Daweii

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.

Jose Mourinho.

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 AVillaFan gent saying Carlos is 100% in town and that RL is due shortly.

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

Hughes more likely now?

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.

Anyway, on topic, if we did get Ancelotti how many people would we be talking about greeting him at VP?

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.

The only thing that does worry me with Ancelotti, is that what if he signs some big names on high wages, long contracts etc...And we dont become successful? Could it be a similar situation we had with MON yet only worse?

Ancelotti wont bat an eye lid(excuse the pun) at players that are on 100k a week.. Now if these players dont turn out to be that great(I mean look at Aqualani with Benitez) we could end up losing alot of money.

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.

Well either you must be a laydee too, or you are ghey

:-)

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

I got a lot of grief for my last ITK (Houllier not fit to return until October)

Anyway its a bloke who claims to know Gordon Cowans wife

Basically although lerner owns the club - he isn't the type to rail road his choice through - other board members will have some input. There isn't consensus on the two front runners Ancelotti \ Hughes - but there is on Moyes/Jol.

His thoughts (like mine) that faulkner would find hughes to abrasive - whilst Randy wouldn't throw silly money at Ancellotti.

Also reckons Benitez is a non starter.

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.

Talking to my best friend Hayley.. It doesn't matter if my world is crashing down around me, she always brings a smile to my face. It might be one of the more sensitive and "ghey" responses, but I'd be pretty lost without her.

how how how does mclaren get talked up for jobs in the press???

he must have some serious friends

I think the press know how disliked he is and band his name around merely to cause alarm. No team wants to be linked with him and yet every team gets linked to him by the press as they know it strikes fear into the fans.

We are one of the top teams in this league so it would hardly be something new to him. He's shown he can buy in players and rebuild a squad quite well. He has also shown he has a good eye for talent after what he did at Parma. They spent a fair bit yes, but we can spend a fair bit too.. Ancelotti coming here would be a pretty easy job for him. At best he only needs to buy a new goalkeeper and some defenders, at worst some midfielders too.. The rest will be down to his tactics and work ethic.

I'll have to get this on the Xbox 360.. I would get it on the Playstation 3, but I fancy a change.. I've been inserting MGS discs into Playstation consoles since I was like 8 years old. I think it's time to play one on the Xbox.

Just back from the beach where a guy in speedos and Villa tattoo told me it's going to be Martinez. So there you have it.

That is an awesome source.. I trust it.

What would truly be a sign of ambition is to go for Ancelotti and Wilkins.. Say that we are after Champions League football and give him a transfer budget of between £50 and £100 million. I know Lerner isn't made of money, he's rich yes but we all know that the only way Ancelotti will get us to the Champions League is if he can truly go out and buy the best of the best. If we give him our usual £20-30 million budget and say "get us into the top 4 boss" he'll laugh and go elsewhere.

Lerner appears to be showing a fair bit of ambition with his candidates. Not one really is a bad manager.. I mean when he's looking at the likes of Moyes, Jol and Ancelotti we now we are getting a good manager at some point.

Great, has Lerner actually gone public with his shortlist?

Not yet.. Just been getting it from certain people in the know. Though many of the newspapers while not always accurate seem to be suggesting the same names as well.

ive been away for a while have the club announced a time scale for a new manager been appointed??

Nothing has been mentioned yet, though I think we will hear something late next week.

Lerner appears to be showing a fair bit of ambition with his candidates. Not one really is a bad manager.. I mean when he's looking at the likes of Moyes, Jol and Ancelotti we now we are getting a good manager at some point.

Daily Star states that Ancelotti, Moyes, Jol and Martinez are the main four Lerner wants.. Though it is the Daily Star so it's probably rather inaccurate, but it's nice reading nonetheless.