bannedfromHandV

Hasn't covered himself in glory at Eire or Darlington mind you but that can be easily overlooked by simply watching a replay of that left foot strike at Old Trafford in 1993

That easily? Really?

Stevehic Stanhic Stauntonhic should really not be considered.. hic.

Well I hadn't heard anything about that until your post.

Still a legend for me though and that kind of thing can be rectified at least, with difficulty in some cases but achievable, if he had been entirely inept then that would be more of a worry as you can't necessarily teach it.

Who is MM? Big names or safe bets?

Jol is a consideration but honestly they have no fixed names at the moment . To me it's pretty obvious reading the players comments MacDonald is the favourite and I expect Staunton to be in the mix as assistant somewhere along the line .

I don't know by the way for a fact

Would really like to see that actually, Stan was always a major fav of mine as a kid.

Hasn't covered himself in glory at Eire or Darlington mind you but that can be easily overlooked by simply watching a replay of that left foot strike at Old Trafford in 1993

Sven is not on the radar :!:

Thank god

Barely needs confirming but just so that I can sleep tonight Mysteryman can you also confirm that fat arsa Maradonna is not on the agenda?

Hi General, I have to echo some of the complaints regarding the North Stand lower on Saturday.

It seems strange that the far end has now been closed off both in terms of food and drink and an exit after the game. The food and drink issue as many have said will cost the club a fair bit of money I'd imagine, my partner for example refused to queue up being as the queue was about 50+ people deep!!

Only having one exit after the match is likely to cause an immense amount of frustration too.

I appreciate much of this might be in advance of us rebuilding the stand next summer but I can't see how it's a problem to at least open the gates at the end of the match down the far end.

Maybe K-Mac thinks Weimann is better than Delfouneso? Maybe he's right?

Who knows?

All I know is that variety is the spice of life and Saturday was a Chicken Tikka Madras!

Bring in javier Aguirre. Speaks English. Got Atletico to Champions League for 1st time in 11 years, did a brilliant job at Osasuna getting to Champions League qualifiers. Has international pedigree at Mexico and not afraid to deal with ego's like he did with Maniche

Isn't he well racist?

Could be confusing him with someone else tho........

I'm just preparing myself for the worse and just trying to get behind and see where we go whoever.

Even Mark HUghes who i despise i would just have to grin and bare it.

Whoever we get people are going to kick off, well apart from Jol who we wont get unfortunately.

I hope we're well on with a shortlist though.

WTF!!!

Why are people still talking about Mark Hughes?!?

He's just signed for Fulham FFS, like one whole frickin week ago.

Same goes for McLaren who has this summer signed on in Germany (always forget who with, want to say Werder Bremen but it isn't them is it?)

For Villa's next manager look to who is currently out of work, for me the next manager will come from one of:

Alan Curbishley (most likely IMO, sadly)

Sven (least likely IMO, thank fk)

Jurgen Klinsmann (would love to see)

Gareth Southgate (would hate to see)

We have no money, that much is apparent, the likes of Hiddink etc would have no interest in managing us with no funds available, so we can forget about that standard of manager.

it will be Bob Bradley or Alan Curbishly IMO.

Neither of which will take us forward, IMO.

We are ****, and anyone who knows the general nature of my posts will know that I'm not a pessimist by trade but we are ****.

Holy **** nuts, Rafinha off to Genoa from Schalke 04. :shock:

Aside from swapping the superior Alberto Zapater for Miguel Veloso, they're building quite a team down there.

Beautiful place Genova....can easily understand why players would be attracted to playing and more importantly living there.

Really makes you think that little further about the nature of transfers, I mean if someone had a choice of Birmingham or Genova, well......the two don't even compare.

Birmingham is just so beautiful a city :shock:

Just watching the Emirates Tournament on the box and i was wondering General if it would be possible for Villa to host a tournament of its kind?

Surely it would be fantastic preperation for the side, playing a tournament at home and also the revenue would be fantastic for the club.

Well, there's the question... revenue.

Getting Milan, Celtic and Lyon to Villa Park would cost, say, £2-3 million in appearance fees (it was about £2 million at Arsenal and we'd have to pay more).

So assuming we could sell 40,000 tickets for each day - 80,000 total - at £25 then we'd break even at £2 million. And then, yes, maybe we could make money from TV/sponsorship.

But do you really think we could sell 40,000 tickets for £25? We don't often sell 40,000 and our matchday prices are often lower than that. And our fans still grumble about having to pay it. It's a lot easier for Arsenal, who sell out 60,000 each week at £40-£50 per ticket, to make money off what is a 'discount' to their fans.

Guaranteed revenue is more from getting paid to play in things, ie pre-season tournaments elsewhere. The reason Arsenal don't do this is because Wenger won't do pre-season tours, just a training camp in Austria, so they had to come up with the Emirates Cup. But I'm not sure it would suit us economically.

Factor in advertisement/sponsorship money as well as money spent by fans at and around the ground too.......so long as we didn't lose money I can't see it being anything other than positive as it will help raise the profile of the club which is invaluable.

It could, possibly, but I have the feeling all he'd have to say is; 'nothing new to update, discussions still on-going'.

So all he'd do is come on and tell the truth you mean?

The missus gives me a quartlery trim down......chest, pits, stomach, weird patch of hair on my right upper arm and once a year on a few weird patches on my back.....I trim the bush though......unfortunately it has to be done

Going by your previous guesses on an extensive range of subjects, who cares what your guess is.

Nice to see your lot spending mega bucks as well considering how often you tell us your rich and cash rich and can afford whatever it takes

Sod off you smug, patronising git

Since you apparently disagree with the points I made, why don't you try explaining why they are wrong instead of resorting to stupid insults? It would be a lot more interesting.

PS. What Spurs are or are not doing is irrelvant to a discusson about Milner's situation.

well firstly Man City haven't done much recently have they?

Everyone thought they would be the ones to get 4th yet you stopped them.

Everyone thought that they would get big name players in, they haven't. The only big name doesn't really want to be there Robinhio. Ok they have bought Silva but is he one of the best players in the world? not at the moment.

At the moment they are signing players who are 8/10, not the 10/10 they want like Kaka, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Eto etc etc.

Everyone thinks we need the transfer funds, but by the sounds of it we need to reduce the peripheral players who are on way too much and shouldn't really be at Villa. Beye, Shorey, Heskey etc.

We should be able to offer competitive wages considering we have always had a small squad and should hopefully sell on these peripheral players to other teams, thus freeing up hopefully near £200k a week in wages to help offer better contracts to the people who want to be a part of villa. Gabby, Young, Delfouneso, Collins, etc.

I am sure the media will no doubt assume that City will get champions league, not forgetting they all thought Liverpool would contend for the title last year and that villa wouldn't really be anywhere near contention for 4th.

If Milner wants to go then we should be wanting at least £25m straight up for him and if they are pissing about at £20m then we want a sell on clause as well, because no doubt their player turnaround at City soon will be down to about 18 months.

Look at Chelsea a couple of seasons ago, bargain central because they couldn't be arsed with some of their players. Even now they let Joe Cole go for nothing.

We need to make sure that we are sustainable as a club and that we can still offer competitive wages with the majority of clubs we are competing with.

Good post

Am I the only happy fan here at the moment then?

No, it just seems that way..... :winkold:

yer but you can put anyone in this thread and they'll be better than Heskey

That's why I have chosen a player who has played well in England for Tottenham (top scorer for them in 98/99 and 99/00 before injuries made it difficult for him) and who has played and scored a lot of goals in Champions League for Rosenborg.

The best backup for Carew available.

Wackiest comment of the summer award goes to.......

I know there has been no papers speculating this, but I see that Steffen Iversen wants to move to England for family reasons. The Rosenborg forward has proven that he is capable of playing in the Premier League, and even though he is 33 years old, he is a better header than Carew and has an extraodinary good football brain.

Sell Heskey, sign Iversen on a free transfer, and we will save quite a bit on salaries. His big experience in Champions League might come handy when we go out to play in Europe.

Some Iversen goals

Oh wait, you mean this isn't a joke?!?

Hope Cuellar is okay - we wouldn't want to be starting the season with doubts over both him and Collins.

I actually think davies/dunne could be a defensive dream team, may be a blessing in disguise

... why stop now...

The Ellis effect. Villa fans as a collective are still traumatised by the reign of Mr Ellis whereby every 3 to 4 seasons a manager would leave and be replaced.

Some fans are now terrified of managerial continuity and are unable to see the benefits of allowing a good manager, good time to manage the club with a long term vision. The footballing abuse these fans have suffered is horrific and are not to blame for their trauma.

They often demand for MON to be replaced without considering a suitable alternative or the negative impact this approach has had on the club previously.

If Mourinho were interested or the club were performing way below (realistic) expectation in the league and cups then it might be a relevant time to consider a change of manager.

You need a good reason to sack a manager who has helped the club qualify for European competition for the 3rd season running as well as reaching a domestic cup final and semi-final. Maybe even Ellis would have struggled for a good reason.

A voice of reason in an ocean of noise.....

Oooo that scumbag word removed Milner looks like he might be staying which MON doesn't seem fussed about.

Have we any money now?

WTF Jez?

Grow up mate, seriously. You're acting like a **** 10 year old, it's pathetic - and that goes for the rest of the people making these comments too, to single out Jez is a little unfair but it's the only one I've seen this morning.

Perhaps i should have put a after that first sentence

I dont agree with people slagging him off, neither did i agree with people slagging off Barry before he left.

Fairy nuff, angry rant retracted.

Oooo that scumbag word removed Milner looks like he might be staying which MON doesn't seem fussed about.

Have we any money now?

WTF Jez?

Grow up mate, seriously. You're acting like a **** 10 year old, it's pathetic - and that goes for the rest of the people making these comments too, to single out Jez is a little unfair but it's the only one I've seen this morning.

Just don't see how people get off on watching a living thing in distress and pain.

It's sadistic and has no place in the year 2010.

Hi General, posted this at the start of the summer but the thread got locked shortly after without a response, hoping you can answer this time around:

Hi Gen, question for the season ticket bars for next season:

For me this is one of the only bones of contention I have with Villa in general and that is having to pay to enter the season ticket holders bars before a match. Firstly, I don't personally believe that as ST holders we should then have to pay a further few quid to enter these bars before a match but I do appreciate that it's a good extra revenue stream for the club and as such my suggestion would be to introduce a sliding scale for entrance fees, for example 2 hours or more before a game - full price, less than 2 hours say half price, one hour or less should be free.

There are many occasions when I have reached the ground later than planned and rather than pay what is in essence around £7 or so for one pint (£3 actual cost of drink + entrance fee) I have instead chosen to simply mull around outside, this has then cost the club the money that I would have paid for a pint but refused to on the basis that I would have had to have spent more just to get in than the cost of the drink itself - which is lunacy!

Is this something you think could be implemented or at least something you could approach the appropriate people regarding?

I appreciate the club will hardly miss the odd £3 from me but I can imagine that there are quite a few other people this could/would relate to.

Thanks and welcome back.

The only clubs we are a feeder club for is the best clubs in the country and the richest. No-one else can afford our players and they wouldn't want to take a step down. That's not exactly a bad thing and using the term 'feeder club' for dramatic effect only serves to cause an argument over it's exact meaning.

Does the fact that we are feeding the top clubs in the country make us any less of a feeder club then Lex? I mean what is your definition ?

I would have thought that it would be better to be in the position of taking the best players from the clubs around you rather than losing them but hey ho each to his own I guess

Tell that to Man United and the Ronaldo transfer or Arsenal with Toure/Adabayor/Fabrigas, Liverpool with Masherano and Chelsea with Cole.

It happens to every club.

I've tried telling him this Lex, unfortunately it doesn't suit him and so doesn't seem to compute.

Its also amazing that Milner has one good season and now everyone thinks he's a world beater!

In the same way some think Ireland is a world beater after,.....oh yes, one good season.

Nobody has said Ireland is a world beater. We just said Ireland is as good or maybe better than Milner.

The teams rumoured to be interested in each player and the likely fees said teams would be willing to pay for the services of each, would suggest otherwise.

Anyone who thinks Ireland is even as good, let alone better than Milner is delusional, IMO.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it appears as though young Stephen Ireland has contracted the rare and incurable NRC Disease, i.e. the less he plays the better he seems to become.

I don't for one second think that we'll bring him in as he's a disruptive, untrustworthy little git who has all the hallmarks of a certain Lee Hendrie.

Thankfully we have someone with some knowledge of football in charge of transfers and hence I can sleep easy at night knowing the little retard will be plying his trade far from Villa Park, in fact I can see him ending up at that shower of shite down the road.

Not delusional, just possessed of a different opinion, you really should learn to tell the difference.

Ireland suffered a bit last season due to injuries, two new managers and the general madness at City. Before that, he had two great seasons including being player of the season at City, when he really was the complete midfielder.

As for being disruptive, apart from that nonsense to do with his dead grannies (which if reports are to be believed, started with him being bullied by other players) and wearing some Superman pants, how exactly is he disruptive? I work with a few City fans, and they'd all say he was a model professional.

Because of course fans know this, being fans n all.

Ash Young's invited me round his tonight after training, y'know, cos I'm a fan n all that, Big John Carew dropped me a text earlier as well asking what I was up to, being a fan n all. Who gives a shit about the opinion of another supporter, let alone a City fan and how the **** are they to know what he's like on a day-to-day basis?!?

I'm not saying he's not a decent enough player but to say he's as good as or even better than Milner is ridiculous and IMO smacks of all that's wrong with this and most fans' forums....how many of you midway through last season would have said then that you thought Ireland was better than Milner? Only seems to surface when it looks as though they might be leaving, up until then they're the best things since sliced bread, sycophants!

Its also amazing that Milner has one good season and now everyone thinks he's a world beater!

In the same way some think Ireland is a world beater after,.....oh yes, one good season.

Nobody has said Ireland is a world beater. We just said Ireland is as good or maybe better than Milner.

The teams rumoured to be interested in each player and the likely fees said teams would be willing to pay for the services of each, would suggest otherwise.

Anyone who thinks Ireland is even as good, let alone better than Milner is delusional, IMO.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it appears as though young Stephen Ireland has contracted the rare and incurable NRC Disease, i.e. the less he plays the better he seems to become.

I don't for one second think that we'll bring him in as he's a disruptive, untrustworthy little git who has all the hallmarks of a certain Lee Hendrie.

Thankfully we have someone with some knowledge of football in charge of transfers and hence I can sleep easy at night knowing the little retard will be plying his trade far from Villa Park, in fact I can see him ending up at that shower of shite down the road.