CrackpotForeigner

I've got my level 1 badge! set to do my second one in the summer...then I will hand in my CV.

Put your cv in to the Villa now. Refer them to your posts in VT. If they're wise they'll realise you could probably do a job picking the team and scouting for players. But would you have what it takes to get this lot playing as well as they can? If so, you're my pick, ahead of the brolly bloke

Steve McLaren or no-one. Everyone else is at least as much of a risk as sticking with GH, or not available.

My first choice would still be to give GH until September. I think he will keep us up, however unimpressed we are that that is now the limit of our ambition.

Stay. At least for now.

As Stevo said, we have improved this year. We were brilliant against Blackburn. Brilliant. And same against Bolton, but we had our three most experienced, and arguably best, defenders injured.

We are exciting to watch now. Nobody realises things need to change in defence (and here and there in attack) better than GH. At least you would think so, because it's, like, his job.

We seem to all have forgotten how brilliant GH was in the transfer market in January. If he can do anything like the same again in summer we will have a hell of a squad come August.

If things don't improve after that, maybe we do need to bring in a manager who can train and motivate the players better, but let's wait and see.

There is just no **** way in the world we are going to replace GH at this stage of the season. Calling for him to go before he's worked his magic in the transfer market just makes no sense to me at all. It's not going to achieve anything good, and might well do the opposite.

Just think what a team we'll have when we've replaced:

Friedel

Petrov

Warnock

Beye

Heskey

And when Ashley Young finally stops taking the dead ball...

Cahill refused to be a substitute, Knight didn't.

Oh no he didn't - why do you keep peddling that story

He wanted to be guaranteed first team football, which is the same thing to me.

cue the 'we should never have sold Cahill' rubbish..

Its not rubbish though we should never of sold him. and for zat **** knight

Cahill refused to be a substitute, Knight didn't.

Pretty much sums up MoN in the transfer market, buying players to sit on the bench. Fukin eejit.

Stu Stu Stu. Read through this string of quotes and tell me your argument makes sense. Borderline for head-bashing-against-wall icon it is.

youcant make this shit up can you?

we play well for the first 40 minutes, passing it on the flor keeping possesion making several chances, then downing decides he wants to play on the **** right hand side because having bottled out of 5 challenges in a row feels it may be safer on the right

so albrighton who has been a constant threat down the right is forced to play on the left

hoof ball ensues for the remaining 7 minutes, hoof ball is boltons favourite game, i wonder who will win in a game of hoofball?

dowing was looking decent on the left, he was going past people and crossing it in, same with albrighton, they will easily get another 6 chances second half if they are kept in their PROPER positions.

in 1 half i have provved my point that they NEED to be on their correct sides in order for us to play well.

downing, if you dont like it, fine sit on the **** bench becuase players will tackle you believe it or not.

if that is the case get gabby on up front with benty and put young on the wing.

freidel has looked shakier than a junkie in need of a fix, just come for the ball for **** sake.

we have played good football for 30 odd minutes of this half, soetimes we have gone backwards but then it has been quickly moved and the forwards momentum is back rther than the **** stupid pass to downing on the right, he stops, turns back inside killing off any move and then passes back to a defender who then has to just hoof it.

we will win if we KEEP DOWNING ON THE **** LEFT AND ALBY ON THE RIGHT

oh, benty, come on son, you should have had 3 by now

Someone has an agenda...

He's been our best player this season, shut up.

Well said. Tired of the Downing bashing. We are very lucky to have him, perfect or not.

Delfouneso seems like he has been very unlucky here, he is caught between good enough to be considered part of the squad but not good enough to get the game time he needs to push on. Its a shame because he really seems like the type of player who would get goals when given a run of games at the front.

That about says it imo.

I think last night was a statement as well from Houllier to Lerner/the Board - If you get rid of key players like Young, Downing or whoever else was linked to other clubs, this is what will remain.

So I hope Randy/The board were watching.

That's an interesting idea. If true, I think we can say he made his point

People complain about Ashley Young, and in some ways rightly so, but he is someone who can provide a spark of genius once in a while, whereas there was precious little genius on show last night.

It was good, though, in some ways, to see for once and for all that:

Heskey is really too old now.

Petrov is really too old now.

Gabby is a shadow of the player he was two seasons ago.

Bannan is a prospect and worth keeping.

Delph is a prospect and worth keeping.

Clark is a prospect and worth keeping.

Probably can't draw real conclusions about anyone else.

I really really hope Gabby can find form again. It would be too sad to see him go, but frankly he is offering us nothing at the moment and needs to make way for someone who does offer something.

It's interesting to see that there's pretty much general agreement on this thread about who we keep and who not. The differences of opinion are pretty much:

Collins/Dunne: I say keep Collins and move Dunne on. Good game last night from Dunne but he was always going to make an effort against the club who sold him, and he's getting on a bit now. Collins has arguably cost us far fewer goals than Dunne this season, and not just because he's played fewer games!

NRC: I say keep if he'll sign a new contract, but don't offer him higher wages, and make it a short contract if possible, because he seems to play better when it's running out for some strange reason.

Pires: Will simply be too old next season. So long and thanks for all the fish.

The players ran their arses off against Blackburn. I'd rather have 11 energetic players than a bunch of knackered players who'll be even more knackered for the vital game against Notlob. We're always moaning that Bannan, Delph, the Fonz and Bradley don't get games, well now's their chance.

ref is Clattenburg....

do we like him or not?

We don't.

He is a referee.

Can we all now please agree that Downing is an exceptional player on his day, who we're lucky to have playing for us?

(And get off his back a little? A song? Or is that asking too much?)

Had to watch the game on a stream, but as far as I could see Downing was 10/10, and he's nearly always a 7 or above.

Pires was very good, but I can't help thinking the people who say he was MOTM are doing so just out of sheer surprise at seeing him play well.

Agree that Bent would have scored a couple but for Ashley Young overhitting passes. Then again another player might not even have made those passes in the first place. Hope AY ditches the snood for good (as we know he should).

And so good to see Albrighton doing well.

I wouldn't say Ireland is the only player the teacher has pissed off, very bad man manager.

I've often wondered....what exactly is your opinion of Houllier?

Best mates last I heard.

GH isn't the only manager to be pissed off with SI either though is he.

Also not the only Villa manager to be hated by FV.

I have always said Delfouneso needs to start a few games in a row to show what he can really do. I hope that he gets the opportunity to soon. We have teams coming up he can do well against and get some real confidence going.

him bent, gabby and heskey should be rotated.

however it might work out we can have two pairs that work well together.

Gabby and Heskey

Delfouneso and Bent.

that should be the aim. Two pairs who play together and play well. rotate both pairs.

Sounds good, although only having 4 in midfield limits how many of our talented and promising midfielders we can play.

Hasn't managed to find the space in the Prem so far. His shooting has tended to be of the accurate-but-weak kind. He surely has goals in him though. Taking GH's advice on board would probably help.

We are in excellent shape really.

Friedel

Walker/Cuellar--Collins/Cuellar--Dunne/Clark--Clark/Baker/Young

Albrighton/Downing/Young--Bradley/NRC/Petrov/Makoun/Delph--Bradley/NRC/Petrov/Makoun/Delph--Albrighton/Downing/Young

--Young/Bannan/Gabby/Heskey/Delfouneso--

--Bent/Heskey/Gabby/Delfouneso--

Probably missed a few, but loads of good options there. Makoun an exciting new option!

Does anyone know where to find that quote from GH about sitting down with the Lyon chairman to discuss the deal?

Something like "tell me Gerard, if you were in my position, would you sell him?" followed by GH saying "but you promised the boy", and the Lyon chairman presumably going " oh alright then, £4.2 million and he's yours."

Great quote, especially now it looks like being a bit of Aston Villa history in the making.

Jean Makoun Makoun,

He's bigger than me and you,

He's bigger than John Carew,

Jean Makoun Makoun

Friedel 8

Walker 7

Dunne 6

Collins 6

Clark 5

Albrighton 6

Makoun 8

Petrov 5

Downing 7

Young 6

Bent 7

Decent enough performance. We're only a Nani, Rooney, Giggs, Vidic and Berbatov away from being a better team than Man Utd. :~

Looked top drawer to me. Very quick decision-making, reliable passing, some nice touches.

Also, good dress sense as usual. Claret and blue - lovely.

Jean Makoun Makoun

He's bigger than me & you

He's bigger than John Carew

Jean Makoun Makoun

My interest in the CL is at best minimal and at times non existent. It bores me to be honest, both the football and the competition itself and is a symbol of the ills of the game.

That is another thread though.

Ok, probably another thread, but that is exactly how I feel. It's made for the likes of Tommy Smyth, which is as insulting as possible a thing to say about it.

Can't wait to see if Makoun is as good as he was on FM '07 . If he plays like he dresses, we've got ourselves a fine player 8)

He completed more passes than any of our midfielders , always tried to pass it forward and made 6 interceptions. How did he look bad in CM? I must've been watching a different game.

Maybe you were just watching more closely. Although if you noticed James Milner on the pitch it must have been a replay of last year's game.

Wasn't wowed by him in CM today personally, but he is a fantastic player, and too good to leave out of the team IMO. It's a shame GH wants to play Gabby on the wing, because Downing or Ashley Young would be better there. It's a bit of a selection headache, really.

Hopefully he gets the hang of CM in the way Milner did, as KSV points out.

I think we will finish top 8. We are only 5 points off 7th, building some momentum, still improving the squad, and we have a very good run in.

Even 6th place is a slight possibility. Sunderland are 12 points ahead of us, but they have just lost their best striker, whose name escapes me.

Does anyone else think on a different day (without bent) it would be 0-0 till the last couple of minutes with them nicking it?

Disagree. I think without Bent, we don't score, the team and the fans feel as though Randy has lost interest, and so do they. We end up losing 3-0 again.

Dont tempt faith lads, wait til he's ITSOTP.

Fran, the expression is "don't tempt fate". Obviously they SOUND the same if yer Irish, but...