Harry

General krulak here:

1. Good post.

2. Harry: I "slagged off" MON??? You mean by saying what I felt...and many others felt? By answering the questions posed on this Board re. "what happened?" Amazing! Because I talked about the fact that no one is bigger than the Club? Me, Randy, etc? Not sure I would call that slagging anyone. I answered a question as honestly as I could...would you rather I 1) not answer, 2) not answer honestly or 3) not tell the truth as I see/know it?

General perhaps the term 'slagging off' was a little harsh and for that I apologise but as you would surely agree this forum is all about opinions and views and I have expressed mine. I would also draw you attention to the last line of my post which is a huge vote of confidence in RL.

The fact is MON has gone from hero to zero in many fans, eyes including my own, but my point was that the Board must also bear a responsibility, in my opinion, for MON's departure. I suggested in my post that there had been a breakdown in communication. I would amplify that further by comparing RL's interview on the official site on 13th May (I think) with the statement made by the club immediately post 9th August. Clearly something fundamental happened in that three month period

Perhaps I should be posting this on your question thread but here goes anyway. General:

"Do you think the Board of Aston Villa bear some responsibility for the manner and timing of Martin O"Neill's departure?"

PS: Mods - I have now posted this as a question on the General's thread.

That insider is full of shit. I wish people would come to terms with that.

Agreed!! I follow him / her / it and I think I could make up bollox like that too as its just a rehash of media speculation

Only just got around to reading your article Gazton (apologies for that!) I agree with pretty much everything you say and the underlying message is patience which many who post on VT, including myself on occasion, have not always exercised in what we have said.

Where I would disagree with you or add clarification is that the Board cannot escape some blame for the departure of MON. A senior and critical figure in an organisation leaves at very short notice over a fundamental disagreement. We don't know the precise details but I'd be certain both sides would agree there was one. The Board is responsible for running AVFC (company and club) and they must bear some responsibility for MON's departure. Communication is two way and what is clear is that there was a breakdown of that between the Board and MON.

I was a supporter of MON as our manager but I think he behaved in a poor and almost putulant manner in both the timing and manner of his departure. Having said that though I would have more respect for the Board if they had acknowledged their role rather than sending the General on here to slag MON off (my interpretation for the record).

But I'll give RL my continued as I think he has done wonders for the club and I'm certain he is trying to the best for us now

Curbs moves to front of Villa job queue - Exclusive

Alan Curbishley's hopes of landing the Aston Villa job have been boosted after talks with the club.

Villa owner Randy Lerner returns to Birmingham today to weigh up his options on who should replace Martin O’Neill.

US businessman Lerner spent three days holed up at a London hotel with Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner interviewing candidates.

And Curbishley, who played for Aston Villa from 1983-1984, is believed to have met with them.

Curbishley,52, is out of work since leaving West Ham two years ago and previously spent 15 years establishing Charlton in the top-flight.

Villa chairman Lerner wants someone with Premier League experience as caretaker Kevin MacDonald is not their preferred option.

But potential moves for Everton’s David Moyes and Fulham’s Mark Hughes face huge hurdles with neither man in a rush to quit.

Curbishley’s fellow out-of-work bosses Gianfranco Zola, Gerard Houllier, Sven Goran Eriksson and Gareth Southgate are also very keen.

Curbishley told a Mirrorfootball podcast earlier this summer he would “love” the Villa job.

He said: “Anyone would be interested and I am, for sure. They are a massive club.

“I know a lot about them having played there and I would love it.”

Villa are fourth in the table after winning two of their first three League games despite O’Neill quitting five days before the start of the season.

But Villa crashed out of Europe under MacDonald following a shock loss to Austrian club Rapid Vienna and lost 6-0 at Newcastle.

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You need to look no further that the author of this article, our old friend James Knobhead Nursey. When you read what he says its all about how much Curbishley wants to job but that does not make him the front runner.

All this from a man who claims to be ITK and who single handedly and gleefully stirred up the Milner transfer saga throughout the summer but failed to spot the elephant in the room which was the collapse of MON's relationship with the club. What a clearing in the woods.

any thoughts on Avram Grant?

Yes, he looks like Larry Grayson's corpse

Have to say I spat my tea over my PC after reading that LOL

Probably the funniest posts I have ever read on VT

To give her credit, villa_insider on twitter gave me a nod and wink about Moyes yesterday.

I didn't expect it to come to anything but maybe she is actually who she claims to be.

Except the so called 'Villa Insider' on Twitter spouts complete garbage such as the mythical special press conference on Friday. I seriously think he / she is the same person as that clearing in the woods GingerCollins29 on here with the 'ITK' statement that the new manager was being appointed last Friday

I can't see us signing anyone IMO. I can see a couple going but nothing else.

One from left field but I think Pulis could be a good shout. With better players he could be very good. At minimum we would have a very well organised side who would be difficult to beat. Not a bad starting point IMO.

I hope the post from H&V has some truth, never sure about ITK type posts but it sounds plausible and sensible. I guess we just have to get through the Everton game with minimum damage and then not lose any key players before the window closes then it's over to RL and PF to get the right man in. That two week break has turned out to be a real blessing.

Although the apparent inactivity is uber frustrating it's so important to make the right appointment. We could have appointed the likes of Phil Brown the same day MON left but that's not the answer as we all know.

I cannot believe some posters are seriously talking about Curbishley as the next manager. So not good enough!!

If they appoint Phil Brown we will be complete laughing stocks. It's so far fetched it's unreal......or is it??

I don't put too much store on the article as its in the Evening Mail which is about as pro Villa and accurate as James Nursey in the Mirror.

Having said all that I can't see the club splashing out for a top flight manager and I suspect that puts KM in pole position against more average candidates. I will suspend my judgement until after the Everton game but despite having the trust and confidence of the players the Newcastle game suggested to me, at least, that he is out of his depth as an PL manager.

A few posters are suggesting that the appointment of a big name manager could undo what has been achieved in the past four years. Sadly I think that is already happening. The manner in which we lost MON, regardless of what you think of him, coupled with the total mismanagement of his departure and the whole wages and transfer fee issues have all contributed. Sadly my take on RL is that he's not such a great owner as we all thought. The best you can say is that he has appointed the wrong people to run the club. Is it just me who thinks that Faulkner is clueless?

If Randy Lerner is so uncommitted to Villa he could sell the club for a very tidy profit. He bought the club for £65m or so. I think there are about £90m of loans to the club from his family trusts at the last count. Is Villa worth more that £160m today? Well Blues was sold for around £90m so its not too hard to see that Villa is worth much much more. I don't recall ever seeing any suggestion he wants out.

Today has proved that KM is probably not the man for the job but to be fair he has not put himself forward for it. I suspect if we have a decent set of results before the end of the month he will be offered the job. Clearly today moves the goal posts slightly!

However he has been asked to take on a role and he will do it to the best of his ability. Whether he is the best man for the job is a different question. Regardless he how he performs in the role he gets my support pending a permanent appointment.

My problem lies with the broader club. They have **** up royally over MON and all the wriggling and finger pointing by the likes of the General cuts no ice with me. The Board runs the club ultimately and they have blamed MON for the way they allowed him to run it.

Net effect we have a managerless, rudderless ship. I have tremendous respect for RL but I doubt that Paul Faulkner really knows what he is doing. We talk bravely about increasing the capacity of the ground - why?. The replica kits do not go on sale until the middle of September - why?. They have piddled around with cosmetic changes to VP - why? They have allowed inflated wages to be paid to average players - why? Based on recent events it smacks to me of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

They need to sort out this shambles as soon as possible. Its nothing to do with today's result, that is just the result of what has and is going on. The club will always have my support but all the good work of the last few years could very quickly unravel if prompt action is not taken.

Lets wait and see what happens but we are being trounced here by a pretty average side. The real test of a manager is how he deals with it. I suspect the biggest mistake he has made is putting Clark in at CB for this game and no Davies on the bench. I can understand the former but not the latter.

That midfield would be fairly weak defensively!

Have you seen Delph's tackles - ouch!

A very very assured performance. I noticed one mistake in the second half that Dunne sorted out. He looked like he had played there for years and for me it was every bit as good as Albrighton's performance. Hopefully he will get more games as I suspect whoever gets the manager's job will not pick favourite players each week nor persistently play players pout of position either.

One thing's for sure we do not need five CBs and for me the player who goes is Davies not least as he's probably the one who is easiest to sell for a decent price given his (apparent) wages and his age.

He might still be small at five foot seven ins but he's got the heart of a lion and he's a bloody good footballer, as well as being a dirty little bugger when the occasion demands.

Most of you probably aren't old enough to remeber Billy Bremner but that's an apt description of him.

You beat me to the keyboard with the Bremner comparison.

Seriously I think he's quite a decent prospect and I think we should give him a few chances. If he shapes up its another CM option and he is miles better than Osbourne who incidentally forgot to turn up for a game when on loan at Forest!!

I thought he was only about four feet tall?

its amazing how a lot of people now think ireland is a better player than milner, bet few would of said that a few months back.

Im not saying i wouldnt want ireland hes a decent player but not as good as milner in my opinion.

I think Ireland is a very good attacking midfielder who is clearly surplus to requirements at City. Milner is a more rounded and more hardworking player but I don't see it as an either / or for Villa.

Given the choice I'd have Milner every time but I think Ireland could be a good signing for us but with us keeping Milner!

mirrorfootball is suggesting man city will offer us SWP to make the milner deal easier...(yes its mirror football).

I really hope that is the usual Mirror bollox as SWP must be one of the most overated players in the Premier League. To me he typifies a bad winger - he beats the player, beats the player, beats the player then falls over / blasts the ball into row Z / crosses out (delete as appropriate).

Overall a big no from me.

I think it has to be a cup, preferably the Europa or the FA Cup as a second choice. Its a trophy and a sign of success. Better still its a realistic goal. Everybody gets hyped up about finishing 4th but you still have to qualify for the CL from there. Unless you win the league you have not won anything and lets be realistic winning the Premier League is beyond us (at the moment!).

lads, everyones focussing on the wage bill in the wrong way

yes, cutting it is imperitive... but i dont think its cutting it for first teamers that's the issue. its getting the players mon has signed and doesnt use off the wage bill, with a warning never to **** things up so badly again on the wage front. i cant see randy having issues paying guys who are ACTUALLY playing football

so far as i can see it hes just sick of paying for mons mistakes to sit on their arses

Think there is something in this personally ! Also Randy does have the money but wants to see the club get itself into a position where it can stand on it's own 2 feet .

I really hope that is the case. I think its all about the wage bill. We should not be paying players like Beye £40k per week and they are nowhere near the starting line up or often the bench. I'm not having a go at those players, its just common sense. Surely and particularly given MON's history of playing very few players to have a bench of genuine game changers or potential starters AND the up and coming young players.

So say we did sign Keane he could be on the bench (or Carew could be) and you have say Eric Lichaj as cover for RB or defence generally.

Someone did post an list of the player wages, which assuming they were accurate, could lead to a gross saving of around £200k per week assuming we shifted Sidwell, Beye, Shorey, Davies and Heskey. I have specifically not counted NRC and Luke Young as I think we should keep them (some hope!). Say Keane cost £60k per week and we doubled Milners wages we still save £100k per week. Sounds like sensible economics to me.

If you lost NRC and Young that would be another £80k per week which I'm sure iyou could get an up and coming RB, if needed, and a better midfielder (probably foreign) for less.

Regardless of whether Milner stays or goes I think the club needs to do those sums but my guess is they already have.

No, its a backward step. He is history, If he leaves it will be to go to Liverpool I suspect.

Anyway we need more pace in central midfield. The way he was left for dead by Ozil in the World Cup was simply terrifying.