Cotterill has been reported as a surprise candidate to replace Roberto di Matteo.
Several names have been linked with the Aston Villa job since Roberto di Matteo’s sacking at the start of the week, but perhaps the most underwhelming in supporters’ eyes is that of Steve Cotterill.
That claim has raised eyebrows somewhat. Cotterill has several promotions in English football to his name, but the majority of those came with initially non-league side Cheltenham Town 15 years ago, and none of them have been from the Championship.
The 52-year-old has also led Notts County and Bristol City to promotion from League Two and League One respectively, but has been out of work since leaving the latter club in January.
With no disrespect to Cotteril, it seems hard to believe that the Villa board could see the manager as the solution to their problems, particularly considering how poor a situation the club find themselves in at present.
Xia funded Di Matteo to spend over £50 million on new signings this summer, yet the former Premier League ever-presents currently sit just three places above the Championship relegation zone with a single win from their first 12 games in all competitions.
Certainly, Cotterill would be a bold choice, and Villa fans in their masses took to Twitter to sound the alarm at the report.
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