HolteExile

He's turned us down three times, IIRC. When he left Newcastle in 05, Blackburn in 06 and Livepool in 07 -when we had MON, who he had played under at Celtic during his loan spell. If Hughes was here, maybe but can't see it. And I'm not sure I want it, anyway. He's 30+, on massive wages and carrying a long term knee injury that needs to be nursed.

Coming in for a fair bit of stick tonight, eh Julie Lay off folks, I know its transfer window silly season but lets not go completely Radio Rental.

Wouldn't say Given would be a bad/rubbish signing, but would much prefer Foster. The latter would mean we have the GK position sown up for the forseeable. The Given deal would feel more like the Friedel one. Good player, but on a downward curve and the clock is ticking from the get go.

Don't think he ever had a full season there. came to us prior to the 08/09 as a RB and played there for a while, until MON lost patience with Shorey. Though Shorey did come back into the reckoning after about March again that season. Last season, he started on the right but came back into the side in the final third of the campaign on the left. He's very good defensively, but doesn't really have a left foot to speak of. When he bombs up the field and tried to attack (which he can do reasonably well on the right) he has to cut in and play the simple pass, so our play becomes more predictable.

Protein is a key part, absolutely. As a rough guide, you need to be consuming just over one gram of protein for every pound you weigh (calculating your BMI and fat percentage can make it even more specific). So 180lbs = 190 grams. If you really want to bulk up you'll need even more, but by the sounds of it you don't. As an example, an average 300g steak has anywhere between 50/60 grams of protein in. You don't necessarily have to follow it all to the letter, but if you're putting the work in you want to give yourself a chance of seeing actual results. An easy way to start is to simply double your current portions of meat; if you like chicken go for two breasts instead of one, and cut the starch (less potato/carbs). If you eat steak, increase the size and so on. Perhaps a tall cold glass of milk with your main meal too. Have ham, chicken or turkey breasts on standby as cold cuts if you fancy a snack (better than crisps or chocolate) and maybe look to add a protein shake. Eggs, cheese and yoghurts are all great sources of protein - and tasty too. Try to go organic with the chicken if possible, as the hormones they pump into the other stuff isn't great for someone looking to stay in shape. Too much estrogen = moobs. The yeast in most largers is also a killer in that respect.

I'd definitely agree with your second paragraph there PB, but that was at a time when the kind of financial contribution a RL or similar type of owner could invest might realistically tip the balance. Just over 12 months previously there were reports that Herbert was going to release the purse strings and we'd spend the princely sum of £20 million. In one summer! Oh joy! We didn't, of course, but that's neither here nor there. Yet FF to August 2006 and we have an owner who -though he made it clear he wouldn't be following the Abramovich model- was still reported to be prepared to cough up £20 million per annum, as part of a concerted effort. Rather than just the odd dart here and there. This was as much as we could realistically hope for/ expect and to RL's credit -even when you factor in player sales- it's close to that figure. Not a pittance by any means, but dwarfed by the resources Man Citeh now possess. Before you even factor in the headstart the previous top 4 enjoyed. The success of Redknapp may well have gnawed away at the powers at be to an extent, but I wouldn't necessarily arrive at the conclusion that MON was automatically a failure just because 'arry's lot enjoyed a stellar 2009/10 campaign. Players who were well out of the picture there (Bale, Pav) came in from the cold at crucial parts of the season and made telling contributions - players who he inherited, lets not forget. And who he had barely used up to that point. You could make the case that it was good management on his part to provide the conditions whereby even if they weren't playing, they still felt like valued members of the squad so that they could come in and then make these telling contributions. I wouldn't necessarily disagree. But sometimes things just click into place. Like playing a hitherto suspect left back at left midfield and him then going on to be one of the best players in the league. The failure to maximize resources -particularly relating to players on big wages being nowhere near the first team- is a valid criticism of MON. But based on the league positions he did actually attain, in isolation, it wouldn't be enough for dismissal. If we think we've received negative headlines recently, it would have been that x100 had we sacked MON either in 2009 or 2010. My fear in all this is that the board now look like they have gone too far the other way, and were looking for a candidate who would be easier to dictate to. By all accounts, the reason they continued with GH for so long is he regularly talked to them about football matters, made them feel a part of it. In contrast to MON's slightly colder, distant approach. Clough lite, if you will. A Hughes or a Benitez might have been cut from a similar cloth -or at least shared similar traits in that specific regard- so that was a no no. It's great if there is a fantastic rapport between owner and manager. But for me that should be of secondary importance to the main, primary concern. Does the manager have the credentials for the job? Or to put it another way, what have they achieved in their previous roles that demonstrates an aptitude for this one? McLeish's previous track record is not completely bleak, and there is no point in attempting to paint is as such. But there are large sections of it that can't be glossed over, sections that ask too many questions rather than provide answers.

I don't believe this. If you behave reasonably with someone they will deal with you again. I would hope if we went in for a Leeds or Wigan player (e.g. NZogbia), following the positive comments from Bates and Whelan we would be at the top of the list. However, I do agree that the appointment of McLeish was the wrong time to discover his balls! Maybe they'd give us a higher priority because of previous nice behaviour. Maybe. I think it's more likely they'd sell to the club who offered the most though. That Bates quote often gets recycled, but it was as much a pop at Man Citeh as it was a compliment to us. Citeh had offered more, but then got cold feet and started to drag the deal out. Yet because they had offered more, Bates gave them first dibs -despite our impeccable conduct. Funny that.

It's great (if a little late in coming) that RL now knows how to fight dirty, like most Prem owners. His responsibility is to his club, not to the Fulham, Wigan or Everton heirachy. No point in trying to convey an Old Etonian, pious image when the competition would have the eyes out of your head if it they believed it to be beneficial to their cause. Just a shame that this ruthlessness and lack of concern seems to be directed at Villa fans as much as Birmingham City FC. Any selection process that has Alex McLeish as the outstanding candidate is deeply flawed, so unfortunately RL getting tough on this one is minor consolation in the grand scheme of things.

Not normally one to fan the flames when it comes to speculation and whatnot, but doesn't Moyes own a helicopter? I'm sure I read somewhere that he was quite happy with his lot up there; big pad plenty of acres, horse racing interests and own personal helicopter et.c. Admittedly this was offered as justification at the time as to why he wouldn't move. I don't think it's impossible Moyes would come to us but I do think it unlikely. We probably are a better bet in some respects than Everton as far as fanbase, infrastructure and resources are concerned. But he's slowly built that Everton squad up piecemeal over the years and might feel he's only one or two players away from having a really good side. I don't think Kenwright would risk the further dent to his popularity either.

This is how I hope (pray) it might turn out too. I'd genuinely prefer Gary Mac over McLeish. At least we could argue then it was a form of continuity and we were keen to build on the hard work already completed last season. An appointment as unambitious and lacking in vision as McLeish has the capacity to set us back years.

vs Something doesn't quite add up there. He's had form for having a laugh and a joke at a press conference before (though not on Mourinho levels). It's always hard to know if he was being serious or not if you don't see his facial expressions and so forth, and just go by what's in print. There are so many wanky West Ham obsessed journo's down that way that it's not completely out of the question one of them (rather ambitiously) asked whether he'd consider West Ham.

Deschamps to Villa because he knows the current physio (who might be off in a few weeks anyroad) ? I don't think that's how Barcelona would approach the situation...

Thankyou for illustrating my point. A poorly supported club taking a large (for them) following to Wembley for the day out. Even for a game of absolutely no consequence. I wish we had been so far down the football pyramid that we'd have been able to qualify for the Skoda Cup or whatever it was.

That sounds awfully like '"I caught a fish and it was this big," claims. It hasn't been unusual in the past for poorly supported sides to take big numbers for a day out to that London -even sides in the third and fourth tier. Hull, Bradford, Watford and a few others have taken ridiculous numbers to Wembley in the past compared to their regular gates. Doesn't mean a whole lot if they don't return and attend home matches once in a while. Fans of both clubs get more tickets for the LC final than the FA Cup final, but even then it's only around the 30-35k mark. Then you're in the realm of corporates and touts. How could it be confirmed that B-lose fans definitely snapped up an extra 15/20k tickets? Seems unlikely to me, on the basis that: (a) They're shite ( The price of tickets outside of the official allocation (particularly the corporates) would be out of the price range for most of the tramps (they weren't running Kids for a Quid schemes, where they?) ( Arsenal are a well supported club, they're close geographically to Wembley and the LC was their first chance of silverware for 5 years and (d) They're shite

One of the good things about their most recent stint in the top flight is it's helped to debunk a few myths. "If we established ourselves in the topflight for a few years we'd be more popular than da Villa." Didn't happen. "If we won a trophy there would be no stopping us." They got relegated soon after. They've always been an unfashionable, poorly supported club. They were something like 7th/8th best supported side in the Championship when they were last in it for chrissake. I don't think that'll change much next year. We have a large out of town support, 'tis true. One of the benefits of being a big club. But we're the best supported side across the city too. And we always have been.

Man Citeh might be able to pull those kind of stunts. Or Chelsea, if they want any more of your players. But I'm not sure the Redscouse have that kind of pull, financially or status wise anymore. Two of your best players wanted out for CL football and the chance to win things (with maybe Pepe to follow) and leaving us to join a club who have finished 7th and 6th in the past few years would -at the present time- be a sideways step. Young to Man U has been reported as a done deal in a quite a few quarters. If Liverpool were in the box seat in that one it would have probably come out by now.

You can look at it one of two ways. You can take it as a sign that he's made his mind up and is off, either this season or next (we're unlikely to let it run to a scenario where he walks out on a free). Or he wants more assurance that he can fulfil his ambitions here with us. In his first season we got closer to CL qualification than Liverpool. It's going to be a lot harder now, but the right managerial appointment and a few key signings we can put this total arse of a season behind us and look to compete again. If we're not a whole lot better off in 12 months time, then I wouldn't blame him for wanting out. If his form is anything like the last season (rather than his first) he'll probably have better options than Liverpool anyroad.

I could certainly live with that.

Wiki says lots of things.

Why? because every time he inherits a Houllier squad the team win the Champions League :winkold: I don't like Rafa and wouldn't really want him here but I can't stand Hughes and definitely don't want him. I think Rafa would take us further than Hughes would, don't see Hughes doing any better than mid table mediocrity (I know we would take that at the minute!) and I think with Rafa in charge we would have much more of a shot at the top 6 again. I don't really see that at all. Hughes has shown an ability to adapt, to make the most of limited funds when he's faced with that scenario and to invest bigger funds wisely (for the most part) when they are available. He had Blackburn punching above their weight (top 6 - higher than us at the time despite roughly the same budget pre Lerner, maybe even less) and was on course to deliver Citeh's best season for decades. His input is still a big part of why they are where they are now, and most of their players were disappointed to see him depart. He also got Wales as close to qualification as anyone in recent decades back in the early noughties, at the start of his managerial career. He doesn't strike me as someone who is happy to settle at all, for mid table mediocrity or anything else. The right platform and the right backing and support from the boardroom (to date he's probably only had one or the other at any one time, not both) could be the making of him.

Quite right. That said - his comments make me think him coming to villa is less likely. I'm not sure how you have equated those two remarks. Not saying Im right. none of us know for sure - but I just have feeling, he wont come now. If anything, I'm probably a bit more encouraged after those remarks. He could have just given a flat out 'not interested/ got plenty to do here,' but instead, "It's (the rumours) nothing to do with me." And probably quite right too. He doesn't strike me as the sort of bloke who'd be circulating his own name (or getting his agent to do it). "I'm at a great club with a great job. I don't know what to say." Say you're not interested! Technically he's still at Everton, they are a decent club and it is one of the bigger jobs in the country. So the first part isn't necessarily wrong. It doesn't preclude or rule out the option of taking a job with potentially better prospects in the not too distant though.

Agree. I'm sick of hearing people say give him another chance, give him a pre-season. He's a waster. I agree. If he gets another minute of gametime at the expense of Bannan, Gardner or Delph then I'll be annoyed. He's had enough chances and hasnt showed that he wants to make it at this club. Others are far more deserving of their chance. 6 League starts and a few sub appearances qualifies as enough chances now? I'd hope we'd take a slightly more long term approach to what was, after all, an investment of sorts. I have no huge sympathy for Stephen Ireland the individual, he's not an easy character to like. Unfortunately, whilst we may have a bit of money to spend, we're not really in a position to be so short-termist in outlook that we **** off a good player after only a few games. Even if we were, it probably wouldn't be the way to go. Exactly. Give him every chance to succeed (or fail). Providing he wants to turn it around.

He joined us at 23 years of age. By that age, he'd already been one of the better players in the Premiership over a two year period, with both Sven and Hughes. A big player for both, making a far more telling contribution than some of Man Citeh's household names signed for mental money. Some seasoned pros with plenty of games under their belt have never reach the standard he's already managed. Now apparently at just 24 he's a busted flush. Sorry, I don't buy it. His attitude and hunger for the game are questionable and if anything does for him it's likely to be either of those two. Equally, a good manager -a manager who doesn't take a caustic bull in a chinashop approach to team building and team morale- might provide the conditions and set the platform for him return to a standard of performance he's already shown himself to be capable of. He's had a nightmare year, we know that and he'd probably admit it himself. But it might still prove to be one blip in an otherwise decent career. It also hasn't entirely been of his own making. The injuries (at least three on the last count) and the managerial situation at the club were things largely out of his control. But he'll really have no excuses after this summer. Even if there is an upturn in his attitude and performance but he continues to pick up niggling injuries, I'd still probably be inclined to cut our losses and get rid.

Haven't given up on him entirely. It will be tough for him to come back, but ultimately if he gets a good pre season under his belt and starts the season well I'm sure there will be plenty around here ready to lionise him. Increasingly in football today you're either outstanding, one of the greatest ever. Or shite. No inbetween. To me, he looked like a player short of match fitness and confidence when he came into the fold around Oct. Some good touches, awareness and nice passing, but not able to sustain it over the course of a game. Yet certainly not a poor player. A manager who actually knows his game and believes in him might get a better response. It was pretty clear that Houllier's approach: "People keep on telling me what a great player he was, but I've yet to see it" wasn't going to increase the confidence of a player already short on it. Nor saying after his one start versus Liverpool away (when he wasn't by any means the worst Villa player on the pitch) "People have been calling on me to start with Stephen and play him off the striker, but I won't be doing that again." The manager's conduct and overall performance that night was far more disturbing than SI's in all honesty. What other impression could he have got other than his time at Villa was going to stall his career, working with a bloke who clearly had no time for him. Ideally (for him) someone like Hughes might get the gig and provide him with a route back. Regardless of that, it's up to him from now on. If he wants to stay and make a go of things then great. If he wants to catch the eye of the likes of Liverpool and co again, or believes he should be playing on a bigger stage, fine. Prove it. No more excuses.

Capello for Villa, Big Sam for England. Piece of piss.