avfcinwales

Each time i read another view on that match it always brings back the memories. Each fan had their own story their own tale, their own experience. Each one is memorable, each one full value for money. It cost me much more than £70 but I couldn't have enjoyed it more than any other Villan, no matter the cost, it was the experience that counted and Richard did the telling proud

Nice one Blandy, I've rewritten this six times now, but in passing you did make comment to those fans who questioned O'Neill's abilities. As the prime one I guess, referred to, may I say that injuries have not always been accepted as an excuse, any manager, Messiah or not, that manages over one of the poorest runs in their History, cannot be excused so easily from blame. In my view any new manager should have achieved all the virtues you have mentioned above especially when you take into account the big plus of Lerner taking over, a manager as experienced as O'Neill and his coaching staff should have been able to achieve it in their sleep. O'Neill has a fantastic CV and is well liked, we are unbelievably lucky he signed on and took on Aston Villa as he did. Sadly so far he hasn't done much were it matters most, on the pitch, but unquestionably his potential to do so remains as high as it did when he joined, the new acquisitions will no doubt help. Whilst I applaud your positive view and agree his approach and that of his backers are so refreshing in comparison to our recent past, I just feel that, although your sentiments are spot on, your justification is a trifle eccentric and not wholly in keeping with fact This will be seen as negative I know, sorry, my apologies in advance, I'm not totally of the faith you see, not yet, I've seen no miracles, just the preaching Yes there have been improvements, yes there is a mood of enthusiasm and hope amongst all of us and why not we have a new experienced and proven manager and a billionaire owner, we'd be a dumb lot if we weren't wetting ourselves with excitement, yes the future must be bright. I just happen to think many managers in the same circumstances would have done as well, I think there's a good possibility on the field especially some may have done better, short term at least.

I never thought Gregory would, and I really liked him as any who saw me defend him to the death and beyond would know, take us much beyond the top 10 either. OK Both will get us in with a chance of a top 4 spot once in a while like Allardyce has with Bolton, but even with money I'd doubt Allardyce would regularly make anyone a top 4 competing side. I'm not saying O'Neill won't just I don't think from what I've seen he is adaptable enough or tactically modern enough. You never know though, I still feel he's a lucky manager

Agree with Blandy again Mind you I agree with John too but as Blandy and others keep saying ad nausea , we are on a long road to salvation and this is O'Neill's first move to a.) increase the quantity of players in the squad and also b.) the quality. My view on O'Neill's past is that he uses this tactic to achieve stability and some limited success, I don't class 1 EUFA cup final the success we want ultimately, it doesn't suit my agenda now or later, but it will help us achieve enough growth to gain a regular position amongst the top 10. From then on we will, as Blandy so rightly says, need a change of tactics to progress on. I'll say now I'm not sure O'Neill capable of such, but tis a long way off, for now 3 wins on the trot would be a major achievement, but and this was the point of my starting this, if O'Neill is going to change the playing structure so, as some predict, come the summer, plenty of players we now take for granted as stars and certainties on the team sheet just don't look like they will be in the future, not because they are crap, shit, fking useless, but simply they don't fit the managers tactical plan.

Simply O'Neill has ideas on who he can get for the longer term to help us progress in the prem to the top 4 I'm sure and although Carew is a decent find, one he's known about for 5 years or so, there are others he wants who he couldn't get who are younger and better and don't have as dodgy a potential future based on his past Short term in this instance means until he can get said man No idea who he is but I don't need to. For now Carew is a superb buy, and long may he be so.

If we buy Drogba or van Nistelroy, not that we will of course, in the summer would Carew be short or long term ? That is my point and I believe O'Neill intends to do something similar. I agree completely with what has been said about us not winning much with route one, where I have doubts is that O'Neill has a variation that will, although you can never be totally certain. Winning in Scotland isn't like winning a top 4 spot in the Premiership, well I don't think so anyway, but for now it will help stabilise the ship

If I'm allowed, I don't agree Bob. I don't believe, and time will prove me wrong, that O'Neill is as flexible and as variable in his tactics as you suggest. I don't think Gabby or Moore are the sort of striker O'Neill wants long term, and I don't think Young or Maloney are midfield strikers some are suggesting, Young is a winger who can strike, his opinion not mine, and Maloney prefers to be a striker but will play on the wing, again his view not mine. Gabby and Moore are strikers who play off strikers ideally, more goal poachers than wide players who can strike, will O'Neill swap to such if required I can't see it. In an ideal world he seems to want a big man up front who is a little more talented, shall I say, than the average British target man, Carew fits that bill and in answer to BOF's question I think O'Neill wants him because he couldn't persuade away his prime target, ideally he wants both and Carew is a good stop gap as we've all seen, younger, fitter and quicker than Sutton, just as I think his next buy for that spot will be younger, fitter and even quicker. As to Barry dropping back, I can't see him liking that too much on a permanent basis, hence my comments, he's also too slow and too limited in his distribution to fit as the basis of our top 3 team. Berger, for me is a better attacking midfield player than Barry and I don't like saying that, Barry has always been a star for me, but his style doesn't suit O'Neill's tactics, in fact I'd go as far as to say 8 players who have been regulars for the last 2 years don't, unless they adapt or become more consistent. I've seen some talking of Sorensen not fitting that team and McCann so I feel I'm justified to think that far ahead. If this team rebuilding to make it completely HIS team, goes ahead in the summer, he will, as he said in the rarely quoted comment about quantity, need to bring in players When he does I feel it will make most of the existing team as cover for his imports

Big question for me is why play a winger as a striker when you have a striker playing as a winger. Its obvious to me that Gabby isn't as effective as Young as a winger, Young has more experience and knowledge as such and Gabby similarly. My feeling is O'Neills plan is to replace Gabby and put Maloney alongside Carew, with Young on the wing, possibly with Barry dropping back, and Petrov moving forward. I'm assuming he's working on the loyalty thing and although its too early to drop the one player who hasn't missed a minute of every match all season. O'Neill also keeps going more defensive tactically when in charge and it results in us giving up the impetus. He got away with it yesterday, thanks tom Sorensen, but considering he brought in a new bloke to improve the team fitness I've seen no improvement, maybe its one of these things that needs time

Come off it I know several Celtic fans and they are all keen to lose Balde, asap. Maybe O'Neill is mug enough to take most of your rubbish off you for a price, I'm hoping even he isn't daft enough to try for Balde. Both Petrov and Maloney have both won players of the year in Scoland, and are players that he knows well. Agathe and Sutton have been stop gaps. Word on the street means nothing, only actions. Get over it. Its called banter with a Celtic fan, although I have to admit doing such on here with so many keener to get me banned than listening to what I've said or the way in which I've said something is a dangerous thing.

Come off it I know several Celtic fans and they are all keen to lose Balde, asap. Maybe O'Neill is mug enough to take most of your rubbish off you for a price, I'm hoping even he isn't daft enough to try for Balde.

You could, no doubt you will. Others though are saying its the most overpriced transfer in the window Depends on your viewpoint, for me he is, but if that's what you have to pay for real quality you pays it. I just hope he is .

Ah now you might have hit the nail on the head, nice post etc etc. If you look at O'Neill's signings Petrov, Sutton, Agathe, and possibly Mahoney were all known to him from Celtic. He says that he has been following Carew's career since his days at Celtic so he's had him on his list for some time. Young well I'd guess if you are looking for a young attacking winder he must top anyone's list Doesn't suggest to me that O'Neill has managed to improve the scouting within the club too much as yet in comparison to other clubs. It could also suggest.............. no I won't go there too inflammatory

Oh jeez we're treading a fine line here Its all in the mind of the reader, wash your brain out BOF. err, Enoch just rang me to say his mate Ali was doon canal t'day and saw a bloke with 33 on is back tawkin to 2 Olbion players and some bloke in a Wolves sheert, anyone erd owt, he cdn't get onto the horseputh quick enuff to ask em, what was oop, y'know, our kid.

Oh you've asked for it there If it happens it will put a few k on the next home gate Not the signings of Carew, a top European player, and the genius that will be Young will add much alongside a startling high scoring win at Newcastle of course.

Having spent some time working in the North East I wouldn't say it was a more affluent area than Brum, far from it. Same with Manchester and Liverpool and aren't Villa's prices cheaper than most. Levi was on today complaining about the need to find a bigger ground because they had more fans than seats, and they average about the same as Villa Like I said its all very inter related all the points raised, my gut feeling from other peoples comments who are looking much deeper than me is that Villa's problem is we don't have that many interested fans as we like to think. It could simply be Birmingham isn't a hot bed of football fanaticism, it has an ethnic population, especially around Villa Park who simply are not football fans and that doesn't help Take me, if we had a ground with a drop in from the M6 with decent parking that allowed me to escape within 15 minutes or a facility that encouraged me to, cheaply, remain after the match until I could get away I'd be more encouraged

Ahem! Sorry !

General, I don't think for one minute this would be viable , but is it possible to set up and run a Heli pad at VP. Then would it be viable to organise regular flights from Ireland to North Wales as there once was and then on to Villa Park and back. No silly question

Is it possible or likely that a player will be approached say tomorrow afternoon and be expected to sign by midnight. What I'm saying is all the persuading should have been done by the Newcastle match and then its just a case of sealing the deal and getting a signature Surely O'Neill doesn't have to be the bloke who wipes the players noses too, don't we have other minions for that.

Did O'Neill at some time in the pre transfer window say he would be looking to lower leagues to see if he could find players, not been much speculation and with QPR in need of new players......

err, didn't I say something like I'll stop here because if I go on it jumps into the realms of fantasy and opinion analysis. no, well I should have Yes there are several trends and groups and plenty of suppositions that can be put together, but most of what I put originally I could drive a train though so anything else I'd surmise I suppose there are several 'safe' points, like all the 'big' clubs are at over 98% pct, so Chelsea and Liverpool could be construed to need bigger grounds. Strangely all the promoted clubs are up there too at 95% + pct, but of course all have smaller grounds, much smaller. Villa and Man City remain the poorest pct based on size and history, although you could suggest in City's case that is because they now have a bigger stadium, and their present pct in their old one would be much higher around 90%, they are doing better but are in a bigger stadium so have a lower pct. It could be assumed as Manchester can support two 'big clubs well, one especially and they have the two Mersey clubs on their doorstep so to speak, weakens the argument viz Villa vs Newcastle, one having an isolated fan base while we have several other clubs in our local. Villa's pct considering they have no Premiership competition for miles would suggest an opportunity is passing the club by, should Blues, Albion, Wolves return and pinch corporate and local support. Why having achieved a European Cup win are we not attracting a bigger fanbase, on a regular basis, Ellis and his administrations, yes partly but even when winning the league and European Championship Bendall was in charge and we didn't always fill the ground, far from it. Some, not me, as its inflammatory, would suggest Villa just aren't as well supported locally as most clubs. Spurs for instance, have won little recently, have spent regularly and have been at 98% pct for years. Teams like Blackburn have won the European Cup, have a great tradition and aren't doing too bad this season but remain only beaten for the lowest spot by Wigan but both clubs fit in this Manchester Merseyside ring, something Villa don't have. Amazing stuff some of it especially when you then look into the ethnics of the local support base, but I'm not going there no way Personally I don't think Villa are as well supported as many top clubs. Yes we have as fanatical a fan base and as vociferous as you can get, but its not as big. I spent my first 29 years living in Brum supporting them home and away with my wife when she became my wife, through all the lower leagues, through her early pregnancies, to every League cup final, every FA cup final, every European match and every European Final. I did much of it with similarly entrenched fans, but while I did, I knew 10x as many Villa fans around me who didn't, who went to the home cup matches, the big League matches and so on. I did this through some of the toughest times, physically as a supporter, often being involved in fights, in night stays in the local nick, in open battles with opposing fans and even police, and I can remember Old Trafford and Man Utd in the second division with 25 k crowds, whilst Anfield rocked at capacity and Clough kept winning in Europe with 30 k crowds. The new owners have a huge job on their hands to both fill the ground every week, let alone extend the support further to fill a 50k capacity ground, they have made an improvement but have a huge task on their hands a winning side battling for Europe will help, but they know that.

Oh come one Blandy, that's clutching at straws, Newcastle have in my view got a superb group of supporters I'd doubt Villa or many other clubs would get their crowds with he rubbish they've dished up over the years

oooh ignore button off, a deal for a player from Wolves and a deal for a player from Albion, both to Aston Villa, a team who abide in Aston, in Birmingham.

There has been a rumour for some weeks that a deal may be done with Albion and Wolves this weekend, no idea who for and not given it much credence maybe i was wrong

When you look at the comments on recent matches few have been offering much praise for several players, Angel, Baros and Petrov especially. Baros has gone, there are plenty of excuses around for Petrov's inadequacies yet our most prolific striker over recent years seems to be on his way out Here's one fan hoping that by some miracle he manages to find a way to pull it back and the view of him and Carew training together makes me hope

He can't be that badly thought of if both Mourinho and Houlier wanted him I'd have thought