heystally!

Yes. Even if O'Neill was still here. On the subject of KPB, can anyone tell me why they think he's actually good? It seems to me he barely shone in a team of shite that went down with ease last season (even without the points deduction they'd have gone). Doesn't really sound like the kind of player I'd want. He did shine at Pompey. Him and O'Hara were easily their standout players. O'Hara was decent from time to time. KPB we'll have to disagree on. I just think if we're after players to play the attacking midfield role, and we're looking at someone who played for a shit team who were relegated, I'd be expecting them to come out of the that season being raved about in every section of the entire world. As such, he just wasn't. He performed at the World Cup, but that's not enough to justify buying him. I think he'd be average at best for us. Would much MUCH prefer Stephen Ireland.

Personally I want our new manager to be buying the players that he wants to play. He knows the team, he knows what is needed to improve it. Why put that into someone else's hands? Sure, I don't think a DOF would buy terrible players, but maybe not players that the manager would prefer to work with.

Yes. Even if O'Neill was still here. On the subject of KPB, can anyone tell me why they think he's actually good? It seems to me he barely shone in a team of shite that went down with ease last season (even without the points deduction they'd have gone). Doesn't really sound like the kind of player I'd want.

He's foreign.

Who gives a **** about O'Neill anymore? He's gone.

Surely Randy went to Milan to see some art?

No reason why he shouldn't have been named MOTM. As Motty said on MOTD, there were a host of players who could have had it.

Kevin Keegan?

KPB is shit.

Hi General, I just wanted to post a quote from "Randy's" interview with the Mail on Sunday, which is on the newspaper's website: The link to the article is here. I just wanted to know whether these are the words of Randy himself. Later in the article, the "journalist" in question actually quotes Randy, but in truth, looking at the Sky Sports website, it was actually the words of Stiliyan Petrov. I just wanted this clarified, as it is not like Aston Villa, judging by the last four years, to hang our dirty laundry in public. We have not made comments about the approach of other teams before, no matter how dishonest they have been, and it does not seem like something Randy would say. Thanks very much.

But I feel so sorry for him and his miniscule fortune.

Sky+HD it for clearer posterity.

Steve, I hope I'm wrong too, because like big Ron i think we need a big name manager. I just don't think it will happen. I've got a feeling it might be a big name, Eriksson! beckham as assistant? Ulrika as "club nurse".

I wouldn't.

****. Before fretting: 1) No quotes. 2) Talksport

The problem with giving MacDonald a chance is that O'Neill has spent four years rebuilding the club, and I don't think Lerner wants to bring someone in who will have to do learning and therefore in a sense their own kind of rebuilding. I think Lerner would prefer someone experienced who can come in and pick right up where O'Neill left off. Maybe MacDonald could, but I don't think the board want to risk it.

The way I see Bradley is that he's done pretty well with a national team that not too long ago were considered as lame ducks because they call the sport "soccer". Beating Spain in the semi of the Confederations Cup, and coming close against Brazil is a pretty good achievement. So we can see from those sort of results that he can take a squad of players, identify the best players and the best system, and get them playing some decent football. Fair enough. The only thing I would be sceptical about would be his transfer policy. As he's mainly known for his role with the USA and not before that in the MLS, none of us fans will really know what to expect when it comes to signings. Will he go all American? Don't get me wrong, the US have some decent players. Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, even Oguchi Onyewu showed some decent defending in the World Cup. But he may also have high opinions on some of their more average players. So whilst I'd prefer someone else like Klinsmann, Jol or maybe even Sven, I don't think Bradley would be disastrous for Aston Villa. But it may be a disastrous PR move by Lerner and Faulkner.

Odds on Sven have been slowly lengthening over the course of the day. MacDonald's odds have been shortening though. I think it just means that no one really has any inside knowledge. After "reports" that Sven was spotted at BHX, he became odds on favourite. That seems to have been false now that the odds are falling. It'll be interesting to see how this develops.

Isn't Van Gaal still Bayern's manager?

According to Oddschecker, Sven is still favourite but the odds have lengthened. Also looks like those bookies who stopped taking bets have reopened the market.

So now that MON has left we should just give up all sense of pride and just grab any random dude that can walk and talk? Even that is questionable! We're hiring Steven Hawking?

Petrov to Liverpool? Not now that Poulsen has signed. And Liverpool still have Aurelio and Insua, so Warnock is a no for now.

I don't fancy Ruud Hullit. Not my type.

Why would we hire a manager who spent two games at a Championship club and lost them both?

Hi General, I'm pretty sure if you listened to the opinion of every Villa fan worldwide, there wouldn't be a manager on the planet to hire. So you have two options sir: 1) Take up the role yourself. 2) Ignore it. Please General, go get whoever is going to take our club to the next level, and before too long we'll all be thinking "Martin who?" Best wishes.