praisedmambo

Those comments are about the worst comments I've heard from a footballer. Immense disrespect for the club and for the fans and I'm shocked such a stupid load of shite came from Downing out of all the players.

**** Stewart Downing. **** James Milner. **** this game. He's not exactly making comments that would endear him to the VP crowd if he stays. No way the board could let him go either. But that's what I thought about Milner. It's all pointless anyway, for me it just feels like the actual winners are going to be coming from a smaller and smaller pot of teams, domestically and in Europe. Money is killing the game and it makes me not give a damn like I used to.

Today and this season to me, more than any other factor (MON or GH), highlights for me what a massive loss Milner was for us. Last season from CM we had goals and assists and attacking intent, NRC has taken Milner's place as of the last few months (not to mention the kids before) and none of them, not Petrov, can do so completely what Milner did for us - nor Makoun (obviously 5 million compared to 23 million there). For all the blame on Houllier and the comparisons to last season could anyone argue that CM is not an essential area that dictates the flow of the team and that, from that department last season, Milner was a massive influence? Biggest factor for me in a season of many mitigating factors. You can't replace what we lost so easily in the Jan window. I like Petrov and NRC but they don't have the same influence or impact going forwards - and there doesn't seem to be much movement there either. Hopefully we can get a better balance next season.

:?

But he wasn't good. It was clear that Houllier had made a judgement on him and was pushing him out so the article above says nothing other than that. Ireland has had chances and he has been cack so I agree with Houllier. How else is there to be than hard-line? If Houllier wasn't going to play him and Ireland was going to start moaning then I think what Houllier did was quite logical. Some dreams need to be let go and Ireland working out in a Villa shirt is one of them.

100% this. We looked a unit yesterday. We can do ourselves a power of good if we win against Newcastle and West Ham, but if we lose either we could well be looking at the form of others to save us. This for me too

I'd want Grayson or Lambert or Coyle, but I don't think he'd leave Bolton. And the first two won't be going anywhere right now so for me, who is still giving Houllier time, I am happy to wait for now. I think we will stay up and changing manager now would be immensely destructive. But - if there were no improvement next season, when we have finally moved beyond the complexities of this season and the mitigating factors which I do think have damaged us beyond simply blaming GH, we would be in a better position to recruit a new manager that would be a positive appointment (no big Sam, no no no) - mid seasonish we could go for one of the up and coming younger british talents like Bolton did with Coyle. Grayson or Lambert it would look like now. And Houllier might turn it around anyway. It is possible.

Spoken like a true bluenose. Get back up the road You obviously didn't read the rest of the post for context. Mind you maybe you can't read more than a sentence in a row. And surely, a Blose fan would say a Villa win was the worst result possible. I am happy to say I would forfeit a point NOW for Houllier out NOW. But that concept is obviously too confusing for you as you're one of those ever so clever fans who say everything is rosy and that everytime someone questions Villa that they must be Blose fan. Well done you oh great one. Couldn't agree with anyone but you more. You're trying to be cocky to Mantis you're spouting bile - your comment is not clever it is moronic - and you accuse him of stupidity?

We looked like a team fighting though. Draw the worst result? **** off it is

For the sake of all future debates where people choose to omit certain truths, today we did show fight, and a reaction etc. So is that allowed to be a positive thing towards Houllier - considering not showing fight is a negative? Decent result, of course it could have been better but shit happens in football. Downing was quality, Young looked better being on the wing. Etc. Now lets beat Newcastle

And 2-2 West Ham, that's nicer

I thought he was good against Blackpool before he got sent off. He definitely doesn't seem a DM to me, but a quality CM playing more advanced. I've been impressed with what I've seen.

It was a shame the result. Oh well. Fulham were pretty good 2nd half. The draw was a fair result, as happens sometimes

Who needs two feet. That was a merson-esque cross

Yes it makes sense to me too. I think - the impression I got anyway - is that they might have been hoping for his clearance to come a day or two sooner

I don't get why anyone is moaning

He had a 5 on the shirt? That's Dunnes number isn't it? expect it's nothing. Good luck to him hope he gets some goals

He had a 5 on the shirt? That's Dunnes number isn't it? expect it's nothing. Good luck to him hope he gets some goals

I'd hope wouldn't do something so silly as letting him go, so I don't believe Liverpool will get him. If we're about to sign Bent it would be such a disappointing next move...Downing has got to stay

People didnt think things would be rosy after that Chelsea game, but they thought that there would have been a bit more fight, and the tactics from GH would have been a little bit better. GH hasn't helped himself at all since he's got here. from the time he walked into this club he said we are a top 8 to 12 club when we had infact finished 6th for the last three seasons. he's bashed his players, has bigged up Liverpool to the press. has managed to turn the club on its head sucking evey bit of confidance out of the playng staff and right down to the fans. we all here that its the playing staffs fault, that it was hapening under MON also, i think thats the biggest load of BS tbh. I honestly think that some of your problems with him are a bit sensational. I think you are over-reacting but I'm not trying to rile you and respect that it is your opinion. I suppose that just highlights the two different sides of the argument. I'm not as convinced as I have been, I'm more wary of the situation anyway but I agree with what Ginko said about the transfer window. I don't think the squad is good enough, especially now that we are in trouble and I don't want to risk losing another window. Plus, the thought of Big Sam coming in makes me feel sad, although I'm sure he would have a good chance of getting us out of trouble - it's life afterwards with no hope of good football that bothers me. Having said that I clearly still believe that Houllier can do it right here and if that happens with this manager then the future can be exciting once more, because once his changes start to kick in then I think we have real potential. thats your opinion and i respect that, i honestly think there is enough quality in this squad to get us out of this mess, i just dont think we have the right man in charge to get the best out of the squad that he has. eve ngoing by the players that he has so far tried to bring in, they really aren't the type to be in a relegation fight imo, they are young and inexperienced, even the man himself is inexperienced when it comes to being this far down.. If I have a concern, then that is it: that Houllier is inexperienced with a relegation battle. Most of the other managers around us are the exact opposite. I still have faith in Houllier but I admit my faith involves the desperate hope that we sort this situation out and that once we are on steady ground we would really kick on, which I think would have been the case if he had come to Villa early last summer. MON is famous for making the most out of what he had and not many managers have that magic touch he had at Villa and at Leicester, so I think the actually quality of the squad he assembled was a bit suspect, and that is what is getting found out now. The timing of his departure was devastating. So, I do think Houllier was/is the right man but the situation is...intimidating. I know it is impossible and stupid but I would give Houllier a holiday and have big Sam in to keep us up, and then bring Houllier back to do the good he should be doing when there is no relegation battle and a full summer to implement his plans. That is clearly ludicrous but it sums up Houllier's pro's and con's for me in him being at the club - I think he could ultimately really make us progress with his contacts and in the development of a better style of football. So I hold out for that future, but it would clearly be devastating to my vision if we began next season in the championship. I still back Houllier because, despite the contrasting opinions of others, I think he is no fool. Who am I to criticize the more dubious elements of his style? Just a supporter. I believe he knows how to run a football club much better than me. Hence I side with him before any player. I've heard the argument against him over and over and, in my opinion, there is a lot said against him that doesn't really stand up under scrutiny - once the heresay is out of the way

People didnt think things would be rosy after that Chelsea game, but they thought that there would have been a bit more fight, and the tactics from GH would have been a little bit better. GH hasn't helped himself at all since he's got here. from the time he walked into this club he said we are a top 8 to 12 club when we had infact finished 6th for the last three seasons. he's bashed his players, has bigged up Liverpool to the press. has managed to turn the club on its head sucking evey bit of confidance out of the playng staff and right down to the fans. we all here that its the playing staffs fault, that it was hapening under MON also, i think thats the biggest load of BS tbh. I honestly think that some of your problems with him are a bit sensational. I think you are over-reacting but I'm not trying to rile you and respect that it is your opinion. I suppose that just highlights the two different sides of the argument. I'm not as convinced as I have been, I'm more wary of the situation anyway but I agree with what Ginko said about the transfer window. I don't think the squad is good enough, especially now that we are in trouble and I don't want to risk losing another window. Plus, the thought of Big Sam coming in makes me feel sad, although I'm sure he would have a good chance of getting us out of trouble - it's life afterwards with no hope of good football that bothers me. Having said that I clearly still believe that Houllier can do it right here and if that happens with this manager then the future can be exciting once more, because once his changes start to kick in then I think we have real potential.

Back him. I can't help but blame the players - whoever caused trouble and difficulty resisting any hope of Houllier having a positive influence on the club are a disgrace to me. They get paid an enormous amount of money and are employed by the club, to be run by this manager. It is too easy to blame the manager. I have very little respect for footballers and to look at them at Villa now, and those that play for England, and all the other clearing in the woods footballers around the world causing disgraces with their ego's, it is not hard for me to side with a manager who has the track record and experience that Houllier has. I think it's a shame how much negativity exists at Villa, and especially all the disgraceful things that get said about the manager - because the abuse is shameful too, and a sad reflection on us. It's not a good situation, granted, and Houllier has to sort this out and get it right but the players do too. Sacking him now feels like a risk just as much as backing him. The problems existed before Houllier came, they are not from Houllier - he just hasn't managed to sort them out, which is admittedly worrying. We might have lost that Sunderland game last season, I think it was rather hopeful for everyone to expect things to suddenly become rosy after the Chelsea result (which admittedly looks less impressive now Wolves beat them). I don't know. It's bad that Heskey is going to be suspended. The team were ok against Sunderland, who are a decent team now, and full of confidence. I don't like this situation but I think this is a 'we're all in it together' situation now and we are going to have to trust the manager and get behind the team.

Do you know we struggled to break teams down at home last season too...with these players. Just saying.

i agree with this 100%. I disagree with this 100%. Under the circumstances. If Houllier gets financial backing and the rest of the season injury free and if we then finish 12th or lower I will start moaning. Who is moaning? We are being told we all need to back the manager and I'm stating that I'm not backing him because I have no faith in him and I don't believe he is the right man for the job or the club. Personally and it is a personal view I've seen enough already and I don't need to see what happens in January or through the rest of the season to decide I don't like him and I don't want him at the club. So I'm saying so now, if I end up being proven wrong fine I will hold me hands up and be glad to be wrong but the possibility of being wrong isn't going to stop me expressing my thoughts at this moment in time. Everything I've seen from Houllier from the moment it became clear he was on his way to us has made me either dislike him or think him ill suited to the club and not right for the job. There has been literally nothing, I mean nothing to put down in the positive column to counter act this. As such I'm not behind him, I'm not backing him and I don't want him to get January or the rest of the season. I want him gone. That isn't moaning, its expressing my opinion and if people don't agree with it or don't like it that is fine that is there opinion and they are entitled to it as much as anyone else. I'm with Trent. Houllier as done **** all to warrant our backing. In fact he as done the opposite. From the pissing about with the French FA and keeping us waiting another couple of weeks while he cleared his desk ( we're Aston Villa ffs ) to the worst run of results I can remember in many a year and the most gutless displays in decades the man as been a joke and doesn't deserve the backing of the supporters of this great club. How you make things up! It wasn't down to him that he couldn't leave his post with the French FA. You might be a free thinker but you should still try applying it to reality

36 million now after today.