Yorke: Villa should sack Garde and appoint me

Former Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke has put his hand up to manage the beleaguered club instead of the "negative" Remi Garde, should the opportunity arise.

Villa are all but doomed, with Remi Garde's men rock bottom of the Premier League, nine points adrift of safety after 30 matches.

Garde has overseen just three wins in all competitions, two of those coming in the league, since replacing Tim Sherwood last November.

Yorke, who won two League Cups during his stint at Villa Park, has not been impressed with Garde's contribution to the club and the 44-year-old believes his past experiences could prove valuable.

"I would be lying to you guys if I said I wasn't interested in the job," Yorke told talkSPORT.

"I respect the manager in the position at this point in time but in terms of passion – yes. Aston Villa is a club I spent 10 years at. I understand the club, the fans have been great. It's where it all started for me in the first place.

"It's not just a role that you come in and be in management. It's the whole understanding of the game and what you can bring to the table.

"So yes, if that vacancy comes up, there is no question I'll be [putting forward] my name and trying to get in there as a manager.

"I do love the club, I understand the club and with my experience and a team I can put together to try and bring Aston Villa back.

"It's something that I am passionate about."

Yorke added: "[Garde] had 26 games when he came in – that should be sufficient enough to try and give them a fighting chance. He hasn’t been able to turn it around.

"The players have been equally to blame. There are good enough players in that dressing room to get Aston Villa out of the situation.

"You need more than that, somebody who understands the football club, who gets more out of the players and Remi Garde hasn't been able to do that. Every interview he's done, there's no positiveness coming out of it – at least show some fighting spirit with nine games to go.

"We know they're likely to go down but these players are not showing anything and I think it stems from the top.

"It's been so negative within the Aston Villa camp that these players, when you look at them doing interviews, they are scared for the whole interview, and there's no leadership quality or guidance from anyone."

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