Silafou's_besi_mate

OK, so the fact that everything has gone over to Merrill Lynch, suggest due diligence might be being carried out. I've sold two businesses before, and when we agreed a fee for the business, a data room (basically an online portal of information) was setup for the buyer to view all documentation about the company, accounts, all contracts etc. Prior to this, they only got a copy of the headline numbers. Now I am not saying I am an ITK, but having experience of selling a couple of companies, this is the usual process. Merrill lynch would not go to the hassle of getting everything sent across unless there was a buyer - you just wouldn't waste your time. Also, club secretary is in USA 'on work commitments', but who knows!

Delighted for Bowery - he played so well. He gets too much stick on here for a player who hasn't been given enough game time until today. Albrighton and weiman were awesome. Westwood was good but Delph had a quiet game. Well done boys. The Villa park faithful were on another level - delighted we got behind the team from start to finish.

#uttergash Is this the same team that beat Chelsea at home. Started well, but then fell apart spectacularly

What the hell is wrong with number 25's head?!lol That is a shocking hair cut - He should have been sent off for that, let alone the dodgy penalty....

It has taken me until now to finally calm down about our result yesterday and write something on here. Before the game I was actually thinking of not renewing my season tickets. With an hour journey to villa park and woeful home performances, I just couldn't be bothered. Yesterday put my faith back in Villa. Not only was the team brilliant, but we were actually singing in the lower trinity! Blooming heck I hear you say, but first time since last blues derby has there been an atmosphere like that at Villa Park - just shows your what the team can do when we get behind them. Guzan was awesome and made some great saves. Was lucky with one or two reaction saves that went well for him, but that's the sign of a good goalkeeper. Bennett was awesome. I was very impressed with him in this game and it shows he has real potential. But we have to support him and stop giving him the rediculous stick that he gets on here. He's a confidence player, so let's get behind him. Bacuna was awesome again, as were baker and Vlaar. And it was great to see the reaction of the team,particularly Bacuna after that tackle - it showed how much the team support each other. Midfield was awesome and Delph should get some praise. But the three of them are starting to work really well. Up top I still don't think that weimann is the player he was last season, but Benteke and Gabby played well. For the first time in a long time, all the players looked up for it, didn't give much space or respect to the opposition and really took the game by the scruff of its neck. Something we have been lacking in ages. For the last few weeks I have been worried about villatalk as all we seemed to want to talk about was the new kit because our performance on the field was so poor. Yesterday put my faith back in Villa - and at least it's given us something to talk about. Other than next seasons kit!

Utter gash. This is what annoys me about Villa. Great win mid-week, you think we can kick on, take first half lead then loose the game. How many times has Clarke cost us a goal with stupid free kicks from his fouls? Their player had his back to goal and was going no where. He didn't need to take him, just press him. No defender brought in and now Vlaar injured! When will we learn - and this is what our problem is, we never do!

My top 3 are 1) Spink - when I was 12 I wrote to Billy McNeil and asked if I could go to BMH and watch the legend train. At the time, I was the school goalie and thought I had a chance. I got a day off school to meet him (the only Villa goalie to do so) and he was awesome. Then I stopped growing and lost my place in the school team. 2) Guzan - Re-tweeted a tweet that is sent him when I played 5-a-side at Villa Park to raise money for Stan Petrov when he first became ill. First goal keeper in a few years that commands his box and I don't worry when the opposite get in the box. Great at savings penalties 3) Bosnich - banged Sophie Anderton, snorted coke and is awesome on Aussie TV now (have a look on YouTube). He was also pretty good between the sticks for us. My bottom 3 are: 1) Enkleman - Just utter gash. Worked in bham after the infamous game and never had so much abuse in my life from small Heath fans. 2). Kevin Poole - bit harsh, but was never impressed and never had confidence in him on the limited times he has played for us. 3) Kiraley - those jogging bottoms, need I say anymore? Haven't included Rimmer as never saw him play as I was too young and my mum took me to see Empire strikes back instead of going with my dad to Villa Park.

I saw him in Costa Coffee once getting a cappuccino for his mrs...take away too! Nothing to do with the story in hand, but there you are.

When are people gonna stop lauding Suarez and see him for what he is...a cheat! Terrible example to young footballers and glad he didn't score. Sooner he goes to Real Madrid and gets out of this league the better. Vlaar was awesome, Benteke was back to almost his best and we missed Gabby when he came off. Holt played some nice touches too. Bertrand had a good debut too. Worry was Bacuna....thought his performance dropped off a lot in the second half....

I've clearly had too much to drink....Holt seems to be playing well and wants the ball!

Am I really watching villa? Looks like a totally different team to the one I last watched at villa park. Benteke actually wants the ball...the most lively I have seen him since the norwich away game!

Here's a guy trying to block the smell from his own nose as he tries in vain to polish one. LOL - my faith in Villa Talk has been restored. I know the team is sh!t, but this made me proper laugh

#gash Ok, so before the game I said we should field a team of fringe players to give them game time and prepare to loose as the cup is a distraction. I didn't think for a minute that we'd field almost a full strength side, minus one or two, and only have two shots on target. We can now focus on the premiership granted, but it the manor in which we lost yesterday which does not sit well with me. #wheredowegofromhere

But there's always two sides of any story. There was a discussion in the WBA thread about how some of their fans enjoyed time away from the PL because they actually won games and, at the of the season, had something to celebrate. I'm getting sick of having no hope; not of just winning the league, but of finishing as low as sixth. We play in the PL but we're a nothing club. We're aiming for zero. I'd not be over fussed if we did go down for a while. I'm not there to see the best players in the country, because I don't go to watch the opposition. I go to watch the Villa & I'd like to know what's it like to win games and taste glory again. We could end up hanging around the lower leagues for too long, sure, but at the moment we're just making up the numbers. I know this opinion is hugely disagreeable, but I'm almost sick to death of going through the motions every season. Understandable. I'd temper it though by adding " at the moment" to a lot of your points.... We're aiming for (winning) zero... at the moment. etc. Now, that may seem horrible, seeing as with MON and Lerner came the promise (and almost the realisation) of breaking into the top 4. I personally remember us pushing for the title very seriously under GT the first time around with Platt, Daley, Sid, Olney etc. (mostly young and hungry btw ) Our current position is nowhere near as exciting. However, That title push came after we'd been relegated, that would be a disaster now but all the suffering last season and this at least seems to have a forward looking long term plan behind it. Something the ginger one didn't have and Houllier was perhaps too old to want to do a similar job regardless of his health worries. Anyway, I suppose what I am saying is, that whilst it's crap at the moment compared to what some of us have seen in the past, and all have us have wished for under the MON days, I think it's a necessary step. Without spending like Man City (impossible for us under the Fair play rules even if Randy suddenly fancied spunking his entire fortune on building us a team) then it's also the only way it's going to happen. Romavillan quite agree. I'd love a cup run, but right now, in the circumstances we are in, PL survival is key.

If you're just including starts surely its not fair to include a goal he scored coming off the bench. Well, I thought it was a cool stat and made me realise the contribution he has made to us, despite all the negativity towards him on here...

I think Paul Lambert is talking a lot of sense. Yeah, it would be nice to get a cup run, but at the expense of the Premier League, no thank you. My neighbours are either doncaster rovers, Sheffield Wednesday or Leeds fans - and they are all thoroughly depressed with their teams plight in the lower leagues. At least I still have bragging rights of being in the premiership. Please don't take that way from me Lambert.

I am really gutted for Libor. 4 goals in 8 starts is a pretty good ratio. Ok, so he is not spectacular, but he grinds out a result for us and works very hard. Both Bowery and Helenius need to see this as their opportunity to get into the first team. Both need to step up to the plate and give it their best shot. This could be the making of either of them. The FA cup game again Sheff could be an interesting opportunity to start both of them.

We remain unbeaten in 2014! What a way to start. Although with only 35% of the possession, just shows how bad Sunderland are. We could have made it 3-0, but for an unlucky Benteke and an awful Albrighton shot. Ref played six mins of extra time, thought Fergie was helping out at Sunderland!

Defence really is look solid in last 10 minutes - Guzan again looking very strong between the sticks

Benteke looks like the difference for us today. All the team look like they are up for this - we look a different side to the Crystal Palace game. Vlaar is playing well too, just shows the impact he has in defence when he plays.

HH, you asked for feedback on the playing style and if there is an improvement that can be seen over the last two seasons. I've not made as many games as I would have liked this season (I am a season ticket holder) but for the Crystal Palace game bought my Dad and Brother in law down. One comment my brother in law made sums it up, the food in the holte suite before the game was nice, but it was like watching Doncaster Rovers play on the pitch - terrible, championship football. As a result, for the first time in my life, I avoided going to a villa game - the Swansea game - as I cannot tell you how much it hurts to see Villa play like we are. Whilst we are not shipping as many goals as we did last season, the football feels like we've gone back to McLeish days with no creativity in midfield and the strategy of not wanting to loose a game. Where as PL, I thought, had the strategy of winning games by scoring more that the opposition e.g. If they score one, we score two. I even had two spare tickets for the man utd game and couldn't give them away for free to a Villa fan as most knew the outcome and the type of football we'd play. Whilst I realise that getting the club wages down was the priority, and I truly don't think PL knew what he was getting into with the squad in inherited, I still feel deflated about our performance. Unfortunately, this is the fourth season we have performed like this and it hurts. And I just don't get the feeling that either PL or the players (with exception of Gabby) understand the hurt we feel as fans after 3 and a bit seasons of poor football. It gets to you like you would not believe! Your post made me feel better and certainly explained the recent transfer strategy - and i can see now why some new players have and havent worked. it is a high risk transfer strategy PL is deploying going for the lower end of the market. I do feel that Learner needs to back PL with two or more quality signings, but I am worried that PL will hung out to dry as Lerner wants to avoid relegation by spending the smallest amount. If he wants to sell the club, why risk spending a huge amount when you can spend a small amount and limit the financial risk but hopefully still stay in the premiership? I do want PL to do well as I don't think there's another manager out there who'd do a better job. I will still buy my season tickets to support him, but whether I turn up for the games is going to be dependent on the football, and at the moment, I have better things to do with my time.

I've been a fan of Aston villa since I can remember. I am a season ticket holder in the lower trinity for the past 5 seasons. I've been an avid reader of villatalk.com for sometime now, and with the results we are getting, felt compelled to contribute.