Daweii

Tears of joy.. I suppose I will take delight in him actually being there and being willing to do an interview. I think he'll be more excited when and if he gets picked in a starting eleven.

I'm really happy that Ireland got to training first, well one of the first. I know last week it was reported that he was willing to give 100% and was moving into a flat in Birmingham (when they say flat I assume £600,000 apartment). It seems that those reports were true as to get in first when living in Manchester would almost require waking up at 5am getting ready and leaving at close to 7am to miss the rush hour traffic. I know he's committed but that's just a whole other level.

When Ireland played for us he played quite well, then Houllier blasts him in public and he never plays again.. I think much of his attitude at Villa was down to Houllier.

Thats the trouble with Ireland though, key word being potentially. Keep him happy and he'll play and play well. He is like Darren Bent in that regard if he's happy he will put in 110% week in week out, do something to annoy him or upset him and he'll coast at about 40% until he's sold.

I want to give him a chance because if we do sell him and he sorts his head out and becomes the player we know he can be then we will strengthen another side quite considerably.. I'd take a chance, one more season under a new manager and see how he does. I personally think Ireland and Bent linking up would be incredible... A lot of Ireland's problem was that he's intelligent, the guy knows how to make a precise and well thought out pass. Yet when he came here he had to pass to Agbonlahor or Heskey and both of them barely know where the goal is let alone how to read a pass. Bent on the other hand his spacial awareness and ability to find space is second to none, with Ireland's adept passing we could be on to something IF we can get him playing well.

I think Bent will also be excited at the prospect of Albrighton who has the potential to be better than both of them given time. Yes it is all doom and gloom right now and Bent is probably a bit wary, but if he has a bit of intelligence he will know that whoever we buy in may be just as good. I think he was more excited about the supply line and less about the actual players.. If N'Zogbia or whoever we buy in and Albrighton produce the same quality of balls into the box then he won't care.

I think that is the only thing I have against Given, he's 35 and has maybe another 3-5 years in him maybe 7 if he's lucky. Why go for that when we can get someone like Foster who could be our number 1 keeper for a decade or more at which point if we still have him Siegrist would be ready.

For now, yes.

I think players like Makoun should make use feel positive about next season.. Yes we have lost Young and may lose Downing, but we have Makoun, Delph, Albrighton if we keep Downing we have one strong midfield. It's not all doom and gloom even if it feels like it right now.

Makoun was incredible against Man United.. Had we been in a better league position he'd have probably played a bit more. The same could be said for Bradley who just didn't get a chance, there is a great player in Makoun and we will find him.

I would love to see Ireland perform for Villa though I really don't think it helped that Houllier called him out in public, you just don't do that as a manager. You sit down with the player and talk it through. I mean had that not happened and he had got a few more games he could have really shined. Much of the time when watching him Ireland looked frustrated as Gabby just wasn't intelligent enough to read his passing, maybe Bent is a bit smarter..

I'm just going to accept him.. I mean for all we know he could be a success a MON type manager that clicks with the players and gets us Top 4, who knows it's all speculation but he could be a success at Villa just like anyone could. We could hire an absolute nobody off the street with no managing experience ever and they have every chance of succeeding provided they know a bit about football. So McLeish I give him a chance.

I hate to have to defend McLeish but the guy is a pretty decent manager. Yes he hasn't won a whole lot in comparison to some of the managers we wanted but he managed to take an injury ridden Birmingham City to cup glory. Yes they also got relegated, but they were missing players like Dann who was clearly missed in their defence. I will accept that McLeish plays a defensive game, but that was also one thing that made Birmingham City so hard to beat at home.. If we can make Villa Park a fortress again and he can help us achieve that then I am willing to accept him.

If that actually happened it would be insane. Though if I owned Villa pretty much every big name would be asked. The worst thing they can say is no anything different that is good news. Lerner seems far to conservative at times.. Instead of just going I want Mourinho or Ancelotti, he spends a week seemingly dallying over smaller managers.

After all this I wouldn't mind Benitez.. He wouldn't be my first choice, but really he took Liverpool so far and nearly won the Premiership with them in the 07/08 season. I wouldn't mind finishing 2nd and winning the FA Cup and the Champions League and everything else he managed there.

That guy is going to get absolutely annihilated if this doesn't happen.

I wouldn't say so.. I think if anything Hiddink to Chelsea free's up Ancelotti to Villa. One of the bigger worries was that Redknapp would move to the Chelsea job and Ancelotti would then take the Tottenham job.. If Hiddink goes in Redknapp has no where to move keeping Ancelotti in the balance for Villa.

I would be mighty tempted.. I'd also probably take the time to get Ancelotti on the back of my shirt while I was there.

If they are big names and don't work we merely sell them on to get them off the wage books.

I hope this gets sorted soon... My excitement levels have been through the roof.

Not disputing those purchases, but manager or not when have Villa ever bought a player of those levels. I mean yes Ancelotti had the foresight to buy them, but it's not always down to the manager. Let's say we get Ancelotti and he goes to Lerner "Give me £40-£50 million, I want to buy Lionel Messi".. Lerner might say yes as Messi is the greatest player in the world and arguably the greatest player of all time, but not even Ancelotti is going to make Villa Park an attractive prospect to Messi.. So yes Ancelotti buys great players but it also helps that he was at AC Milan at the time.

I don't know how people can place such large wagers based on an ITK. I would much rather live regretting making a bet than making a bet and getting it wrong based on mere speculation. All the more power to those that can, but like 'stewavfc' stated.. It would be a coup for the summer holidays, but if it doesn't happen you are down £30 which is a backwards move.

Hahaha.. I am proud to be a man, though reading what I put it is pretty ghey lol.

Seems rather suspect really.. I mean Lerner would be fine going for Moyes which would more than likely require £5 million+ compensation to Everton plus £4-5 million a year. Yet he won't spend the £6 million a year Ancelotti would want when over 2-3 years Ancelotti works out cheaper.

Managers I would be happy with; - Ancelotti - Moyes - Hughes - Jol - Klinsmann - Martinez - Benitez Managers I would not be happy with; - McLaren - Dowie - McAllister In my book Lerner will struggle to pick a manager I don't like. Though with Villa right now no one knows what is going through Lerner's head.. That is the scary part.