wiganvillain

I would also like to point out that some of you have short memories. During the Doug Ellis era I often had only soup for lunch.

Soup or Gruel? Soup seems rather a luxury ;-)

C'mon Bicks

Doug called it soup but after amortization it became gruel

Thank you for your patience gentlemen, and welcome to this afternoon's press conference. Apologies for the late start, but I'm sure you're aware that there have been some delicate negotiations going on, and these things take some time.

Before making any announcements I'd like to thank all the local caterers for their generosity with their time. As you can imagine, there were a number of candidates keen to apply for the very desirable post of my lunch. I am aware that there were several rumours circulating about whether I would go for some exotic foreign name, with the hint of glamour that inevitably accompanies it.

In the end, after much deliberation, I decided that now is not the time to be taking risks with my digestive system, and in the end had little hesitation in opting for a tried and tested candidate.

So, without further ado, I would like to announce that my choice of lunch was:

Cornish pasty, caramel shortbread and a cup of coffee.

I'm sure you will agree that they now need to be left alone to get on with their job. We will not be taking questions at this time.

Thank you.

What do you mean "not taking questions"

A pasty is a pasty

BUT

Caramel Shortbread is also known as MILLIONAIRES SHORTBREAD

Comment must be made Mr. Mooney or gossip will start

Lerner's been in the country for 4 hours now and we still don't have a manager! BOARD OUT!

Quality sir, quality :notworthy:

Talksports Exclusive ITK's (I know right?) claim Moyes will not quit Everton for Villa.. no doubt their super ITK's will get a pat on the back for revealing such exclusive stories..

Yet they never eat humble pie when proved wrong! Where is Stan when you want him?

Unwittingly B6 you've let the cat out of the bag

Stan will triumphantly return to B6 as manager and these boards and everything else will go into meltdown

Simples :winkold:

Shame our board didn't make the same decision as me.

edited for accuracy

Stu,

Behave,

Do you honestly believe we'd write to Wigan 2 weeks ago and only after being given permission invite Martinez to an interview, meanwhile we're going behind that lots back to sneakily steal their manager

Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

edit for atrocious spelling

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

well said sir,

This "lack of ambition" - in who's opinion - oh the meejah and the keyboard warriors on here

As if that matters

re the generals comments:

fulham lose manager unexpectedly, sign jol in no time. villa lose manager perhaps not expected but certainly a known possiblity for a couple of months. have we appointed anyone? are we close? we dont know, but we DO know that several possibles have knocked us back. the general has to realise that regardless of what is going on behind the scenes the way the club is doing things is making them look like they are dithering/indecisive/slow to react etc

the general has also claimed thet they wont be doing anything purely to get a thumbs up from the fans - but they did cancel mclarens interview purely because the fans werent up for the idea... for me, there is a bit of a contradiction there.

I can't find where he said they'd done that in his post, aren't we all agreed it's just more media bullshit (noting that McLarens people have said there had been no contact whatsoever, far less a cancelled interview)

Please don't do what the red tops do and mix and match someones statement and your opinion

As for looking slow and undecisive, they only look that way to those who want them to.

On one thing I disagree with Gen Krulak, getting a new manager is as easy as getting a balti pie from M & S (if they stock them), getting the right manager for what you want for the club is the difficult part

Thank you Sir, for an oasis of sanity in the turbulent sea of media driven madness and conjecture

On one thing I disagree - Getting a new manager is as easy as getting a Balti pie, it's getting the right manager that the hard part

Anyone think we'll be here this time next Friday none the wiser?

Yup

Andre villas boas. Porto manager.

OK

I just got a phone call. Although this is all I can reveal at the moment.

You as well

That makes 2 of us who got phone calls at the same tiem

Must be something in it

Randy...if youre reading this...have a little rummage down the back of the cushions on the sofa and see if theres 13m in there. Then spend it on this man...

Might be the best 13m you ever spend 8)

Not that he'd come but hypothetically is there anyone who wouldn't sell Young and Downing if it meant funding the buy out of his release cause and giving him a mega salary?

I might if I knew who the hell he was

Liverpool??? Errrr ok.

It won't be Moyes I'm afraid guys, he's stated he's not interested and is always saying how loyal he is.

Plus I'm not sure how Villa could give him anything we couldn't, your wage bill will have to be trimmed massively after what O'Neill left you with and Moyes has fought tooth and nail to keep the vultures away from Arteta, Jagielka et al, constantly saying how important it is to keep the best players.

Unless Lerner said "Here's £100m, challenge for the league title" I just can't see him leaving us for you.

I think Hughes would be a good appointment for you, far better option than Martinez or Benitez.

He's also been quoted as saying he'd like the opportunity to work somewhere he doesn't have to sell a player every year to balance the books.

Our wage bill's already been trimmed and there is and always has been money when needed.

How many years has he put up with his current strained situation, he's done the loyalty bit.

I'm not saying he's nailed on to want it but I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand

the geezer is very confident in what he is saying...

probably talking out of his Anus but

AVFCMysteryMan Sky Dream

@talkSPORTDrive #avfc are a big club and within 24 hours Moyes will be manager then you can think again about saying we are in panic mode

Given everything else posted by him we can safely assume he's talking out of where he gets sexual gratification from root vegetables

I wish people would start worrying about the managerial appointment and not what they think the press think of us.

I'm worrying about the appointment. We know martinez was high on our shortlist and we know martinez had no interest talking to us, that worries me and I worry how our public image at the moment will effect us in terms of attracting a manager.

You shouldn't John

Managers all know how this shit works and know the bollox the press print (and talk)

Those on the shortlist know they're on the list and it seems the sensible ones and the properly straight chairmen who've given permission to talk to them are keeping schtum - as it should be

Remember, we're talking about Randy Lerner here, not Redknob media whore

People really do get in a pickle over not a lot.

It's great that you didn't mind a shit season last year and it's great you don't mind the club looking foolish in the national press but some of us do.

Randy is not untouchable, I'm not going to let expectations slip just because I'm supposed to be extremely happy with everything randy does.

We don't look foolish at all. Even if we did, would it really matter if we got the managerial appointment right?

I wish people would start worrying about the managerial appointment and not what they think the press think of us.

Well said Mantis

The spewings of journos are irrelevant in the grander scheme of

Finding the best Manager for the VILLA - that's all thats important

Just chatting to an Evertonian and he seems convinced we're still in debt, is this true? (on topic because i'm talking to him about Moyes & how we have nothing to offer him in the way of signing players).

Yup AVFC are in debt, somewhere around £200 million I believe.

The debt is owed to "The Lerner Familly Trust Fund"

I wonder who sits on the board of that then?

Club statement: Roberto Martinez

Latest on manager search

10th Jun 2011

The Club would like to thank Wigan Athletic Football Club and its chairman, Dave Whelan, for their professionalism in dealing with our request to speak to Roberto Martinez.

Roberto's qualities as a young and aspirational manager ensured him of a position high on our short list of potential new managers.

Given that he had one year remaining on his contract at Wigan, we made an official approach through the proper channels, though we were aware of a commitment he had made to his Club to agree and sign a new contract following the final game of last season.

Roberto met with his chairman earlier this week and he has made the decision to honour his commitment to Wigan.

Therefore, we have not met Roberto and we have not had the opportunity to discuss the vacant managerial role with him.

We remain focused and are working hard to secure the best candidate for Aston Villa who will complement the Club's commitment to be true to our heritage, competitiveness and passionate fan base, and will have the new manager in place to prepare the players for the pre-season programme and next season's campaign.

So basically, Whelan had met with RM and made him an improved contract offer earlier this week, RM ask for a night to sleep on it and so Whelan holds press conferences about Villas proper way of doing things in the full knowledge we hadn't even spoken to RM.

Snide shark

Here:

http://tinyurl.com/65ludsn

Roberto Martinez is STAYING at Wigan Athletic - after snubbing Aston Villa and a double-your-money contract.

The Spaniard pledged his future to delighted owner Dave Whelan in a summit meeting and left Villa managerless and in a major crisis.

Martinez thought long and hard over the move to a bigger club with better facilities but in the end he stayed loyal to Whelan - because he had stuck by him.

The young boss felt Whelan had been strong by his side during a hard season when he could have been sacked in the first few weeks after a nightmare start - and at other times in a difficult campaign.

Totally believeable due to the sufeit of quotes from the parties concerned.

I don't and won't believe he was actually offer the job until I see him talking directly to the camera and saying he was offered it and blanked it but somehow I don't expect that to happen

Here:

http://tinyurl.com/65ludsn

Roberto Martinez is STAYING at Wigan Athletic - after snubbing Aston Villa and a double-your-money contract.

The Spaniard pledged his future to delighted owner Dave Whelan in a summit meeting and left Villa managerless and in a major crisis.

Martinez thought long and hard over the move to a bigger club with better facilities but in the end he stayed loyal to Whelan - because he had stuck by him.

The young boss felt Whelan had been strong by his side during a hard season when he could have been sacked in the first few weeks after a nightmare start - and at other times in a difficult campaign.

Totally believeable due to the sufeit of quotes from the parties concerned.

I don't and won't believe he was actually offer the job until I see him talking directly to the camera and saying he was offered it and blanked it but somehow I don't expect that to happen

On Martinez,

Can we all just wait and look carefully at what's said as up to now there are no direct quotes from anyone that he was actually interviewed far less offered the job.

Firstly, I believe that yesterday RL put his private jet at the disposal of GH. It is a while since his operation, and therefore he would likely be cleared to fly. Added to this there is no stress attached to flying on a private jet as opposed to going through the terminal and flying on a scheduled airline. The fact that the jet flew to Corsica and straight back suggests a drop off. In short, I don't think that Mr Lerner was on it.

That my friend makes sense, believing as I do that Randy is that kind of guy.

If it turns out Martinez "turns us down" I believe it will be because we havent even offered him the job as we will be 100% on getting a top name. Martinez is back up. Randy is no fool and RM would NOT turn down the job t stay at Wigan, We're Villa FFS, listen to yourselves saying he'd be loyal to wigan or we couldnt attract him. utter bollocks.

This.

I really dont get the instant negativity and excuse for having a go at the board.

As said if he stays at Wigan who are we to know we even offered him the job!

No, he turned us down we have failed etc etc!

Ridiculous.

And again This.

I asked "VillaMatt" whether Martinez had actually been offered the job as they were reporting he "wouldn't take" it and surprise surprise - no answer.

It's simple, outside of Randy, the leading candidate and probably Falconer no-one knows anything and that's the way it should be

I think you're all underestimating page numbers in a big way, I'd guess over 500