rc_villa1972

Some will find a way of blaming MON for the transfer regardless of any evidence or lack of. I dont think anybody is blaming MON, I think it is a mere fact that there is more behind this than maybe we will ever know. Didn't MON come out before the World Cup and say that talks were positive ? He has now come out and said that he wanted to leave before the World Cup. You cannot have both scenarios so he is telling porkies in one of them. At the end of the day, what will be will be. AVFC was here before Barry and Milner and will be here a long time after they have gone. UTV

I dont agree. Would it show we are trying to break the top 4 if we went out and bought 2 equivalents of Milner ? - One in the middle and one up front with the money we sold him for ? It is possible - we spent load of money on Milner, wondering if it was too much and look what he might be going for now. That could be as much as 18m profit if the figures talked about are in fact correct. I say excellent business and lets do the same again with a few more purchases.

I am not going. My season ticket is going to a much more worthy cause (my mates dad who is about 150...lol). I summed up how much it cost me for the CC final (about £150), the semi will be (130), the final when we get through (150+) and the season ticket renewal (£450) and realised something has to give - and it isn't my family or mortgage. I would much prefer to get a season ticket next year and if I am suddenly flush for cash, the final ticket. If not, it will just be the plain old season ticket and a few away matches across next season.

General, Not so much a question rather than observation. Some of the questions around tickets for Wembley are a little unsettling. I can understand the sentiment that in todays times we should be able to cope with things - but hey, in the clubs defence its not like we have had much practice at keeping up with 26,000 people trying to login to a website at the same in the "internet revolution". I finally got my ticket on Thursday after my friend was in the queue from around 9:15 on wednesday - it was frustrating, sometimes I thought I wouldn't get the ticket I wanted but hey, its life. As long as I got one - that was all that mattered. With regard to staff getting free tickets, they do a job and on the most part, they do the best they can with the resources they have. If one of the items written in their renumeration is a free Wembley ticket then I bet that most people thought it was written in there but never going to happen. :-) Its not like the £millions the bankers get (and I work in a Finance organisation). I am sure that you look after the staff as much as possible - if the story above is true about somebody being ill this year but has worked for years and years at the villa then that is a "special" case and hopefully she will get her ticket. The main point i want to make is that if anybody deserves a ticket, you and Randy do. Whatever it takes, make sure you are at Wembley, it is a special occasion and will be one big party regardless of the outcome - although a win would be fantastic. Russ

General: Any chance you can get another few thousand more tickets for the blackburn away match ? I missed out today by 2 tickets - I could have had 1 but wouldn't go on my own and leave my 2 mates (also ST holders) so some lucky person had mine. Can't believe we sold out in 10 minutes - although I do feel sorry for the people who had queued at the ticket office as well as they were being turned away to - thankfully I was nice and warm at home on the phone. Have a great christmas. Russ

General: Didn't get the chance to get a ticket for the away leg at Blackburn because by the time i finally got through, they were gone. Bit gutted but that is life. My understanding from talking to the helpful person at the ticket office is that it is down to our fans behaviour that we only got 5,000 - not the 8,000 that we had last season. It was explained that the 5,000 was probably more than the police really wanted to give us. Now I understand the reasoning, I would expect villa to do no less if the same happened at our ground. If we do get more, I shall try again. :-)

I would be happy to start paying on a DD now for next season, say over 9 or 10 months, if it's a case that all the money needs to be in before the season kicks off. Gets expensive with season tickets particulary when you have kids. I would just like to add a thanks to the General for providing a voice of sanity over the summer break (not that there weren't others doing so too). Hope you are feeling recovered and if not a nice big derby win may make a good tonic! General, thats a great idea if this could be done. I struggled to get my Season Ticket this year and had to take out the Villa CC in the end and managed to get interest free on it. My little one is 5 next year and is already expressing an interest in going to more games than his 1 or 2 treats per year (and wants to be a mascot which is going to cost me heaps as well). Russ

General. Is it possible to have the date and time of publishing on the news items on the OS ? It is frustrating to read an item stating something might happen in the next few hours and not know whether it was published / last updated at 9am or 9pm ? Something similar to the BBC items. We were mighty unlucky last night. I took 2 Man U fans with me last night and they said that some of the football we play was excellent, some like the way Man U played 2 / 3 years ago but hey, look what they were doing 2 / 3 years ago. They did comment though that at other times were poor and that if we could get consistency, then he could see Man U and the other Sky 4 really having a problem - even this year. My only comment was what would they know as they are Man U supporters. :-)

General: I am happy to admit I was wrong earlier about the suggestions that things were not all rosy in the garden. I know I had asked the question about the peace cup team, the way they played and the personel / match against Wigan. I am glad we beat the Red Scousers, it has been a long time coming and one which will surely enjoy for a few months to come yet. I believe it is down to the personel that played (obviously) but more so in the positions they played and the precise tactics they were given by MON. It appears to me that given the right tactics, we have the personel currently. I also think we have cover in some places that we don't quite believe we have yet (i.e. the youngsters - lichar, albrighton, bannan, clarke etc.). My only ever gripe previously seemed to be the passion and the tactics. They were addressed last night and look what happens !!!!! Magnificent. Lets pray that on Thursday against Vienna and Sunday against Fulham that we don't revert to a system that does not help the defenders (4-4-2). I would much prefer we conceded nothing and win by one or two than concede 2 and only draw the match by playing 4-5-1. Here is to more matches like last night and a bright future for the rest of the season.

I am sure the majority will sing the names, roar on the team. Doesn't mean to say we have to do that in between the matches !!!!

General, Without jumping on the bandwagon, I believe that the ill feeling is all born out of frustration. We hear Randy saying the funds will be there if MON wants to spend. We don't see MON spending the cash. To read people question Randy and your goodself is a bit difficult to take to be fair. I don't believe the problem lies at the feet of you guys. You have both done great things for the club (we all know what they are) and I wouldn't want the "ship" in any other hands right now. As for the person steering the ship, i think he has got a little lost recently and needs some help. We win the peace cup against much better teams that Wigan, we see people playing that the fans were calling to see last year during the difficult period but lack of faith meant they didn't get a look in. We now replace those people that seemed to know what to do when they put "the shirt" on, had the passion that came with it and look what has happened - the blame can only be pointed at the feet of one man. I was always under the impression you don't change a winning team - but change a team that is losing for sure. We appear to have a manager that thinks the opposite. I know this wont be what MON had in mind however, actions speak louder than words. When was he changing things when we couldn't win ? The "established" players probably know if they are fit, they will play - that is not good for either them or the people waiting to take their place. We should have gone out against Wigan with the team that won the peace cup - yeah it had some "stars" missing, but hey, they have to EARN their place in the team, the youngsters earned it by winning. Rant over - but not sorry for what has been said.

He is a great player, did well for us, helped us to get where we are.....but let bygones be bygones and I think we are both better off apart. We played some superb stuff in the peace cup and that was down to playing the up and coming talent. We would not have had that opportunity if Barry was still here.

----------------Guzan----------------- -Beye----Cuellar---Davies---Shorey ----------NRC-----Delph----------- Albrighton-------Young--------Milner (These 3 switching all the time) ---------------Heskey----------------- Subs: Friedel, Clark, Gardner, Lichaj, Sidwell, Gabby, Carew It wont be anything like this though.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a dick del pierro was......

lowry......what a cool penalty. is he really a left back ? lol

after seeing that half, I am not as perplexed as earlier in the fact we haven't signed anybody just yet.....that team could beat Wigan.........

has anybody said where O'Neill is ? we are playing great without him. We played great without him last time as well. Maybe there is a theme going on here.

great cross from Albrighton. James Milner who ???? hahaha. he is going to struggle to get a place in the team.

is it a blessing MON has been sent off ? We have gone mad with the subs as well.......lol.

what a great cross..........I think Milner really needs to look over his shoulder unless we play him in the middle.. (is there a thread about that ?). Albrighton out wide and coker in the middle have made he difference. swap sidwell for milner and we are sorted.

don't be so hard on lichaj.. that was the first mistake I have seen him make.....it was goodcross and what was friedel doing and then sidwell just seemed to stand there while the guy put it in.

if the weather is nice, I am coming on my motorbike.......otherwise, not sure I want to get soaked and then stand in the rain for 2 hours. Anybody know if there is anywhere to get changed ? Cheers.

Nooooooooooooo

General, I would echo "Tubby"'s sentiments. My flag is on order already. He has been a great performer and it is a shame it has ended this way, he will be sorely missed. We HAVE to do something for him for the Newcastle match and make it special for him so he remembers us as we will remember him.