NASTY_LEE

There is no reason that AVFC should not be knocking on the door for UEFA places, the all time PL has us around that position and on trophies won we're the 4th most successful team after Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal. I think that's where we should be aiming, that's our place in the league unless major investment takes place. Newcastle have shown it can be done without spending ludicrous amounts. That's what angered me a few years back when we were doing well and fans got greedy. Yes, be ambitious but as a Villa fan I lived long enough to know that the cycle goes like this: few decent seasons but never put the last piece in the jigsaw, then a decline, then a flirtation with relegation and back to the start. It's times like this and the DOL years that make you realise that finishing 6th isn't all that bad especially when you have an idiot in charge of team affairs that whines on about us not being an elite club but can't muster wins against the other teams. There's no doubt that he should be eliminated!

The thread should now be locked.

Why do people always go to the extreme to get their points across. You're only making yourself look like a mug. It's called humour, obviously you are far too serious and/or a big Bannan fan. For the record, I am pretty sure that in the next few years he'll be plying his trade in the PL, albeit the Scottish one. Average player that has good technical ability but little else to his game and physique will never work in a league that is largely dominated by pace and power. And before people throw names like Silva at me, he's exceptiona whilst Bannan is not. Or it's called shit humour. Can never tell on here nowadays anyday, full of sensationalists bidding to work for the Sun. I'm not a massive Bannan fan but the only way he'll be playing in the SPL is if he wants to play for his boyhood club and even then he'd be good enough to play for some Premier League side. The Premier League is changing, I will ignore Silva and mention Swansea, their whole team is full of small technical players. Then there are the likes of Hoolahan for Norwich who is excellent and Frei for Fulham has settled in nicely. I pretty much disagree with all you say as I doubt any of the players you named would be deemed good enough by the fans to play for Villa. I mean, look at the fuss over Keane, a player with a track record. Imagine being linked with Joe Allen et al, this forum would be in meltdown. The teams you mention are also midtable at best. The teams at the top still rely mainly on physical/pacy players throughout the spine of their team, the club currently leading the way clearly show this. I will also stick to my original opinion that Bannan is nowhere near good enough to play for Villa on a consistent basis, I think the facts to date prove this. I also stand by my opinion that he will probably fade from view within the next few seasons, I've supported Villa long enough to see many players to be built up to demi-gods by fans only to fall flat on their faces. With regard to your 'Sun' reference, I really don't see how that connects to anything I've said so I think we'll leave it there. It's all about opinions VillaAlec so relax a little and lessen the provocative responses as you may end up looking like the mug. Have a good day

Why do people always go to the extreme to get their points across. You're only making yourself look like a mug. It's called humour, obviously you are far too serious and/or a big Bannan fan. For the record, I am pretty sure that in the next few years he'll be plying his trade in the PL, albeit the Scottish one. Average player that has good technical ability but little else to his game and physique will never work in a league that is largely dominated by pace and power. And before people throw names like Silva at me, he's exceptiona whilst Bannan is not.

Bannan - He'll be washing cars in a few years never to be heard of again.

Well we can argue until the cows come home about whether his performance was good or bad on Sunday. Truth is, he's nowhere near Premiership standard. Even the Moore's had offered more at his age and look where they careers have ended up. One playing non league the other sitting on the bench.

ah in typical villatalk style bent misses glaring chances and its mcleish's fault... Do you expect him to score every chance?

Well, we knew what we buying. A striker that would score goals providing he was given chances, not top drawer but someone proven at our level and with a record as comparable to anyone playing in the PL at the moment. However, we've been seriously let down by the board who have stripped of us of our assets and left us with nothing. Now we have a striker who is not receiving the right service, is low on confidence and snatching at the crumbs that fall his way. Selling Bent doesn't improve us, it just ends up being another nail in our coffin, as another high-profile player leaves the club confirming what already concerns us, eg. we're sinking without trace.

I can't see a corralation between delibrately playing poorly, displaying a perceived 'bad attitude' a lack of teamwork and being selected for a major international tournament. That would make no sense if you're suggesting he's doing the aforementioned to improve his chances.

If you have an agenda, are paranoid then I suppose it is. If people just realised that our team is not good enough, are poorly managed and not set up to play to the strengths that we do have then you'd probably be much more relaxed about this non-story.

Each to their own, only an issue because we're so shit and fans want to take it out on someone. If we'd won, it wouldn't have been mentioned.

1) Don't see the big deal with the shopping incident. If you're off work you don't go in to watch everyone else. Don't mention wages as it's all relative. 2) Selling Bent, great idea since selling all our other English internationals has made us so much better. 3) How about we have clear out but build a team around the likes of Bent and Gabby. If we 'd signed Bent instead of Heskey we'd have qualified for the CL, I'm pretty certrain of that. I admit that he's not been great this season but who has (gabby aside)? If we had a midfield that could get a grip of a game, protect a vunerable defence and provide ammo then we'd be fine. Thing is we've replaced a midfield of Milner, Barry, Downing and Young with Albrighton, N'Zogbia, Herd and Petrov and therein lies the problem.

Bit unfair IMO to say if only we had the player from Celtic. Until this season he's been played as a holding midfielder which makes it much more difficult to score shed loads.

For all his knockers no one can suggest a better LB for 5 or 6 million can they? I don't think he's been that bad at all just for the record especially when you see how Evra's been getting on at United.

Gabby on the left, Bannan on the right I guess?? Exactly, where's the width? Neither are wide players and will drift inside.

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Where's the width in that line up?

Best playmaker - Can't ever recall him assiting a goal or ever doing anything significant. Is this based on that 'one' pass 18 months ago? Brill against Blackburn - I'd say average at best. Why do Villa fans have such blind faith with our youngsters? Apart from a very small handful most of them have turned out shit. As for Delph, I said this season was always going to be make or break and I just don't see him cutting it at this level. Think it will be cheerio come the summer.

Got to be worth a run. Delph has been poor all season imo and offers very little, another MON transfer mistake.

Villa 2 Newcastle 0 Att: 34,783

Don't think he's been nearly as bad as some of the drama queens on here would have you believe. But I suppose if you have very little in your life then you have to find something to moan about!

Pretty much what I was going to say. He's going to get more space because of the better players around him. At Villa, you stopped AY and you stopped us. At Utd, you stop AY and any one of 6 players will destroy you. Bit dperessing really.

Not sure this is the place symmouk for the General to help. Plus, I'll do his job for him - call N. Keye in the ticket office.

I'm seriously worried about the lack of game time our first/probable XI have had esp. since we only have Braga to come and then open against a Fulham side who already played in the Europa.

Just don't see RB as a position we should be concentrating on. There are other priorities imo.