Keener window-cleaner

So what does Santa Claus say in China? ?

Neither...

Tuesday is the day when Xia will take his mask off and reveal that he actually is Chris Samuelson. It will be a bit like in the old tv-series V.

There is something wrong with the i in Villa here. I can't really work it out though. It looks like an "l", but it can't be as it's shorter than the two following l:s. I don't think it's a capial i either, a capital i shouldn't be shorter than the other letters. It could be that the V and the I actually are a roman VI. If you look closely, it looks as if also the V is shorter than the two l:s. It must be a roman VI. So as it is now it's not Walsall v Villa, but Walsall v "Six"-lla.

Sounds like Luke Organ is playing first fiddle then.

So we burnt our summer transfer budget on giving Hutton a new contract? Fairly well spent I'd say.

Because we are Aston Villa. Because we have supporters second to none who comes in great numbers to away games in the middle of the week in the Championship and who signs up for season ticets in record numbers despite rumours of the club risk going into administration. It's not just any random company or sports venture, it's a historic football club that wouldn't be much without it's loyal supporters. Any owner who doesn't understand this will run the same path as Xia and Lerner. Not communicating with the supporters is taking a big risk. As I have understood it she has taken Wyness place on the board, but not officially come in as CEO.

Fully agree. When he bought the club for around £80M we had assets in players like Gana, Ayew, Amavi, Veretout etc. We also had two seasons of parachute payments coming in. Whereas now we have sold those players and we have burnt the parachute payments on players who does not have much sell on value. So the parachute money is gone, the squad is worth much less, we also seem to have sold out other things as the catering business. We apparently have no money at all. To expect someone to pay the same price he did in this situation seems unrealistic. Comes back to my fear that he bought us with loaned money and simply cannot sell for less.

I'm in need of one of those motivational speeches by the Dr now.

Though the times I've seen him play for us it has looked like his instructions was to sit back and protect the back four. Not easy to score from there.

Could we convert him to a centre back? (seriously ment, like we did with Southgate)

Sorry for a late follow up to this, but are you sure CS failed the owners and directors test (the fit and proper person test?), I mean if it is a rumour or a fact that can be verified? It's quite interesting if he actually was supposed to be a director. Two years ago there was quite much discussion here on the forum regarding the role of CS, if he was merely a middle man who helped and facilitated Xia to buy the club, or if he was meant to have a bigger role. Before the take over there were pictures from the dressing room where Villa shirts with names on were displayed and you could see the names of Wyness and Samuelsson etc. After the takeover CS was present at an event in India where he spoke about the clubs ambition to have partner clubs in India etc, and as you said he was also put up and then removed as a director (which has been explained by being a normal practise when facilitating a aquisition). If I remember correctly Xia then said in a tweet that CS had nothing to do with the club more than helping out with the aquisition. I had bought the version that CS only helpt Xia to buy the club. But if it is so that he actually was meant to be a director and failed the owner and directors test it comes in a new light and it looks as if he was meant to have a bigger role. It makes the whole aquisition become more dodgy. As question marks now start to re-emerge regarding Xia and how he funded the aquisition, it would be quite interesting to know what role CS actually was meant to have (especially in light of the rumours about CS other affairs). It also sippers down to the role of Hollis and what he knew. (I don't intend to reopen the whole CS discussion here ? just interested if he actually failed the owners and directors test to get some more info on what Xias was thinking when he bought us).

Another question is if he actually can sell the club with a loss. If he bought us with loaned money (which in itself isn't anything strange) he can't really sell with a loss if he doesn't have other assets that can cover the loss.

Was about to say the same thing. And it's not like it is something good in "the western culture" to make a lot of losses or have your business go under either. You can always find some professor or analyst who makes his living on trying to explain how it works in other countries, it doesn't make it gospel. To me this saving face argument is rather ignorance, of course he doesn't want to lose face and make a lot of losses, no matter if he is English, Chinese or whatever.

At times his attitude and professionalism has been poor and he has had some injuries. He hasn't produced that much for us yet and only time will tell how good he can be. But he is also the player with highest potential that I have seen in a Villa shirt. He really is an amazing player who does things others just can't do. His technique, his passing, his balance and the way he goes past players is unique. He isn't right now, but I beleive ha can be one of the best English midfielders ever. Though, if his attitude drops and he gets injuries etc, he can also be a new Ravel Morrison. The price of young players are often set according to their potential, and his price should be there after or not sold at all.

Might be good to sell up and **** off.

I'm happy to hear something is going on and that Xia perhaps is on his way out, but I'm also a bit scared of who might come in...

If he goes because he wants it himself and isn't forced out it's a bit easier to come to terms with it. It's still because of the missmanagement and failure to get promoted that he will leave though. I read some rumours about Terry having played a part in his decision, thanks for that John (if true).

Dr Tony went to BMH in a taxi uber, brought us back a lot of debt, now we're going under.

I'd love to have him back, but rather as CEO or owner...

A true professional and leader, steps up when it counts and the preassure is on. Of all the money we have squandered and excessive wages we have been giving out, Jedi is one of few who is value for the money.

Compared to Spurs at least Liverpool like to pay over the odds for players.

I admire your optimism!

How about the idea to put the club on the public stock market? Then we could all buy shares in the club. It could also facilitate for someone (like the supporters trust?) to set up a fund for buying shares that supporters could invest in. The supporters/the fund could potentially gain quite much influence, like a place at the board, even if we don't become majority owners. Didn't Doug Ellis put us on the stock market before Lerner bought the club?

A bit strange that we haven't heard anything from Bruce, isn't it? Is he still on vacation? He usually likes to speak a lot.