John

I would not be shocked if the police tried to switch this to a 12.00 Sunday game although it goes against everything that this mid-week cup competition is all about. Anyone would think both sets of fans can't be trusted to behave and not to have one over the eight before a normal Tuesday evening kick-off. :winkold:

Beats Manchester United or Arsenal. Pity it is at there place but they must be gutted about going out to us at this stage of the cup competition!

"You’ll never beat the Villa" or "Gardner, Ridgewell what's the score" or "Have you won the European Cup or the FA Cup or been champions of the league"?

Just avoid Manchester United and Arsenal. But, if we do get them we want them at home. Failing Arsenal & Manchester United drawing each other I would like to see one of them at Small Heath. :winkold:

I take your point Oddsox this was slightly the better of what has been a run of very below par performances for him and I begin to doubt whether we will see the Big John of old again in our shirt, which would be a real pity as at his best he is very difficult for defenders to cope with.

I think that with more games together both Ireland and the team will adapt to each other styles theunderstudy.

James was as near to an 8 as Ireland was to a 6 so they were very close calls. I'm sorry that this late start and the rail network's early finish got in the way of you getting to the game. I really think there are too many of these weekend late kick offs but TV cares little for the fans who go to the games. I also think that Downing is fast looking a bargain at £12m and I thought Warnock was unlucky to be booked when the official seemed to be booking one of ours at a what was a very frequent rate in a hard but fair match.

Great research as usual John and a good read. Off topic, but do we know whether Handsworth RFC won their game?

It seems The Barley in Mere Green will no longer be showing the games. They used to do a roaring trade on match days.

It seems not. :shock: I doubt I have ever gone 100 % odds or evens before this must be the odd one out. :winkold:

I never doubted that Richard. Lets all drink to this at whatever our local may be.

I see what you are saying Richard but when the choice has been made there is little we can do about it. It might not be the one we would have made but until things go pear shaped I think whoever he brings in should be given the benefit of the doubt. This is how I see it although I guess others may see it differently.

If it is to be Houllier then he is entitled to bring in the man who he wants to be his first team coach and who he considers will give him the best chance of moving our football club forwards. He knows he can work with Thompson and as our coach I would back Phil Thompson 100% to act as the profesional he is and to put his clear Liverpool leanings to one side as coach of the club who will be paying his wages. Thompson may not be the coach that our players would have wanted and some of them may soon become uncomfortable with the way he demands results from them. But, if appointed he would clearly be a man our new manager could trust. I would also suggest that he would not be a coach that you would want to go into a dressing room at half time to face when you were 3-0 down at Newcastle or even more so at full time having gone on to lose 6-0 after the half time tea cups had gone flying. Let's back Randy's choice as our manager and that manager's choice as his first team coach.

It was Stephen thanks for that.

I had heard his interview did not go well Ash. I guess he may have wanted money for players in January or higher wages than we were prepared to pay him or to bring in his own staff or more than a one year deal or all of these things.

Fergie is getting on a bit for me PriceyDownunder. Baz any health issues are in the past. :winkold:

I wonder if we are waiting to see if England win on Tuesday and that makes another potential manager available for interview. :winkold: I suspect that GH's wife still needs a little persuading on his taking the job or that he wants to bring his own man in rather than use KM as first team coach and Randy may be having a problem with that should GH make this a deal breaking issue. I had thought we would have someone in place within 4 weeks but it seems this may run and run. Is this now the longest period during a season that we have gone without a permanent manager in place?

If KM is appointed first team coach and Houllier as DOF would that not really mean that KM is in affect the manager (although we would not have one by name) and Houllier would be the DOF who would act as a link between the board and the coaching staff (as did Graham Taylor at Watford with Kenny Jackett as first team coach and Sven for a few months whilst with Notts County)? If that did happen, I would wonder why we did not appoint KM as coach a month ago and add that we would be looking to appoint a DOF to work with him. I would doubt that at his age and with his health history that Houllier would be hands on with the playing side if he did join us and it would beg the question of whether the search has been for a DOF and not a manager all along?

I just think that was a dig at his old football club "bareminimum" city!

That is why the bookies react so quickly to runs of bets for the same man (just in case a group of people are ITK) and why they would not accept a large bet from one man and more so if he was making the decision Bromsgrove.

Did anyone else see Mark Hughes' face when he was being interviewed about his keeper staying put in the transfer window on SKY Sports News last night and was then asked something along the lines of "happy to stay?" and it seemed to cross his mind for a moment that the reporter might have been referring to him being happy to stay rather than his keeper? That was an opportunity missed by the reporter as I would think both men may be as happy as each other to not be at Arsenal or Villa respectively.

I can't see managers who have just joined there clubs walking out and joining us so that would in my opinion rule out the likes of Hughes and McLaren for me. Managers such as Moyes and Jol who are unhappy with the funds provided by their current clubs would need to know that would not be the case with us and I can understand they might see the same situation as one that is likely to face them here. I guess Jurgen felt he might be able to continue to live in the USA as their manager and the role of international manager it is not a 9 to 5 job so I suspect he might not leap at the opportunity of a full time job in Aston. I would also think Sven would want big money and to make more than a couple of changes to our squad so for that reason do not see him as a likely choice. So, we either go for a manager who is between jobs (such as Curbs), one who is with a club that is a level or two below us that he doubts he can take much further (such as Big Sam) who might back himself to get enough from our squad to give him a crack at the top 6 or a manager who has been out of the game for a while (such as Houiller). Or we might give it to KM after a reasonable period of time and crossing out any names that may be higher on our wish list. I hope we can get this sorted by the weekend so that a new manager (if that is what we get) can get a feel for the club before our next game. I look forward to Diego's first press conference! :winkold:

But to clubs with a manager Richard. There may yet be some transfer but I guess it is more likely to be a player leaving rather than one coming in. It is dire stuff seeing other teams make moves with us sitting on our hands and doing it would appear nothing.

Or because they want to sell him and other clubs are prepared to pay money for him Scott?

The last but one line should have read as above. :oops: