terrytini

After years of being STH and most away games, can't now afford it, not even occasionally.

And I never thought I'd say it but really don't think I would want to at present. Whilst I loved MON in charge I accept those times have gone, but the Board now appear naive, inept, duplicitious and patronising.

So whilst Mcleish, or Downing, or Ashley, or Milner, or Barry are not individually a reason, the pattern and lack of an ambitious path for the future probably means that if I do recover my income I will spend it elsewhere.

That and the fact that I think the Atmosphere, especially at VP has been going downhill a longtime now.

If they showed real ambition, and created a cheaper area where like minded fans could stand up and sing for 90 mins, I may go back.

But all that money to sit down with people moaning and not singing, and watching a Team getting left behind again ?

No thanks.

I don't understand the need for a new wealthy owner.

Either Fair Play rules mean Randy is doing all he is allowed, in which case any owner would be hamstrung, the FP rules are crap, and all fans should be shouting them down (or else Man U rule forver) or they are not to blame and he could do more.

He certainly isn't short of money, and has said he is a fan.

If any of us had nearly a Billion Pounds how much would we spend each year to make Villa compete ?

:?

A lot more than is currently the case.

Hello General

Thank you for outlining the Boards strategy for getting Top 4 as a minimum. You didn't give a timescale but lets say within 3 years ? that would be 8 years from when Randy took over.

The biggest issue in my view is the belief that youth players can play a significant role in this - and thereby alleviate the need for big spending.

It won't work - and the Board are either naive or negligent in having that as a key plank of the stated goal.

Only once in my memory has it worked, with Man Utds 'golden generation'.

Take Arsenal as an example. With a terrific Manager, 60,000 sell outs for home games, and a decade or more trying, Wenger has tried to do what you aspire to, without the result you seek.

The method you describe could be used by everybody, and certainly is used by many. The Clubs that get top 4 or more spend massively.

It is as simple as that.

Your goal makes sense, but not with that policy.

Or your policy makes sense, but not with that goal.

Therein lies all the unrest, in my view.

Would you not agree, given the brief examples I've mentioned, that Randy and the Club would be far far better off stating only the policy, with the rider, 'who knows how high it may take us' rather than the claim that we are definitively aiming for Top 4 or above ?

Totally anti.

Breaks my heart, those first few years were fantastic. I was a total Randy lover.

Afraid it is time to wake up.

The scarves were a small gesture, a long time ago now, in a very different Villa World.

Talk of Randys investment ignores that most is through loans and has been recouped by sales. Infrastructure spending is irrelvant as he will get all that back on sale of the Club.

The obvious duplicity between the Clubs stated ambition and reality is a scandal, and we are being taken for idiots.

Communication, planning, transfers, etc - a shambles.

Utter rubbish talked about Man City, squads, etc - see Liverpool for how to match claims to actions.

I no longer care who we get in, as long as they are honest about what they will try to acheive.

Oh, you mean the Liverpool for who spent 100m I presume.

But fail to notice that that sold Torres for 50m , Alonso for 25m , Maschereno for about 20m , Babbel for about 5m (and then many others I cant name)

But dont let facts get in the way of media spin shall we

Not interested - we are a shambles with no ambition going nowhere, and those who keep finding reasons or suggesting we wait and see will eventually join those of us who have had enough.

I don't care whether Lerner invests or not- but don't keep claiming high ambitions while running our Great Club like this.

Totally anti.

Breaks my heart, those first few years were fantastic. I was a total Randy lover.

Afraid it is time to wake up.

The scarves were a small gesture, a long time ago now, in a very different Villa World.

Talk of Randys investment ignores that most is through loans and has been recouped by sales. Infrastructure spending is irrelvant as he will get all that back on sale of the Club.

The obvious duplicity between the Clubs stated ambition and reality is a scandal, and we are being taken for idiots.

Communication, planning, transfers, etc - a shambles.

Utter rubbish talked about Man City, squads, etc - see Liverpool for how to match claims to actions.

I no longer care who we get in, as long as they are honest about what they will try to acheive.

Is this the level we are at ?

Wow. :|

Hi General

In my view there is one single dominating factor leading directly and indirectly to most of the dispirited and angry comments of recent times and the last few months. It is clear directly or indirectly from almost all the Posts you are getting, and from 5 minutes in the company of fans.

It is this. Most fans of most Clubs dream and pray for success, but deep down know it is no more than a dream most the time. We all then get on and support the Club we love through thick and thin.

But us Villa fans are not in a normal position. We are owned by a benevolent, caring, billionaire. Not many Fans have that.

And we have had our hopes raised over the last few years by repeated statements, going right back to the 'world class players' comments in the first weeks, that the aim is to bring back the glory years, to get Top 4, to challenge the mightiest. You yourself have been a major contributor to this vision.

So we no longer think how we thought for years, how most fans think. We have expectations and hopes which we actuallly have been led to believe are realisitic.

BUT - it has gradually become clear, over 18 months or so, and increasingly with every development (stars leaving, money caution, aspirations of Managers set lower, etc etc), that those things are not realisitic, for whatever reason. (Were I a billionaire rather than on the verge of Bankruptcy, I would spend all but my last few Million on the Villa, but thats entirely up to Randy). (and probably explains why I have none !)

So there is a mismatch, of widening proportions, between what we are being told are the ambitions and what the realistic situation really is.

Hence much friction, cursing, rending of garments amd most importantly for a Football Club, dissillusionment.

The only real way to get everything where it meeds to be is for Randy to be very clear - through you if necessary - about the REAL level of ambition, however much less it is. In the end we can take it, far better than unmet promises.

Then we go back to treating Glory as a briliant extra, rather than something we are waiting for that keeps getting further away.

I think the whole Villa World would settle down to a more harmonious level then.

We might all start wanting a richer owner, we might not, but at least the frenetic aspirations would revert to something like normal for most Clubs.

So MON should have been sacked for not taking us from 16th to 4th in 3 seasons.

Then he should have been sacked after our best season in years

And houllier was a good appointment.

Classic!

I have to say that I was genuinely surprised to read this.

I thought, with one or two obvious exceptions, that everyone had moved on from this 'O'Neill did a good job' thing? Fair play to you for sticking to your guns

One thing I will say though is that if you liked O'Neill and disliked Houllier then you'll love McLeish. Right up your street I should think

What on earth made you think that ? None of the fans I know personally are glad he's gone. Most of those I know feel, like me, he was let down by a Board who revised their ambitions drastically - without telling the fans - and was our single best hope of getting somwhere special for the rest of our lifetimes. In addition, we enjoyed a lot of games under MON , and had no issues with his style. Some dross, yes, but watch ANY side next year other than Arsenal and see how many times they get you out your seat.

As for Randy Lerner, I have had a growing feeling for at least a year that he knows nothing about running a Football Club, and the last 2 months have clinched it for me. What a farce, utter farce.

And it will get worse, as investment appears to be about to shrink too. If an owner is NOT going to plough a lot of money in, and seeks only to run Club within means, then any of us could do it, and the sooner the better.

Aston Martinez no more - Villa's treble HELL - Daily Star

RANDY LERNER is used to getting it in the neck from his Cleveland Browns fans.

And Randy Lerner is in danger of suffering the same treatment at Villa Park.

No matter how hard Aston Villa’s PR machine tries to spin it, the decision of Roberto Martinez to turn down the manager’s job is one of the most embarrassing slaps in the face the club have suffered in decades.

Chairman Lerner might have feared grief if he had flown in the face of fan opinion and appointed Steve McClaren as Gerard Houllier’s successor.

But he is likely to face a whole lot more over his increasingly farcical hunt for a new boss.

Villa keep putting out official statements insisting they are determined to stay true to “heritage, competitiveness and passionate fan base”.

Yet Lerner appears to be making one gaffe after another in the search to bolster an investment which stands at close on £200m since he arrived in 2006.

The American’s decision to cross the pond and invest £65m to buy out Doug Ellis and take a shot at the Premier League in 2006 gave him a wonderful relief from the misery of watching his NFL franchise lose season after season.

In the nine years since Lerner inherited the Browns following the death of his father in 2002, they have ended the season with a winning record – more victories than defeats – just twice.

The one managerial decision he has got right was the appointment of Martin O’Neill in 2006, but that was a no-brainer and much of the spadework was done by Deadly Doug.

Villa fans could not wait to see the back of the octogenarian Ellis five years ago, but in the last 12 months some of them may have cast envious glances back to the past in their darkest moments.

Everything has unravelled at Villa Park since the day in August last year when O’Neill confirmed the cracks in the relationship with his owner by walking out on the club.

After three successive sixth-place finishes, forays into the Europa League, a Carling Cup final and an FA Cup semi-final, O’Neill felt he was not getting the financial backing he needed to keep up the club’s progress.

He went with a flea in his ear when General Charles Krulak, Lerner’s mouthpiece and right-hand man, labelled O’Neill selfish and not a team player.

How they could do with O’Neill now – because everything that has followed since he walked out the door has been what Lerner may call one bum call after another, starting with the crazy decision to appoint Houllier as his replacement.

Houllier’s subsequent exit on health grounds after nine months came at a cost of almost £2.5m to Lerner.

The Frenchman, 63, was a man out of time even when he arrived, casually mentioning at his unveiling that he could not start work for two weeks.

It was an accident waiting to happen.

Villa fans quickly wanted him out, and he did himself no favours with an extraordinary love-in with his former club Liverpool after a 3-0 hammering at Anfield in December.

Villa have been through four bosses in less than 12 months – O’Neill, Kevin MacDonald, Houllier and Gary McAllister.

They appear no closer to naming a fifth after the debacle of the last few days.

The crass comments Villa made about the manner of Mark Hughes’ walk-out on Fulham was a foot-in-mouth episode, especially when they had not fully investigated the reasons for the resignation.

Carlo Ancelotti was “sounded out” and politely did not laugh.

Then Rafael Benitez was spoken to and was apparently keen, until he found out that the financial plans in place for squad building this summer did not meet his own lofty requirements.

Throw in Villa’s decision to cancel a scheduled interview with McClaren at less than 24 hours’ notice because they had “got their man” and it is little wonder that the credibility of Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner has taken a battering.

Villa are consoling themselves that they only missed out on Martinez because of his special relationship with Wigan owner Dave Whelan.

Perhaps they could have saved themselves embarrassment by finding that out first and scrubbing Martinez from the top of their list.

His decision was swiftly followed by clear rebuffs from David Moyes and Owen Coyle, who made it clear Villa would be wasting their time making an approach.

The word is going round other targets that Lerner is cutting back his financial commitments.

Gareth Barry has been sold. James Milner has been sold and Ashley Young will be joining the exodus in the next few days.

Brad Friedel has left for Tottenham, while Stewart Downing may be another on his way as he goes looking for Champions League football.

Before making another move, Lerner should make sure the Villa Park entrance sign is as clearly labelled as the exit.

lawl.

Typical bollock and spin from a shit paper. Their comments are so full of holes its untrue. Apparently its better to keep players that don't want to stay and run down their contracts. Following that logic we would piss away £50m in fees.

The media's biggest problem is they are guessing what Villa are up to and don't like the fact there is not a clear story.

i think it sums things up pretty well actually.

Unfortunately a good 60-70% of that is fact, and the rest pretty fair and/or likely.

Someone on H&V has said Flores on our shortlist and that's it come from TalkSport. Any truth or is he making it up?

Edit - Sorry, it was supposedly said back in May, apparently.

That phrase is becoming increasingly inappropriate.

It's becoming very much like the 'shortlist' drawn up by the Romans when they asked for the body of Spartacus.

Hi General

Two questions ;

Why is it that the only factual statement of our situation in all this time has come from Wigans owner ?

The 'statement' put out by the Club was an insult to our intelligence.

Of course there are reasons for confidentiality but a simple explanation of the process we were to follow and an expected timetable would be the minimum we should have heard.

In addition to being open and 'family like' (a phrase used a lot during the season by the Club) it would maybe have done something to alter the increasingly widely held view that for the 2nd time in a season we are possibly showing signs of a lack of authority and competence over the one truly crucial decision the owner ever has to make.

2; It is 7 weeks since it was apparent GH would not be able to run the Club. Do you understand the agitation felt by fans to whom it appears we were unprepared for this search ?

Ancellotti is Michael Mcintyres dad. :shock:

Ancellotti no brainer

If not, Benitez - tho' I hate him almost as much as Redknapp, and hate myself for saying it (he is next the closest thing to a winner that is available) then Jol (got close with Spurs).

After that the others are much of a muchness, Hughes, Moyes...

If we ofer Ancellotti top whack plus a £100m transfer kitty we will sell 30000 plus season tickets, keep Downing, regain Milner, and finish Top 5 minimum next year - got to be worth it Randy, it's only money !

Hello General

A few months back I asked you to get shot of GH before it was too late, as I thought he would get us relegated.

Whilst, for various reasons, I (and I gather a fair few other) still want a change, I'd like to say, you were proven right to stick with him for the run in and I - and others - were proven wrong in our fears. So, thanks for getting that right.

What a relief.

Roll on next season

Good performance great result, well done to all. Nothing wrong with that defence or midfield....

Seems now he has stopped upsetting them all and playing our proper side we are getting somewhere - what a shame he wasted so much of the season.

With a good manager next year these players are still top 6 minimum material.

Mind you, West Ham were incredibly poor........

It's like, my wife has run off with the milkman singing 'keep right on to the end of the road', killed my dog, ripped off all my money, taken the kids, told the office I've a teeny weeny, washed my Sheffield United 'Bright Future' scarf, thrown me out the House, and flogged my record collection - yet I am going to 'give her the benefit of the doubt', and might even welcome her back next ugust if she is nice to me for a few weeks now.

Not done a single thing right, and got somuch wrong by a lot.

Utter disaster, how crap does someone have to be to be sacked ?

For the sake of all future debates where people choose to omit certain truths, today we did show fight, and a reaction etc. So is that allowed to be a positive thing towards Houllier - considering not showing fight is a negative?Decent result, of course it could have been better but shit happens in football.

Downing was quality, Young looked better being on the wing. Etc. Now lets beat Newcastle

Not in my view, GH has already done his damage and is responsible for us being in this mess in the first place.

Anything we acheive from here is down to the players, although he can help by picking the right ones and playing them in position.

Well fought point -nothing wrong with the players character,

Helps when we have a better team selection and set up. (Luke Young at right back - GH not the first to see this but took long enough)

Damage already done though I fear.

Rubbish, this is far from Everton's reserve team.

You haven't seen who they have missing then ?

We had a couple out for a few months and it was apparently a reason we were shite - they hve nearly a whole first team out.

Everton reserves.

Everton reserves.............................. :cry:

I feel sorry for Houllier today. He's set us up the right way today, got us playing to our strengths, but our defenders - individually and as a unit - are sub-standard.

Jeez how many games do we read that ?

Hes destroyed the spirit and the soul and fckd us up o the pitch with too many rubbish tactivcs and positional mistakes, as well as changing a style that suited.

It is no good him finally now making a couple of better decisions he has already ruined it.

Feel sorry for him ?

I would n't say on an open site what I feel for him after what he has done to us.

Hi General

I see Paul Faulkner has said "we wouldn't gain anyhing by sacking GH".

Talk about damning with faint paise.

If that is the biggest vote of confidence he can whistle up it is clear he shares our view of GH's suitability.

Would you agree this is less than fulsome backing - and actually sounds like a man who is lost for what to do instead.

Surely the Board can see the most overwhelming condemnation of a Manager in my 40 years of watching Villa has become a broad coalition, even some of those who would give him time are losing hope.

We are not 'sack the Manager' fans - even O'Leary and G Taylor were treated relatively tolerantly. we are not some febrile rabid pack of idiots.

Please listen to us, for all the reasons given, from tactics to player alienation to lack of points to destroyed defence to general air of despair.

We still have a fifth of the season to go, it isn't to late if we act now.