CBGB

Seriously. It's not like it takes a great feat of memory to remember losing 0-2 at home to Wigan.

I recorded it and watched the game just now: not nearly as bad as bad as what most people here are saying. We dominated possession, I don't remember any recent Villa sides attempting that. But the obvious thing was that Holman and N'Zog were poor and so there was no service to Bent = no goal threat at all.

Honestly, we usually lose at West Ham.

McLeish was certainly given a chance. The protests to him at the start were pretty small and he got applauded already after the first home game. In any case, it's ancient history now.

Nope. A while to go yet.

With the squad as it stands - 14th. The midfield might have some passing and flair but could get outmuscled, and the same is true for the defence if Clarke is going to the mainstay at centre back (can't get over how Carroll destroyed him when we lost at Newcastle 6-1...). And I'm not sure the goals will be flying in either. Hey ho, in Lambert we trust.

Fantastic news! It takes a while to beat this but this is the way to start.

They were both so horrible for us that DOL - who virtually everyone despised by the end - has people being all reasonable and understanding about!

It was actually pretty surprising - to me, anyway - how bad Houllier was. But I suppose that was all MON's fault!

Love that some folk want to include MON. Amazing, really.

It's one of those riddle/mystery/enigma things. I think Lambert will do OK, a **** sight better than McCleish.

We need to keep one of Dunne or Collins IMHO. We need to have at least one tough experienced defender. I still have nightmares about Carroll destroying Clark in that 6-1 win.

Not thrilled with the idea TBH.

I just don't see how a Bent-Carroll partnership would work. Bent needs a Beardsley/Sheringham type alongside him IMO.

People expect too much from Twitter, ITKs, newspaper gossip. Like there's some underlying assumption that it should all check out 100%. Hardly a realistic approach to life. Why should the thread be closed? Enjoy the ride, folks. At least we have a decent manager this season and a chance to be better than mediocre.

I know. Every other season we've already signed loads of players by now.

[continuing pedantry] or in the Scottish loch

McLeish had to deal with the sales of Young and Downing, injuries to key players, the captain leaving to battle serious illness, a mandate to cut wages, and a suspicious set of fans. Most managers would have struggled in those circumstances, and no wonder no one seemed to want to manage us this time last year. Did Lerner/Faulkner hire him to deflect blame from them? You wonder. He managed to avoid getting us relegated. And he is clearly a decent bloke. THat's the best I can do With him as manager we were in free fall, playing some of the worst football in living memory, heading to the Championship and beyond.

Welcome Bert! Nice one Villa, great choice of manager. Roll on pre-season.

OGS was nailed last week. Last night it was Martinez. Tonight it's Lambert time. Of those three, I'd say Lambert is the best fit for us. Probably the least imaginative, but the most likely to do decently well.

So have we decided it's Martinez? My concern with him is that basically his "success" has been to avoid relegation. But hey, maybe that's where we're at right now...

Why would Moyes leave Everton because of no money to come to Villa with no money?

If we'd been relegated, Southgate would have been one of the favourites. So, err, no thanks.

You have to ask yourself why Clark was sacked by Huddersfield. If their board thought that he was not good enough for them, I can't see how he would be good enough for Aston Villa. Poyet, on the other hand, is a much more interesting proposition. Think he means Steve Clarke with Poyet, not Lee Clark.

I'd choose Hoddle over Curbishley and McCarthy, that's for sure (but actually not saying much).