Villarocker

Don't fecking start!! He's had a week with the players and not going to convert them in such a short time. We're shit overall but will improve. It might not be enough to save us this season but we'll be better in the long run. The "Captain" cost us badly today. To be honest, I hope that Sherwood lives up to reputation and sits Vlaar down to discuss his situation at the club. If he's not committed to the Villa then drop him completely and play those who do want to play for the club. And take that Captaincy off him too! Give it to someone who is committed - Delph?

Which would be absolutely pathetic given the fact he's only had one week with them!

For the record, I think we will win 2-1 or 3-1 with the two strikers both netting.

With it being his first game in charge, I reckon Sherwood will shake it up a bit and play 4-4-2 with this team: ----------Given----------- Hutton--Vlaar--Clark--Cissokho Gil--Sanchez--Delph--Bacuna --------Gabby--Benteke------

You know, he really didn't say anything wrong in that article. What he said about his win stats being up there to be shot down is true. What he said about Kane was true. What he said about Guardiola not going to manage at lower levels is true. With that comment he was simply saying that Guardiola didn't have to gain experience before managing at the highest level, after working with the youth set up. Which is true. He was just using it as an example to defend the fact he hasn't got much managerial experience. Having said that, there will be a lot of people, that don't like arrogance, who will be waiting to bring him down to earth. So, all he's done is speak the truth - openly - and put a lot of pressure on himself to succeed. It's not my way of going about things but then again, I've not achieved what he's achieved in his life! At least by him being so bullish it takes all the focus off the players and maybe that's what he sets out to do in order to allow them to feel no pressure?

Now there is a thinly veiled condemnation of the Lambert years if ever there was one! Particularly the part where he mentions "He talks a lot and tells us what we should be doing".

A baggies season ticket holder at work hates him and the anti football they play. He said he feels like the club have sold their soul in order to stay in a league they will never have an impact on. I guess there are different ways to look at it. For us, we need to stay in the league in the hope that some multi billionaire buys us and takes us back to the big time. In which case, Pulis is usually a safe option. Tom Fox seems to be a much more enthusiastic CEO and it feels like he'll be good for us and our future.

Wouldn't the likes of Gabby, Weimann, Clark and Baker all played for him at youth level? If so, maybe that's the thinking behind bringing him back in, to help get them playing to their best levels. I like the idea of him returning and actually gave this some thought a few days back. My only concern is how he wasn't happy about not being given the job after MON left. Maybe he's been given some assurances this time that, if the position for manager becomes available again, he can have it?

Not at all mate! It was meant for someone about three pages back but, for some bloody reason, his post wasn't quoted with my post . For the record though, I disagree with you regarding the claim that the tackle was a red card. But, each to their own and all that! Edit: In response to Stevo!

I am the complete opposite to you regards this tackle. It was a great challenge and the better man came away with the ball. You cannot expect to put 22 men onto a field, in a competition where winning and losing is at stake, and expect for there to be no blood shed. It's like asking for two boxers to go 12 rounds and both come out of the ring without spilling a drop of blood. It is no good going into the challenge softly as that will result in you getting injured. Football is a game where you can intimidate a player with your body language as well as your physical presence. Just going into the challenge looking like you mean business can result in you coming away with the ball, and that's what happened in this instance. Football should be allowed to be a physical sport. Soon, they will be playing without studs and shin pads. It's a physical, contact sport - not ballet.

I agree with what you say but, let's face it, Jack The Ripper would have been a positive appointment after what we've been through with Lambert!

I hope and think that Sherwood will work out for us but, if he doesn't, nobody can argue that he was a gamble. A man with a few months managerial experience and with no experience (managerially) of a relegation battle. He also has no experience in the transfer market, regardless of whether we stay up or not. He hasn't cost us any compensation to get in and has history of working with younger players. It all points to a cheaper option that Lerner has chosen and that's how people will see this whether Sherwood is a success or not. If Sherwood keeps us up and gets us improving he will look like an inspired choice by Lerner but, to many people, he (Lerner) would have just got lucky. But, if Sherwood fails, there's going to be many, many people saying "I told you so" and blame Lerner for taking the cheaper option. Sherwood was never my first choice but, like I said before, I don't know who I wanted. I guess I would have liked someone with more management experience, especially given our current league position. But, Sherwood is here now and has my full support. I want him to prove to us that he was the right choice, even if it does make Lerner look like he knows what he was doing. I really hope Sherwood can turn this team around and get us playing some decent football and winning games. Even if Sherwood turns out to be great for us, Lerner still took a gamble with our league status and, you could possibly say, our future as a football club.

Sadly ...I must agree with you. I am hopeful of a few favourable results in the short term. But Sherwood was appointed out of convenience rather than some over riding masterplan The OP was pretty much right in what it said. Sherwood is probably a cheaper option and happy to work within a budget just to get his foot in the managerial door. Big gamble by Lerner and Co and, if we were to go down as a result, will be a load of people saying that he got what he was asking for! Lerner will face a torrent of abuse if we go down due to his "fresh approach" idea not working.

He was coaching for a while at Spurs before becoming manager so maybe that's what he was referring to?

Clarky, if you're thinking of taking up the challenge and breaking one - if not both - of Gardner's legs in the upcoming derby games, can you please make sure that we have enough cover for your three match ban. I mean, if Baker, Vlaar and Okore are all fit, I see no reason why you couldn't do it in the league fixture - so he misses the cup game as well as you. But, if you do so, please make it towards the end of the game so that you don't leave us with 10 men for too long unless of course they've made three subs early enough, and for some strange reason he's still on the pitch, you can just get him then. Good luck! PS: Getting him and staying on would be really impressive and I am sure your new gaffer would be happier with that too!

If this appointment goes wrong, I think we will have at least been entertained, if not in all the right ways. I love the comments he's making on the OS today. Sounds like we have someone who will tell it exactly how it is and the players will have no hiding place from now on and, let's face it, why should they be able to hide? They earn very good money for what they do and people who earn lots less pay a lot of money to go and watch them. The least those fans deserve is for the players to put in all their effort, which we all know hasn't been happening, certainly not with some of the players. Like I said before, he doesn't have the big, strength-in-depth, squad that Spurs had last season. So, isolating players from the starting line-up might leave us a bit weak overall. But, time will tell how we cope with that scenario, if it arises. If the new gaffer needs his ego massaging in order to get him fired up, I can strongly recommend rousing renditions of Tim Sherwood's claret & blue army from the start against Stoke. I am sure that would go a long way to boosting his ego

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Bradley%2BWalsh%2BDeF86TgyaP_m.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.zimbio.com/Bradley%2BWalsh/pictures/pro&h=240&w=360&tbnid=TlGGiUJEukQx2M:&zoom=1&docid=WRUI25DJAdLB1M&hl=en&ei=lhDiVJeYCaOc7gbQ6ICoBQ&tbm=isch&client=safari&ved=0CEQQMygVMBU Bradley Walsh??

Afraid not. Thanks for pointing this out BOF because I, along with a few others I know, hadn't realised they had changed the rules on that.

Also an anagram for "Mod Wore Shit" Don't take it personally though!

Statistically if we get to the final then the damage to our league form will have already been done. As for a subsequent European campaign then surely we have the summer to sort the squad out in preparation for that. Not to mention the new bumper Sky deal. The only way we'll get into Europe is by winning the cup and I'm sorry but I'll take an FA Cup win every single time. It's been way too long since the last one. 58 years but then who's counting ... ? I thought that the runner-up in the cup went into Europe if the winners already automatically qualify? Therefore, if any of Liverpool, Man Utd or Arsenal had already qualified for Europe, wouldn't we - as beaten finalists, also go into Europe? Or, did they change that rule?

I love this quote from the OS: "I don't know the group yet. I've been looking from the outside. But, I think they need to play on the front foot a bit more". "You're going to win games and going to lose games between now and the end of the season". "But let's have a go fighting and start throwing a few punches ourselves". I like that kind of talk! It's been far too long since a Villa team showed some fight and hopefully he can instil that into them. I am sure Hutton is looking forward to that! Speaking of players; I reckon he will keep Given in goal for his first game. They are old teammates and he did well against Leicester in the cup game. It is also noticeable how Grealish got on the pitch yesterday. I reckon that he will start getting a few games too.

Given played alongside Sherwood at Blackburn and after today's performance I can see him replacing Guzan for the foreseeable future.

Gill's Gil's gillet gilet: Is Gilet foreign for training bib, then?

It looks like they make a good team. Don't they just! A youthful looking approach too.

Yeah, well done guys. Into the last 8 of the best cup competition in the world and you did your stuff.