Raver50032

Yep - it's back to good old blind love for a club without a cat in hell's chance of ever recreating the 'glory days' until we get an A-rab owner.

Lockett. This thread is now pointless.

Yes we did - I did not expect anything from the game I'm afraid, even against the considerable riches of their 'B-team' (ish). I see that their fans are saying how 'times have changed now that Villa fans seemingly treated the game as a cup semi-final.'

The fact remains - it would be great to be in a position where the League Cup (Capital One can fook right off) is the bottom priority and we can 'not care too much' if we get knocked out.

We have some catching up to do to get back to a postion where we have won the LC more than anyone else. Liverpool have now raced ahead to 8 wins, against our 5. Scumbag Chelsea hot on our heals with 4 wins. So they can bugger right off. Shitbags.

On the fence - still a lot to do to win us over. Not getting excited about 1 goal...

As a consequnce, I'm currently out...

Laaa, la, la, la-la-la-laaaaa,

La-la-la laaaaa,

Ron Vlaar....

(Sorry, couldn't resist...)

Be interesting to see what the consensus is on here after he has played 15 games.

For me it was a highly encouraging little cameo but I think Lambert will be careful in how he uses him.

So nice to have competition for places up front.

Can anyone remember when Villa have had competition in this area previously?? I am genuinely struggling to think of a time when we had more than 2 decent strikers to chose from.

For me, I can only immediately think of Yorke, Milosevic and Tommy J... 1995-96... Even then, York was 'the man.'

/\ even more so now the pikey is injured...:-D

Hang on - let's give Bent2 some benefit of the doubt - he'd only been on the pitch a couple of minutes before his 'fluffed' shot. Yes, players should be prepared, but coming on with 10 minutes to go, it can take people a while to get into the pace of the game. And the Swansea match was played at high tempo for the full 90 minutes. I'd forgive any substitute taking a few minutes to get fully into the game, and his introduction was justified by robbing the left back for this actual goal.

A wonderful piece of instant confidence for Bent2. And as for that article from the 'Belgian Waffle...' - It says the signing of Benteke was a sign of desperation on our part? Bollocks... I think it's more like sour grapes on their part. He's currently unproven in the Premier League, time will tell obviously. And what's all that car jacking bullshit, I thought that was all done and dusted?

We have some very interesting options up front now... This is boding a lot nicer than 12 months ago...

I think we're getting back to blind love then for a football club... and sod the rest.

Some want to do a Citeh, some don't... Nothing more to be said, only a finger wagging in your direction.

Lockett...

It was a pretty good game from Villa versus the Swans. They could have had a goal or two themselves, but Villa did enough to win the game. Holman was very justified as man of the match - excellent work rate and an examplar for others in the team. I feel good about this guy...

Let's hope he, and Villa can keep it up...

Now, where's that optimism gauge thread?

/\ this...

Also, being controversial and donning my flak jacket and tin hat straight away - filling the club with young and hungry players is fine and we might surprise a few this season, we might not. What happens next year? Are we in for 'second season syndrome?'

What I mean is, promoted clubs generally have an 'every game in the PL is a cup final' mentality and that euphoria and positivity can carry them through. A large number hit the brick wall by Christmas (Blackpool - nice club with a 'half arsed' dimwit in charge) or suffer the following season (Hull City). Will our young and hungry players still be able to do the bizz next year, or will they get found out? Will the young and hungry players show themselves to be decent this year, and then get sold off to the highest bidder (or the biggest club promising stupid wages and unsettling the player through the press)?

We are in a bit of a vicious cycle at the minute. The only way out is 'AV Oil FC.' That's a fact isn't it Raffa?

Maybe it is all a bit 'I want jam today, come on, I want jam now... Give it...' but consider this -

Life is too short - I am lucky enough to just about remember when Aston Villa won the European Cup - I can't remember us winning the league the year before, though I remember all the posters on my brother's bedroom wall. I'm 37. The only meaningful things we have won 'recently' was back in 1996. For the 'size' of AVFC, that is woeful.

I have said it before - I believe that we are currently on the longest run in the club's whole history without winning a 'major.' Yes, the goalposts have changed, but what changed it all - money... TV and money. Sky... Money... Arab wealth... Money.

I don't like it any more than the rest of you... But, we will do nothing and go without jam, unless we can pump limitless money into the club. I doubt Randy can do it - not his fault... But until somebody can, we will go on signing 'young and hungry' and selling 'youngish and greedy.' (Ok, greedy is a bit harsh because all but the stiffest of Villa fans would jump clubs if the money was right...).

There's a whole generation growing up now who have never seen Villa do anything meaningful - even finishing 4th and winning a league cup was considered 'small time' by the top 2 in 1996. No wonder then, when they see Albion as the top team in the Midlands and prominent Sky 4 coverage that the youth of this 'fine, glorious, second city' goes around wearing seemingly anything but claret and blue.

It's where we are - and why we are that way. I guess we shouldn't worry about stuff we cannot change as individuals. You know you're getting old when most of your highlights are either before TV or in black and white.

Shit... I'm all depressed now. But tomorrow's Swansea... Surely we can get up and running against Swansea? I thought that in January - and that match made me ill... This could be a long weekend... Bring on the young and hungry starlets. UTV.

Hmmmm, I must admit I did think we were going to do a Chelsea when Randolph arrived in 2006. Everyone at work thought the same... Maybe it would have happened if City hadn't lost all it's money and then all of sudden, another owner comes in with even more money than they had before...

Money is now the talk in this league. We don't like it, but we are where we are.

If the top 4(ish) were to go into a European Super League with no restraints in how much they spend, then the rest of the league played with a proper system to control finances to make it even between all clubs it would eliminate the need have a sugar daddy, in a very naive way I'd like this type of thing to happen though i'm sure there's thousands of reasons why it shouldn't.

Yeah, I kind of agree with you Mr Pie to an extent. My concern is, that with the top four disappearing into their own Euro Superleague (remember, back in 1992/93 and 1995/96, we would have been considered top 4...), what would the credibility be for winning the Premier League? What European (if any) competition would we go in?

Yes, I would like the top 4 to piss off, or play fairer with the rest of the league... But if they cut loose, where would the TV money go, where would the glory hunting fans go, where would the prospective rich owners go, where would the best players go etc? We'd probably be royally left behind moreso than we are now.

It's a tricky one... and I do not know how to solve it...

Mr Baughan from a couple of posts further back... I refer you to an answer I gave some hours previously with reference to a swift Thomas Tank...

Football has lost it's soul... Money is everything and honour is nothing.

Yeah, I'd like us to do a Man City - but bear this in mind, it would be kind of like a giant w*nk. Teasing good fun at first, then a ridiculously short feel good factor, then a hollow feeling of 'what was the point of that?' And then, we could do a Pompey/Leeds and we'd probably be the ones that actually went out of business and disappeard. That is going to happen to a well known club sooner or later. Let's hope it's not us.

Personally, I would prefer us to build something on a solid, progressive foundation. That is equally pie in the sky as I know football doesn't work like that anymore. I guess I have my dreams.

Now... to my left hand.

Sorry - didn't intend to derail the thread, I was just making the point about whatever it was that seemed to be erroneously being implied, or at risk of being implied.

Like everyone, I see Christian as a fantastic signing at the stage that we are at as a club and the spiced up frontal competition we now have is going to be very interesting, if not quite world beating. I do have a feeling that this will be a stepping stone for Benteke - a player obviously on the up and up. Good luck to him while he is here, and very, very welcome indeed.

Will he be able to live to the billing I have seen that dubbed him as 'the next Eden Hazard?'

Over to Boss Hogg...

To the guy that thought of bananas in pyjamas - if you didn't mean to be 'racist' by using that line, then you have nothing to be sorry for dude and you should not drop the reference. Why is a banana seen as a racist implement anyway? Come on people FFS. It's only that way because society has conditioned you to think way. Same as villifying the traiditional 'golly' cartoon on the side of my marmalade jar.

Shame on you... Not me.

My missus was watching some TV drama the other night and it appeared that a school teacher had called a 'black boy' a cheeky monkey while he was playing football. He made a valid point that it's okay to call a white boy a cheeky monkey, but not a 'black' boy because automatically it's a racist comment.

You can call a white man a choc-ice, a word removed, a rocket polisher, a paedo... but you can't call Ashley Cole a choc-ice - even if it's said by another 'black' man. WTF is going on? This automatic inferiority complex has got to **** well stop. And John Terry should be shot - that's true. Love rat word removed.

Gotta get over it folks... Black Power and all that jazz... I mean, how on earth a band can get away with calling themselves NWA is beyond me. Surely that's racist isn't it? No? Do you see the mess that this **** up world is dragging you into? Making YOU feel guilty when you have nothing to be guilty about? And what about the artist formerly known as Prince? Didn't he have a song called '4 Nigs United For West Compton?' When's it gonna stop? Where do you draw the line then? **** if I know anymore. If it's B1 and B2, that'll do for me pal (in the voice of Tom Ross).

And before you all lace into me - I am no racist, I am a guardian of free speech and traditional values thanks... I'm about the only person in the world that still uses the word 'gay' in it's proper sense. Yes, happily married, and still able to have a gay old time down at the Villa.

Move along... It's all about the context - not the actual words.

Kon Tiki - The Shadows...

Just long enough to run out onto the pitch, do your 'Mr Shaky Hands Man' routine with the oppo and then get the knives out...

Do it...

Parklife? **** off... Chelsea supporting rocket polishers. At the FA Cup semi in 2010, Albarn put his fingers to his lips in my direction when I was having a rant. Blur can **** right off for evermore. Gormless little word removed.

No, let's have something classical - I like the thought of Mars by Gustav Holst as previously mentioned. I also like the thought of something Star Warsy, though this has been done by Spurs and Sheff Utd.

My vote would be the Thunder and Lightning Polka by Strauss. If you don't know it, go listen to it.

Blur can **** right off. And Oasis - or whatever they are calling themselves these days... Beady little bastard eyes is it?

Just shy of 8 days then... Loads of time...

Come on Villa, get your finger out...

Rio will probably wade in shortly with some comment or other about Magnums or Choc-Ices...

:oops: :oops:

/\ Team GB - home advantage ;-)

Ennis anyone???

Sorry Puss - that goal was not offside... I'd have flagged for it myself in real time, but I would have been proven wrong. That's why I'm a fan, and not an official.

It's a long season Mike. We will know a bit more after Everton at home and Tranmere.

League - 10th - some better performances and atmospheres... Still a home reversal to Citeh, Gunners and Manure...

LC - 5th Round; going out to Arsenal's young guns.

FA Cup - 3rd Round; away defeat at Liverpool...

Ennis and Pendleton anyone?

Mmmmmmmmmm... :-)

Sorry - Ennis is gorgeous...

Actually, I have edited this post in case my wife finds it...

I go with Kammy...