Has Anyone seen the leaked alpha footage? Looks promising. 

On 4/17/2016 at 14:44, Dr_Pangloss said:

Have not played the first one (didn't have a PS3) but am looking forward to this!

PS2 you mean. Red Dead Revolver was the first! 

Just now, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

No doubt Riley will be on AliBaba getting his scouting data basing in early to impress the new owners.

Better boot up FM17 demo when it lands. Sure his hoping to get early access.

12 hours ago, avfcwills10 said:

The thing with Chinese Owners is why us and why now?

When people think of Chinese buyers they (i'm presuming) think of wealth. So why would they buy a club that's in all kinds of shit who aren't even in the top division? 

Also http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-fcs-damien-comolli-excited-3363470

Liverpool FC’s Damien Comolli excited by Far East scouting potential

Cheap bargain if they can get it right.

2 minutes ago, Jareth said:

Not sure about the likes of Bruce, I'd want a manager who can bring us up and stay with us for a long time.

Doesn't every club? 

1 hour ago, chrisp65 said:

On the presumption we'll have the same owner with the same faults making the same catastrophic decisions and still trying to manage a tight budget but not actually understanding anything about anything but thinking you can fix everything with another appointment to the board....what Manager would be thick enough to take us on?

Are we really going to go out and get a quality Manager and hand him the money for 15 players that can get promotion? Of course we're not.

Therefore, you have to already be dubious about any head case that would take the job on.

That's where we are. We're an engine, body, brakes, fuel, pit team, running gear and a driver away from being a decent racing car.

We got the pit station at least 

48 minutes ago, Dante_Lockhart said:

I foresee a staff clear out, a player clear out and a new manager.

The new board will restructure the club from top to bottom and we will by from lower leagues / loan from the Premier League and utilise our youth players for the next few seasons.

 

It might take 3-4 years in the Championship, but I'd rather do that and become a stable club that yo-yo up and down and carry on as we are at the moment.

I hope for this. It seems too logical for Villa though. 

Wonder if anyone will put a cheeky bid in for us (the club).

8 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

That's a very complicated question. The short answer is yes. Enough? No.  

I love Brian Little and I trust him, but the "adviser" role is way too vague a title. I have no idea what influence he will have. Same goes for Bernstein who I also admire greatly being on the board of directors, doing what exactly? If they would tell us maybe we would be able to picture it but the fact remains that communication is incredibly poor from the top. Astonishingly so. I can't get my head around it. It's actually so poor that it's pathetic, totally amateur. When we appointed King, 1 paragraph quote, 1 local radio interview that I can't seem to find available anywhere and still absolutely no clue what role he has within the structure. 

I'm not being funny and probably am being a bit big headed, but if a fan's protest group none of whom have any relevant experience in the media can disseminate information to the point it spreads like wildfire amongst the supporter base, why the hell can't professionals who went to uni to study this subject and get paid to do so? I'll answer that myself, no passion. Hopefully Little can inject some of that. 

Think that's a valid point and it sums up the running of the club since Lerner took it over. It's been shambloic. I am deeply worried that the Bernstien and Little won't be listened to. Let's hope they are more involved than we think.

1 minute ago, villarocker said:

Someone at the very top will need to have big balls to do what's really necessary and that is to get rid of a big group of players, including: Hutton, Guzan, Lescott, Richards, Agbonlahor, Westwood, Sinclair - for starters. That may well need contracts being terminated and then having to replace them all with people who want to actually play and give a shit, for the club. 

Personally, I don't see that happening. Therefore, the board have to do the next best thing and bring in a no-nonsense manager to sort the trouble-makers out. Someone like - dare I say it - Nigel Pearson or Ian Holloway. 

Ethan way, I don't think we will get back up into the Premier League at the first attempt. I think we'll be down there for 2-3 seasons at least. 

Pretty much How I see it. I hope you're wrong about promotion, but my gut is telling me it could be a few years.  Turbulent times. 

4 minutes ago, coda said:

"Hung like a Hamster" 

1 minute ago, settle villa said:

Sean Dyche for me if Burnley don't get promoted. If not Chris Hughton 

Dyche wouldn't touch us with a bargepole. His got a good thing going on a Burnley for now. Chris Hughton I can get behind. 

Wish I could do the job his got. Think any of us could do a better job and I'd do it for a quarter of what his on.

Just now, dont_do_it_doug. said:

**** Nigel Pearson. That would be yet another kick in the bollocks. 

Garde will go and I think he should as will Fox and Riley. Almstadt I don't know, I still have noooo idea what he does. As for the next manager? I'm not sure. He will have one HELL of a job on his hands clearing the decks and that's only if the eejits give him the tools, which is almost impossible to see right now. I've got zero faith in them getting it right and it's troubling me dearly, obviously!

I wouldn't be happy with him, but he'd get the players peroming better than this. Sad state we are in... Almstadt is basically paid to help with transfers and working on Cutting edge training technology from what I remember. All his done so far though is fall out with two different managers and bugger off to Dubai for a week (this week). 

Dp you not have more faith with the board appointments? 

2 minutes ago, Blasterpocket68 said:

No mate I don't hopefully he will leave , Sherwood was totally slated and rightly so for the start of the season . However Garde is loved by lots of villa fans for being a very nice gentlemen. His record is appalling he had no experience of English premier league . I do not accept it's not his team or his players . He is a football coach paid to coach  and  motivate players, he hadn't shown anything for me.  we need a proven championship manager who know that league and a proven track record in it. Nigel Pearson obvious choice for me. 

While I have  been much more patient and a bigger supporter of Garde over Sherwood and Lambert, I am starting to have my reservations. While I don't beleove  in the "English experience" malarkey, I agree he is hardly motivating and t he players simply aren't performing for him. 

For me, he is the right man at the wrong time.

Pearson will get players putting a shift in for him, that's for sure.

i reckon Bruce could jump ship if Hull capitulate.  

With this car crash of a season drawing to a close, I wondered what people's thoughts on our immediate future concerning next season are. With GardeWho do you think will be our next manager? Who do you want? And what sort of players will we target? Etc etc.

I personally see Garde Fox, Reilly and Almstadt leaving. Either Steve Bruce or Mark Warburton would be good IMO. I think it could be a summer of massive upheaval. Would be interested to see what everyone else thinks.  

If Garde does stay do you guys think he'll have what it takes to promote us back up? 

42 minutes ago, Gary Thomas said:

What comments?

Said his focusing on us until the end of the season basically. Maybe they worded it to sound like something it isn't though. 

Anyone see his comments yesterday? Think his going. 

Disappointed? I've come to expect nothing but the worst when it comes to Villa now. Stops it hurting as bad and the mediocre stuff is better. Disappointment isn't possible for our club anymore. 

Leeds accepted an offer off us for 5 million in the summer but he didn't want to join us apparently. Looks like he made the right choice unfortunately given our plight. 

1 minute ago, The Fun Factory said:

He is saying the right things and often is able to identify our failings, but has yet to really change these mistakes. Now it might mostly be down to the players but I don't think it was too ambitious to think we might have won at least 1 game in the first 10 under Remi,

If we lose both the 2 home league games we will be under serious pressure for Wycombe. I feel sorry for the guy at the moment.

 

His hair is gradually getting greyer...

The Lyon fans referred to him as "Gardeiola". Says how highly they thought of him. 

Deliberately avoided Villatalk tonight. Given the result, when I checked the HT score I thought it would be another 1-1 draw, but no even worse a loss. It feels horrible to be like this doesn't it? 

 I've only supported Villa since I was 8, when we had that crap season under O'Leary. But even then we had some good games. Like the 4-0 thumping of Everton. 

When MON came it was my best years of my time to date as a Villa fan, didn't realise how good we had it until now. 5 years of rubbish football, mismanagement and lack of ambition. It actually hurts that we are getting relegated.(it's only football I know, but still)  I always stayed positive the last few years that we would rise again and improve. I knew we'd stay up and I hoped that the false dawns would become reality. I realise how naiive this is. I posted not too long ago that I won't give up hope....but for the first time in 10 years I genuinely only can't see any positives.  These are dark times indeed for our great club. 

Lerners done us in. 

41 minutes ago, Nabby said:

Benteke isn't returning , but I'm not convinced he is going to have much of a future at Liverpool either 

Doesn't seem to be like the Benteke we come to know and love. He needs to be the main man I think. Struggles when partnered with another.

On 22 December 2015 at 23:44, Villan4Life said:

link re: Marseille accepting our offer?

French Football News 

Found the link: http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2015/marseille-will-allow-steve-mandanda-to-go-to-aston-villa-if-he-wants-to/

Would be good on loan. Good player.

Marseille have accepted our offer for Mandanda too, it's up to him whether he wants to join now apparently.