Harry

That's very presumptuous. As a matter of fact, the new Liverpool policy is to report nothing until there is something to report but that won't stop agents leaking, journalists digging and other clubs briefing. And that assumes I give a flying **** what Liverpool's policy is on anything. Conversely you clearly put a lot of store on what is being said by agents and journalists as you started the debate on this thread. But if Liverpool say nothing why did you bother to report the leaks and digging?

He's not gone anywhere yet... That is kinda the point, he meant Luke not Ashley I suspect. Oh yeah - forgot about that dodged bullet. Downing deal might not happen. I'm just passing on what I've heard. I would have thought there's a desire to push it through while you're without a manager. And exactly how do Liverpool 'push' a deal through for our player when we don't have a manager ? That depends on your CEO, doesn't it? As long as you don't have a manager, that's one less person who might try to block any deal. Yes, because we have a track record of selling players we want to keep to Liverpool. Our board have never been strong armed by other clubs, and with us practically powerless to keep Ashley Young I think selling Downing before we get a manager in is a long shot to say the least. Next you'll be telling us you heard Downing to Liverpool for a fee of £12M. Spot on and well said mate!

When was Downing linked with Liverpool? :? I don't see us letting Ash and Downing go.. It will be one of them and it's Ash imo. Absolutely spot one. Young will go but I think Downing will be held to his contract. I have to say I get fed up of all this 'billy big bollocks' stuff about Liverpool in the media. I would agree Dalglish has done a good job but man for man that side is no better than Villa and has no more chance of playing CL football than we have next season. If you don't agree with that look at the competition. Liverpool recently are just like Spurs in that they want to be linked with everyone and they shamelessly allow every single shred of information to be leaked to the media. I suggest they try putting their money where their mouths are.

And your source is........?

Oddschecker tells you everything. The odds on McLaren worry me.

I think he a total prick too but on his day a very talented one. As a few have said no one will take him off our hands even for nothing on those wages so we might as well try to get him playing for us. A new manager might just deliver that. What have we got to lose?

Click I think that's probably the most balanced analysis of our probable position I have seen recently. Seemingly Ancelotti is the man they want and I applaud the club for aiming high. The only really worrying name mentioned is McLaren who would be a total no no with supporters. Personally I don't think he is anywhere near the job if for no other reason than there are better and more high profile candidates around. If not Ancelotti Jol would be a good shout, Benitez has the right sort of CV but I'm not convinced. I also quite like the idea of Martinez, a good young manager who could really build something at the club. As for the two obvious names not mentioned in the article Hughes would be a decent appointment and he is clearly in the market now. I am rapidly cooling on Moyes. By any measure he has taken Everton as far as he can and it seems it will be another summer of wheeling and dealing on a shoestring probably involving selling a prized asset. Where is his ambition? Not necessarily with us but generally. I see Hughes and Moyes as being very similar but Hughes had the courage of his convictions to put himself in the market and I quite like that.

Given we collectively know **** all about what is going on I've found it very entertaining. Not sure about 593 tugs though....the Tarot card reader must have looked like Steve McLaren :shock: if that was the case or alternatively it was a severe dose of brewers droop.

Don't you just love these translations. I think it would be equally illuminating left in Italian. Oh and what is sparigliare? Presumably not in the Google translator.

I think you will need to join the queue on that one mate.

I'll have some of what youve been drinking mate, McClaren is awful and his appointment would show a complete lack of ambition from the board and we would become a laughing stock, he could easily relegate us next season. Agreed - I just cannot see either RL or the Board going for McLaren. Look at it this way, would we try and poach him from another club? ......... exactly. I think the whole point of this delay is we want to get a top manager and clearly we are talking or trying to talk to some of the bigger names out there. The easiest thing in the world would be to appoint an out of work manager. Well at least that's what Hughes thinks.

Stop jumping the gun mate...This isnt the reason they dont want Hughes. They are after bigger fish...No disrespect to Hughes. :winkold: I agree. And also when was the last time Moxley had a good word to say about our club? He is a negative shit stirrer most of the time. Isn't Moxley another of MON's big fans so he will never have a good word to say about Villa these days.

Mat Kendrick said in an earlier tweet that there were other targets. I tweeted him and asked him for names......no reply. Perhaps not the most surprising news.

Hughes will not have left Fulham for nothing whether it be Villa or any other job. I also don't think Villa said they were not interested they merely said that they had not approached him. Maybe Hughes feels that by resigning he is opening the door for Villa? We will soon find out. Its also not clear whether Ancelotti has said no. All we have is a dodgy newspaper report to go on seemingly. If he wants to stay in England and manage a side playing in the Champions League he has a problem.

The London Standard is a reliable source in Italy? Obviously not, sorry, wrong link. This is the one I mentioned: http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/calcio/2011/06/02/visualizza_new.html_841578863.html Translation ANSA)-London, 2 June-Carlo Ancelotti and 'the big favorite for the Aston Villa bench after the departure of Gerard Houllier, while Chelsea have finally got the''you''' Guus Hiddink. According to British bookmakers, and the technical Reggiolo 'the candidate' strong to lead the next season, Villas, preferred to Mark Hughes (Fulham) and David Moyes (Everton). Ancelotti would like but 'adequate reinforcements to point to the Champions League, after 9 / or place finish this year in the Premier dall'Aston Villa. Well that's cleared that up then

Personally I'd love it to be Ancelotti, partnered with Butch, but my head says it will be Hughes. Moyes is an outside bet but unlikely as we need a quick appointment and Everton will play hardball. The rest are also rans IMO.

If we got Ancelotti and he brings in Wilkins too can we all refer to him as Butch Wilkins, as he was known in his playing days. Who the f*ck ends up with a nick name of Butch??

Very disappointed with his comments. Disrespectful to both the club and its fans. Learning point: Don't bang on about how committed you are then a few weeks bang on about how uncommitted you are just because your toe rag of an agent told you to say it. Oh and just remember how reliable and honest your last agent was.

Personally I think Hughes is the most likely replacement as I think he wants it and its a bigger job than Fulham. I also don't thing there is much to pick between Moyes and Hughes, both solid managers who will build difficult to beat sides who are well organised and work hard. Very similar to MON really. So if the club wants a safe appointment it will be Hughes. On the flip side if we really want to up the ante and make a statement we have to look for a good foreign manager. For me that's Ancelotti paired with Wilkins. Expensive but eminently gettable. My second choices would either Deschamp or Ranieri. They would get us playing football and entertaining. However my money is on the safe bet - Mark Hughes.

What about him? I think he would be a decent shout.

I'm trying to remember a summer that wasn't hailed as either "defining", a "crossroads" or something similar. Precisely what I was thinking. This is just a normal summer which is always defining. More seriously 26 points dropped from winning positions. That is frightening. If we could have saved just half of them we would have been 6th, well 5th in reality as we dropped points against Spurs so in the Europa League. That is a big learning point for next season.

Or alternatively Zidane is the French Salifou :shock: Back on topic the problem with Ireland, it seems to me, is that if everything is not 100% how he would like it he's not trying and mouthing off. I doubt he wanted to come to Villa in the first place, particularly as a makeweight in a transfer. GH gave him a chance and seemingly he blew it. We are stuck with him as no one will pay him £65k per week as he's just not worth it. Whether any manager can get more out of the petulant prick is doubtful. Why the Board signed him is unclear. Maybe MON wanted him as one of his 'projects' along with Salifou and Routeledge but to carry on and sign him post MON was madness. It would have been much better to have taken just cash for Milner which would have been a lower aggregate fee but actually in the long run a better deal. At the moment we are paying £3m per year for nothing which in effect is eating into the money we got for Milner. Only thing we can do is move him on and sub his wages, same with Beye and maybe Warnock.

I think this Blues fan has missed the point. I think he needs to read this article that was in one of the scientific journals recently: "Most anthropologists were under the impression that Neanderthal man had died out thousands of years go. And yet modern research has revealed there are small pockets of them living in the central regions of an island adjoining the main European land mass. More surprisingly they have developed a primitive method of speech and have managed to fashion crude clothing although scientists are baffled by the persistent decison to wear blue or brown check like material. Scientists have, however, been disappointed with their observations on movement. Walking upright still seems to be a problem coupled with an tendancy to drag their perfectly formed ape like hands on the ground. The survival of these archeological curiosities has surprised the indigenous homo sapiens who are their more advanced neighbours. Given the obvious problems of communication they have found it simpler to simply refer to these peoples as 'Chavs' or 'Scum'. Scientists are unclear as to whether these are terms or endearment or abuse"

What a fantastic day. In the morning I lopped 4 minutes off my personal best for a 10k race in the Hill West 10k in Sutton Park. In the afternoon we beat Liverpool hard on the heals of beating Barcelona Lite (aka Arsenal). To cap a perfect day Blues get relegated with their team of Villa cast offs. The atmosphere at VP was brilliant. Loved the "going up, going down' singing. I think for the last 10 minutes nobody was watching the game. They were all glued to their radios cheering the scores as they came through. As for MotM it has to be NRC. Loved the aggression, loved the hard tackling, loved the commitment. He has got to stay. Only bizarre bit was bringing on Gabby on the left for NRC, Very high risk IMO but GMac got away with it. Still buzzing and cannot wait for MotD. Final thought. If Craig Gardner leaves Blues will he suddenly become a super fan of the team he goes to? Just a thought.

Another way of looking at it is if Moyes thinks that there is not much more he can do with Everton what options are there in the PL for him? Man City - No as he's not a big enough name. Man U - No, Fergie wants more trophies. Chelsea - not the manager RA would go for. Liverpool - No as he will not get past King Kenny. Spurs - yes if Rednapp wants the England job but that's a year away and very speculative, Arsenal - Wenger's not going anywhere and there is no fit. Newcastle - no bigger than Villa and are unlikely to sack Pardew any time soon. So if and its a very big if we would be a decent shout. Big club with ambition and a decent squad and money but I think he will probably stay where he is at least for next season. I do like the speculation on the thread around Ancelotti and Wilkins. That would be interesting.