The Fun Factory

10/10. That's because I am a sad git. A few overseas ones where educated guesses.

No I think Lerner was right to finish Bodymoor before any new stand. It was half finished if I remember when Doug sold up. Isn't HS2 going very close round the training ground? Demitri- yes could be the way forward doing some development before pushing on with more. On the flip side we could end up with a half finished stand for about 10 years!

Well yes- but our attendances for the last 4/5 games shot up, which does show the potential support for Villa. I mean we went from 30k v West Ham to over 38 k QPR. It's the club's task to get the 'floater' fan coming more at the Villa. If that ever did happen, then there could be a case for a new stand. How we do this than other having a good side and/or cheaper tickets, I do not know.

Thing is in the next 5 years or so, several clubs could well overtake Villa Park's capacity. Man City are set to expand to 54,000. Liverpool planning to extend Anfield, though in fairness they have been talking about that for years. Spurs want to have a new 50,000+ ground. West Ham are getting a free 60,000 to play in. We could be left well behind. Although the North Stand does have boxes, they are seen as old fashioned as they cannot have a outside section for the customers. On a interesting footnote, having 2 levels of boxes was suggested at the time by the Villa Chairman, Sir William Dugdale. Who was Dave Cameron's uncle. A new stand could have some very plush corporate facilities, which are the big money spinner in modern football. The world bank wants the UK to invest in infrastructure- how about a new VP stand?! Joking aside if it did happen, it would also have to have facilities outside football such as community rooms for the local area, or links with local schools and colleges. A massive new club shop and muesuem would also be nice, but we are probably dreaming for this to happen.

As the original poster has said, the North Stand Redevelopment has gone very quiet in the past couple of years. Remember when the general was giving strong hints that plans were being made etc for building work?! I was never sure if the plans were to be a complete rebuild, or a refurb job with the corners filled in. Perhaps they didn't either. It was a modern stand in its day, but it is looking tired and dated now. It was built in the era of terracing- no way would Villa have built such as small stand with the goal post construction roof today. I am sure it was all part of the master plan in the heady early Lerner days that this would happen when we got CL football (how naive we were all pre man city days). Take in the factors that they removed the old megabox and did not replace the big screen, and they pulled out of the 2012 olympics as 'major' building work 'could' happen at Villa Park during that summer. In a recent H&V article about all this, a educated guess was made by the author that the club effectively gave up on this when even under the MON days, Villa hardly ever sold out. In 2007-2008 we peaked at 40,000 average gates, and we have slipped back since. They have put the ticket prices up a lot to balance up the crowds going down- something I disagree on myself, but perhaps this is another issue altogether. The club is now making noises on safe standing on the German model. I guess if this ever happens it would be in the Lower Holte. But there could be a argument for the Lower North stand as this was originally built as a terrace and the seats are rather shallow and cramped down there. The North Stand is a symbol of the frustrating part of following the Villa. Potential. It is all there for a massive new stand. We have the room to build something fantastic and make Villa Park a world class arena. But the crowds do not justify this massive investment at present. As the club have argeed to host Rugby World Cup matches in 2015, it will be at least 3-4 years if anything ever does happen.

It is just a deeply, deeply, average england side. I feel sorry for Wiltshire- he looks like he has to carry this team for the next 5 years.

Yes big fan of westers but I think he should have a target of 4 to 5 goals next season. If we can get our midfield to chip in with a few next season, it will take some pressure off the forwards.

2 defensive managers in a pointless friendly. Having said that, it will be probably 4-3 now.

This basically. If we sell Benteke (and I really think we will) we HAVE to keep Darren Bent. What's the point getting £7m odd for him? He IS a goalscorer and we won't get another for that money No we don't. Bent does not fit in with Lambert style of play- why woud he stay even if Benteke is sold? Bent is usually only first choice for teams which come lower mid table- sunderland, charlton, us under Mcleish etc. He seems a nice fella, and he hasnt rocked the boat this season but he is off. 8-10 mil to a team like Stoke or Norwich, thanks and goodbye.

I am not so sure I agree to that sentiment. We didn't exactly play good football last season, barring a few games, and we are incredibly lackluster when we are trying to create an attack. It's mostly counter-attacks or coincidences, we seldom pass the ball through or cross it for a goal. Of course I am looking forward to the next season, especially as we are in the Premier League, but I doubt we are going to catch anyone's eyes. Our defensive setup is poor at best and that is not just the quality of our defenders, and when you score a measly 47 goals on top of that there is going to be a hard quest changing it. Here's for hoping we have some cash and that Lambert can follow up the purchase of Benteke and not KEA/Bennett. Eh- did you watch the Sunderland game? Granted they also put in awful, awful peformance but at times they played some great stuff.

Fair play the work he has done hear has shown he is a cut above the rest.

Whatever you can say about Lambert, at least he is making Villa interesting again. Last season under Mcleish was so,so, so dull. Like Pink Floyd would say, it was comfortably numb for us. Granted some of this season really hurt, but that is because we care about this side. You can see what Lambert and the players are trying to do, unlike last season team full of old pros looking for a easy life at Villa. 15th can never been seen as a good season but I hope Lambert has helped create the foundations for something exciting and progressive at Villa in the years to come. I am looking forward to August. I havent thought like that for years at Villa.

It is partly done to Lambert- he has been calling him 'world class' all season- so people bound to get interested! Everyone take a chill pill, I am fairly confident he will be hear next season.

Might have been better if Lambert hadnt said anything? Just adds fuel to the fire. Really the club should keep quiet, wait til the international are over and then have a serious chat with Benteke and his agent about what is/isn't going on.

I think I will wait for something a bit more concrete before I panic over Benteke leaving. On a wider issue its a bit annoying that when Spurs sell their top players the media say ' that Levy drives a hard bargain, arent they a big team?' and when Villa sell their top players its ' west midlands side is a selling club'

Great vid. Shows we have played some great stuff this year and makes you think how we finished only 15. Then you remember the defence! When we have been good, we have been very, very good. When we have been bad, we have been horrid!

Well this is going to be fun. We have 3 months of this shit. I think he will be staying- the club will know they will look small time if they cant keep him for another year. After 2014 it might be difficult, but we have been good to him, and he has been good for us. Mind you if some club wants to pay him £100,000 a week then he will be off as I cant see Villa giving him more than 'only' 60,000.

Bit of a shame if its true. He is not the most talented of players, but I dont think he has ever let Villa down. He would have been a decent back up for next season but perhaps he wants first team footy?

Given wasn't a bad buy on paper. He was 'only' 35, which is can be more like 30-32 for a goalkeeper these days. Had loads of experience and on his day a good shop stopper. However giving him a 5 year day on monster wages wasn't clever when you consider the amount of injuries he has had. The reason why Friedel is still a half decent keeper at 41 is that he is super fit and has hardly any injuries. Given has had loads, and if the Euros tell a story, he is past it. He is also poor on commanding his defence. Its going to be hard to shift him with 3 years left on his deal, but maybe we can persuade someone to take a punt on him.

Lovely news. Postive things just keep on coming from Villa Park these days. Given time I think Petrov will be a top coach.

Yeah- and I remember some people thought we got the better of the deal. I think we shoulda have taken the 25 mil rather than Steveo. D'oh!

Argee with very much of all this. In fact how often at the Villa the 'big' money signings have been a disappointment, whereas the relative cheap unkowns turn out to be the classic buys? I am thinking Collymore, Curcic, Baros, Ireland, Nzgobia, the list goes on. Bargain buys- Platt, Wright, Taylor, Delaney, and now the likes of Lowton and Westwood can turn out to be great signings and get a real connection to the fans. It is a gamble doing this policy for the long term but I have faith that Lambert and his scouting team know what they are doing.

Who would be mad enough to buy Ireland from us? 1 good season in the last 5.

I subjected myself to a long and annoying survey before the chelsea game regarding Villa's sponsors. I bascially told them I dont give a monkeys about any of the many, many, sponsors at Villa who we have for 2 years before they f**k off.As none of them stay for long I dont think they can expect any brand loyalty to it from the customers. I dont think it has made loads of villa fans think 'gosh I better gamble at Genting does it?!' Not me being cynical but within a year of Genting sponsoring us, they got planning permission to build a casnio by the NEC, they thought 'job done'?! The only sponsor that really did it for me was the acorns partnership, and that was for good reasons, rather than cold hard cash. Still I am sure some company we have never heard off with give Villa millions for next seasons kit, and then we have to wear their logo for 2 seasons.

I wouldn't say it's been terminated his contract has just run it's course and expired. Well you could say that but thats up with Mourinho 'agreeing to part' with madrid, rather than being sacked!