MR_Black_AVFC

Surely it's about giving us a bit of hope for next season. Putting a few of the kids out would get the fans behind them and even if we lost 3-0 or 4-0; I would guarantee that our fans wouldn't boo them off as I bet they'd have put a shift in. That's the issue here. None of these players put a shift in. They are better (on paper) than what they show, but there is a black, negative, smouldering stink that has swept through the club like water ripped through the Titanic and turned average/good players into diabolical specimens of arrogance and self-importance who are dictating what they are and aren't prepared to do. On another note; was talking to a SHA fan at work today. He said that when Steve Bruce took them up, they had Mark Bowen. Bowen left, guess who came in? Eric Black. He reckoned it all went downhill after that, and it would be hard to disagree when you see what he's done under Remi and now since he's been running things. Once Bruce left them, Black took charge on a caretaker basis, dropped their main GK for a shit keeper who wasn't up to League Two status, let alone PL and went from there. That was just one or two games apparently, yet we've had weeks of it and I've seen ZERO improvement. Eric Black is NOT a good coach - his performances here, and historically elsewhere proves that, so I find it hard to understand why certain people in the media (and on here) think he is.

I am surprised any of us are bothering to attend games now. It is a complete waste of money and effort just to see us humiliated. In saying that; I admire anyone who does go. I just can't watch what is happening any longer as it's too painful. I have had a season ticket for over 14 years now, and since the Liverpool debacle; I haven't been down VP or away since. That is the first games I've missed since 2006 when my son was born, so I think I am more than able to give my opinion. I followed the game on here, and it seems that it was same old story. We start the game positively, but once the opposition score we collapse and embarrass ourselves.. Norwich winning puts us 15 points from safety, and I think even the most optimistic Villa fan will now have to concede that it's all over.

I'm nothing to do with Eric Black, despite my name. Wasn't Eric Black Steve Bruce's assistant at SHA?

Am I the only one who thinks we'll win tomorrow? Liverpool are so hit and miss. Villa 2-1 Liverpool tomorrow and back in the mix we go.

The only comfort I can draw, is if by some miracle we don't go down this season, we never will. I just don't want to get to the last day with a chance to survive and get turned over at Arsenal. I think that will be worse than having it confirmed weeks before.

I know there is only 8 points in it as it stands, but can anyone see us winning enough games and the teams above losing most of theirs? My money will be on Norwich, Sunderland, and us. I know Newcastle are being smashed at Stamford Bridge, but I really can't see them being down there when it comes to the crunch- although in saying that; McLaren has to be the most overrated manager in football history. He really is shit. However, despite all the negativity - I think we'll beat Liverpool tomorrow.

Like someone else said; rotten to the core. The whole club has gone. Time to plan for the Championship.

Ramseys been coach at QPR all season...just saying. We're talking about his time at Spurs.

Spurs fans have not got much good to say about him. It seems that Ramsey was the brains during his time there, with Sherwood as the mouthpiece. I've got a bad feeling about this. http://www.thefightingcock.co.uk/forum/threads/tim-sherwood.8360/page-384

Lambert: "We peppered their goal and dominated the game". Interesting...was he watching the same game as me?

I agree that Lambert needs to go. But can any of us really see Lerner paying up a four year contract a matter of weeks after signing it?

I get what you are saying, but Moyes didn't really push Everton to be a force - it was a safe, little job. They were average and he didn't really excel himself; we were a far better side than them in the early days of Lerner and MON. To be honest, I'd like to see an up and coming foreign manager given a chance at Villa. This current obsession with boring Scottish managers is clearly not working. Moyes would just be another to add to the list. Lambert is no different to McLeish in my view. Both were boring, uninspiring, with a catalogue of excuses ready for anything that went wrong. Lambert's view of games is delusional. We play awful, get overrun in midfield and often only manage one shot on target....yet if you listened to him and never watched the game, you would think we'd bossed it from start to finish and were just unlucky.

I don't get the hype about Moyes. It took him the best part of ten years to get Everton established. He expected to go to Man Utd and start another long term rebuilding process - but the fans were not prepared to wait that long, and with their history - who could blame them? He would be a disastrous appointment for us in my opinion. We should have pulled all the stops out to get Martinez when we had the chance. The only good to come out of the Lambert era is Benteke, Vlaar, and the emergence of Delph and Guzan. He does need to go, but all I could see replacing him would be someone like Pulis. Am I being unfair?

He'll do for me. Guess who he scored his first professional goal against? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsAyywfGZgI

I don't know how true this is, but I did a bit of fixed wiring electrical work at Bodymoor Heath earlier on today and got talking to one of the staff (not going to name names) about whether Benteke would be staying beyond the end of the current season. He said that he didn't know; however he said that Lambert will have far more to spend next season and has already identified a number of targets for next season. One of them is Jackson Martinez of Porto. I haven't done any research on the guy as I've only just got in and couldn't wait to tell you all what I've learnt today. All I know is that he is a striker.

I normally read what you guys put; and although I am/was a big fan of PL, I totally agree that he seems to have run out of ideas. We ended last season riding on the crest of a wave. The team seemed to click and we won all of the games we needed to - including that superb 6-1 win over Sunderland which was the best performance under this manager by some distance. With a few careful additions I felt we could go a step further. Following the Arsenal and Chelsea games I didn't fear one minute that we would be in this position now. Granted, our away form is much better than how we go about things at Villa Park. But even that of late seems to be stuttering and we can't win at home. We have some tough away games to come, and no wins against Norwich and Fulham at Villa Park will put us right in the mire. There is always one team who look safe for the most part who sleep walk into it with a few weeks to go. This could be us if we are not careful as no-one is looking at us as potential candidates for the drop.

My pal's Dad is a business associate of Paladini so I'll fill a few of you in on what I know. This is where they are. There is an preliminary offer agreed for Paladini to buy Small Heath from Carson Yeung - I used the term 'preliminary' very loosely. It is for around £25m. Pannu was back at the Sty last week; and he and Yeung are at loggerheads apparently. He wasn't back to sell the club; no idea why he was there. He went to the Millwall game and was abused throughout. The deal for Paladini needs to be signed off by Pannu; it is not the first deal that has been on the table that he has refused to sign off. This is so reminiscent of what went on before with Paladini last year and the whole thing collapsed. It is likely that it will do again. Pannu is earning a small fortune out of SHA - he earned £700k last year. No wonder he doesn't want to sell the club. I'll let you know if I hear anything else.

I got it on Wednesday - so I've had a couple of evenings playing it. I guess everyone had different tastes, but I like it. The speed of the game feels more real to me. I hated the Fifa 13 where running with pace was the order of the day - or charging down the flanks and crossing it in without any opposition from AI defenders. Now I feel they have got the AI defence spot on. It is so much harder to keep possession, and like real football; players make mistakes. I love a challenge so this suits me down to the ground. I've started it as I finished Fifa 13 - on legendary mode, full manual controls. Started a career mode in the Dutch League. Lost first game 3-0 but battled away. I only opened them up once; a triangle passing move on the edge of the box, the player who started the move ran into the box and I played it into him perfectly. The goalkeeper blocked it but it showed that it is possible to open the opposition up if you are prepared to work at it.

As it stands, Wigan Reading and QPR are the only teams who are not safe - we are - at this moment in time. No-one expected us to win last night. Man Utd were rampant in the first half, yet took their foot off the gas in the second half which gave us some breathing space. At least our confidence wasn't totally demolished, but as I said the other day - I do not take any game as a given. Sunderland and Norwich looked winnable a few weeks ago, but not so much now. Our goal difference could be our downfall if Wigan win their game in hand.

There is always the concern that you can 'peak' too early - the Fulham game was an indicator that we are not out of the woods yet. Since then Fulham have been on the end of two defeats showing that our game against them was there for the taking. Sunderland have turned a corner at the right time, and Stoke picked up the 3 points today leaving it more or less between us and Wigan. If Wigan had won today we would be well and truly in it. I don't think we'll get anything at Old Trafford on Monday and that 'much win' game v Sunderland looks a lot harder than a few weeks ago. I'm still 50/50 whether we will be relegated.

I did the BBC predictor the other day. I had us drawing against Arsenal and Man City but still going down at the end of the season on goal difference to Wigan. I can't see us getting out of it now unless we pull a few shock results out of the bag.

I take your point Mantis; but goalkeeping isn't the problem. This is the time when we could do with grinding out a few 1-0 wins to just steady the ship. But this is unlikely as we do not seem to be able to stop conceding goals. I just cannot see us getting enough points over the next 15 games to ensure our Premiership status. It is just not going to happen unless, like last season; the teams below us are worse than we are.

I also think we are going down. I think the damage has been done. We have played 22 games and amassed a pitiful 19 points. We only have 16 games left to play. We have the worst goal difference in the league. Does anyone seriously think we are going to even get to that 40 point 'safe' total? I don't.

I'm gobsmacked that this clown is back at another club. I just seen him on the tv at the Forest training ground. I've been on the Forest forum - most do not want him and guess what?? Not because of where he came from either. They do not want him as he almost managed to relegate both Birmingham clubs in two seasons and very nearly succeeded. That shows how shit he is.

Sega Supplies in Old Hill started selling his yesterday.