Robbie09

Judging by that picture, Randy has been spending a great deal of his time in Burger King, Wendy's and McDonalds. Explains his absence then

Last night's shocker gave the boo boys all the ammunition they needed. Yes 1 defeat in 7 isn't sufficient to call for his head but the bigger picture of only one shot on target all night is the biggest worry. I sat in the Upper Holte last night rather than my season ticket in the Lower Holte and the apathy (and willingness to blame certain players regardless) around me was a real eye opener. Any more performances like last night and the atmosphere at games will deteriorate.......yes McLeish is partly to blame for the rubbish served up but the board are equally as culpable in my view. Maybe some of the boos should be directed at those running the club in Randy's absence rather than just the players on the pitch.

Agreed. Some of his runs into space were excellent but they weren't spotted by his team mates. We are crying out for a Cowarns type player who can pick a pass. But it's easy to blame Ireland and his critics will have a field day. Maybe last night emphasised that Albrighton, The Fonz and Bannan aren't as good as some believe they are.

Not the worst player tonight - some of his runs were good but we lacked someone who could pick a pass. His head dropped towards the end but who can blame him when the ball is being hoofed forward out of desperation. For me tonight showed that Albrighton and Bannan flatter to deceive, The Fonz is miles off and Hutton is no better than any of our other right backs. It's going to be a long and dull journey that's for sure.....

No. Randy is crap because he has made his second poor managerial appointment in a row. Randy is crap because he doesn't give a stuff about the fans. Randy is crap because he surrounds himself with spineless "yes men" that don't have a clue. Randy is crap because neither he nor his board have any idea about communicating with the fan base. Randy is crap because he was a party to the huge wage bill and has tried to correct it in one go, leaving us a couple of players short and risking relegation. In summary, he has done his best to undo all of the good work he did initially over the last 18 months. Agree 100%. He is not crap because he wants the club to run on a sustainable basis.

Would've liked to see him get a run in the team after having had a full pre season - we'll never really know how good he is but certainly a quality player. Just not sure how suited he is for the premiership. Really hope McLeish has signings lined up...........

Good post

Hi General First time post to you, I have been a season ticket holder for the last 42 years since the age of 4 and now attend with my 2 lads. I consider myself dedicated in my support yet level headed in my expectations and accept that the landscape has changed in the last couple of seasons with the influx of money at certain clubs. Despite the events over the last 2 or 3 months or so I have tried my hardest to muster enthusiasm for this season. I'm not going to go over old ground about the appointment of the manager and the selling of our better players but today summed up the apathy around the club. Never did I imagine that the crowd for a local derby would be lower than that of a game against Blackburn. You can come up excuses for this but the truth is that a lot of fans have lost faith in the board. Out of 20 friends that were season ticket holders last season less than half have renewed and most of these were STH for more than 15 years. Demographically they represent an average cross section and none of them cite financial reasons for not renewing. I have always supported Mr Lerner and defended him when unfair criticism has been levelled his way. I can accept the need to be more prudent but what irks me most is the lack of communication from the board. Yes we have received letters from Mr Lerner and Faulkner; but sorry they cut no ice with me. That approach certainly doesn't make me feel I'm a valued customer, more like it's a half hearted response borne out of necessity to try and appease us. I feel that supporters' loyalty is now being taken for granted. I'm inclined to understand why some supporters view the silence from the board as being an insult to the fans. General my enthusiasm is diminishing, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. No doubt I'll continue to cough up £1000 on season tickets and £1000's more on merchandise, away tickets etc but what are the board going to do to try and entice the missing thousands back to Villa Park whilst at the same time instil confidence in me that my support is not being taken for granted. Thanks for reading this and hope to hear from you sometime soon.

Agree with TrentVilla, i think O'Neill over playing him and Houllier's attitude towards Warnock played a massive part in his decline last season. He clearly wants to be part of things this season and credit is due to both player and manager for this.

Ditto, I've renewed in the Lower Holte for me and my two kids at a cost of £900. Nicky Keye assured me towards the end of last season that even taking into account all the offers throughout the season' a season ticket still works out less expensive. I suspect this season may be different though if as seems likely attendances are well down. Out of the 20 season ticket holders i know, less than half of these have renewed and they represent a fair cross section of your average fan. I do feel now that season ticket holders loyalty has been taken for granted but suspect the board have had a massive wake up call.

Agree with markavfc40, although he was way down my list of preferred managers, after all the contradictions and rubbish spouted from the previous manager, his honesty is a refreshing change. One thing he will get is respect from his players, it's just a pity we as supporters don't appear to be getting the same from the board. We were at the game on saturday and yes there are individuals who will not accept him under any circumstances. For his honesty alone he deserves a fair crack.