largelugs

Nothing sums themup more than this:

Pitch invasion pics

He dives more than his team mate currently on loan to us.

A couple of years ago I would have gone for Newcastle, but the Spurs fans in the last couple of years have been incredible. Despite having a juggling goalkeeper, an embarasing defence, and a midfield lacking a true midfield general, they still believe they should be in the top 4.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Everton fans have always impressed me. They have had the big time before but don't go boasting about themse;ves. With what they have to put up with with their red neighbours, they always come across as passionate yet humble.

Richard Branson was asked to take over Small Heath, but he declined saying " I couldn't have Virgin on the shirts of a team that gets **** every week."

Just seen on the 365 forum that this bloke is on the undercard, lost 121 fights, including the last 34, hailing from Stourport:

Ernie Smith

Has he any brain cells left?

The only reason Manchester is even considered for the second city is because it spends so much money on claiming to be. Its council seems to be obsessed with self promotion. Birmingham is bigger, more important politically (the largest council in europe), financially, geographically (the centre of England, providing links to the whole country used so much by industry) and educationally (universities).

Manchester go on about their cultural importance by quoting a few bands from a 10 year range, so what? If that was an important factor the scousers would be higher up the ranking. They go on about their sporting facilities but apart from the football stadiums they only have a few things built for the commonwealth games, does the cycling track stand up to the NIA in terms of international competitions.

This is the only forum i read most days, and the only one i have ever posted. It is a great read, funny at times, very lively most times. The only reason it is worth reading is because the moderators do keep a close check on it and do thir best to stop it degenerating into an incomprehendable mess like so many other sites.

Good on you guys!

I know nothing about cameras, take disastorous pictures and will probably never improve.. However, was in an art gallery last week and saw the work of Thomas Weinberger and thought it was stunning.

He takes industrial pictures over a day and night and then mixes them to get great lighting effects. Anyone else ever seen him?

His site

100%

Also nice to see a thread without lots of red writing!

From fairly reliable irish football website

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill is reportedly interesting in pinching Irish full back Steve Finnan from Liverpool.

Finnan is on the verge of agreeing a new contract at Anfield after helping the Reds to last week’s Uefa Champions League final.

However, manager Rafa Benitez has already signed a potential replacement for the 31-year-old defender in the shape of Alvaro Arbeloa - and rumours continue to link the Spaniard with a big-money move for Sevilla’s brilliant Brazilian Daniel Alves.

And that has prompted O’Neill to intervene with an offer to take the former Fulham star to Villa Park.

Thursday’s Irish Sun reports that the Villa chief is willing to splash out €3.8m, or approximately St£2.5m, to land the Irish star this summer.

9.5 Million for a striker who has had one good season is not my idea of a top class goal scorer. A nice bloke definatly, and fair play to him for sticking at it through the rough times, but certainly not worthy of the number 9 shirt. Still i wish him all the best for the remainder of his career where ever it lies, and no one wanted him to become a superstar striker more than me...... just like collymore.....and baros......and..................

BRING BACK A PETER WITHE!

Not worthy of the number nine shirt? Who do you think we are, Brazil? We have had some appauling players in the past who have worn that shirt, Angel has been one of te better ones and is fully worthy to wear that number.

As for one good season, not even worth a reply.

I liked Barry as a defender, but as a midfielder he is just mediocre. Prove me otherwise, he is one of the reasons we are bottom-5 instead of top-5.

Barry is one of the few players in our team that isn't a bottom 5 player at the moment. He's had dips in form the last couple of seasons but he is a quality player just lacking the pace to make him a top 5 player.

To say he is lacking in skills is ridiculous. He is an out of form striker. Nothing more, nothing less. And i really couldn't care less if he was a saleable asset or not. He wasn't a saleable asset when Taylor tried to get rid of him but returned with an exceelent season.

Angel is an enigma.

A top striker should have several of the following attributes:

Speed: Nope, JPA is not in this category

Power: Not part of his game either

Heading ability: He's good in the air, wthout being as lethal as some.

Close control/ shielding ball: Good touch, but he is easily dispossessed.

Ability to go past defenders: He almost never even tries.

Long range power shooting: Average at best

Placed shooting: More his style, but rarely gets into shooting positions.

Two footed: NO

Killer instinct: Hardly.

That really only leaves us with the knack of being in the right place at the right time: the poacher's instinct.

He had it last season - it has deserted him this time round.

Because he scores so low on the other attributes, I would be tempted to say we should sell him. But we would only get peanuts for him, so we should keep him, but he won't be first choice CF next season.

This is going along the Fm style of management, if his ratings aren't good in particular areas he is not good enough?? Try the real world.

Quite simply, a good striker scores goals. How they go in doesn't matter.Angel can score goals but he has had a terrible season. If he was alone in being poor this season maybe it would be the end of him, but the fact that it is nearly impossible to pick a player of the season due to the lack of form throughout the squad.

No, if it was a one off incident, fine. However, he has caused problems wherever he went and usually left under a cloud. Drugs at Charlton, numerous fights and sending offs at leeds, lack of interest at West Ham and now this. We need some bite in our team but not a nutter like him.

Has there been a player who has shown significant improvement this year?

If there are Germans willing to pay him silly money, let them. However, i get the feeling that when the offers come in they won't be any way near the figures that his agent have been putting in his head.

The only way he would look good is if they put a highlights video of his goals from the last couple of years, and convieniently forget the other 89 min of each game. I mean, who would be so stupid to fall for that (apart from us with Savo)

Sounds like clutching at straws to me.

. No matter how we lined up yesterday, Arsenal were vastly superior and we were not prepared mentally.

To me , playing 4-5-1 would have just invited them onto us. Anytime they attacked they were likely to score. For 4-5-1 you need support from midfield any anytime we have played it it has beena faliure.

Against Arsenal we should have had 5 in midfield. They are so good at playing through the centre, you have to keep it tight in there and force them out wide.

Seeing that both our full backs were murdered, the idea of forcing them out wide is scary.

surely a cult hero by defintion is one who is not that good but does something different that endears him to the crowd.

I'm sure this was discussed on here about 9 months ago.

I don't think a cult hero has to be one that is not that good. To me they are ones who build up a special relationship with the fans. From the dictionary:

Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.

Alan Wright seems to have been mentioned because he produced average performances for a long time. Apart from the occassional Alan Wright - Wright - Wright chant i domn't remember there being a particular affection towards him.

As i only started going in the early 90's i can't comment on all of the players but the two that stand out for me are McGrath and Taylor. They are the ones where you could notice the buzz in the crowd, those players were special to villa fans.

Go outside Villa Park and Ian Taylor would hardly get a mention but he was special to us.

McGrath did win the player of the year but i even then i don't think other team's fans realised how special a player he was. He was our God, the player with something different, despite having messed up knees, a serious drink problem, not being able to train, having mental problems as a youngster, being hounded out of united. He was a true flawed genius.

To me, the way the fans revered McGrath makes him a true cult hero.

But thats only my opinion.

When it says he let a goal in that he should have comforably stopped and let a goal in at the near post i think it does say something. Sorenson is getting slaughtered for these mistakes. Yes Postma made other saves in the games, but so does Sorenson.

If Postma was playing out of his skin in the reserves and was commited to a future at Villa i would say play him, obviously he is not on both accounts.

From IC birmingham

Kieran Richardson restored United's advantage after 36 minutes, although Villa's big Dutch keeper Stefan Postma should have comfortably stopped the shot.

Three minutes later Postma was beaten at his near post by another Richardson effort

From OS

Mulligan beat Drobny and crossed for Mulligan to volley past the motionless Postma

Reports from Postma's last 2 reserve games, doesn't exactly sound like an improvement!

As for Henderson, he is currently on loan at Notts County, sitting on the bench.

but i wish everyone would just stop this 'true/real fans' crap.

Couldn't agree more!

Barry was stood no more than 5 yards from SWP when he scored, but had only just turned his head as the goal went in. They both were stood on the edge of the area, Barry didnt react at all and was stood in a totally effective place. If you chase back you eithr pick someone up or cover a dangerous area, he did neither