steell

What the hell would Darren Bent know about whether Ireland is a good player? I get my opinions from playing FIFA, watching Youtube compilations and listening to the opinions of the experts on here. So I say sell him.

Absolutely no need to sell Given, he's one of the classiest players we've got, complete nonsense spouted on here sometimes. There's holes all over the squad and we've got one of the best keepers in the Premiership, so why the hell would we look at replacing him?!

From the french meaning:

Mak = Over

Oun = Rated

I really rate Given and would definitely rate him higher than Brad. Brad has more presence and is obviously a very, very good keeper but Shay is a better all-round footballer with exceptional positional sense and superb reactions. The other thing I always notice about Shay is that he has an unbelievable knack of holding onto a shot, to the point where he rarely parries the ball or spills it. With the possible exception of Bent I think SG is our only genuine outstanding (world class?) player.

I just hope he doesn't bring Holt...

Why do people keep saying this? 17 goals last season was it? How many goals did our highest scorer have?

Because 1. he'd be the new Heskey and 2. It shows a complete lack of imagination and forward-thinking on the part of the new manager

Without being too simplistic, 1. No he wouldn't and 2. are you being ironic?? If not then, with respect, that's the stupidest thing I've read all day.

I've had the resignation confirmed from someone who I know well, and he is 100% ITK. I can't even hint who he is but he assures me that PL has walked.

I know that the betting odds are very unreliable but it is interesting that they've gone into a completely two-horse race with the third placed guy at 14/1!

I hadn't realised what an inexperienced and untested manager Rodgers is, this was from less that two years ago:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/reading/8417263.stm

Makes AM's CV look positively awesome. We may have dodged a bullet there. Martinez or Lambert and I'm more than happy. Poyet would be my next choice.

Still thinking Roy Keane in reality.

You watch, it'll be Roy Keane or someone like that. Since when has any ITK, journalist or 'dad' ever second guessed Randy Learner's brain? You heard it here first, 66/1 at the moment so go make yourself some cash!

I've been off here for a few days but I have a strong gut feeling it's going to be Roy Keane.

(no doubt there's been pages on this and concrete reasons why not but he just feels like a RL appointment in the making)

Basically he asked was there any money, to which lerner replied, NO.. And OGS was no longer interested..

Easy said, hard to prove.

I suspect that this clear out we're seeing today is preparing the way for some good investment being given to the new manager. I can only guess but I think it's lazy to make the opposite conclusion.

I'd love Lambert or Martinez, but Rodgers would be my number 1. Happy with Poyet. Horrible feeling it might be Grayson.

The MON link is an interesting one, hard to see him telling PL coming to us. Got some good friends who are NCFC fans, all of them love RL, and they were telling me that MON practically picks the Norwich squad!

Spent the weekend with a load of Norwich fans, and just like everyone got excited by that OGS documentary, I think I'm now leaning towards Lambert. By all accounts he's driven, methodical and is an absolute perfectionist. I think we need a bit of a reality check, I'd be happy with Ole but if Lamberts up for it then he would be the better choice.

Feels like there's something not quite right here. Why bring him here if he's not going to be unveiled as the manager? If it was for talks and negotiations surely that would be done by phone or when RL went to Norway. Why bring him back here only to send him off a few hours later??

Descending through 27000 feet inbound to BHX

Christ almighty, if you're an air traffic controller I am NEVER flying into or out of BHX again given you spend all your time reading VT! :shock:

That or he's one of those guys with the fold up chair, huge binoculars, flask of weak lemon drink and notepad sitting at the end of the runway. I'd be gutted if this was true.

I don't know why I bother.

Breaking news: despite their best attempts, OGS has been seen being sneaked through the airport terminal:

Sheesh, he really is young isn't he. Who's the guy carrying him?

The funny thing about the private jet thing is that was obviously offered to Ole as a way of getting him here and avoiding media/public speculation! He may as well just have gone easy jet wearing a villa shirt!

That video (

) is an excellent watch has me quite excited by the prospect of OGS. However its very easy to talk tactics on camera and much harder to 'talk on the pitch'. Still, i would be very excited with him as the villa boss and think RL may be onto a winner here.

Agreed. And his english is better that Steve McClarens.

Typical media - they pick up the thoughts of the resident mentalist but not the sane, level headed fan. Like me!

The argument that says "I don't want him because he'll just use us as a stepping stone to bigger things", is plainly ridiculous. It's like saying I really hope Chris Herd doesn't play so well for us that Man City want to buy him for £25m in two years - the point being you've just had a hell of a player at the club for two years. If a crystal ball could see OSG managing Man Utd in 3 years then you could be sure that we'll have just had 3 years of doing very well. Alternatively you can go for a manager who keeps us bobbling along and is never wanted by anyone else.

I hate the way it's RL/PF that seem to have to fly everywhere during these manager searches. Surely if OGS desperately wanted the job he would go to RL.

When Mourinho met Abramovich for the first time he visited him on his yacht in the med and gave him a two hour powerpoint presentation on the Chelsea squad and what was required to win the title (so the story goes).

Seems like it's Villa that have to do the selling to the candidates. Shame the way things have gone...

In fairness AM did the same, except it wasn't a powerpoint, he just got 11 salt and pepper pots and put them in a line far away from the top end of the table...

Some players just take to management, and the fact that he's seen very effective management modelled up close for 20 odd years is why I'd be up for him coming here. Mourinho started young and unproven, obviously, as did AVB but they'd both worked with some very good coaches. That for me is more important than whether you can compare the Norwegian league and the Premier League - you could get a very good foreign manager who's CV looks amazing but they have no experience of managing in our league, OGS has this, sure not as a manager but as a coach and a very experienced player within the system. I'd say give him a chance.

Ok, im from Norway, right now i would have taken Solbakken, the new wolves manager over Solskjaer as he has proved more and actually got Copenhagen into champions league. Solskjaer has done a good job at Molde wich indeed is a small town but also has one of norways richest men giving them money. Solskjaer used a lot of money considered it was the norwegian tippeliga, but when that is said he bought young and talented players so i guess he is building for the future and that is what we should be doing. Still i dont think he is ready for the PL for the time being.

Many years ago when Wimbledon played/existed in the PL they got Egil "Drillo" Olsen as manager, besides Nils Arne Eggen, the man who got Rosenborg famous and in the champions league year after year and had wins both against Real Madrid and ac Milan, propably the man who knows most about football in norway and the man who made the Norway national team great in the 1990s and a lot of players into the PL. "Drillo" didnt make it and Wimbledon got relegated, sucsess in one league and for the national teams doesnt necessarry mean sucsess at a different league or even time. If you want a norwegian manager you should go for Nils Arne Eggen he would make every player play in black soccer boots with white logo, he demanded that of his players in his legendary Rosenborg era.

Don't come on here with your facts and considered opinion, don't you know this is a place for wild speculation, conspiracy theories and unfounded arguments??

He'll be the greatest manager we've ever had. Simples.