rhyscartwright_avfc

Now......On the same day I'm given £40 million for next season's TV revenue, the board come to me with regards to money for next season's expectations. They say Europa League is a minimum but we will only give you £2 mil for transfers and £1 mil for wages. Angry!

Just finished my first season in charge of Villa. During the summer I brought in Alou Diarra, Van Der Wiel, Pienaar and Sotiris Ninis on loan. Got rid of Salifou, Carew & Osbourne on free's and pretty much all the reserves out on loan. Heskey rotted in the reserves as I couldn't get rid and didn't fit in my system. I played 4-4-1-1. Played the first team in league games and 2nd string in every cup game. By January I was through to the Carling Cup semi's, knockout of Europa League and sitting around 4th-6th in Prem. I wasn't planning on buying anyone in January but did manage to offload Heskey on loan and Diarra on loan who had caused trouble a few months after the transfer. Anyway....League Cup semi's came round, I had Bolton who themselves were doing well sitting around European places. In the other Chelsea had Burnley. Only one outcome surely So I comfortably passed through to the final, still waiting to find out who I would play the next day. With the tie at 0-0 and the return leg at Chelsea I feared the worst, but Burnley somehow won 3-0 to set up an easy final. Days after that I was knocked out by Chelsea in the FA Cup 4th Rd. And worse was to come on the day before the end of the transfer window. Gabby was injured in a game and had broke his leg. Out for 5-6 months and left me with just Delfouneso to play up front for the rest of the season. Quickly I looked for a striker either cheap or available for loan and in the end had the choice of 2. Hugo Almeida or Khouma Babacar. I decided on Babacar on loan. Early Feb and knocked out the Europa League by Schalke but I wasn't fussed as I wanted to concentrate on the league. It was between about 5 clubs for 2 places in the CL. It came down to the last few games. My last 6 games were Man City, Birmingham, Liverpool, Fulham, Arsenal, West Brom. Respective results were 1-0, 1-1, 1-1, 1-1, 1-0. This left me 4th on goal difference with a game away to West Brom left. Final day needed a win, went 2-1 down. Delfouneso proceeded to score a hat-trick to put me 4-2 up and WBA scored a late consolation. I GOT CL FOOTBALL!! Well pleased as I spent half the season with 2 youngsters up front. Was runner-up for manager of year and Stephen Ireland was 3rd in Young Player of Year. James Collins was a substitute in Team of Year. Early June now, already signed deals for Rio Mavuba and Charlie Adam in midfield. Combined fee - £5mil. ------- EDIT - Forgot to say. I did win that final in the Carling Cup.

Just watched the 2nd goal again. 21 passes, keeping the ball for exactly 1 minute before Pedro scored. Incredible technique and vision from every single outfield Barca player.

Strange, cuz the back four was our strength last year....how do you explain the huge dip in form of the whole back line? Well our defence has been shit pretty much since we were raped at Chelsea last season. Coincidence? I think not. That was the day Luke Young came back into the team at right-back, in place of Cuellar. Cuellar is our best defender by far. He reads the game well, heads it well, tackles well. Basically everything a defender needs. Only thing he can't do is pass it. I hope Dunne gets sent off soon so he has to be replaced by someone, then if all goes to plan. Cuellar comes in, plays well and Dunne never gets back in the team.

Yeah I did mate, and thought why the hell is someone wearing a Jets top at that game Didn't think of you as presumed you were in Madrid. Hope you are alright with regards to your cuts and bruises. So was there a load of punch ups right outside the ground or was it once everyone dispersed into the city centre? Did you see a lot of it or just when you got targeted? ---------- This sort of thing never happens at our place because we aren't right in the city centre and we haven't had matches in the evening. Last time we did, it did kick off.

Which one do you think it was. Even Jerome told him to get back up ffs.

Dominated and should have won, but can't stick the ball in the back of the net. Can never be confident with this shitty defence though. FLARES!! Disgusting, scummy, horrible, inbred club. Hope the police throw the book at the club now for that.

It's about time Blues ran out of luck (re: disallowed goal) after that match v Chelsea.

According to oddschecker Blues are 6/4, we are 11/5 and the draw is 23/10. Which makes Blues favourites, with us then the draw very close behind.

Fixed. Fixed again

I expected a Barca win, fairly comfortably tbh. But never expected such an inept performance from Madrid. They may as well have stayed at home, they should be ashamed of themselves for the way they conducted themselves at the end. The result that comes out of that game is that sexy football triumphs over José's defensive tactics. One more thing - If you have Messi on your team, you shouldn't be allowed 11 players. He's too good.

Pelé won three. :winkold: Yeah but there's a better standard of football throughout the world today, more teams in the WC. What about if he wins it in Brazil, agree with me then? :winkold:

Blatant attempt to break his legs, no way was he going for anything other than that. I'm fairly bias towards Barca but it was a disgusting horrible tackle. Spot on. Deserved a red for the challenge alone, never mind pushing Puyol in the face after then giving Xavi and jab too.

If Messi wins a World Cup during his career then he has to be classed as the best player of all time IMO.

It wasn't clear scoring at all. Ronaldo was going completely away from goal. Penalty yes, red card no. If Valdes gets booked for his part in the scuffle, Ronaldo should as well.

Except Valdes is still on the pitch, Madrid havent had a penalty and Iniesta wasn't booked, despite doing exactly the same as Valdes. Ronaldo was booked for absoloutely no reason too. Why should Valdes have been off yet Ronaldo shouldn't have been booked? :?

I think the ref has handled this fairly well to be honest. Letting the game flow. Letting the little fouls that don't really matter go by with no free kick has enabled the game to be brilliant viewing. If he did blow for every little thing it would be more stop-start than American football. Although I do think he got the Ronaldo penalty wrong.

Higuain is injured.

As much as I love José. I hate Madrid. Barca = Mes qué un club. I know a couple of Madrid fans and I can't stand them either. Probably nothing to do with them supporting Real but still Barca 3-1.

And already there's facebook statuses of bluenoses looking forward to a punch up down at Millwall. Scum!

Hi General Regarding away fans getting on the pitch. This only happens because they are sat right next to the pitch, without any sort of barrier to stop them getting onto it. I know half are in the lower Doug Ellis and half are in the upper Doug Ellis. Why not stick them all in the upper part where they won't cause trouble, won't be heard as much and therefore won't have as much impact on the game. Also it will mean our fans will be closer, surrounding the whole of Villa Park with Villa fans.

Oh and one more thing.... I said it last week and will say it again today. Bannan needs to stop trying 40 yard Hollywood balls all the **** time.

Terrible 1st half. Better 2nd half. Luke Young has been learning how to defend by watching tapes of Warnock. Carew was absolutely useless. Pires was alright going forward, but then again we never expected defensive work from him. Need to keep Downing on the left and Young/Albrighton on the right. That's when we play the best. Delfouneso did ok. Ireland actually played well for once and showed some interest. Played our best stuff when he came on for Carew. No coincidence.

I can tell you how I know Bale's done **** all in the league. I have him in my fantasy team. Gameweek 1 - **** all GW 2 - 2 goals GW 3 to 7 - **** all GW 8 - 1 assist GW 9 to 12 - **** all GW 13 - 2 goals & 1 assist GW 14 - 1 goal He has 69 points, 33 of those came from 2 games. It's the Champions League where he's tore some shit up.

See they still haven't got rid of giving a penalty to anyone who's on a hat-trick. Was 3-1 up Vs Sunderland. Gabby misses the pen, Sunderland go right up the other end and score. Luckily I held on. Is there anyway to get around this?