Adam2003

Albrighton, Makoun and Delph are squad players but could in time become quality first team players but they're clearly not at the moment

We finished sixth with the likes of Petrov and Reo-Coker playing. Makoun and Delph are a class above them IMHO.

pass what your smoking....

Here you go.

It's a 'Petrov and Reo-Coker are both shite' cigarette.

Front 3 of Bent, N'Zog and Gabby could be lethal.

True, true.

All we need is Dunne and Collins to get bk to their form of the season before last and we.re laughing. Very pleased about Given between the sticks too, we have that Irish contingent back aswell (SG, RD, CC, SI); reminiscent of back in the day when we had McGrath, Staunton Houghton and Townsend

Yeah, that Irish contingent :winkold:

(I know Paul McGrath was born in London so I could have bolded him too for a laugh, but you don't make jokes about Paul McGrath).

Albrighton, Makoun and Delph are squad players but could in time become quality first team players but they're clearly not at the moment

We finished sixth with the likes of Petrov and Reo-Coker playing. Makoun and Delph are a class above them IMHO.

i'd give Randy Lerner a 5/10 in the category of increasing revenue.

must try harder.

Really? As low as 5/10?

As you say the TV revenues are fixed, nothing we can do about that.

We now have the fifth biggest shirt sponsorship of any club in the league (and Man City's is a bit of a joke, so fourth-biggest of proper ones!), our other commercial revenues are up through things like the Fiat deal and other agreements, we have a good shirt deal with Nike (in financial terms if not delivery).

All we can really do to boost it further is sell more seats at the game and get further in competitions. OK, last year was poor on that front, but the previous season we were at Wembley twice. And anyway, this part isn't really what you were referring to.

I mean, I'm not saying 10/10, I think they could and will do more, but we were in the top 20 clubs in Europe for revenue this year - we're moving in the right direction.

What he nearly went to Blose for a year ago is very little to do with it. Its the nature of the market at any given time.

Plus he's taken his game to a new level over the last 12 months IMHO.

Really hope there are no snags here.

The thing is, N'Zogbia is a winger, but more of a goalscoring forward/winger than Downing.

If we play Bent up front on his own, with three men behind him, having players who are desperate to get up alongside him and score becomes increasingly important. N'Zogbia becomes effectively both a winger and a second striker.

When we played Bent up front on his own with Downing and Young wide, he was isolated unless we were counter-attacking. I don't see that happening with N'Zogbia.

Over 200 pages about a Wigan winger who isnt as good as who he is replacing. How times have changed at the Villa

If you see him as replacing Young I agree with you. If you see him as replacing Downing I think you're way off. Although I do like Downing.

Fingers crossed this happens.

Well good half against Walsall, keep it up son!! You'll be a legend before the pre-season ends??

lol

Wow. You boys have actually hit the point where a Villa win and a good performance from one of our players doesn't bring you pleasure.

Good luck to you. I hope if I ever get there I have the good sense to pack the whole thing in.

m sorry but I absolutely refuse to believe that happened, its too far fetched, its basically assault and there would have been severe repurcussions from the police/football authorities etc... things like that do not go unpunished unless they didnt happen.

Yeah.

Ashley Cole's currently in prison for shooting that kid and Joey Barton never came back into the game after stubbing his cigar out in a teammate's eye.

Ian Taylor just tweeted one word: "N'Zogbia."

Dave Whelan just on Talksport (here we go again), saying that if Downing is worth 20 million Nzog is worth 25.

I was listening to that, it wasn't Dave Whelan it was just a Wigan supporter.

Thought so

Ah was it? Appologies I was half asleep :oops:

I think im just looking for bad news now

I think a lot of people are.

Whelan has said N'Zogbia is worth £20m. He's also flat out said he has to sell him this summer if he won't sign a new contract. I think we'll get him for about £12-13m.

with the new Uefa rules, wages and fees are very important to whether we can compete or not.

Randy is not allowed to contribute his own money anymore (well, not above £17m/year).

I thought this was the last window in which he could?

It doesn't work like that. It's amortisation. So money spent in the past still counts. For example, Darren Bent was (say for ease) £20m. He's on a five-year contract. That £20m counts as £4m on the books in each of the next five years. That's before we get to wages.

You can't just spend a billion now and then live within your means from next year.

Whelan wants 20mill for N'Zog

I think hes playing silly ****.

Thinking about it, does anybody think that Whelan saying that is just an attempt to give Liverpool a kick up the arse? Basically making Liverpool think 'Downing or N'Zogbia for 20m? we'll take Downing thanks. Heres your 20m Mr Lerner' Then we go back to Wigan, give then 12m of the 20 we just got and everybodys happy?

Or maybe not. Imagination is getting a little carried away

He hasn't even said they want £20m. He's said he sees players going for that who he's better than. Then he admitted they need to sell him because of his contract.

I do wish people (and I mean journalists not just fans) read more than the headline figure.

Houllier was clearly at fault, not Ireland.

Having watched every training session and overheard every conversation they shared, clearly thats how it went down.

Well said, that man.

Now, I'm off to listen to Randy Lerner and Alex McLeish argue... :winkold:

I dont think the fact he cant get a sniff in an utterly dire Under 21s side hasnt even crossed their minds.

That means nothing.. Pearce is useless anyway.

Agreed.

Playing Mancienne in DCM in front of Rodwell, and then playing Rodwell, Mancienne and Henderson in one team.

That's not forgetting playing Danny Rose, above Scott Sinclair and putting Sturridge on the wing...!

This is a man who once moved David James up front and left a striker on the bench...

"he aint got a clue, he aint got a clueeeee, randy Learner aint got a clue !! lol

If he comes to the first game of the season I'd be tempted to point to the executive box and shout "you don't know what you're doing"

The day Randy Lerner gets booed at Villa Park will be an exceptionally sad day in the history of Aston Villa football club.

However, if he turns up, it will happen, and in someways would be understandable (though I wouldnt partake).

It would be entirely understandable - a lot of our fans are very, very stupid.

To think we went from being linked with Ancelotti, Hughes and Moyes, to McClaren and McLeish, **** depressing.

Personally think both McLeish and McClaren are better than Hughes.

Do you think we are any closer to a CL spot as we stand today? Managerless, our support in disarray and our best players leaving - hardly progress in my mind

Five years ago we were heading for the Championship. I don't think we are now.

I'm wondering how much of the NFL lockout is being played out at Villa Park?

NFL Lockout & Aston Villa

This is the biggest piece of bollocks of all.

Lerner stands to make a fortune if there's no NFL season. They still get the TV contracts, without having to pay players a penny. That's why the owners are playing hardball (I know there are different court rulings on this, but trust me, that's what will happen).

YES YES YES YES......

Come On Villa, take the useless pillock.

£3m compo and Mark Hughes as replacement, BRING IT ON.

I'm sure despite what Whelan says, he knows if Bobs good enough. He's sat through 6, 7, 8 & 9 goal humiliations with him in charge, I'm positive he would " be sad to see him leave." lol

Another quote from a Wigan fan.

I think it's rather sad that even Wigan fans don't rate him. But what's even worse, totally embarassing, is that fans on here are getting excited by him.

A lot of Wigan fans do rate him. Others don't rate him. Exactly the same as Villa fans with every manager we've had in the last 25 years.

Whilst I have no doubt he is a very dignified man who goes about things the right way, he's never won anything as a player or a manager

Didn't he win the league with Swansea? I know it's a lower league, but you can only win the one you're in.

I don't think McClaren is a bad as people make out but deary me I hope it's not him. Fans would be on his back from day one too...

I'd actually quite like him except, as you say, the fans wouldn't give him a chance. There are quite a few in that category.

Well it seems GH is poised to return. Only a detoriation in his medical decision will stop this.

It seems to me the board have no involvement - if GH says hes fit to return - return he will.

This is one of the most stupid decisions I have witnessed in 40 years of supporting Aston Villa.

I hope Houllier comes back, personally.

If not, I'd go for Moyes of the realistic options.

I like N'Zogbia. Would be a good signing. But if you went to Wigan now and offered a straight swap, Young for N'Zogbia, players both happy with the move, Dave Whelan and Roberto Martinez would have your arm off. Anyone who thinks otherwise is in cloud cuckoo land.

And that tells you everything you need to know.

Guillem Balague said on twitter that depending on what happens with Houllier, Benitez and Sanchez Flores are both on the "list". He says Quique Sanchez Flores doesn't know anything about Aston Villa but suspects he would like to manage in the Premier League at some point. Benitez has received numerous offers but is "waiting for the right one".

Guillem Balague knows **** all about anything. He's barely, if ever, accurate when he's talking about the spanish league nevermind the prem. Can't imagine he has any contacts inside Villa.

Didn't he ghostwrite Benitez's autobiography? He might know nothing about anyone else, but he's supposedly fairly good mates with the FSW.

Benitez would be a great manager for us.

This 'all he does is score goals' thing is just VT myth.

I think it's more football myth, and it's basically rooted in the fact that's pretty much all he did a couple of years ago.

He's stepped up his game. Still, the goals will always be his main thing and I'm happy with that.

Woodytom, don't take this as any sort of better-fan-than-you comment because I only get down to less than ten games a season myself so I'm in no position to talk. Just wondering if you've actually watched him much at games?

You said with the West Ham game you'd only seen it on MotD. Obviously that's an away game but are you a Villa Park regular? I only ask because I find that when I watch Bent on TV I don't appreciate him nearly as much as when I see him live, and see his constant work-rate and the way he runs defences ragged by constantly being on their shoulder, peeling away, appearing again etc even when the ball isn't there.

I certainly recommend at your next live game ignoring the ball at some point and just watching him - the first time I did it completely changed my opinion of him.

Your absolutely spot on, - I always try to acknowledge that i havent been able to watch much football on tv this season (nevermind get to games), for work reasons

However, i was at the Newcastle and didnt think he offered much. Not only did I think Gabby offered more effort, I actually think in that game he looked the more likely to score.

but yes, my opinion of darren bent is far from conclusive

That's fair enough. Definitely worth giving him some special focus next time you do go down. Not saying it'll 100% convince you he's brilliant, but see what you think.

I also, as it happens, thought Gabby had a very good game v Newcastle.