thetrees

Who knows? Maybe he will become President Emeritus No.2? He would certainly be more worthy of the title than the No.1 First job for the new owner, kick the freeloader out on his arse!

If we are getting a replacement manager with a new regime then we need to first clarify the footballing ethos we're after. I think the footballing appointment mistakes in the recent past have been down to two people (Faulkner and Lerner) with limited footballing knowledge heading the managerial hunt. Why can't we employ a head-hunter with a particular remit for a short-list? It's what happens elsewhere. Assuming that isn't what occurred before. Even head hunters get it wrong and, ultimately, all that they really care about is their fee.

Clearly not much difference between winning shit football and losing shit football. Really next time we all deserve a manager that will produce winning, attractive football. We have certainly paid the deposit over the past 8 years.

The way it reads, not PL. Plenty of 'big' non-PL clubs

I thought that Doug Ellis had an extra spring in his step when I saw him at the Fulham game

Given that Paul Lambert didn't appear to know our formation during the game, I find this unlikely.

What a shame that, once again in OT, a thoughtful posting introducing a thoughtful subject, opening up lots of interesting contributions, is hijacked by those whose sole wish appears to be to gnash their blinkered political teeth.

Out of interest, would you say Spurs fit that mould? Or at least are trying to? Or maybe Everton? Genuine question. Who do you think we should be looking at as a model for moving forward? Spurs are a perpetual mess. They lurch from being bloody awful to half decent, to not very good, to CL material and back around again. They have a despotic chairman which results in a revolving door of managers. Sure, I would take Spurs' showings of the last 8 years over ours, but for a future, well financed Aston Villa, I would prefer a much more stable model than Spurs, whose chairman should have been kicked out long ago.

maybe I'm wrong but that original suggestion seems like skewing of the original point (whatever it was ). It hints that "yer actual British worker won't get out of bed for 10 euro an hour, whereas these sausage rolls god bless 'em, they will". And "if you up the rate to 11, then the Brit will finally shift his lazy arse". That's just stereotyping at its worst. Your reply, seems logical ,but for me is also on a different tack, not in reasoning, but in outlook. Surely the whole thing is or should be about paying people at a level where they can keep themselves fed, clothed, warm and have at least a reasonable level of comfort and respectable living. It's not about attracting or not attracting Poles and Bulgarians. An argument not to put up the min wage because too many immigrants would come here is just wrong on a moral level. Several moral levels actually. You're not saying that, i accept, but the comment you made is one that could be made by people more concerned with stopping immigration as a principle, than with treating everyone decently. I find it interesting that this particular minimum wage discussion has its roots in a discussion about food banks. At the introduction of MW I commented on here that the danger was that it would become 'the' wage, which it largely has. Unlike some of the one eyed radicals that we see on this thread, I complimented the then (disliked by me) Labour government for introducing something that is morally correct, but was in danger of exploitation, which I think that it has been. But if the existence of food banks are, in part, attributable to the minimum wage being 'too low', then why all the guff and condemnation of these 'nasty Tories', when on this basis, the existence of food banks is attributable to both Labour and coalition governments? On the point of raising the minimum wage, I have no view. In my small world no one that I am responsible for is paid minimum wage, although I may be about to 'exploit' it in order to create an extra position and give a young person an opportunity. With regard to immigrant workers, in my primary industry, if they don't come, we would have a serious problem. I visit production facilities all over the world. In the UK and Western Europe, factories are staffed almost entirely with eastern Europeans. In South Europe, a lot of north and west Africans. In the US, Mexicans. The bottom line is that all of our economies need immigrant workers, unless we want things to grind to a halt.

Of course it's a point.It puts the relative wages in to context. Context, one would have thought, that would add more depth to the discussion. Maybe we are at cross purposes. Earlier in the discussion it was suggested by a third party that an increase in the minimum wage by £1 would result in more 'home' workers taking the jobs. My point, although perhaps not clearly made, is that if you raise the minimum wage from equivalent EUR10.20 to equivalent EUR11.40, then surely it will tempt eastern European workers even more. History dictates that society has an 'underclass'. Years ago it was the Irish, replaced by 'West Indians' and then Asians. The new 'underclass' are the eastern Europeans. Just to be clear, for 'underclass' read the national/ethnic group that are prepared to work for the lowest pay in any given society.

Do they still get to reside, eat, drink, travel and so on in Poland?Edit: I don't know how the wrong data got in to the 'quote' details first time around.On the EUR3 an hour, yes.Our minimum wage is based upon them being in the UK.The 'proposal' that was mentioned to me was based upon them being in the UK on Polish contracts, so earning more than in Poland, but much less than minimum wage here.The scary thing is that this isn't something that the guy dreamed up, clearly it is already going on here.You missed my point (which may have been too facetiously put) which was a criticism of the comparison between the two wage levels without the requisite comparison in the cost of living. Sorry, yes, your point went way south, if indeed it was a point. Of course people working for the EUR3 per hour have a cheaper cost of living, but the attraction of the EUR10.20 minimum wage here is that they can live on that here and send money home. In Polish factories that I deal with there are Ukrainians working at Polish rates and sending money home.

Do they still get to reside, eat, drink, travel and so on in Poland?Edit: I don't know how the wrong data got in to the 'quote' details first time around. On the EUR3 an hour, yes. Our minimum wage is based upon them being in the UK. The 'proposal' that was mentioned to me was based upon them being in the UK on Polish contracts, so earning more than in Poland, but much less than minimum wage here. The scary thing is that this isn't something that the guy dreamed up, clearly it is already going on here.

He should talk! Or, ideally, not. Probably Norwegian. To be fair he/she is spot on with the ugly away kit and the dirge of the pathetic 'shit support....' song

I'm just looking forward to sending Benteke on loan to Everton

I assume that, following the takeover news of this morning, the 'realistically' element of this thread title will soon be removed?! Above all others, I would love to see Martinez as our manager, but something would need to go badly wrong at Everton for that to happen.

You really have not the first idea about how the economy works, do you? (Clue: it's not what they told you on your college course).not your best post, that one, really, Peter. Regardless of the dubious logical leap made by Risso, his question is one loads of people ask, or imply as a point. Surely it's better to explain your view on how the economy works and why immigration from Europe hasn't taken jobs from people in the UK? I don't know how the economy works, but I suspect that most immigrants from e.europe are young, that our ageing population, that high numbers going to uni, that the cost of living, unscrupulous employers, the willingness of poles to share accommodation. Manufacturing decline, the north south divide, regional black spots and so on are the reasons that more UK people aren't in jobs I do quite some business with Poland. Average factory worker (in my industry) wage there is around EUR3 per hour. Our new minimum wage is around EUR10.20 per hour, so the attraction is clear. More worryingly, during a recent meeting about setting up a venture with some Poles in the UK, it was suggested that minimum wage could be 'got around' by hiring a team of workers in Poland, on enhanced Polish rates, and shipping them to the UK to do the work. I did not enquire about the legality of this, because it would not get past my own code of morality. That is because, while some on VT visualise me as a nasty, Tory voting, presumably baby eating, capitalist, I have always found that by putting the welfare of those who work for you first, it tends to contribute towards your ultimate success.

I just remember all of the similar excitement on here in 2006. If this goes through, then we will certainly find ourselves on an upward trajectory, but whether that is continual, or another roller coaster, we will have to wait some time to see. The new manager will be the interesting one. Benitez will undoubtedly be putting himself forward. Just so long as it's not O'Neill.........

The Secret Footballer's source at Villa. Says the Albrighton train story is bollocks. http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/articles/the-secret-footballer/16584/backroom-harmony-at-villa-turns-sour/ Jesus... depressing stuff - more proof if it were needed that Randolph is a waaay bigger problem for us than Lambert ever will be Yes, if an anonymous person on the internet says it, then it must be true so can be taken as proof. They don't let just anyone have a website after all. Like everything else, the perspective of the article will suit some, and not others. It could so easily have been written by one of the more repetitive posters to this thread.

Does he? I'm not really a fan of HH, which is probably a little unfair, because the dislike stems from his father's 'Money Programme' documentary of about 25 years ago. But if he feels strongly enough to write to Randy Lerner, isn't that just his way of protesting? The only difference for me is that I wouldn't publish the letter on the internet, regardless of how many requests that I received.

I saw John Collins at the Fulham game. He was with that tall bloke from 'Pointless'. So not another pointless manager please.

Usually if someone asked that we'd all ask you, so you've probably just broken the Matrix! Too early to know.

Could the utterings of the owner be the prelude to his attendance at a game, apparently much craved for by some?

Convinced Culverhouse was HH then, messaged me the exact line up and formation the day before a game. To my knowledge HH was not a member of staff at the club.

Apparently the away fans at Norwich wanted him. Maybe a few others who saw him as the potential reincarnation of their beloved O'Neill. But for the rest of us it was indifference. I was pleased because I backed him to cover my substantial outlay on OGS, but that was the only reason. With hindsight, I would prefer to have just lost the money. I disagree and think is pretty revisionist - the vast majority of fans wanted him and were happy at the appointment. Maybe, but I am pretty much meh about whichever manager we get. McLeish, Lambert, Bruce, Attila the Hun, I really don't care, and will support whoever is in the seat at the beginning of next and every season, including Lambert, although I sincerely hope that he isn't.

Apparently the away fans at Norwich wanted him. Maybe a few others who saw him as the potential reincarnation of their beloved O'Neill. But for the rest of us it was indifference. I was pleased because I backed him to cover my substantial outlay on OGS, but that was the only reason. With hindsight, I would prefer to have just lost the money.