villasquare

Firstly, I believe that yesterday RL put his private jet at the disposal of GH. It is a while since his operation, and therefore he would likely be cleared to fly. Added to this there is no stress attached to flying on a private jet as opposed to going through the terminal and flying on a scheduled airline. The fact that the jet flew to Corsica and straight back suggests a drop off. In short, I don't think that Mr Lerner was on it.

FWIW I am warming to Martinez. Hughes is still my first choice, but Martinez is second, and he would certainly deliver potentially the best football we have seen since the Atkinson days.

If there is a late managerial merry-go-round of Hughes to Chelsea, Moyes to Villa, and Martinez to Everton, I think that we could be rueing the day and looking jealously at Everton come the end of next season.

Moyes was Preston manager when he took over at Everton. Were they being unambitious?

^^^^^^

The voice of reason. I agree totally I still believe Hughes is the best man for the job and my second realistic choice is RM, Moyes is overated IMO.

Rafa would be hired , we dont know if we even offered him or any body else the job, FFS everybody chill, whoever we bring in becomes one of us, lets just give em a chance and back them , if they **** up then lets slate them !!!!!!!!

The only facts we know is that we have asked permission to talk to Martinez , good business sense says make a list of possilbe candidates , interview them and make a descision. We do not know who else has been or will be interviewed. If the board reads the comments on here and acts on them then no-one would ever get the job.

thegoalzone Tom Ross

Randy and Paul must have an ace up their sleeve..that NO ONE knows about... time will tell

According to Wayne Rooney (via twitter) he was speaking in person to David Moyes last night...

...and he is on holiday in Barbados :-(

Doesn't look like he is having an interbiew this week then.

Apparently we've already met with Moyes/reps twice already.

Twice???

Then we must have said something that interests him? :shock:

Meeting 1- "**** off Gollum".

Meeting 2- "What did you say?"

"We said, **** off Gollum."

According to Wayne Rooney (via twitter) he was speaking in person to David Moyes last night...

...and he is on holiday in Barbados :-(

Doesn't look like he is having an interbiew this week then.

Apparently we've already met with Moyes/reps twice already.

Who told you that Salifou ?????????

Jesus - why do peopel still give respect to MON - what respect did he give us when he left the club 5 days before the satrt of last season?

What respect did he give Randy Lerner - who couldn't have done any more for that overrated egotistical

What respect did he give the fans with his actions when being stubborn when the fans cheered luke young and delfouneso vs Wolves when we desperately needed them on? BEcause the crowd made a sarcy clap - the clearing in the woods went against the best interests of the team and didn't put them on. What about him blaming the fans for 'booing' gabby - when we clearly didn't boo him - it was a sarcy clap at the stubborn fool for eventuallt taking him off.

MON is revered yet he achieved nothing better than DOL did in DOLs first season and put the clubs future in jeopardy by wasting millions.

Wages & Wages/ turnover % were worse than any time at Leeds - look where they are now - MON is a clearing in the woods and I wish teh love in woudl stop. #

He is a complete Toss pot in my opinion all his good work means nothing, the man abondoned us and walked away , then fought us for compensation , not fit to enter ASTON let alone our beloved Stadium.

I voted for Hughes , I think he is a young manager with plenty to prove, he can grow with the club an leave a legacy. He has managed small clubs with no money and big clubs with bucket loads, any mistakes he made will have been learnt from and not at our expense. I realy think he would be great for us !!!!!

I think the ongoing silence from the club could prove to be telling.

It would certainly appear that all of the talk concerning McLaren over the past couple of days has been driven by newspapers who clearly have no more of an idea than we do as to what is actually going on. It makes sense that McLaren's representatives would've been contacted by Villa - or vice versa - but the outcry from supporters on messageboards, phone-ins and such like will have been sufficient to have dissuaded Mr. Lerner from pursuing this any further.

I would be genuinely shocked if Villa were to take a gamble on one of the greener candidates though I can see some merit in considering Martinez who I can see developing into a brilliant manager given time. But given that one of Villa's chief problems last season was defensive naivete and addressing this must be of paramount concern to any new manager taking over, this is not the best time for Martinez to be thrust into a position that will inevitably be unforgiving if the team fails to get the basics right.

Which as far as I can see only leaves Mark Hughes and Rafa Benitez. If, as has been reported and Hughes is not being considered - which I find hard to believe or understand - and Mr. Lerner is still only considering candidates with previous Premier League experience (ruling out Rijkaard), then I have a feeling it could well be Benitez, and I'm increasingly of the belief that this could prove to be a very good appointment. If Ancelotti has been approached and has decided that its not ultimately the role for him, then it's hard to argue that Benitez is not the next best option in terms of past track record. I'm also encouraged by the desire he seems to have to work specifically in the Premier League, as evidenced by his turning down the Athletico Madrid job. We need a manager who is hungry to make a mark and he seems to really want to prove himself again - something that Ancelotti may not necessarily have been able to bring to the role.

A couple of years ago, I would've found it virtually impossible to even entertain the notion of Benitez being our manager but my dislike of the man personally stems largely from his dogged pursuit of Gareth Barry. There were also a number of less than gracious displays on the touchline and in press conferences which added fuel to such antipathy but many of us have repeatedly stated that what Villa have lacked in recent times is a more ruthless edge. Assuming he hasn't mellowed - and I do think he has been humbled by the experiences of the last 18 months - this could be seen as an advantage if it is now in service of our own interests.

The combination of a fueding board and the long shadow of Kenny Dalglish has been amply proven to be an insurmountable trial for Liverpool managers and Roy Hodgson's experience when taking over from Benitez perhaps offers all the proof one may need to know that the club's poor form during Benitez' final season in charge could be put downj to factors beyond his control. His ill-fated and short-lived tenure at Inter is possibly more concerning but, again, there were mitigating factors, not the least of which were issues with a board that were not prepared to back him and is the fact that despite winning the Champions League the team itself was limited and it took someone of Mourinho's prodigious abilities to get that kind of performance level out of them.

His record in England is good. He took Liverpool to their highest placed league finish and a points tally in 2008/9 that would've comfortably won the title this past season and whilst some dismiss the Champions League triumph as a fluke, which to a certain extent it was, the fact that he took the side to a second final only two years later perhaps offers greater evidence that the man seriously knows what he is doing. At Villa, he will be working for a chairman that will get out of the way and let him control the footballing side of things - and provided he is indeed willing to play a more active role in the integration of younger players than he has previously and lay the foundation for sustainable improvement and growth, I'd be very optimistic that if supplemented with sensible financial backing that he has the potential to take the club further than any of the other possible contenders.

At this point, the only alternative that I think I would prefer would be David Moyes - and I must admit that without the usual protestations from Everton that he is most definitely either not available or not interested, I am wondering if it is negotiations behind the smokescreen of media attention on Ancelotti and McLaren that have been occupying the time of the Villa heirarchy over the past week. It could be that we are yet in for a very pleasant surprise - and I think there's little doubt that Moyes is probably the one candidate that would be greeted with the nearest we are likely to get to universal approval. In contrast, Benitez will always, I feel, be a divisive personality - but then a lot of winners are. I just hope that if Mr. Lerner is going to go with him that people can see beyond their previous impressions of the man to see the possibilities of what he can bring to the club. The ongoing results of the above poll suggest people are coming round to the idea.

^^^^

This

I truly believe this is all ramping as its called in the stockmarket, keep saying Mclaren and give odds on betfair , the more people think it will the more people will bet and someone makes a pretty penny when its not Mclaren. Illegal but it happens.

On Betfair and such sites can you still offer odds on a new Villa manager , if so would spreading a rumour that Steve Mclown was getting the job and then take bets on him knowing full well he was not in the frame , maybe I just think everyones out for themselves. Just a thought whilst waiting for Nottingvillas exclusive !!!!!

I will be pleased with anything other than a hammering , our goal difference cant take it!!!!

But I think we have enough now to come away with a point.

Won 4, Draw 2, Lost 1.. Plus the transfer window events.. a big yes from me.

^^^^ This.

We know stuff has gone on between Ireland and Houllier, but we don't know the ins and outs or where to apportion blame. Whether it's Houllier or Ireland, there has been a falling out. Probably. It looks likely he'll be gone in the summer.

It's disappointing, although I don't rate him as a midfielder, I've a feeling he'd be an excellent forward.

I have thought this for a while , I think he would make a good CF.

If he's fit I'd play him in the FA cup next to Makoun.

This ^^^

I do feel Houllier's treatment of him when he joined is part of the reason why he hasn't performed very well for us though

Eh??

What I said. Houllier publically slated Ireland, and I think that is part of the reason why Ireland has failed to perform for us.

He had a couple of quiet performances before Houllier came, but the whole team was in turmoil remember, and he wasn't anywhere near the only one playing badly then. I think he just needed a run of a few games in the team to find his feet and an arm around his shoulder. Circumstances, and then Houllier's outburst, left him little chance of succeeding. I wish him luck wherever he goes.

Poor poor Ireland , Jesus christ he's a man and a profesional , If I got a bollocking for not doing my job ( which Im not at the moment :-) ) and then kept on not doing it because my feelings were hurt because of the bollocking , I would be **** sacked !!!!! Get some nuts Ireland , Ghey boy !!!!!

Cant see anyone coming in until we resolve the manager situation, either KM offered the job full time or a new name !!!

Sky sports Rumours has us about to table bid for Andre Pierre Gignac , 11 Mill , I know its unsubstantiated Balls but, wondered what you all thought of this guy??

My first thought was who?

Scored quite a few goals in the fesnch league, but i think he is crap, he looked for for france(who didnt) in the WC

He was the worst player on the pitch in the first leg of the Ireland-France qualifier. He also looks slow and overweight...

In that case we will probably sign him

Sky sports Rumours has us about to table bid for Andre Pierre Gignac , 11 Mill , I know its unsubstantiated Balls but, wondered what you all thought of this guy??

Yes I hear that argument a lot.

I think it is only relevant if you have 40M plus to spend. When you are at our level I think the arguement is rubbish

I do not think so because if we have 20mp to spend and get 30 mp for Milner and 10mp for Sid, NRC, Heskey, Luke and Shorey that will give us aprox 60mp to spend and that sure is a lot of money...

I believe we will pull off the best transfer market we ever did this summer!

I hope and pray you are correct , but I fear you are wrong ( even though i have as much to back my opinion up as you do ) Nout !!!!!

no but theres time to make me happy.

General

I know you are not involved with transfers but can you tell me how the application for a work permit for Guzan is going?

Up the Villa

get rid now , weve made our point , we will not be bullied by bigger clubs (even liverpool) . sell , sell ,sell then use the cash to buy , buy , buy

General, Id like to say I saw a great improvment in the stewarding yesterday.

As usual there was may Man U fans sat in the North Stand upper and those that did make it obvious were asked to leave.

This included one guy sat in the 'special' seats who usually are allowed to get away with it.

Well done to Villa for helping to sort this problem out.

VB

I agree a much better display from our stewards but I would like to know how such large groups of opposing fans get hold of tickets. One group between 10-15 people all with manchester accents no Claret and Blue to be seen asked the steward by me where their seats where. They kept quiet througout the match and behaved but this could have been far different. After the Liverpool game I thought something was to be done about this , Away fans in away end only , even if it does affect crowd sizes.

General

Reading in the papers this weekend MI5 have stated that Al Queda are to target a live premiership game for suicide bombing. What extra security if any will the board be introducing to ensure our safety. The reason i say this is that as a ST holder i see the security as pretty lapse each game. Will this be tightened at all?