Amo69

Referee ruined that game yest. All for avoiding bookings where possible and letting the game flow. But that first half was a joke. The tackles on James were bordering assault.

As a society we feel good times are impossible without drink drugs sex etc. To an extent it's probably true but non of that is sustainable. I actually envy those who found their happiness and become content through other means, i.e. Religion, spiritualism etc.

Easy to say in hindsight but if I could leave my life again I would have taken that path.

He must have been pretty poor in training to not get in that team near the end of the season.

QPR and Fulham both went down. QPR are back and probably stronger and wiser for it. Fulham will most likely return. Regardless of what happens at Villa relegation does not have to mean the end of the world.

Um firstly QPR have significantly more resources than us and secondly we have no idea whether Fulham will return.

Relegation is never a good thing, let's not try to rationalise potential failure here.

Of course it's not a good thing but in my opinion looking at it from a long term perspective for the club. I feel it would be better to be taken over by wealthy owners, relegated, and come back up then still have Lerner in charge in 3 years time but have never been relegated.

QPR and Fulham both went down. QPR are back and probably stronger and wiser for it. Fulham will most likely return. Regardless of what happens at Villa relegation does not have to mean the end of the world.

I've still got a great feeling we'll have new owners soon enough. I'd just be surprised if anything happened in time for us to make significant changes to the team before the start of the season.

I think the boost alone would be worth a few points.

Yeah, that sure worked for Fulham

Good point. Goes to show a takeover doesn't guarantee survival next season.

I'd hope that nobody seriously believed that in the first place. Likewise, Lerner staying doesn't automatically guarantee relegation either.

I've still got a great feeling we'll have new owners soon enough. I'd just be surprised if anything happened in time for us to make significant changes to the team before the start of the season.

I think the boost alone would be worth a few points.

Yeah, that sure worked for Fulham

Good point. Goes to show a takeover doesn't guarantee survival next season.

I've still got a great feeling we'll have new owners soon enough. I'd just be surprised if anything happened in time for us to make significant changes to the team before the start of the season.

I think the boost alone would be worth a few points.

Lambert has said whoever he wants to keep, will not be sold. He also said is dealing with new staff first and then new contracts will be sorted for Delph, Vlaar and Gabby.http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-paul-lambert-planning-7368743#.U7Zei8jyOT4.twitter

Sadly we all know if the club wants to sell players, it won't be up to Lambert.

Heard it all before unfortunately.

Indeed we have. Nary a month went by without reassurances of how close Albrighton was to signing a new deal last season. Quotes to friendly local media don't even make good toilet paper.

albrighton was a slightly different kettle of fish, in that he was out of contract.

his agent found him a club willing to offer him 40k a week, and no matter how nice a guy he is and he's a local lad, villa fan and academy product, he simply isn't worth that amount.

I'm sure the club would've considered offering him an extension but not at the same amount as Leicester.

We need players who want play for the club.

The only players who want to play for the club in that context are players playing in the lower divisions and want to better themselves

at the same time we want players who are going to better us.

tricky

time for a talent spotter to take over proceedings....there are always those players in the lower leagues that are genuinely in the wrong place....we need to find them, we have done it before and we can do it again if we have the right staff looking.

Its not impossible, currently maybe improbable..... but we need to employ a bit of nous and some conkers to take a gamble.

There's a probably a lot of players in Europe that would love the chance of playing for us. Granted that's more likely for the money than to play for our club but there is no shortage of talent out there. Clearly it's hard to find on the cheap though.

Same old France. No really inspiration when it counts. Hasn't been since Zidane retired. Very disappointed with Benzema. Never seems to shine when it really matter which is why he will never be regarding as world class.

The guys has clearly lost interest. Unfortunately it happens. The ironic things is many would once say we are glad we haven't got mega rich owners like Chelsea and City because they will one day get bored and leave the club in a mess.

Lambert has said whoever he wants to keep, will not be sold. He also said is dealing with new staff first and then new contracts will be sorted for Delph, Vlaar and Gabby.http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-paul-lambert-planning-7368743#.U7Zei8jyOT4.twitter

Sadly we all know if the club wants to sell players, it won't be up to Lambert.

Heard it all before unfortunately.

Indeed we have. Nary a month went by without reassurances of how close Albrighton was to signing a new deal last season. Quotes to friendly local media don't even make good toilet paper.

albrighton was a slightly different kettle of fish, in that he was out of contract.

his agent found him a club willing to offer him 40k a week, and no matter how nice a guy he is and he's a local lad, villa fan and academy product, he simply isn't worth that amount.

I'm sure the club would've considered offering him an extension but not at the same amount as Leicester.

If Vlaar wants to leave and the right money is offered he will leave. Next seasons is going to be one hell of scrap to stay up. We need players who want play for the club.

The thing that gets me is that you don't have to be a miracle worker to have a club the size of Aston Villa, with its fan base and fantastic history established in the top 8 clubs in the country and competing for top 6.

In terms of revenue it was only 3 years ago in 2011 that we had the 7th highest revenue in the league. We hadn't hadn't won anything and hadn't been particularly successful. This is a great club, with huge potential. We just need an owner with a fair chunk of money to set the ball rolling and a fair bit of nous to maintain it.

That's what I don't understand. How much direct involvement should the owner actually have or even need to have. Just employ the best people for the various jobs, provide funding, and sit back and relax.

Ok I know it's not that simple but it does seem that Lerner makes things even harder for himself than they needed to be.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but hearing fans say they admire someone who is destroying our club really does amaze me.

I personally don't think we'll hear from Lerner again.

Just came across this Adrian Durham column from April last year. Don't have much time for him myself, but I think it sums up how a lot of people (fans and pundits alike) felt about Villa towards the end of last season (12/13) when we were widely seen as a team that tried to play football and one full of players who would really push on the season just gone.

We should all stand up and applaud what Paul Lambert is trying to achieve at Aston Villa. He has a team made up mainly of young players – eight of the starting XI at Stoke on Saturday are 23 years old or under, and six of those eight are English.

If you haven’t seen Villa this season, that’s a shame because this is a team that tries to play football.

They keep the ball on the floor and pass it around. Unless it’s a clearance, they rarely hoof the ball aimlessly.

These young players have technique. Matthew Lowton scored one of the goals of the season with a beautiful chest and volley from 25 yards with Stoke’s hardest hatchet men charging at him.

They’re brave. Nathan Baker took the ball full in the face from a fierce Kenwyne Jones blast. And carried on no problem.

And they’ve got character. Jordan Bowery started only his second Premier League game for Villa in that big relegation clash at Stoke.

All of these young players look calm and composed on the ball and, even better, they kept their heads up on Saturday. They had been by far the better side at Stoke, so when the home team equalised, heads might have dropped. But they didn’t and Villa hit back to win 3-1 with two late goals.

Heavy beatings at Chelsea and Man City have proved that it’s a project that has some way to go. Indeed, Aston Villa are still heavily involved in the relegation picture. Individual mistakes will happen with a young, growing team and those errors have cost Villa dear this season.

It would be a travesty if Villa were to go down, given the quality of the football they play. Aston Villa fans should feel proud of their club – it’s a model that every other club should try to emulate.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2306172/Adrian-Durham-Joey-Barton-Manchester-United-haters-Paul-Lambert-Aston-Villa.html#ixzz36MT2irMG

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What a difference a year makes eh? Players I thought would really push on, just seem to go backwards and as a team we played some of the worst 'football' I can remember in years.

But if a few of them players find some form again I don't think we've got too badder squad. I think/hope Cole will surprise a few people and bring something we've been missing. Grealish almost feels like a new signing too, he's an exciting talent that will try and play football the right way.

It's these kind of short sighted bullshit reports that make it look like MON did a great job at Villa and we fell part because he left.

Even when he comes back he will take him time to get back to anywhere near his best.

This is my fear. The date he returns and is fit could determine whether we stay up or not.

I've gone Belgium France Holland Columbia all to qualify!

Is this the year the villa fans turn on randy Lerner?

Only nobody blames McLeish for our demise as this thread well shows. People just didn't like him or his turgid football although why we are talking about him in this thread I'm really not sure.

Well, AMO 69 mentioned the appointment earlier.... i was merely trying to point out that despite the hatred towards the man he was the perfect foil for some less despised members of previous management to get out of jail.

If appointing Alex Mcleish was the ONLY fault that Lerner has made. We wouldn't be in this state and RL may have not lost interest.

I referred to the Mcleish appointment as more of a screw you to the fans than the fact he was such a poor manager. Some fans are always going to disagree with appointment but when 99% of fans including thousands protesting at the ground are ignored, that's when it was the beginning of the end.

I'm not sure anyone knows for sure whose decision it was to employ O'Neill. If that was Lerner's, I guess you could even argue that all his manager's have been poor decisions by him.

Regardless of who employed MON he was regarded as a top manager and we were all happy about his appointment at the time.

I don't blame Lerner for backing MON but he and the board are to blame for giving him so much power.

Based on what I've seen so far I wouldn't be overly surprised if Columbia, France, Holland and Belgium make the semis.

But it will most likely be Brazil Germany Holland and Argentina.

The big boys seem to know how to win and also have that little bit of luck on their sides for some reason.

France are "big boys". In the 4 world cups before this they won one and reached the final in another. Also winning the Euros in that time period. Germany haven't won a thing since '96.

I think Messi will overcome Belgium, but Columbia are clearly so much better than Brazil I think it negates the "luck" you speak of. I'll be surprised if Brazil come through that game, they'll earn my respect if they do so fair and square.

Exciting isn't it...

True about France but in terms of this World Cup they weren't too fancied at the start whereas Germany were 3rd favourites. Even though they got to the final in 2006 they have been shockingly poor since 2002 in other tournaments. Mainly because of management rather than players. Even in 2006 it seemed Zidane was leading them.

How on earth was that clown MON lookalike in charge for so long!

Rated as the World Cup's worst player (which makes him no. 515/515) in norwegian newspaper Nettavisen today; his rating being 2/10. Only player with a rating lower than 3. James Rodriguez no. 1 with a rating of 7.75/10.

Haven't seen any of Switzerlands matches, so I guess he has only played one match? Can't believe he has got 2/10 in more than one match.

After that France game I'll be surprised if he ever plays again.

Benteke could have got golden boot had he been playing last night.

For everyone that doesn't know, Bentake is Benteke's lesser know less talented brother.

Benteke could have got golden boot had he been playing last night.