ozvillafan

I dunno, I might start to get nervous if we don't get a couple quick.

I honestly don't think you have much to worry about. We are witnessing the end of an era in cricket....

... and possibly the beginning of another one - yours.

Seriously - only your notoriously bad weather will save Australia in this test.

The Forecast is GOOD

Never said it wasn't......

... though a GOOD forecast must be cause enough for celebration for you lot. It's a bit like a blue moon, innit? :winkold:

I repeat, ONLY your notoriously bad weather will save Australia in this test.

Shame that wont happen.

Lets get them out for 350-400 - then we can comfortably chase 100-150.

Dunno, ED. You've done your best to hash up the last 2 tests from easy winning positions. What makes you think 100 will be easy for you? :winkold:

Seriously - only your notoriously bad weather will save Australia in this test. What I would'nt give for an Aussie batsman in form! Not one of them is any good at the mo. Hayden - who are ya? Clarke - where are you?

And don't start going on about England's "world class" bowlers. Yes, they have been bowling well, but if they were world class you wouldn't struggle to get Lee, Warne and McGrath out in a test match as you have in the last 2.5 tests.

England 50 up, no wicket. Where have all the Aussies gone???? :winkold:

Eating dinner or watching the test live on free-to-air TV.....

.... unless they are meant to be working on their computers :oops:

he COULD have been a villa great....

That I cannot argue with.

There is still time for him to turn it around....

... but that would require him to stop being a chav off the field. Can't see that happening, sadly.

what has changed this year?

hendrie isnt playing for a contract nor is he available due to suspension....

Why is it that people are quick to point out he was playing well before he got a contract....

... while conveniently forgetting that his form slump coincided with McCann being injured?

No no. He only plays well when a contract is due. :roll:

Hendrie.... blah blah.... potential.... blah blah.... goes missing .... blah blah.... too old ... blah blah.

Hendrie scored more than Davis last year. Hendrie created more than Davis last year. Hendrie linked better with Angel (and Vassell) better than Davis last year.

Hendrie struggled without McCann in the side last year. So did Davis.

So what has changed this year? Nothing - only that Davis is being given his chance.

He is still not the quality we get from Hendrie. End of.

Do you reckon that's the cunning plan so the defenders never know who they're meant to be marking?

Heh heh.. I can see it now:

Opposition Defender 1: "Mark the one with the Alice band."

Opposition Defender 2: "But there's 3 of them!"

:winkold:

(Berger, in case you were wondering)

Gotta go on form. That means Angel warms the bench....

... not that we've seen much of Milan, but Angel needs a kick in the A to get his game going again.

The fact that he got shitfaced, climbed on cars and vomited explosively only means there are problems with his private life that need addressing. Perhaps the FA should be offering counselling, rather than probing...

... or is that what they are doing?

We need Baros (or another quality striker) and 1 other - preferrably a Central defender. If so then yes - it's been a good summer.

However, "I voted it could have been worse". After all, IF we sign Baros (which is the premise of this poll) then DOL would have spent more this summer than any other summer while he has been in charge.

White. Absolutely.

If not white, then blue.

I agree with eston - the claret ones look like you are wearing "ones-ies".

Did we buy someone and not tell anyone?

You'd think so by some of the posts.

Mine's a hypothetical to prove a point. Take Milan out of the equation and it's just more compelling to NOT sell Vassell.

Former.

I posted the following on the front page... figure it fits here too, so here goes;

I'm a bit surprised that people are ready to wave goodbye to Vassell.

Remember last year when we only had 3 strikers (including Cole) and a youth player and we sold Crouch? Vassell got injured and Cole struggled for form... as did Angel. We ended up midtable... just!

Now what are the odds of Angel redoing his knee injury? Phillip's age catching up with him and seeing a lot of the bench? Or Milan getting chopped? Too high, for mine, to risk selling Vassell.

And as for his finishing - yes, he needs to be more lethal. But we are talking about the player who broke all youth goal scoring records and an international who is, what? 24?

Sell him at your peril. With Phillips to teach him to finish and Baros/Moore to keep him keen I reckon we will see the best out of Vassell this season (barring injuries).

He is an average headless chicken who had a good Euro 2004. As has been said no better than our headless chicken Vassell.

Add Hendrie to the mix and over one quarter of the team are now headless chickens....

... and all 3 have represented their country. Give me a full team of 'em, I say. :winkold:

No surprises here....

... I side with Blandy.

Davis, Berger, Meh. Hendrie is still the best creative central midfielder we have. With a fit McCann or Gem doing the dirty work for him, he'll shine - as he did when McCann was in the team last season and he was banging them in for fun. No surprise, then, that his influence waned when McCann was injured.....

.....Nah. Must have been contract time. :roll:

I'm currently inbetween jobs...

... which means I'm contracting to 2 different companies and split the week inbetween the 2. Fun is going to start when both want me for more than 2.5 days a week..... which will be soon, methinks.

But, then, that's the nature of contracting.

I'm a programmer (which explains the amount of time I spend on here :wink:)

REM == Oasis. One good song (Losing my Religion/Wonderwall) and the rest range from me wanting to rip my ears off to "meh"..

Meh.

Phillips is better value short term, Beattie (potentially) better long term.....

... but neither player "blows my skirt up", so to speak.

Voted Ranson.

I live in hope.

Blur V Oasis? I don't know who's better....

.... but am happy so long as they beat the ever-loving snot out of each other. :wink:

Aussie Craig Moore has left Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany. He's long in the tooth but has CL and international experience (he's captain), is decent backup for our central defenders and would come cheap.

Worth the gamble?

I don't know my left from my right. You'd have to explain what they mean...

.... since politics bores me, for the most part.

Delaney? Heh heh heh.

Mellberg? Hahahahahaha!

Hitzlsperger? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

*wipes tears from eyes*

Now that I've finished laughing, the only real candidate is Solano. UDLC and Barry a tie for second.

One season wonder? How about rumoured Villa target Phillips? 30 league goals in 99/00 and only averaging less than half that since.

So back to JPA - he's not had the best season, but outside of the top 4 clubs in the Premier League, which striker would you replace him with?

Yakubu? Is there any more overrated player in the Premier League? Yes - Malbranque!!

Keane? He has a smaller goal return (and, I'll wager, similar "Stats")

Beattie? PL-EASE! Not buying him was a great decision (in hindsight)

Crouch? He's obviously a class player.... as many seem to think now (but not when he left).

Defoe? Great player - but not a straight replacement for Angel, more a replacement for Vassell.

Kluivert? Not showing fantastic form for a forward that has performed at the highest level.

Baros? Again, more a replacement for Vassell than Angel.

Righto - there may be better forwards abroad.... but then they will need time to settle.

So - is there any Premier League forward we could/should replace him with that would do a better job?

Didn't think so.