Marka Ragnos

Sick to my stomach.

So tired of watching Sanchez holding the ball, looking for someone -- anyone -- other than the same old **** bores.

Utterly devoid of midfield creativity. What a **** bore this is.

Already on the back foot.

From the "for what it's worth department" ... This is Randy Lerner's restaurant, called The Meeting House, in the very upscale Hamptons area of Long Island, New York. I believe he also has a pretty big estate nearby. How much does the restaurant say about the man? Who knows? Probably not much, actually. What I can safely say from my perspective in the NYC area, it's kind of ... well, really QUITE boring. It doesn't take any big $$$ chances or culinary risks, and offers what is essentially overpriced American comfort food to a financially comfortable clientele. Not my cuppa, that's for sure, but there is a market for this sort of thing, and as far as I know, it's doing well as a business. But this is very Old Money part of America with few signs of social tension. Think Chiltern Hills -- or something like that. But don't count on any exotic, very expensive dishes suddenly to appear on the menu -- um, say some Spanish delicacy -- and please keep the noise down not to frighten off potential buyers wink wink wink. This is a restaurant owned by someone with a conservative, somewhat sheltered, non-confrontational, slightly skittish approach to doing business. That's my read, at least.

But a lot of this "something" seems to be leaving with us "nothing."

I feel like it's now or never for Lambert to go. Another few days, and it's really too late and will be too disruptive. He needs to go NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW ... and if not, then we need to accept whatever comes. It's definitely the hour of decision.

Another year, another visit to the cardiologist to get cleared for a Villa releg saga.

It is too hard to be a Villa supporter. Damn, it hurts it hurts it hurts.

You can't be serious. Arsenal just spent upwards of £70,000,000 on transfers, unless I'm misinformed. For a club with a corporate culture that actually wants to see a slight profit, that's an almost staggering gamble. Would much rather fourth and win the FA than be a debt-ridden trophy club with a sugar daddy behind it all.

I'm going to take it a step further and say he also looks like the sun is constantly in his eyes. And the awesome thing is, a conventional, unremarkable appearance and football-playing quality are so closely correlated.

Oh, dear. Can't we just leave the herpetological references out of this? I would've thought we'd had our fill.

I chose 9-12, and I'm slightly optimistic (but in a slightly ironic way, which would be ... pessimistic then? or optimistically pessimistic? or positively negative about being too pessimistic while maintaining a thin patina of fresh-faced faith?). Since I'm a relatively new Villa fan, I haven't yet had loads of hopes steadily and inexorably crushed year after year after year, but I do hear this is what I can expect.

Um, OK, but who besides you is talking about booing him? Not going to happen. And surely there's a middle-ground between acknowledging a raft of legit concerns and excoriating a player unfairly?

This is the bit that stood out to me, partly because it suggests to me, reading between the lines, that PL is actually going to try to pull something out of Cleverley he hasn't always been able or willing to show at United. Cleverley isn't known as "high energy," but he apparently aspires to it, and that seems good. But "coming down" is strictly geographic in this case, Tom!

One side observation on this transfer. With Welbeck going to Arsenal, there's all kinds of fuss and falderal about Man U "betraying" its own and "breaking" with its true identity since Welbeck came through the academy. Cleverley also came through Utd's academy, did he not, and in all the articles I've seen on this theme in the last 24 hours -- and there are others mentioned besides Welbeck -- no one's bemoaning his departure and tying it to this trend. His position was spectacularly untenable at Utd, it seems to me. It must sometimes be hard to be Tom Cleverley. He gets so much stick, even in the way he gets ignored!

Yep. I so agree. And to clarify: "horrendous" with a fairly horrendous squad, and that takes some doing, I would think. I think it's great to be polite and welcoming, etc., but I hate feeling like there's something wrong if you acknowledge the obvious fact that the man has a fairly well-developed negative rep that precedes him. That's a fact. Maybe it's not deserved. Maybe it is. But what's wrong with owning that fact? He's just going to have to prove himself on the pitch if want to earn real respect. He could be a wonderful surprise, but if he performs anything beyond middling, it will be a surprise.

And I think it can now be safely confirmed that Cleverley's reception by Villans isn't one of unbridled ecstasy.

Welcome aboard, Tom, truly. I ask only three things: 1) Run very fast. 2) Pass the ball towards the Albion goal, not backwards or sideways. 3) Repeat 1 & 2.

Maybe he has been targeted by Lambert to help the team keep possession of the ball. Against Hull in the 1st half we kept the ball and didn't surrender the ground by defending deep in the 2nd half we did the opposite, sat deep and Hull kept the ball for long periods. I can't believe Lamberts half time instructions would tell the players to do this so maybe finally he is trying to do something about preventing it. Also from what I have heard Cleverly plays better in a fast paced team, guess we will soon find out as today's D-day. I hope you're right! Given the interest, I can only think that the powers that be must grasp something about Cleverley that I fail to see.

Honestly, I don't understand the excitement over Cleverley. I don't. He may well be a good signing but not great one. I really hated to the see the poor man abused by ManU and England fans last year, but it's hard to see how he works with Villa's fast counter-attacking style. He seems like the sort of midfielder who's going to slow things down in the name of possession.

I like it.

Have absolutely no trace of doubt that we'll turn this around. Slow start, but you're going to see a big change second half.

I wish you were right, but I think you're a bit of an optimist. The money-backed Insta-Big-Club-Just-Add-££££ is here to stay, I fear. The PL is such a terrible idea, a stinking media-driven toilet bowl of ego and international £££, and the poo now always rises to the top, it seems. In a better world, Villa's strategy would be rewarded. I hope I'm wrong and you're right. I agree, we're a Big Club by most definitions.

Definitely plan to check that out. Thanks everyone for all suggestions. Any other strong opinions?