Premier League
Remi Garde confirmed as Aston Villa manage
Sherwood was sacked on October 25 and Garde's now-ex-employer, French broadcaster Canal+, said on Sunday that Garde would become the new Villa boss.
"Remi Garde is going to coach Aston Villa," said the Canal Football Club programme on its Twitter feed.
Since leaving Lyon last year, Garde has worked as a match analyst on French television, but the 49-year-old former Arsenal player is clearly ready for a return to dugout duty.
Garde is now set to be in the White Hart Lane stands on Monday evening for Villa's Premier League clash with Tottenham.
The company line
Garde said: "It is an unbelievable honour to be the manager of such an illustrious football club.
"I've had extremely positive meetings with both the owner, Randy Lerner, and Chief Executive Tom Fox. They have ambitious plans for the Club and I'm excited that they have turned to me to help them realise them.
"Obviously we have a difficult task in front of us but I'm looking forward to the challenge with the support of everyone who loves Aston Villa."
Chairman Randy Lerner added: "Rémi came with ideas, honesty, humour and a steely sense of what it will take for Aston Villa to be what it is meant to be - hard working, tireless, creative and unwilling to concede.
"Nobody at Villa can deny that we are way behind. We recruited aggressively this past summer and it is our responsibility to now harvest this talent rather than buckle under pressure and criticism - we are better than that. On behalf of the Board we wish Rémi every success."
Tom Fox, Aston Villa Chief Executive, said: "For the past year we have been working purposefully to transform the Club in order to build a successful organisation that can compete and succeed in the Premier League.
"Finding a manager who shares and believes in our vision and has the ability to bring it to life through performances on the pitch is essential. We are confident that Rémi is the manager who can deliver the best from the current squad and help set the club up for future success".
FROM THIS MORNING: Villa 'in trouble', warns caretaker
Villa sit bottom of the Premier League and four points from safety ahead of the trip to north London, and caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald admits the team must show Champions League form to survive. MacDonald, Villa's regular under-21 coach, is due to remain in charge against Tottenham and he knows the strugglers need to perform to a European standard.
He said: "We almost have to play top-four standard of football points-wise to get us out of the trouble we're in. We're in trouble. We're not that naive to think we're not. But we think, as a whole group within the club, that we have better players than where we are at the moment.
"If everything turns around, which hopefully it will, and we finish mid-table then I would like to think people would be eating their words. This is what players have to understand. They have to have that desire to ram words down people's throats. I don't mean that horribly. But that's football - professional sport. Their pride is hurting - make no mistake about that. I imagine Jordan Ayew's brother (Swansea's Andre Ayew) is giving him a bit of stick. Whether people call it banter or not, people don't like it. I know I don't like it.
"I live towards Leicester so most of my friends are Leicester supporters and, of course, they are giving me a lot of stick at the moment."
Joleon Lescott, Idrissa Gana and Adama Traore are expected to return at Tottenham, but Micah Richards could miss out with the Football Association yet to make a decision over any punishment after the defender admitted an improper conduct charge.
MacDonald said: "They are determined. When you become a professional sportsman, what you're trying to do is be the best you can and be successful. You play sport to be successful, I don't care what anyone says.
"So the pride of the lads is hurt because they are bottom of the league, but the morale is fine."
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