Aston Villa are desperate for a new someone to buy the club and get ready for the upcoming season.

A statement from AVST read: “AVST wish Mr Lerner the very best in his future endeavors. We are sure all Villa supporters appreciate the great respect he has shown for the club’s traditions and heritage during his time here. We are also sure that, with this in mind, he will make it a consideration of the utmost importance that these traditions should continue to be respected by whomever he passes his custodianship to’’.

“We would ask the sale is completed as quickly as possible in order that the new owner can put his team in place, and make the required changes to ensure Aston Villa become a competitive force on the field again.”

Martin O’Neill was in charge of the squad from 2006 until 2010 and during his time at the head of the team Aston Villa managed on securing consistent 6th place position in the Premier League but the club suffered a huge twist when the Irish coach left Villa and Paul Lambert took over.

Since Paul Lambert’s appointment as the head coach of the club, they have struggled just trying to escape the bottom relegation zone which is why he has been under a lot of criticism recently and his future in Aston Villa is in jeopardy.

The defender had a ‘difficult’ campaign last season, failing to cement a first team place. He also has called upon the fans to get behind new manger Alex McLeish.Aston Villa’s struggling defender Stephen Warnock intends to sit down with new manager Alex McLeish to determine his future at the club.

The left-back has not featured for Villa since their 4-0 defeat to Manchester City last December, leading to speculation that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Wigan, Stoke and Bolton have all been linked with the defender but the 29-year-old, who is contracted with the club until 2013, is set to hold talks with Villa in the near future.

Many fans have been openly discussing about the fact that Stephen Warnock should not be leaving Aston Villa anytime soon. We now have a proven premier league goalscorer in Darren Bent, and credit where it’s due to the guy, he’s proven his price tag right from his debut. I think next season will hinge on who goes, and who stays. Some of the names touted as leaving I’m quite happy with, such as Pires, Ireland, Bradley, Beye etc.

I hope that Nigel Reo-Coker and Stephen Warnock both stay, but only time will tell, and it’s looking particularly bad for Warnock at the moment, which is a shame, because defensively, he’s a solid fullback… just a shame some of his passing goes astray on occasion.

Stoke city are apparently interested in signing Aston Villa defender Stephen Warnock in the summer. Pulis will make his offer for the player, who had a bitter fall-out with Villa boss Gerard Houllier, if he can keep Stoke in the Premier League.

Warnock hasn’t played for Villa’s team since their defeat at Manchester City in December, and many punters have placed free football bets on him leaving.

And Pulis is prepared to fight it out with Liverpool, where Warnock played as a youngster, and Wigan for the 29-year-old’s services.

Pulis has warned his squad that he will shake up the squad this summer.

‘If we stay up this year, there will be lots of changes,’ he said. ‘They won’t be massive, but certainly changes within the club and the group which will enable to push on again.

Stephen Warnock has been disappeared from 18-man team and is now searching for a new club. From the World Cup squad to training with the stiffs at Aston Villa, it has been a spectacular fall from grace for Stephen Warnock.

And after becoming the most high-profile victim of Gerard Houllier’s hardline approach, the next four or five months do not promise to get any easier for the Villa defender.

Around this time last year Warnock was being spoken of as the second best English left back in the country and a genuine challenger to Ashley Cole’s seemingly assured place in Fabio Capello’s starting XI.

He made the final 23 that travelled to South Africa last year and earned his second cap in the friendly against France in November.

Stephen Warnock’s loan move from Aston Villa to Liverpool has been blocked because of certain demands from Villa. Warnock is eager to play first-team football elsewhere after being dropped from the Villa side following the 4-0 defeat by Manchester City last month. The England international has not been in the Villa squad since and has been training with the reserves.

Liverpool are keen to take Warnock back to Anfield, where he started his career before moving to Blackburn Rovers, and several other Premier League clubs have also expressed an interest in the 29-year-old.

Stephen Warnock could become a part of swap deal involving Christopher Samba from Blackburn Rovers. The defender has revealed his intention to leave Blackburn Rovers this month, following the controversial sacking of Sam Allardyce in December.

Although Steve Kean, the caretaker boss at Ewood Park, remains confident he can persuade the player to stay, a number of clubs, including Sunderland, are preparing bids to entice him.

The Daily Mail claims Gerard Houllier wants Samba in his Villa squad, and is willing to offer Rovers Stephen Warnock or James Collins as part of the deal.

Stephen Warnock is set to join the long list of players who are set to leave Aston Villa shortly. The Villa manager is looking to offload a number of senior players who are on the periphery of the first team as well as those who have been resistant to the changes he has introduced since taking charge in September.

Richard Dunne, Stephen Ireland and John Carew, who were all left out of the soccer squad who travelled to Wigan Athletic before Saturday’s game was postponed, are expected to move on. Carew’s contract is up in the summer and there is no prospect of him being offered a new deal.

It is understood that Brad Friedel, who will turn 40 in May, has also been told his contract will not be renewed in the summer. Villa have begun looking for a replacement for the former Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper. Roman Weidenfeller, the 30-year-old Borussia Dortmund keeper, was watched at the weekend. Houllier is also closely monitoring Allan McGregor’s situation at Celtic
Rangers.

Stephen Warnock has refused to blame the number of injuries that Aston Villa are currently suffering from for their poor form. Villa have been hampered by the worst injury crisis in the league, with Steve Sidwell, young midfielder Marc Albrighton and striker Ashley Young among numerous key absentees.

But Stephen Warnock is refusing to blame the injury crisis for the side’s poor results, and instead questioned the performances of those who have played.

“You’ve got to look at it and wonder why you are down there,” Warnock said.