BG_Villa_Fan

It's a good thing to read last year's poll. Gives perspective and explains a lot.

^ wow fair enough mate. Still though, I think you'd struggle to find anyone to share your opinion on Bent/Higuain.

SGC that is a ridiculous claim. you may think he has a poor touch and technical ability but you yourself said it goals that matter. Higuain got 27 goals in 32 games last season, you cant argue with that record.

He is an average striker, he is nowhere near as good as Bent, in terms of goalscoring or general play, stick Higuain in Sunderland's team and he would struggle to get 10 goals per season.

So if you play Bent in Real in place of Higuain, he'd score more than 27 goals in 32 games?

Jon.. would you be happy if we spent £300m on players this summer then won the league. Then next summer we spent another £200m and win the CL ?

I'm not Jon, but I'll answer.

I would be happy, yes, IF Villa could generate a revenue close to these spendings ( + wages ) in the process.

All those saying that they do not want Villa to have the mega millions...

i'm not sure any sensible person who wants us to be successful would be saying that trickie.

I want Villa to spend within their financial capabilities

As do i. I haven't said otherwise.

Well, I mean within Villa's financial capabilities, you clearly mean Randy's financial capabilities, there's the difference.

All those saying that they do not want Villa to have the mega millions...

i'm not sure any sensible person who wants us to be successful would be saying that trickie.

Count me in, I don't want the mega millions.

I want Villa to spend within their financial capabilities, instead of throwing hundreds of millions they have no way to re-generate, how's that for being sensible?

They aren't all that clear cut, however, and the closer they get, the more time and viewings a video official will want to have before making a decision.

True. In no time they'll start playing commercials during these 'time-outs', then when 'we're back' some guy will be telling us 'the final decision'. YAY!

We have money.

You really havnt been paying attention over the last couple of months have you?

You must have countless links suggesting we have no money then eh?

(alternatively, and this just occurred to me, perhaps if the review is undertaken and the allegation made by appellant is found not to be true, it results in a sending-off for false appeal)

A decision is only game-changing, really, if overturning the decision is worth taking a booking for, with the ramifications thereof.

Even though I'm against these appeals, I can see your point, Levi, however I'm afraid this would raise another problem.

You say that if the appellant is found to be wrong then he should be sent off. Imagine the following scenario - last minute corner, lots of players holding each other's shirt, ball goes close to some of these and the attacking player falls to the ground, he appeals, as his shirt has been pulled, however, the referee finally decides ( after watching the replay ), that even though there's been contact it hasn't been sufficient enough to reward a penalty. Basically it's a matter of opinion, some referees would give the penalty, others would decide against it. Should then the player be sent off only because this specific referee's opinion is that the severity of the shirt pulling is not sufficient enough for a penalty?

Don't think so. Also, if the severity of the punishment for false appeals is lowered, say a yellow card, then it'd make a mockery of the game, as every player would appeal for every little challenge that some referee might decide to be enough for a penalty to be given. It'd also be used for tactical perposes in the same way that players make tactical fouls to stop dangerous counter attacks.

4 games and Ozil is already a tier above Rooney, laughable!

Rooney is world class, albeit not at his best during the World Cup for whatever reasons.

He's not jerome boateng either

Which is why he costs 10 times less, yet he's not 10 times worse.

I'm not a big fan of Pantsil, but he'd be a solid, if uninspirational, signing.

Thanks. I also expect that City would move onto some more fancy name for that kind of money, but IF Milner eventually goes I'd struggle to think why MON wouldn't be interested in some of these City players. IMO a deal of Milner for Hart, Richards ( or Onuoha ) and Ireland would improve us vastly, but I guess City might not be too happy with it and I know these types of deals are extremely rare in football.

MM, if Milner is on his way, do you think MON would want straight cash, or would he be more interested in some of Man City's players - Hart, Richards, Ireland, etc.? Do you think City would do a player(s) + cash deal?

The irony of all this is that Milner will go to Man City for big money and, upon his return to Villa Park, will either receive a decent or, at worse, a neutral reception.

Gareth Barry, one of our longest serving players through thick, and mainly, thin, who ensured that we received a decent fee for him when he departed, was booed upon his return.

That's why players don't take supporters into consideration when pondering a move.

Seriously? There can be no comparison whatsoever between the way Barry left and the eventual Milner departure.

There's a reason why Mellberg is a Villa hero and Barry is a judas to most Villa fans.

Richard, if we buy top quiality players we'd have an even bigger loss for the next financial year than the 46 million announced, as our revenue would be unlikely to increase much. Even qualifying for the Champions League would bring much less than that in revenue.

Do you see this as a good way forward for our club? Is it ambition spending much more than what one can generate? I don't see it this way and don't want Villa to keep announcing huge financial losses in the future.

Unfortunately the way of the football world these days requires mega money if you want to be successful. Now if we want that, and it appears to be an aim of the club, then we need to spend to achieve.

if we do not want to be successful and maintain a position of between 6 and 10 with the odd cup run then fine, I'd take that. It's just that the club apparently want to achieve better things

If we do not invest in better players then we will always lose out to other clubs I'm afraid and basically become a feeder club, if we aren't already

I hear you, Richard, but as we've seen with Man City even spending close to 300 million does not guarantee Champions League football or silverwear and when they get in the CL they'd need 10 years worth of prize money to even out what they've spent only on transfer fees for the past couple of years. I do not envy this model and don't want Villa to be like that, nevertheless I do agree that their approach is far more likely to get them CL football.

Still, though, as much as I'd like to see world class players come to Villa, I want the funds for them to come from the club's revenue streams and not from loans ( from whoever and wherever they might be ). I want Randy to improve the club's ability to make money, and be self sustained, don't want to read how much our next year's expected financial loss might be or how much debt we're into.

Richard, if we buy top quiality players we'd have an even bigger loss for the next financial year than the 46 million announced, as our revenue would be unlikely to increase much. Even qualifying for the Champions League would bring much less than that in revenue.

Do you see this as a good way forward for our club? Is it ambition spending much more than what one can generate? I don't see it this way and don't want Villa to keep announcing huge financial losses in the future.

The Mail printed a story saying that we wanted to sign Zig Zag and because he signed for them it must be wrong

Not because he signed for SHA, but because Aston Villa have officially commented on the issue and have been very clear about not being interested in him.

Carew.

it was a barter to get rid of Baros

So? He's turned a bag of shit into the most prolific striker we've had for the last 10 years...

Also, if you exclude Carew, then MON has spent a total of 7.5M on strikers in 3+ years and having a very decent scoring record for that period. Name the teams who have spent less on strikers during that period in the Premiership.

Chindie wrote:

And why d you want us to sign Radamel Falcao Garcia? Can you fill us in on how good he is, any previous he has, what experience he has, what his attributes are?

If you never take a chance, you never win..

who knows? maybe he would score a lot of goals here and be hero?or maybe he will be very poor here, like Heskey.. Doyle and Keane is not a chance, they will both be poor here, you heard it here first, just like ........ :-(

Just like Dunne and Collins right?

We are talking about strikers

name one good he has bought??

Carew.

Chindie wrote:

And why d you want us to sign Radamel Falcao Garcia? Can you fill us in on how good he is, any previous he has, what experience he has, what his attributes are?

If you never take a chance, you never win..

who knows? maybe he would score a lot of goals here and be hero?or maybe he will be very poor here, like Heskey.. Doyle and Keane is not a chance, they will both be poor here, you heard it here first, just like ........ :-(

Just like Dunne and Collins right?

And why d you want us to sign Radamel Falcao Garcia? Can you fill us in on how good he is, any previous he has, what experience he has, what his attributes are?

I guess he's rated a 10 for shooting and finishing and scores shedloads for Villa if you buy him in Football manager! What's not to like here.

I can't believe this referee has been given a FA cup semi final game, he's not fit to referee in sunday league football.

I can already imagine eventual Champions league matches in a half empty Villa Park, despite the overwhelming desire to get there. The club might be in a fight for 4th, and they might get it, but we, as fans, do not deserve a Champions League team, or a Wembley appearance for that matter.

For a team that lost it's spine in Laursen and Barry ( I'd also include Bouma ), just coming close to last season's points total would have presented a good season if you had asked me before the season started, and deffinitely after the Wigan game. Now, perspectives change rapidly. I remember there were people during the big meltdown who predicted we'd have a relegation fight, others said we'd struggle to make top 10, now some of the same people try to present finishing 6th/7th as a failure.

I think the most important aspect for me would be the general feel good factor that we have, the sense of purpose and bright future and what we've already achieved has surpassed my expectations from the summer, so whatever happens until the end of the season, I consider it a step forward and a successful one.

Man U had to give their best to win it, I'm proud of our players! UTV!