OutByEaster?

I don't like Craig Bellamy, but I'd have to admit, if I was a centre half I wouldn't fancy knowing I was going to be up against Carew and Bellamy. They'd make a horrible partnership to have to play against.

Malc, You have an opinion on the performance of the manager, and there are a number of people who agree with large elements of your assessments, Mr Cresswell included. The difference between the reactions you recieve I think is that, as you have pointed out, you feel that a number of people elevated Mr O'Neill to a false position when he arrived, painting him as the messiah and the worlds greatest coach, a position you've always disagreed with. It also seems to be your starting point in your judgement of the manager. In one breath you seem to be saying "People think MON is the messiah and I don't agree." and in the next "The level of performance of this manager doesn't match his status as messiah, therefore he is bad." Mr Cresswell gave his opinion on MON because he wants us to win more games, you seem to give us yours in order to prove that you are right.

A quite brilliant piece. It's good sometimes to remember what it's all about. I hope your boy has made the right choice, and I for one am starting to believe he has.

Like a heavy ball rolling up a see-saw, we improve but it doesn't become clear until we reach the point where things start to tip.

We are improving. If you look at the home game against Chelsea earlier in the year, we got a draw through desire and hard work, but we played for a nil nil draw. If you look at last nights game, we were the better side, we showed the ambition to take them on, for large chunks of the game we dominated them, and we lost. I know that results are everything, but they don't always give you the best indication of development. If we continue to improve, there's no reason to believe that next season shouldn't see our fortunes turn.

Maybe a shampoo with extra bounce, body and volume might help ?

Apologies for the misread. I think there's benefit for the new chairman in having the figurehead manager arrive first and take the limelight, especially if as in Lerners case the limelight isn't something you covet.

The team sheets for the games say Bannan so I'm going with that.

No, when he joined under Ellis few knew he was part of some of the takeover options and his deification was made then when he joined and has stuck with some ever since and why not when you consider the options maybe available at the time. I'd disagree, takeover talk was at boiling point when O'Neill joined, I think that many if not most saw O'Neill as an indication of a brighter future on the horizon, an arrow fired directly from God (Or Randy Lerner in this case) to smite the demon. I think it's this feeling that inspired the hysteria that accompanied his arrival, he was Randy Lerners impending takeover made flesh. By arriving first, he became the man that carried all our hopes of the bright new future and with that came the weight of our expectation. That expectation, I think was overly inflated not on our opinion of him as a manager but on our vision of him as carrying the future. In that scenario, it would be easy to see the start to his Villa era as an indiciation that he's not the coach we'd hoped. Having completed one miracle and removed Mr Ellis, it was easy to imagine that others would follow in sharp order. Now it seems he's just a football manager managing a football team. I don't see that as a failure on Martin O'Neills part. I think we have a Chairman who thankfully no longer believes in the Aston Villa managers three year cycle, it remains to be seen how successfully we as fans will adjust to that. You certainly argue your point eloquently and with consistency, and it's good to see that whilst you didn't find your calling you haven't let those O levels go to waste, but it appears that on this subject we're starting from different positions, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

I'm confused, was he signed with Lierse at the age of 7 ?

How old is Kone ?

Thanks for spotting the feel of the post OBE ) Yes I would. I'd like to see if O'Neill can produce an indication of what may come next season. I think I probably would too. On O'Neills deification, do you not feel some of that is based on him being part of the Holy Trinity of new manager, new owner and new board, rather than a reflection of an excitement based only on a new manager ?

Pardon me.

An interesting read. Not sure that Mssrs Robertson and Walford would agree that coaching a Champions league team and winning numerous titles and trophies is "not being active football wise" though. All this talk of catholicism and Celtic aren't football ! Four hail marys for you tonight Malc. A question: Would you take the progressive attacking game without the results between now and the end of the season ?

I think Joey signed a permanent deal with Burnley in the summer.

Two pieces of soft white thick sliced bread, smothered with so much butter that once you get the chips on it melts and dribbles out while you're eating it, dipped into a dollop (pat?) of red or brown sauce. Lovely.

I've just discovered that the fourth official - Ms L Rashid - is actually the daughter of former employee Abdul Rashid! :shock: Sorry Abdul, please don't take me to court.

Sorry about the score - I've got a cold. :oops:

General, I'll be sleeping with my boots on and not putting the car away until I hear more !

A great article, and I agree with just about all of it. These are days we'll remember and this is a fantastic time to be a Villa fan. Considering where we've all come from, I don't think there can be another group of fans as happy with their takeover as us.

Great stuff General, I'm very much looking forward to seeing these come through, I know that this was a big topic of discussion at the last SCG meeting. Are you looking at having another meeting soon ? I read elsewhere that there might be one in the next few weeks while everyone's together for the games against Liverpool and Arsenal ?

General, I'm excited by some of the talk I've heard about ticketing and next years season tickets, you've told us that we're going to be very pleased, can you tell us when you are likely to be revealing details on next years season ticket prices and benefits ?

These players are all going to be relegated ; Dean Ashton Paul Konchesky Nigel Reo Coker Yossi Benayoun Luke Young Darren Bent I'll take the lot.

General, Alan Perrin the Villa fan from Devon who was nominated as the Barclays fan of the month has won the award. (He was particularly pleased with your vote !) Can we have him on the pitch at half time at one of the next two home games so that we can give him a round of applause?

I'd say yes, and if the right players played I'd go. If you say no to a testimonial for Lee, I think you need to do away with them altogether. If the rule is that you play for ten years and you get a testimonial, that should be the rule. If the rule is that you play for ten years and if people like you then you can have a testimonial, then you open a can of worms. I've never been interested in what Lee's done off the pitch (except when it's been funny) and he's had a good career with us, think of some of the best moments of the last ten years, and you'll find that Lee was there for most of them, regardless of whether he's a dick. It would need to be for charity though, I think the days of footballers feathering their own nests with testimonials are long gone.