nick76

I'm sure my mates and I did exactly the same thing on a Saturday night for hours on end after a game verbally (and generally with a few beers). I actually wasn't that impressed with that report. I reckon there is a number of us fans that could do that. I now I watch games neutrally all the time when Villa aren't on and watch certain plays, weaknesses and so forth.....that was just documenting it all

You're not going to get the job Avram!

damn it, sprung

I actually don't know who I want. Ancelotti because he's a big name, would show everybody else and I suppose to ourselves that we do have massive ambition.....but would he be a bit of a gimmick and would he be off next year when the next big job comes along, thus we have to start again....

Why do you think this? I think he seems like a committed and generally pretty righteous guy, I dont see any reason why he'd be a gimmick, or indeed leave us in the shit.

yeah fair point. Not right for me to judge as I don't know the guy. Just thinking he is a massive name and I'm sure when big jobs become available his name is mentioned in those boardrooms and as much as I love the Villa we aren't in the top tier of clubs in Europe and it might be tempting I would guess.

I actually don't know who I want. Ancelotti because he's a big name, would show everybody else and I suppose to ourselves that we do have massive ambition.....but would he be a bit of a gimmick and would he be off next year when the next big job comes along, thus we have to start again....but we could get in a few big names in the interim, not lose so many of our better players hopefully and just some general optimism around the club which has been sadly lacking recently

Or do we go for a Hughes or less likely Moyes, what would be seen as a more long term, steadier appointment that could build over the years...would mean we may lose one or two key players as they flout lack of ambition, blah blah blah. But we can continue to grow and get some stability and have one of the young really good up coming managers that are likely to be here to build a team......

Conflicted....glad it's not my choice

Ancelotti would be a coup de grace

Villas-Boas I'd have a wet dream every night the guy's class, I remember my mate forwarding me a scout report he drew up ( Chelski Vs Newcastle in the Shearer / Owen days ) when he was Mourinhios underling and it's mind blowing I'll have to dig it out, but that's too "Hollywood" for an appointment. Plus he's still got a job to do at Porto and I don't think enough people would be patient enough much like Martinez if he came in.

heres the scout report - here

I'm sure my mates and I did exactly the same thing on a Saturday night for hours on end after a game verbally (and generally with a few beers). I actually wasn't that impressed with that report. I reckon there is a number of us fans that could do that. I now I watch games neutrally all the time when Villa aren't on and watch certain plays, weaknesses and so forth.....that was just documenting it all

General, I think sometimes us Villa fans are our own worst enemy. We want the best for Villa but we also want it now. We also have the fact that half the Villa fans didnt want Houllier from the beginning and unfortunately due to the start of the season we had with him and his subsequent absence from the game, a few on the fence have fell to the 'wanting out' category. We also see the other clubs in the premiership getting bigger and better, and thus moving away from where we are now. We unfortunately have lost our two best players in the last two years and potentially losing Young now as well, and yes only rumours but a few remarks from Downing have caused some heartache at the potential of losing him.

I have every faith in Randy and believe everything you say about him and what he wants from the club. I understand we are in a different league to the Man City and Chelsea's of this world. My only hope is we have a solid summer where the managerial situation gets sorted quickly, either he stays or goes and if he goes is replaced quickly but a quality manager. Then hopefully not losing too many key players and acquiring one or two quality additions, and go into pre-season and the the full season prepared. That is my only hope, and I believe Randy's aim is the same. I understand life doesnt work out always as we want it and he doesnt have control of everything but I think he will want the same. That's why I have confidence and faith in him. I just hope we have a little more luck on our side than we have for the last 12 months

No collar on the new shirt please

Totally agree, just want this season to end, sooooooo painful

Substitutions were awful decisions.......

I love Darren Bent!

me too!

So I think Bent scores week in, week out! Discuss lol.

On a serious note, next season this guy is going to make a huge difference to us. If we get a few things sorted out with the obvious team and manager issues, get some confidence back in the team then this guy should bang in a fair few goals next season.

I'll be too interested and excited byBent to be honest

This won't go down too well, but I honestly think he's the man to take us forward to the next level now. If he can get the team working for him every game AND get them starting to believe in their own ability a bit more then we really can be a dangerous team.

I totally agree. Also get in some of his own players and I think we do have the right man and this is not based on one result, I think it just needs a mixture of young players and now with the experienced players coming back (now all back apart from Young and Delph) then he will start to find the right mix depending on each game......I hope so because I still believe he is the right man for the job longer term.

I would like to say General that despite only 2 wins in 10 I am happy that GH is our manager, with a few more players and the style of play he is playing it will only be a matter of time that we will start seeing the benefits. Happy with his appointment.

General

Have a minor irritation, I have ordered the away kit plus some other gear from the Villa shop. While I understand the kit issue, I sent overnight to your customer service team that seeing as the kit has been delayed could they send me the other items I ordered in a part shipment. This is not allowed as I am overseas, they need to cancel the shirt on the order, I would then submit the order to the sales line, and then separately have to re-order the shirt.

Very minor irritation but surely we can part-ship orders as I thought the idea was to make ordering easier for customers. I thought it was down to overseas shipping costs but they say no the other items would be shipped for free. I have a tendancy to buy a lot of items off the internet and always pre-order items and companies always part-ship items as and when they come available. Even in this instance surely because of the Nike delay all orders that have other items should be viewed and those items be shipped to customers?

I think GH is a great appointment, I'm surprised by a lot of the negative feeling

Go one step further, of the other PL managers at each club, who would people accept......Fergie, Wenger, Hodgson, Moyes, Ancelotti.....I'm struggling after that to be honest and none of them are coming......shows lack of serious managerial talent in this country

If Houllier is the best manager we can realistically get then it says more about us as a club than anything else.

Not really, it also shows the current lack of available managerial talent(whether at a club or free agent). How many managers out there would be acceptable for a lot on this forum, you'd probably only get a dozen names of all managers at any club or free agent

I dont like this DOF rubbish, give us a manager and if you want certain coaches then fine but DOF and managers always clash at some point

General,

I hope we are going to approach a manager from another club then as just going through all the available managers with PL experience that are currently unemployed it's a very thin list and to be honest not a great list. I, like you, just want the right man for the job and the likes of Southgate, McLaren and Curbs scare the life out of me, hopefully Randy has in mind somebody I've not thought about. I hope Randy has a very successful week in appointing somebody and us fans not be too disappointed in that appointment.

Nick

You can't blame them for going for the money. If some dude offered you 3 or 4 times your current salary for doing the same job, would you really say "no" ?

What annoys me is that the players don't have the balls to admit they are going for the money and instead spout all this rubbish about European football and moving to a "bigger club" (yeah right !).

Admit its for the money and I'd respect them more !

Load of bollocks.

If I'm already on £30,000 a week, that's not even 3 years wages for some people and I know I've got a place in the team then I'd come out and do something most players are scared shitless to do and say '**** Man City and the money, I'm not joining a team where I'll be struggling for playing time'.

And the funny thing is I'd have expected Milner to be the most sensible about it all. Christ knows what's gonna happen if Ash or Gabby get approached...

Really, I agree if I was a Villa fan and playing for Villa but if I had no links to Villa then I wouldnt. Forget about comparing to the common man that went many years ago, if any of you guys got offered double your current salary at another company, whether you are on 10k, 50k, 100k per year you would go unless you had some ties with the company surely?

Even if somebody worked at Microsoft earning 1m a year and Steve Jobs came along and offered 2m surely that would turn the persons head somewhat.....the vast majority of the human race want to earn more no matter what level you are at....its a human trait somewhat, not how much money you need to live/survive, it's how much money you can earn.......Remember at the end of the day Villa is OUR life, but for the players it's a job and only occasionally do players in this day and age grow an affinity to the club they play for.

that away kit is awesome, good job lmarsha_926

For me I would prefer winning a trophy. Even though 4th would be great.

The main reason behind my decision is that I don't think we are ready, for the quality or the amount of games that you have to play in the champs league. We play a very British style of football which although can make teams anxious and force them into mistakes, can easily be passed around by quality teams (as Arsenal who play a European style showed). Could you honestly see us getting a result against the like of Barca?

For me winning a trophy this seasin would show how we have progressed, which would hopefully lead to 2/3 quality players added to the squad in the summer. Then next season hopefully, we would then get into the top 4 and win another trophy, so that a further 2/3 players would be added to the squad the following season. Then we would be ready for the competition rigours of the champions league. Remember it is a marathon not a sprint and MON said he had the 5 yr plan...

Winners in the last ten years outside the top four

Leicester

Blackburn

Middlesborough

Spurs

Other finalists in the last ten years outside the top four

Tranmere

Blose

Spurs

Bolton

Wigan

The above just tells me that it isnt a sign of progression, it's not even a cup respected and doesnt show you have progressed. Add to that the teams we have played to get to the Semi's, hardly tough was it.

Don't get me wrong I want to win it but a sign of progression to me is fourth place. It shows we have played everybody and all want to do as well as possible in the league and you have become the fourth most successful that season over 38 games. Surely that is more progession that a few easy games in a competition that the big boys don't really take seriously.

James Milner is expected to set off every firework in Britain on New Years Eve simultaneously with only 1 match.

after running back in 11 hours from setting off the Sydney NYE fireworks

N G A B???? what?? I think I'm too old sometimes

Me in Barbados with couple mates after a night out! (meant to be sports tour LOL) (me in the middle)

Bigup yaself

that guy on the left is playing rock, paper, scissors

edit: damn it, missed the post above...........