Jon

Quite a few - More than 10, though I haven't counted exactly - and it's been a pleasure.

Al (LV), PB, Jonathan (The Fear), Risso, Jon, Bicks, Drat, Paulo, Denis, Ian R, AJ, - that's 11, and there are more. Stick or twist?

show off :roll: :winkold:

the North_West villains.

So: Bicks, Al, Risso, Pete Bland.

Would've met Ian (drat) too, if he hadn't wimped out at the last minute pretending he was dying :wink:

almost.

proofreader :wink:

its not one of those jons where you can have a fixed idea in your head of what you're going to do that day, that would be impossible.

I dunno, i do seem to manage OK knowing exactly what lies ahead :winkold:

3-4

I'm a teacher.

Anyone see Dispatches last Thursday on Channel 4? My school was on that, its a mess. This is my first year teaching and I'm moving schools this summer so I hoping to enjoy it more, otherwise I'll do something else. Problem is I don't know what that something else might be.

i think teaching depends a hell of a lot upon which school your at. Not wanting to sound snobbish, but if you're at a school where the kids want to learn, your job satisfaction will increase immensely.

My sister has just got a job teaching (starts in sept) but it's at a decent-ish school i think (wilmslow high up here in leafy cheshire). But she has had to do some stints in some god awful school s too where the kids simply don't want to be there (many of them anyway) and can make the teacher's job hell.

good luck in your new school mate.

toughie for me this.

went for option 3 in the end, but was hovering between 2 and 3 for a while and could have chosen either. The job can be quite interesting, and at other times quite dull. However, as Juju said, even with the more interesting jobs out there, they nearly always still involve a fair degree of repetition and monotony. :yawn:

But i feel i could do much more, it's essentially not the area i did my degree or masters in (politics :oops: ) but most of the people are OK and the hours aren't too bad. I just feel i have more to offer, i suppose. It's just a question of getting off my arse and pushing myself.

My job is data programming with a little bit of anaysis thrown in occassionaly.

Isn't he on holiday? or is he back?

yep.

he's shaking his head with me as i type. 8)

I think definately so.

Forget what you think of the bloke.

I agree with the first bit, which is why i voted Yes.

He is the sort of signing that DOL would like to see 4 more of.

Not a squad filler, but a probbale improvement on the first 11 who would be highly lilkely to go straight into the team.

Do I want him at VP? Not especially. Dislike him intensely, as a person. I'm also not too sure what he offers over and above the Dazz Vass meister. His scoring record/ratio is no better. :shock:

But, If DOL wants and rates him, then Yes, he would be a quality signing, in as much as it shows we have some ambition to go and get some of the bigger name, better players in the Prem and pay some significant transfer fees and wages.

Still think there were/are better options out there though, other than bellendamy.

... And it is my feeling that the negativity is mainly due to previous experiences and not based on this years facts.

It is based upon both, SO FAR, David.

AS YET, we have brought in nobody who we could reasonably assume we're part of DOL's "LIST OF 4" Quality Costly players.

past experience says they won't be coming.

this year's facts have done little to persuade me that they are coming.

There's a big difference between allegedy "being in the mix" for a player, and actually signing the cheque for his purchase.

Is value for money the most important consideration?

Is Beattie a better player than Phillips, now there's a proper question - unless we are the Walmart shoppers of the premiership of course - oh right

I can see a nail.

..... and it's just been hit on it's head very, very hard.

here's another good question also:

"should we be looking at better strikers than Phillips"?

If so, why aren't we?

ah! .......

no, it was written in invisible ink :wink:

personally, i don't think any of the signings made so far particularly strengthen our fully fit first 11, meaning that i don't think any of them woulod necessarily walk stright into the first team in the way that a Yakubu, Distin, Bellamy or Parker would have.

Stuart Taylor will probably prove to be OK and could well be challenging Tommy for the keepers Jersye very quickly.

Delaney, when fit and not blabbing to the press, at right back is widely regarded as one of the better players in the premiership in that position - Hughes was not even getting many games last season - and for me has not "shone" when i've seen him play anyway, so to suggest that he is going to walk straight in ahead of Delaney is a bit premature.

Can't see who Phillips will get in ahead of (this is a player somewhat past his best who was being kept out of the Saints 11 by Crouch and Kamara). Ditto Berger - he'll be a bench option for me.

So for me, all signings so far are very much List B, and are not from the "A List" of players who DOL said the "substantial funding" would allow him to bring in.

could still happen that we will bring in 4 from the A list. In my mind, there's more chance of hell freezing over first though.

That realy depends on who else we sign doesn't it?

So do you think that we'll end up with 8 or 9 players in?

Think? No.

Possible? Yes.

Under an Elies regime :shock:

that would go aginst all previous Elies history and thinking.

some people would convince themselves that us signing the Binman from down the street would mean Champions League.

I've yet to be particularly excited by any signing so far, although i was happy with the purchase of Taylor.

seems a bit obvious this one Trickie?

If DOL had any genuine money ay his disposal he would not be going for freebies and bargain basement players.

He is clearly aware that since Bruce's departure the "promised" funds have disappeared.

LIST A left the club in Langham's back pocket.

Ellis is an ex-bluenose. Hmm I see your point Seriously though, is Ranson a bluenose FAN ? That's the clincher.

not sure he's a fan, but he played for them, amongst other clubs.

Thinking about it, if he WAS a Nose fan, then maybe he realises just what a big Club Villa is, far Bigger than SHA, and so realises the true worth of the club and it's potentail, and knows that the current Ellisian version of AVFC is not a true reflection of what Villa could be ........

Voted for Esther.

would be a very nice Xmas present.

Excellent signing may help keep Sorenson 'focused' this season. He was really rated by many when he was at arsenal. Give him a couple of years and he'll be our new number 1.

change years for weeks or months, and i'd agree completely

went for option 1 :shock:

from what i've seen of him he is top notch.

also, that choice is based upon the fact that i don't rate Tommy S very highly, so i believe, if given the opportunity (big IF) Taylor could be our number 1 sooner rather than later.

If Tommy makes some of the howlers he made last season , i think DOL will be quicker to put this guy in than he was with the Postman.

Welsh git for me - he has the speed and the finish.. DV only has the speed.

We can't get emotional because Darius is from Birmingham... this is a football club and it needs moved forward.

but his scoring ratio is no better than that of the Dazz Man :?

personally i rate vass as one of the best at pulling defenders away and creating space for other players... we certainly noticed and missed his contribution when we had cole lazily strolling around the pitch...

its a shame that vass isnt the greatest finisher as if he was a better finisher, i feel he would rival the best strikers in the country....

Voted for Dazz Vass too.

For precisely these reasons.

However, it would be quite nice to have the pair of 'em in the same line up - the pace of those two would scare the sh*t out of almost any premiership side ....

Voted an emphatic YES.

of course he'll sign.

It just won't be for us .........

went for bellendamy.

for the simple reason that we need A striker.

almost ANY striker would do TBH ..................... apart from Carlton Cole, obviously.

above us i would expect to see:

Chelsea, ManUre, Arse, Liverpool, Spurs, Boro.

So, for me, dependant upon injuries and any signings, i can foresee anywhere from 7th to say 15th or so. :wink:

Evernot had a bizzare season and may also be distracted somewhat byt he CL before they get knoced out, which in turn could effect their results ....

Notlob - don't know what to expect. Could finish 7th, could finish 17th.

Citeh: had a good run of results towards the end of last season under Psycho Pearce. But they have no money to spend and have 1 quality player in SWP, and 1 less if they sell Distin to us :roll: . Mid table for them, I would say.

Chartlon - always there or thereabouts in mid table.

I'd lump us in with this midtable bunch ........ sadly now already being left behind by the 2nd teir of Spurs and Boro.

EDITED: sorry - forgot about barcodes - going nowhere under Sourness - midtable finish.

centre left.

Just like Gareth Barry

Sounds like you are just a chocolate soldier after all.

Chocolate soldiers. Mmmmmmmm ...... Chocolatey .....

are they like that chocolate money stuff you can get