Hughes

I'll leave this thought as it makes me sick but IF the chinese decide this is what they will do, then....

Sure, but that's not what I was saying... more like Midlands FC playing in red at some new stadium called YingYang ground outside of the city of Brum.

If one is paranoid one could perhaps see the Chinese buying all of the major clubs in and around Birmingham, merging them and creating Midlands FC - just saying, stranger things have happened.

sorry if already posted but VT getting famous: http://www.themag.co.uk/2016/08/interesting-reaction-aston-villa-fans-newcastle-bid-cieran-clark-newcastle-united/

I think it is and this is the reason why Xia reacts as he does. Apparently Clark has done a Delph.

What is wrong with this tweet, then? I do not understand. If Ghana and Clark have told RDM and Xia that they will stay and they quickly thereafter are leaving, I think anyone associated with the club, including you and me, have every right to be pissed off. This regardless of whether we are actually happy with these players leaving - it is all about showing Aston Villa FC some F****** RESPECT! I doubt he is lying on this subject (do you?) and if so I think this provides information which is quite unique and interesting (do you?) and which explains some of the difficulties with transfer windows (you know; i.a. why we do not just sign a lot of players NOW). So yes, I am prepared to defend this tweet, there is nothing wrong with it - Clark seems to have played our club and deserves to be outed.

This would be surprising on so many levels.

Continued statements like these really do not contribute to anything positive. I am sure even you actually know that he never "promised 50 million" but let's not get any facts disturb your position. Besides, why would his response become more professional if the club spent 50 million on players first?

Ha ha!! Not Welsh at all. I am one of those liberal Scandinavians....

They do absolutely not but as you say: off topic

Jeez you English really are PC. Yes, the tweeting will end at some stage, probably because the complaining will force him to stop. In the long run I thus agree this is not a good idea and it will be similar to Krulak. However, it does give an unprecedented insight so I say let's enjoy while we can. Yes, he could have worded the response more carefully and thereby comply with all your English conservative ideas on how to behave. However, he was responding to a person who previously has been incredibly disrespectful toward Villa and it's by effing time someone representing Villa stand up for the club. All in my non-English opinion of course

No respect and I am not talking about Xia....

Which, of course is the same thing; minimum investment for maximum return. Or do you seriously believe Amazon or Google operate in any other way??! It's just the time perspective that is different, not the modus operandi or the goal.

And there you have it. I would, for completeness, add that he can't pass anything else than backwards or sideways 5 yards.

it looks like they have primarily just converted debt into equity - it is a balance sheet exercise and does not give the club any fresh, new money.

This no 2

Got a public bollocking by legend Tony Morley during the commentary of today's game, Tony basically saying "he turned his back on us, I want him out". I have never heard that before, or anything close to it. How Gabby can come back I do not know and I agree with posters saying we should get rid no matter what. In fact, I have been saying for quite some time that his contract should have been terminated and then Villa should have stood behind that decision in litigation if it came to that.

Do not think it is a reaction to a defeat. It is a reaction to a performance one week before the season starts. Or should I say "non-performance".

I honestly think too many in the sqaud are "tainted". Apart from being shit they are despised by the fans. It is a effing disease and RDM should see that. Playing Bacuna only can go bad. It just can. Too many of the old crap are involved. Yes, it takes time but FFS play Green and give some of the other youngsters a chance.

Too true. He actually offers absolutely nothing at all. Sadly I have the impression that he is one of the "good guys" - no problem or issues with him or his attitude but..... jeeeez he is just not good enough.

This. Unfortunately I think we will see at least 4 of these at Wednesday.

It's an interesting subject for debate. Player power has increased substantially over the years but in my view, this will change. As all other things, the balance will swing from one side to the other and player power is now so strong that I can see the balance starting to swing the other way. For example, I do not see clubs in the future accepting to pay shitloads in wages and not being able to terminate contracts for cause as in all other employment relationships (Read: the "Gabby situation"). Clubs will IMO, due to better financial positions (both due to rich owners, TV deals and other substantial revenue streams and the pure fact that player contracts have become quite extreme), be able to start commanding more balanced contracts. I am not saying that Villa will be the "first mover" on this but; why the hell not: In the championship we are, despite what some of our more depressed fans are saying, one the most attractive prospects and we may, just may, be able to say more than before that "we want you but it will be on our terms". I for one would welcome such a development and if Dr Mr Tony Tweet wants to champion this I will be cheering him on.

M, buy the River Plate one in stead - suits your personality ETC better (internal joke warning)

Benteke is for me not at all "evidence of his poor performance", there is no need for such evidence. This not being a dig against you, but: For heavens sake, they ended up 8th and no trophies, losing the European league final against opposition they really should have beat on neutral ground. Now, without CL and Europe at all, they will have to shop from lower shelves than a lot of clubs they do not want to compare themselves with, and they need to pay top dollar to bring second rate players. Of course the devine and self proclaimed best fans in the world always believe they are going to win everything and most players they sign are "world class" - most of them have no clue how far behind their club is. Klopp is interesting and amusing, I do not however think he is the second coming as most Liverpool fans seem to think as of today. 8th place in the league and most of their fans this is is the best thing since sliced bread - I do not understand why.

Aaaahhh, the annual summer holiday debate on whether results in friendlies "means anything". On the face of it; of course they do not, no points are gained or lost. On the other hand; I strongly believe it says something about a team's culture and whether the players and management "accept" losing. Of course, when playing Telford it is not the main aim to win. However, if you lose, and then lose more matches in preseason against lower teams, it does not help the general mood. Especially for a team/club like Villa who has produced loosers and loosing teams for years I do believe that results in preseason, at least taken as a whole, are indeed important. This club and these players need to learn to win and learn to understand that underachievement is no longer acceptable. If these players perform as they should, we do not lose preseason games against lower opposition. Besides, I just hate seing the great Aston Villa lose any game....