Justified

Nice post Trogladyte, agree with a good portion of that.

Whos pissing on the fan base? If you need me to explain, your on the wrong forum.

Proven in the Prem. So I assume that means even if you have proven yourself a failure as AM ? Should be worded better to - proven to be competative in the Prem or Proven not to be a failure in the Prem, maybe proven not have gotten a Prem club relegated in the last ooh month or so. Anyways I voted no, not necessary at all. What next ? We can only buy players 'proven in the Prem' ? We would turn down the new Messi because he hasn't been proven in the Prem ? It's all a load of codshit really and should be replaced with - We will appoint anyone who promises to work with tuppence halfpenny and keep us up.

Some people need to get their priorities in order. Moaning about some div scrawling graffiti that has already been cleaned off while ignoring someone pissing on the entire fanbase. Don't get distracted, the graffiti was cleaned up in half an hour, the stain that AM would cause to the club will take years to clean up!

What if Jesus Christ made a third coming, popped on in 80th minute and scored the winner eh ? Reality is that he plays dire football, will draw more than he wins and lose more than he draws. There will still be bad feeling come the start of the season as RL is dumb to think fans just forget shit like that. There will be banners and placards and the first game we go a goal behind the (vocal) fans will be straight on his back. Unless Villa win every game (oops back to Jesus scoring winners) the appointment of a bluenose is only ever going to go one way and that is to the detriment of the club as a whole as fans argue with fans on the terraces, those that actually turn up and don't decide to simply stay at home. Shit atmosphere leading to shit performances, less money as the turnover will drop by at least a third I should think. He will be sacked by Christmas as later rather than sooner they realize their mistake and we start this bloody circus all over again. If I didn't know better I would swear RL is a secret noses fan. Edit: Don't believe it will have fans fighting fans - just read any Villa board today, it's already happening.

Cut your own throat Lerner eh. Slash ST sales by a third and disaffect a good majority of your own fanbase. You couldn't make this shit up. A pole suggested (and there was alarge response) that 60% would either not renew, return or not purchase ST on the back of this. Even if only half of those carried through the threat your looking at losing a third. Once that season ticket is given up and people find other things to do instead of going to VP then it will be very, very hard to get them back again. IF we sign the ex shite then Lerner Out sign can't be that far behind surely ?

Bluenose and shite manager - 0/10 First day of the new season should I wear my Villa top or a clown suit because we are a circus and the biggest joke in the Premiership at the moment. At least with Newcastle all the fans were United in agreement that Ashley was a knob. My phone hasn't stopped - one pisstake after another.

Although frustrating for us fans who want someone in now I think the club are doing the right thing. How are we a laughing stock ? Martinez did not reject the Villa job as we never offered it to him, hell we never even got to speak to him so how can he reject a job that wasn't offered ? What he did was decide not to be interviewed. We are doing exactly what we said we would do. We are looking at all the available candidates. Interviewing those we deem suitable and then when we are ready we will make an appointment. I think this is 100% the correct approach. Wether we will appoint someone I or you personally agree with is another matter. The press aren't being fed and are getting hungry so they just make shit up. We all know this. The longer it drags on though the more likely Hughes seems but the fact is nobody (who is talking) knows anything at the moment.

As for the Liverpool and Arsenal games. My mates sister works in the ward where Houllier was and I was getting updates through him/her. Her words through that period were 'touch and go', she also stated for the large part he was allowed no visitors or phone calls so unless he telepathically picked the team and tactics from his hospital bed then he had largely nothing to do with those results. Credit where it's due those results were largely down to GMac as unpopular as he seems to be. I didn't put the updates on here as it wasn't my place to say how bad he actually was. As it has since been released then it doesn't matter now.

I completly disagree with all of that, its all speculating anyway but I think he would have done well after a full summer in charge. Devils advocate mate. Trying to get the point across that you cannot say the manager was better than he actually performed on some mythical future results that will never happen. All you can analyze a manager on is what he did and achieved in his time not what he might have done. In his time at Villa GH didn't do a great deal right between PR gaffs and flirting with relegation. What he may have gone on to do is just pie in the sky dreaming. He could have won us the Champions League next season..

No sorry but that's whitewashing the whole season. Houlliers appointment was an abject failure on all fronts. Easy to say he would have been great as there is no way of knowing, just as easy to say he would have got us relegated next season. We beat Arsenal and Liverpool under the guidance of GMac while GH was too sick in hospital to have any influence. Quite a lot fo the backroom and player problems were under his watch. MON lost our most influential player in Barry and replaced him with Milner who became our most influential player. GH lost our most influential player in Milner and replaced him with Makoun who showed he is nowehere near good enough for the Prem yet, if ever. If he would have stayed I am quite confident he would have gotten us relegated. In my opinion, the clubs one appointment was farce.

I doubt very much he has actually been offered the position yet so I am unsure how he can turn something down that has yet to be offered. All that appears to have happened is that we have interviewed him. I assume we have interviewed other candidates as is natural in this situation. The only reason this is news is because Wigan have let it be known that we interviewed him. Not sure there is anything to see here tbh.

Gone for Hughes, as I did before GH had to leave. Would be more than pleased with Moyes and tbh it's 50/50 for me with Hughes, I don't think there's a lot to choose between them. Fans have the right to question the owner/manager/players all the time. What you can't do is jusdge them for stuff they haven't done on the premise they 'might' do it. I am 100% convinced that Randy loves the club and will do what he thinks best for the club. Wether it turns out to be the correct decision in the long term, well, only time can tell. I have never questioned his love of the club or the fact he thinks he is doing the right things. I do however question his football acumen and that of his closest advisors up to this point. I am rapidly descending into the 'wake me up when it's all over' camp though.

I'm sure it will but your back in the real world now with the rest of us. You will be able to buy whomever Utd/Chelsea/Man City allow you to buy. Man City and Chelsea can pay the selling club more and offer more wages and Man Utd will just show them the trophy cabinet, you can no longer compete with them for players without the attraction of Champions League. They will also poach whomever they please from your squad and there will be diddly squat you can do about it. Unfortunately once you slip out of the top 4 this is the reality of the Premiership.

Not the same at all. With the unlimited funds City could provide and how much they were spending it was obvious to everybody that City would get CL. After all we had already watched it happen with Chelski recently. As I have said it would be a poor bet to place on Liverpool doing the same in the next few seasons. Edit - It was also equally obvious that one of the 'old big four' would have to make way. That team has proven to be Liverpool.

Liverpool have about the same chance as us for CL next season. That is next to none. City/United/Chelsea will not finish out of the CL spots. The only weak spot is Arsenal and there will be 4 or 5 teams capable of pinching that spot. It would take a slip up form Arsenal and I certainly wouldn't be putting money on it being Liverpool as I think Tottenham are now in front of them. Thought they were mediocre last season for large parts. The only way Liverpool at this moment in time could be seen as a step up from us would be if they are willing to pay more in wages. I would predict Liverpool and Villa to finish within 2 or 3 places of each other next season and neither will realistically qualify for CL so explain how that would be a major step up ? Edit - For spiling

Hughes is contracted to Fulham until the end of the month, we cannot even approach him until then.

I keep hearing McClarens' name coming up in relation to the job. I change my mind from Hughes to ANYBODY but McClaren.

Ancelotti would only be good for us if we throw a huge wedge his way. He has the ability to cherrypick across several national leagues. Getting Ancelotti in on a budget would be like signing Beckham and then banning him for taking any free kicks or corners. As I firmly do not believe we have the sort of money to back Ancelotti then I think we have to go for a manager that can work on a budget such as Hughes/Moyes/McClaren. Haven't really followed Deschamps closely enough to give an opinion on him. I do also like Poyet as he was the better half of the Wise/Poyet combination but inexperience in the Prem is a drawback. Not convinced with Jol/Coyle/Lambert or Martinez. Can't stand the FSW so on personal grounds that's just a no. Wonder how long it would take McClaren to start speaking in a broad Brummie accent

Hughes. Did an excellent job with Blackburn and Fulham (although a lot of Fulham's success must surely be credited to Woy) on a tight budget. I think we are also on a tight budget and he will get the best out of our limited funds. Did OK at City but with the buyout he was left holding the poisoned chalice there and stood almost no chance. Good manager that I can only see getting better. Has played for Man U / Barcelona and B Munich so his name is pretty well known. The only reason he isn't better known on the international scene is because he is Welsh. Edit: IF however Randy is thinking of chucking £100m + at the club then I would go Ancelotti with Wilkins.

I'm not over worried at the moment. Not like I was last year with the timing of 'him who shan't be mentioned' leaving. Appoint a new manager with the entire summer to prepare and back him with some money and I think we can improve on the 9th place we squeeked this season. Plenty of time to get ourselves sorted. Plus with all the players leaving/left it means the new manager can put his own stamp on the club relatively quickly by bringing his own players in. I don't like the thought of 'feeder club' but if you face facts every club outside the top 4 are feeder clubs to one extent or another.

I've never made any secret of the fact that I do not rate Downing. His stats are shit compared with our other two wingers and he completely neglects his defensive responsibilities. For me, if I had Young, Albrighton and Downing then he would sit on the bench. I am not convinced he is good enough for us so good luck in the Champions League To sum up I think he is a coward on the pitch that avoids challenges, he won't track back and his shots on target ratio is actually shockingly bad. I really and truly couldn't care less if he leaves.

Yes, at that time. MON leaving 5 days before the start of the season meant that the incoming manager had no chance to bring players in but had to run 'as is' and simply get the best out of the current squad. I thought Sam could do this and avoid a relegation battle. I still believe he would have done alright for us possibly finishing around the same place as we did but with less scares. I only ever wanted him on a temporary one year contract though with a view to replacing him around now anyhow. I never thought he was the future of Villa but would have been a decent caretaker manager for a season under those particular circumstances.

I will be interersted to see how he gets on with a full pre-season behind him. Not expecting a lot though tbh, thought he was shit when he come and he has done nothing overall to change my mind. CM that cannot tackle, has no physical presence and so far has been nothing short of a liability. Has to get better as he couldn't get much worse for me. Petrov constantly gets slated on these forums but has been 10 times the player of the likes of Makoun this season. I'd rather 65 mins of Petrov. Obviously I genuinely hope he makes it for Villa but I just can't see it myself. My opinion.

Old Woy never got a chance at Liverpool. Nobody wanted him there, including the players. I really don't think you can put his failure at Liverpool squarely on his shoulders, there was lots of other shit going on at the time. Not least their plastic fans getting on his back pretty much from his first day. He has a good record, not brilliant, but good, in English football and the guy knows his potatoes. Hughes was very unlucky to be ousted at City. I think he would make a good steady manager, he can inspire, I also think he can spot a player and would get value for money. Although the club say we want to challenge for CL I do not foresee that type of heavy investment in the club to do so. Certainly all recent quotes about living within our means and selling players to buy would suggest otherwise. If then we are to be the best of the rest I think Hughes is a great choice. So yeah, unless Randy is thinking of chucking a couple hundred million in the pot then I think Mark Hughes would be a very astute choice who could get the best out of the limited funds available.