Graham in frame as Gregory quits Villa

John Gregory, apparently seeking a break from "the pressures of the job", last night resigned as Aston Villa's manager.

Gregory had come under pressure from a section of the Villa supporters and the club's chairman, Doug Ellis, as Villa slipped down the Premiership to the fringe of the European places. But a statement from the club announcing the departure said: "John has stated that he needs to take a break during which time he will consider his future football career." Unless, of course, he is tempted to join another former club, Derby.

Ex-Villa players, such as George Graham, Charlton's Alan Curbishley, Bruce Rioch and Ray Graydon, will be among the favourites to succeed Gregory, as will those with international reputations, like Terry Venables and Louis van Gaal, who is now officially free from his duties with the Netherlands and was linked with the job two weeks ago.

Ellis, nicknamed "Deadly Doug" because of the frequency with which he has replaced managers, said he was disappointed at Gregory's decision and was at pains to express sympathy for the man who has guided Villa since February 1998. He said: "John's resignation is sad. It was most unexpected but has been amicable. I can understand how John feels regarding his need for a break and this is a reflection of the pressures that managers endure in modern Premier League football."

The former Norwich City manager John Deehan, who began his playing career at Villa Park, and the former Southampton manager Stuart Gray, who also played for Villa, will take over responsibility for team affairs until the board has considered applications for the job.

Ellis added: "I personally wish John and his family well in all they do in the future. We will not rush into a replacement appointment as John and Stuart both have previous management experience."

Ellis was not the only one to express surprise at Gregory's decision. Despite the pressure on Gregory from the stands, Dave Woodhall, the editor of the Villa fanzine Heroes and Villans, said: "This is a bigger shock than when Ron Saunders resigned. It is unbelievable and I am gobsmacked."

Buck Chinn, the chairman of the Aston Villa Shareholders Association, reacted with anger and dismay and claimed Gregory had been "driven out". He said: "I'm absolutely appalled that John has been driven out. He should have been offered a long-term contract. I'm sick to the bottom of my stomach."

Villa's captain, Paul Merson, was equally unprepared for the news, which he learned from the television. "A friend rang me and said 'put on the text' and that's how I found out about John going," he said. Ian Taylor, the popular midfielder, was also taken aback at the news. He said: "A reporter phoned me to ask for a reaction to John leaving and I thought it was a wind-up. I don't know what has happened."

It was what had not happened in the Premiership that hurt Gregory's cause. In 2000, after the loss of Dwight Yorke to Manchester United for £12.6m, Villa finished sixth for the second season running and again missed out on a place in the Uefa Cup. They reached the FA Cup final but lost 1-0 to Chelsea.

Last season, despite spending a club-record £9.5m on the Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel, Villa finished eighth and resorted to take the Intertoto Cup route into European competition. Qualification for the Uefa Cup followed but a potentially lucrative run was ended at the first stage when Villa embarrassingly lost in the first round to Croatian side Varteks.

When the Colombian's wife and child fell ill, unsettling the forward as he struggled to make an impact in the English game, Gregory's judgement was called into question.

Ellis had warned Gregory, who spent more than £60m on players during his reign but brought in over £50m through sales, that there would be no more money for new signings as a means of lifting Villa, who are seventh in the Premiership.

History suggests Gregory's successor will be a former Villa player who is used to working on a relatively tight budget. Perhaps on that basis, Graydon would be among the front runners. Sacked this week as manager of Walsall, who he guided into the First Division, Graydon played for Villa from 1971 to 1976.

Others who fulfil those criteria are Graham, Curbishley and Rioch, while of the current team Peter Schmeichel and Merson have expressed interest in moving into management. Perhaps neither of those two would be considered, but one who may be, despite lacking a Villa connection, is Venables.

In addition, Graham Taylor, who enjoyed considerable success in his time in charge in the late Eighties before taking the England job, is back at the club as a non-executive director. If boxers can do it, perhaps a heavyweight manager can come out of retirement for one last hurrah.