djdabush

Happy with the appointment, although I'll be interested to see if we'll still be operating with a sell-to-buy policy. January should definitely be interesting for the first time in years!

So is it now believed he will be manager rather than DoF? I'll be reasonably happy if he is, very unhappy if he's DoF with KM in charge.

Whoops!

Also, out interest if Houllier was made DoF and KM head coach, would the bookies only pay out on KM? I'm presuming so.

For me, it's not Houllier per se, it's the fact that he may come in as a DoF. Firstly, I don't like the system and would worry that it would lead to him trying to take over managerial roles too. Then there's the fact that signing players was never really his forte. This is the guy who swapped Baros for Carew remember! Finally, I have real concerns over KM and his motivational/man management skills. The last few games it feels like we haven't been able to respond under pressure and I do wonder whether that's an issue with KM.

Houllier as a DoF with KM as head coach? Please, please don't let this be true.

He's stated on numerous occasions that he sees himself as a box to box midfielder but is happy to play as a holding midfielder if required.

All bookmakers (except Ladbrokes IIRC) do it overnight. Probably so they don't get caught out by overnight news when there's no-one to update the odds etc.

Because people love starting rumours up. Just look at the guy who was posting on here going on about how he worked for Opta and telling us Milner was going to stay. People love making rumours up, particularly when it's something that will travel quickly, go around websites, maybe even make a paper. Let's face it, not many names would really create excitement amongst Villa fans and this one has, so it's worked.

Who's reporting it exactly? Or has someone just made it up and then the rumour spread from there. As for the odds, they've plummeted because lots of people have heard the rumour and backed it. The bookies have just responded to protect themselves.

So we're getting excited because someone edited wiki and then robo or whoever posted a blog about it? I very much doubt it. I think Lerner was hoping we'd win tonight and get at least a point on Sunday so KM would have some backing. Now, who knows? Think they might have to fall back on Sven or Bradley myself.

I visited the match in Wien last year. Walking from the train station to the stadium with my mate in Villa shirt through the hundreds of home fans and we had no problem with Rapid fans! We have met bunch of Rapid fans in the pub after the match and it was a great time drinking some beers with them. I should have been in Wien yesterday (like my mate) but I could not get a ticket... This year it looks like the opposite scenario to me. As I've mentioned before when I was in Vienna last year after the game I was spat at. They are great fans in terms of creating an atmosphere but there's a significant proportion of them who aren't particularly pleasant.

Fans were scum last year, same this year, always will be scum.

Thought NRC was fine, particularly seeing as he picked up a yellow for nothing and Hogg was non-existant.

I think we might see some more experienced players when there's not a journey involved. Definitely need some experience in defence, hopefully Dunne will play, I take it that it was just a one match ban?

Glad that's over

"Welcome back Andreas" told you the Rapid fans were words removed

These are the same fans that spat at me last season in Vienna.

Davies is making Beye look like Maldini

No subs. Great.

Then who are we going to play in the centre? Ciaran Clark maybe? We just need to watch Vienna better on the counter and set pieces. We controlled the opening twenty minutes. With? Unfortunately we have to either keep one or the other on.

Then who are we going to play in the centre?

Good work Curtis.

Davies, THAT'S why you haven't been playing

The "guinea-pig" reflex.