Roberto Di Matteo sacked: Sam Allardyce is just the man Aston Villa need

ASTON VILLA must go back to school as they start searching for their next boss ….. old school.

In my opinion there are three men who have the credentials Aston Villa need to stop the rot at Villa Park.

One of them is already in place. One is available and would jump at the job. One is currently in exile licking his wounds and planning how to repair his tarnished image.

Steve Clarke, Steve Bruce …. and yes, Sam Allardyce should be owner Tony Xia and CEO Keith Wyness’s first ports of call as they start their search for Roberto Di Matteo’s successor.

Sure, all three have baggage. Yes, all three would have to win over scores of sceptical Villa fans for various reasons.

But here’s the really important bit. All three have gathered vast experience at the highest level and none of them would be fazed by taking on a job of this magnitude, in fact they would lap up the pressure.

Dr Tony Xia’s decision on who to turn to, now he has sacked Roberto Di Matteo, could turn out to be the most crucial appointment in this ailing club’s history.

It could make all the difference between plunging from the Premier League to League one in two horrific seasons, or starting to claw their way back up the table to push for a play-off place and promotion.

Clarke is the man in possession and will take the team for their next match at home to Wolves on October 15.

That gives the former West Brom boss time to work on the training ground with his players, which is where the Scot does his best work.

The 53-year-old took Baggies to their highest ever Premier finish in his first season as a boss and looked to have a glittering career in the Premier Leagu ahead of him.

But was let down by a meddling owner at West Brom who undermined him when he should have backed him with new players to take the club to the next level.

Clarke deserves the chance to see if he can transform the current squad. Ignore the usual nonsense that as No.2 he was part of Di Matteo’s downfall.

Managers always have the last word and frequently ignore good advice their assistants give them. Villa have nothing to lose by buying themselves some time and seeing if Clarke can get more out of this expensively assembled squad than Di Matteo could.

Bruce meanwhile is eager to get back into work after leading Hull back to the Premier League. He is itching to get back to management.

Having spent most of his career at Old Trafford he is well used to handling pressure and has a proven track record in the Championship and the Premier League.

Yes, he once managed Birmingham City but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then and Villa really can’t afford to let petty rivalries stand between them and progress.

Finally, there is big Sam, currently licking his wounds in sunnier climes. Born in Dudley, it is no secret he would love to manage Villa.

Of course, he has baggage after being axed by England, but the English FA must be seen to be squeaky-clean and Allardyce embarrassed them.

Villa are in no position to demand perfection from their next boss – they do need to demand points.

If Allardyce was England’s best option 60-odd days ago, he hasn’t lost the ability to put a winning team together just because the Telegraph exposed his love of a cushy easy pay-day.

One thing is certain. If big Sam was to take charge at Villa and managed to turn this wounded club around, he would have earned every last penny!

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