bannedfromHandV

Seems no away fan is going to be able to get there! Pelting down in Selly Oak

I'm hoping I should be okay leaving from Stoke, sounds like I might be the only one there out of 5,300 which should be funny.....

This game is NOT going ahead. No chance I'm afraid. Been on so many forums reading peoples quotes who are in the area and its just chaos. **** it!

Thanks a lot for your optimism and insightful thoughts, I'll choose to await an official update thanks.

I work in recruitment and have just spoken to one of our contractors who lives in Blackburn.

He's not made it into work this morning but says he sees no reason why it won't go ahead tonight as they've forecasted a bit of sunshine for the afternoon and no more heavy amounts of snow, this is liable to change but I am remaining optimistic

so long as we know either way by 5pm I'm happy......

General Krulak here:

1. I believe that most fans understand that Randy and the Board are acutely aware of ticket prices for football in the UK. I also believe that most fans know that we have the lowest ticket prices, overall , in the Premiership. At the same time, I think that most fans understand that revenue from tickets plays a significant role in the operation of the Club. I just posted (see above) an answer to a question re. "free tickets"...much of what I posted holds true for recent comments. Simply put, if we want to have a special team..a competitive team..revenue is required. Our budget is made at the beginning of the year...based upon assumed season ticket sales, individual game sales, etc. etc. We also assume as certain level of success in cup competition...and resultant revenue from those games. NOW, we ALWAYS try to be fair to the fans and to recognize the economic impact on families and individuals when we set prices...and we have, on occasion, altered prices by lowering them to recognize the hardship and to encourage fans to come to the games. My sense is that we will be fair for the upcoming games. We always have been. At the same time, we need to realize that the fans who are requesting a break on the ticket prices are some of the same fans who complain that we didn't buy enough players and enough quality during the transfer windows. We cannot be all things to all people. Sooooo, at the end of the day, we will do the best we can...as we always have. UTV!!

Bang on.

Since yourself and Randy (et al) arrived it's been like a new awakening for me.

Before you came in I had never held a ST, I also struggled to attend too many games as being a student (at the time) didn't mix well with trying to be tickets of £30+ as standard.

Now since the return of the North Stand into home territory I firstly was able to attend multiple matches in quick succession, I particularly and fondly recall the Chelsea game in which Zat made his debut, I paid I think it was £13 for my ticket having paid around the same for the Fulham game the week before.

Then last year I was able to afford a ST, all thanks to Randy and the North Stand, I honestly cannot thank you enough, though, in my attempts to thank you I will quietly and happily pay any amount you charge for the tickets against Brighton as I know the decision will have been made in the greatest of faiths.

Not even a question for me. Guzan

General Krulak here:

1. Cash Machines: As many know, we have been looking into this for a few months. I wish it were as simple as just putting one up but, as you all know, the machine needs to be "sponsored" by someone...a bank, etc. Getting someone to put one on Villa Park to be used, maybe, once a week is not the easiest thing to do. We are still working on it.

2. I absolutely will be coming over for some games. To date my Doctor has not let me fly but I think he is about ready to relent...or I will choke him like a chicken!!

Put him in the 'hurt locker' big chief

The U.S. Army didn't find Saddam Hussein hiding in the bunker, James Milner found him. After becoming bored on holiday in Dubai, James decided to go for a brisk jog, after an hour he found himself in Iraq and decided to help the war effort.....

Wow there are a lot of optimistic fans on here!!

He'll take the United job once Ferguson moves upstairs, Fergie will almost certainly have a major say in who takes over the reins and he seems to be a huge fan of O Neills what with the plethora of positive comments he's made about us since Martin took over.

I think much the same as with his own appointment at the time, Ferguson would be eager for United to not go down the route of bringing in a big name but rather someone a little more grounded.

I hope I'm wrong but I've been fairly sure of this one for a while now......

Never been before, never really had the funds nor the access before to be honest, father was too much of a frickin skinflint to shell out for cup final tickets......nor the petrol to get to London!

God I hope we get there.....

Sit back tactics and conceding late goals Feb to May last season. We just stopped playing. Stoke from 2-0 to 2-2, disaster ... that never seemed to stop.

Ridiculous.

I agree that there were times when we could be accused of sitting back but the Stoke game isn't one of them.

We were 2-0 up and absolutely cruising, it was one of the most one-sided matches I've ever seen at VP, Stoke were never in it. Gabby had a great chance to make it 3 but missed, Stoke then scored from a set-piece(?) and a 25 yard half volley, in the space of 3 minutes, how you or anyone else can call that a mistake by MoN is beyond me and illustrates to me that you cannot have played the game yourself, sometimes shit like that just happens and there isn't a lot you can do about it.

MON's biggest mistake is taking the booing at the wigan game to heart. He should have realised that anybody who booed that day was a complete and utter moron and the true supporters of this club were in the quiet majority. The 'modern' football fan who wants success and wants it now, without seeing the bigger picture is an idiot.

I wonder what percentage of this forum's members this accounts for?

Why mention Routledge and Lennon in the same sentence???

Routledge was a £1.5M 'punt-to-nothing', it didn't work out but who cares.

Lennon would have cost a lot more than £1.5M and whoever said he was up for sale anyway? The way you're talking it's as if we had Lennon and Routledge both here for medicals and chose the latter - which is far from the truth I would imagine!!

Oh annd sorrry foor douuble-tappping a keey, itt wonn't happpen agggain siiiiirrrr....

I was actually referring to the incorrect usage of the word, but crack on.

You have intrigued me, I thought I had used it correctly?

... he decided to prioritise on the League, hoping to get that 4th spot. We didn't get 4th, but not all gambles pay off. At the time right decision...

I agree. Right decision at the time, and events turning out as they did doesn't make it otherwise. You can only decide on what you know at the time, not what later turns out to happen.

I thought it was the wrong decision then, and still do. Success breeds success, and you could see the players were pissed off by throwing away a tournament they'd worked so hard at. It was the turning point in the season, for all the wrong reasons, and you don't need hindsight to realise what a shit decision it was.

How could you "see the players were pissed off", were you privvy to spending time in the dressing room after the game or something?

You can't be "privy to" spending time in the dressing room. But grammatical stupidity aside, I think it's clear that the players just didn't seem as motivated from then on. Man City away for example, was an absolute disgrace of a performance.

But to directly attribute that to Moscow is a bit far-fetched isn't it Risso?

Oh annd sorrry foor douuble-tappping a keey, itt wonn't happpen agggain siiiiirrrr....

Not signing Arron Lennon when Ramos want rid for about 6million.

Not playing Jimy CM since start of season.

Not signing James Collins last January.

Signing Kiraly, should have went with that guy we sold to Falkirk.

Not putting a buy back clause in Cahills transfer.

Not signing an out and out goal scorer in his 3.5 years at the club.

Where to start, sometimes words fail me but I'll give it a go...

1. How on earth do you know Lennon was up for sale, and for £6m too. I would imagine had that been even a little bit true there would have been many more takers than just us - daft.

2. So who would you have played wide right then since the start of the season, Sidwell? Not sure if you have the capacity to have taken this in or not but Downing has only just returned from injury? Meaning Milner has been free'd up for this central role. Anyone following the club over the summer will have noted MoN's comments that Barry's replacement may well have already existed at the club (Milner), so it's fair to assume that it was always just a matter of time - unfounded.

3. Kiraly, ah okay, so you mean he should instead of played a guy we'd already sold, ummmmmm - far-fetched.

4. Why? Why? WHY? So we could re-sign a guy from BOLTON, who unless you haven't noticed are sitting somewhere near the relegation zone, oh and we currently have the best defence in the league too - unbelievable.

5. Name an "out-and-out" goalscorer we could have signed? Maybe Torres, or Drogba - perhaps they would have perfected your fantasy - dreamland.

Apologies, I had missed one out:

Collins - how do you know he was even available last January? Also I believe he was injured at that time and I'm sure that would have gone down just great on this board had we signed him....

... he decided to prioritise on the League, hoping to get that 4th spot. We didn't get 4th, but not all gambles pay off. At the time right decision...

I agree. Right decision at the time, and events turning out as they did doesn't make it otherwise. You can only decide on what you know at the time, not what later turns out to happen.

I thought it was the wrong decision then, and still do. Success breeds success, and you could see the players were pissed off by throwing away a tournament they'd worked so hard at. It was the turning point in the season, for all the wrong reasons, and you don't need hindsight to realise what a shit decision it was.

How could you "see the players were pissed off", were you privvy to spending time in the dressing room after the game or something?

And for the record I personally would have said the turning point of the season was the 92nd minute equaliser by Stoke, not the result in Moscow.

Particularly as hardly any of the first team actually played in Moscow so I can't imagine it took too much out of them.....

I'd say his biggest mistake was agreeing to manage a club who's fans question what his biggest mistake was at a time when the club is riding high and are in the semi-finals of a cup.....that for me would be his biggest mistake.

Hmm. In his 3 and a half years at the club he's yet to achieve anything of note yet. So where the hell do you get the dont deserve him nonsense from?.

If you think he "he hasn't achieved anything" then you and I must have supported two very different clubs over the past few years........

I'd say his biggest mistake was agreeing to manage a club who's fans question what his biggest mistake was at a time when the club is riding high and are in the semi-finals of a cup.....that for me would be his biggest mistake.

We really should be pulling in more than 33,000 on saturday, I appreciate it's coming up to crimbo and I don't think it was the smartest move on the clubs part to make it category A but we should be looking at 37,000 minimum - come on guys, just forego one night out over xmas and come on down to VP instead on Saturday!!

James Milner can kick the ball so hard that if he either needed or wanted to he could play a one-two off of the moon!

WTF is wrong with us........"worst player of the season" & "worst decision O Neill has made".....with us fourth in the league and on the back of a win over Manure........god help us if we lose tonight - there'll be mass suicide!!!

Excactly what I was thinking. Whats with all the negativity on here today :?

It's just ridiculous though, I don't want to go down the path of the "better fan parody" as we all know where that ends but I just find it very strange how some people 'support' this club, whatever floats your boat though U guess.

WTF is wrong with us........"worst player of the season" & "worst decision O Neill has made".....with us fourth in the league and on the back of a win over Manure........god help us if we lose tonight - there'll be mass suicide!!!

I'm sorry but you just know we're going to lose after saturday, the worst thing that could have happened for us was Kaboul scoring late on for pompey, had they won that one I think it may have been a little easier for us, as it is we will now be seen as a real scalp........

should be a good day out.)

You've never been to Wigan I take it? :shock:

Haha....evidently not!