Super-Villan

It's not like he asked to leave, is it? He wanted the pay-off because he was basically being forced out of City, and was agreeing to join a club on lower wages. As I say, I'm pretty sure he'd have been earning at least as much just staying at City. The boy wanted to play. He's not SWP.

He took a pay cut to come to Aston Villa. The pay off he got from you guys was just to make that up for the remainder of his contract. He'd have been earning at least as much just sitting it out on the Man City bench, and he wouldn't have had to commute to Birmingham. So I reckon it's a little odd to suggest the only thing he cares about is money.

That post is assuming rather a lot, isn't it? We have no idea if he wants to go, or indeed whether he wants to go just because he's been treated shabbily by the new manager. And unless a player hands in a tranfer request, they get a pay off, lawyers aren't going to get you out of that. Even if he really does want to go, it's abundantly clear that Houllier wants shot of him just as much if not more.

It does reek of spin. Some of the language in that article is deliberately designed to paint Ireland in a bad light.

I'd let him go as soon as possible and hope for his sake he finds a nicer manager at his next club and starts playing really well.

He can tell it like it is without saying stuff like this. There's a nice middle ground somewhere between MON and GED you know. And if a manager ever REALLY told it like it was, about every aspect of the club, they'd last roughly 5 seconds.

I don't think whether 8th to 12th is 'correct' is even the issue. It's about it being a stupid thing to say regardless, and realising that it might be seen as negative by fans, who, if anything, probably want their club to be talked up rather than down by a new manager.

This also pretty worrying for me though. He should have been able to look at the players he has in training and see what game they are capable of playing. If he hasn't yet got the players to play the all out tippy-tappy he wants, he should recognise that and organise us to get results in the short term at least, not just play the system he wants regardless and keep his fingers crossed.

Politics are important. Next week: Osama Bin Laden predicts a 7-3 win for Arsenal. It's just a bit of fun though.

I'm about as left wing as you want to get, and David Cameron is pretty much a hate figure for me right now. But I still thought this was pretty funny, and my respect for him went up by 0.00000000001% (from 0%).

Oh great, it's going to be pens now for sure. Thanks.

I think it's about how we lose too. If we play well and just get beat, people will still be pissed off for a few days, but ultimately fine. If we play badly and get turned over by a few goals there may start to be murmurs.

I expect a loss too. We're not in great form, especially away from home. They'll be incredibly up for it and will make it very very tough for us. I'm not saying we can win - and god I hope we do - but I have no reason to think it is likely.

---------------------------- Friedel ------------------------------- --Lichaj------- Collins ------------------- Dunne ------ Young-- ----------------------------- Clark -------------------------------- ----------------- Downing ---------- Bannan -------------------- -------Young ---------------------------------- Delfouneso------ ---------------------------- Gabby -------------------------------- Though I'd expect a fair bit of fluidity from the front 5, as well as a lot of work tracking back.

A really impressive international debut. He was especially effective more centrally in the first half, with some lovely passes and flicks (that with more talented team mates would have caused a lot more trouble). He competed as well. A couple of cheers from the crowd when he worked hard and harried to get the ball back. Really pleased for him.

There's no way he's as tall as Scholes. You don't get many photos where Scholes looks as short as that. 5'5" is probably closer to it if you ask me, not that that should stop him becoming a good footballer.

If the question was 'Is he the right man for the job' I'd want an 'Undecided' option. Because that's what I'd go for right now.

Hehe. Oops. Friday night...a glass of wine or two...you know who I meant.

There is absolutely no chance in hell that David Dunne has it written into his contract that he starts every league game when fit. It's crazy talk. And by the looks of it just a good excuse for a bit more dull MON bashing.

Lady Guillotine? Or having to manage Emile Heskey again.

More so than now? I don't think so. There is carnage because they raised expectations with an announcement and then everything backtracked. If they'd have released a holding statement (or two) saying that Houllier had provisionally agreed to be our manager but there were things to sort out with the FFF...nobody is saying that would have been an ideal situation, but it would have been accurate and everybody would know where they stood. If there had been carnage after a statement like that it would have been through no fault of the club. Just because the fans were baying for something to happen, doesn't mean they should have had a press conference and innacurately announced something that wasn't even confirmed.

At this stage I agree that the delicacy of the situation would mean that the fans can't expect to know everything. But with that in mind, it was very stupid of the club to announce the arrival of Houllier in the way that they did.

Tell me how you know this. He has worked for them for years, maybe he is just fulfilling his duties. I dont understand why people cant wait 1 week for him to come instead of questioning his integrity I never claimed to know anything, hence my use of the words 'more like'. If you're still struggling, I was trying to suggest what I saw as the more likely turn of events. As I've said elsewhere, I can wait a week, I can wait 2 or 3, I just think the club are stupid for not having been upfront about the situation right from the very start. And they weren't. And I'm not questioning his integrity either. He's negotiating his leaving date, that's fine. Just don't try and pretend it's him doing the honourable thing. I find that scenario pretty unlikely.

He has shown loyalty my arse. He was under contract and the FFF told him he had to do it or they'd hold in to the full three months notice more like.

Albrighton seemed to be putting in some dangerous crosses on the right, but did very little when moved over to the left. Not sure why that happened, and why he wasn't changed back. Warnock wories me a lot. Gabby was pretty good. Kmac seemed to have no balls to change things while we were winning, despite signs that we were having problems, and then after their equaliser it was too late really.