Malachite

Mantis: Well its all about opinion, but one things for sure, if the Villa players step out on that park so screwd up with vengence as your suggesting, another 7-1 defeat will be a let of, and i hope to god Terry doesn't read threads like this because he will be right revved up for it.

Bickster: Your missing the point, if i don't want to buy the product then that's my choice, any network that is influenced by government and financed as a tax on people is not democracy in any form, the BBC are completely objecting to there so called money developing anything else, in fact when they where told by the government they couldn't put the licence fee up as much as they wanted the first thing they did was make people redundent, the next day they gave bonuses to there leaders way higher than anyone else in the industry, The Independent networks have been making huge losses in the recession, have been making far less cut backs than the BBC, tell me why should they get something for nothing when the rest of us have to pay. Blandy: the freeview and other franchises where funded from public funds, that's when the Tory government under Thatcher said the BBC monopoly of the licence fee had to end and the free market economy had to influence the media allowing people choice, you make it sound like they where funded by BBC funds, what you need to clear your mind of is the fact that the money, any money in this case is public money not the sole domain of the hierarchy of the BBC, I think what needs to be stated here is the fact that David Cameron has made it clear that if he gets into power the BBC will have to justify every penny, and inthe next review under the charter of the BBC and the licence fee, if they can't explain it will be ended and the BBC will have to stand on its own 2 feet and survive or not. Clearly we will have to disagree on this. I definitely think the funding of the BBC, the world most powerful media network should not be funded by a Tax on people, that money is very badly needed elsewhere, the country is knackered in debt, we struggle with clean hospitals, schools falling apart, roads with holes in so big you could lose your car. yet the BBC has billions...criminal.

I know the reaction this will probably get but this is a semi, i would throw any Chelsea planning into a state of flux i really would, I would play Gabby up front to start and i would play Ash tucked in just behind, he can the drop back when required to make up the 5 across the centre. Milner......Delph.....Petrov......Downing.......... ........................|........................................ ..................Ash Young............................... ...............Gabby Agbonlahor........................ May look crazy but as the song says we goona have to get a little crazy to make something happen.................maybe.

Yes!!!

Pilchard, I think you've hit the nail on the head, IMO, any team can achieve anything if they want it bad enough, we really have to want this, we have to overcome the 7-1 that Chelsea will be ubber confident about, we may have to overcome injuries, even so we can do this, i also agree we will need a bit of the old luck. I think if we can target there midfield to start, take the sting out of that and go from there. Also i would throw the how to book out the window and say to Gabby and Ash "Go for it", do what you want, cause mayhem, make life difficult, score score score with complete uninhibited freedom....I really think its worth that risk, its a cup game, there is no come back, lets go for the win and the performance and see if total freedom throws up a few surprises and catches Chelsea wrong footed and a completely different show than we gave them a couple of weeks ago.....................also the plus to this is that if we show " No Fear" that will send out the message the defeat didn't rattle us..............

Have you been living under a rock since christmas? Correct, just outside of Padstow, how do you know? If your talking about his affair, honestly couldn't give a toss, thats his business, if thats what your on about you must be at odds with half the country. :yawn: also this Well!!!!!!!!!6 of one half a dozen of the other, fact is I would be disappointed if MON hadn't have come up with something the fend of criticism after such an unbelievable result, have to say for Terry to come out and say we wasn't fit or to say we was tired, or run out of energy as a reason for such a thrashing is actually quite gracious of the bloke, he could he come out and said Villa where utterly crap and at 7-1 he wouldn't have been to far wide of the mark, so I've got no problems with that either, mountains out of mole hills there me thinks.

Have you been living under a rock since christmas? Correct, just outside of Padstow, how do you know? If your talking about his affair, honestly couldn't give a toss, thats his business, if thats what your on about you must be at odds with half the country. :yawn:

League Cup Final Well played sir ph*k me got right royally sha**ed on that one, like a rabbit in the head lights. However point was choice and thats would still be my point.

That's your opinion, and your freedom to make that, it still doesn't excuse the fact we live in a democracy and we have the right of choice, its that simple, If i said I'm happy with ITV and Freeview and i don't want BBC or sky because they offer me nothing in terms of what i choose to watch, that's my choice, fact is the BBC is a philanthropic institute paying over bloated exec's more than anyone else in the media industry, that's what they decide on Licence fee money, this weekend i will watch the Chelsea v Villa game on ITV, when was the last time you watched a live Villa game on BBC. The point is that your missing..........Its my choice!!!!!!not someone saying you have to have this and you have to pay for it or get fined and on none payment of a fine get a criminal conviction for none payment of a fine and then face a custodial sentence....any politician that offers me choice gets my vote.

Can someone bring me up to speed on John Terry, i must have missed something, don't get me wrong, he's Chelsea so therefore the enemy, but i detect a bit more animosity than that, and anyway i think Gabby can give him enough problems.............hopefully. cheers.

Jon, I agree, I'm in business and everyday i make compromises just to survive. I know top business leaders in the area i live in that head up blue chip companies, as one said to me, anybody thinks that these company bosses are saying no To labours NI as it will squash further investment in employment is complete and utter rubbish, we don't want to pay anymore because we simply don't want to pay anymore....that's it, business is about profit and about rewarding shareholders in the company, paying more NI will mean less for shareholders not less for job creation. Tony: Hi Tony, is that the Tony form the old place?....anyway, the point i was making is exactly what being played out on this board right now, people are talking about percentages, a penny here saved for a penny there given. A Cambridge economist who's name escapes me crashed some figure together and came up with the fact that, a statement by a government in saying we will cut a 1p of income tax or 6billion out of NI actually means nothing to the common man.......he said, if the government really wanted to do the right thing by the British public, reducing the cost a fuel at the pump to match that of the rest of Europe, getting rid of the Television licence fee ( which there is no justification for in the modern world) or at least give people the choice to say "No i don't want BBC so cut the link of and i don't after buy the Licence fee, re-work the prescription charges to make them fairer, etc etc, this guy worked out the average man would be thousands better of each year in his pay packet, tangibly better of, he said "so that extra would pay for a nice holiday for the family would buy a season ticket plus a few steak meals in celebration" etc etc...we would all be a lot happier people, which the British are not. I think the point was percentages of tax means nothing, actually reducing what someone pays has his or hers yearly overheads means a lot. Tony: A Hung Parliament in Italy doesn't work, OK point taken, BUT, the main party thing isn't working here either, most people i know don't believe we are out of recession, think the figures are loaded and corrupt, and some people think we are slipping further in. Once this Election is out the way the economic figures IMO will be horrendous!!!!!!.

I've heard they're going to use the "fight alcohol abuse" on the back showing the clip where Ash taps Gabby on the shoulder Up the Villa.

Things is everybody but everybody i speak to are sick to death of gobsh*te politicians and corrupt media, they have no idea who they want to vote for, care very little, are sick of listening to the same old spin like, "we will cut this tax" simply because its opposite to what the other main party says and there's some brownie points to be earned, not because they truly believe it has part of there policy. Think we have reached a point where people no longer believe or care about the notion a none vote or a vote for the Liberal's is a vote for the other party blah blah, just doesn't wash. This country needs change, ( as does the world) we can't go on in the same old way with blokes like Cameron Brown and Clegg saying all the same old stuff that is simply lip syncing ideas and agendas in the same format that Bevan used ( and before) to come to or get power. Its like the motor car, we all know the motor car, the combustion engine is dead in the water, its a dinosaur, the world can't sustain it, its time to move on, not to keep something that's allowing a certain clique very rich people supplying a crucial part such as oil to keep supplying that crucial part and keeping them rich, at enormous cost to the rest of us.........that's wrong. In the same way some very brave people hundreds of years ago stood up and kick started the industrial revolution, we now need that same kind of revolutionary thinking to take a fresh step up that evolutionary scale again, clearly our financial and banking world doesn't work anymore, our political world doesn't work, so common sense says it juts isn't working period. Example, who on here believes politicians, who on here, believes that in the main part these people are egotistical maniacs out for there own gain to enhance there own lives at your cost, this debate about the National Insurance 6billion we've been hearing so much about, who on here gives a toss about national Insurance. When i speak to people they are interested in what keeps money in there pockets such as, WHY DO WE PAY SO MUCH FOR FUEL AT THE PUMP COMPARED TO OUT EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS, WHY DO WE PAY A TV LICENCE FEE WHEN THERE IS SUCH THINGS AS FREEVIEW, WHY DOES SCOTLAND AND WALES GET FREE PRESCRIPTIONS AND OUR PENSIONERS UP TO 70 ODD HAVE TO PAY, most people i know say these are the real things taking money our of people's pockets every year that all add up to being the real drain on all of us. ( the capitals are not shouting just emphasising the points that people make to me). I have no idea who i will vote for if i bother, i think, like times of war maybe a hung parliament will get the best heads together across all parties and get the nation of the mire. Not a rant guys just what people say to me...........cheers.

I would second the 4-5-1 to start the game with, i think its important we take the sting out of the Chelsea midfield, for me thats where they can be strongest, if Lampards a mind to he can push the rest of the side forward, we need to stop that in its tracks. Not sure about Delph, but without him we would probably start with Downing and i'm not sure thats the best way, so Delph could be a good call for the team and the player, if he can't make the best of a start in a Semi Final at Wembley against Chelsea, then he's not worth it. You go with Young instead of Cuellor? I like Young i think he's a much understated defender and he's got a hell of a shot on him, so again could be just the right call for the job, as for the rest.....agree. Key players for us i reckon will be Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor, i think if they can link up and go at Chelsea full of it, we really have a chance.

Noted....................Nice one.......enjoy. I'd be on a major high just being somehwere in the sun But thst me :winkold:

Ricardomeister: Don't know about your world but the world i'm living in seems to be throwing up surprises pretty much everyday at the moment, i remember a time when you heard about a devastating Earthquake about once every few years, Tsunami, 20 years ago most people hadn't a clue what that was other than perhaps being a new type of curry, these days its " Oh right another Earthquake...another Tsunami, never mind they're a bit like dog poo, just about everywhere I digress. Know what your saying, common sense says Chelsea, i just have a hunch we can do this, a bit like you get a hunch on a horse for the National, you look at it and something screams, that's the one, just a point on that, I've won 10 from 14 of the last successive Grand Nationals so I'm up fir the hunch thing at the moment. Villa can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

I've a very strange vibe about this, I think we can beat them, if we are up for this, if the lads believe......we can win.

I think Chelsea are probably the most well rounded sides in the Prem, think that's there strength, if there is a window of opportunity its not there weakness its our strength that gives us a chance. We need our pace players Gabby and Ash to put pressure on there central midfield and back 4, pinning the Chelsea side back taking pressure of our back 4, then we need our target man to be focused for every chance to convert if and when that rare chance comes up for us...and grab it, i think an early lead for Villa is vital, and i could go 4-5-1 with Gabby up front just to start, its important IMO that Chelsea are a product of being an Ancelotti side, 1-0 is just as good as 7-1, we need to exploit that IMO.

Just the job before Chelsea, Ash with a great goal, Petrov work man like, Gabby very solid lets hope he's coming to the boil for next week............job done. We now really really need to focus on the Semi Final and nothing else.............that is untill the final whistle.

A must win, that simple, for the clubs Premiership status, the squad players etc, to snub out any gossip/rumour around the manager and to prevent any momentum in that direction which even though there is only very flaky evidence that anything has gone on, the fact that MON leaving the club has been suggested and the notion is now out there, anything other than a win will encourage even more gossip and pressure. Most of all the team needs to be at the top of there game to play Chelsea in the FA Cup Semi Final, Villa simply can't get run over again.

Doesn't strike me as the type of fella that waits to be pushed, think he will look at the state of play at the end of the season and make a measured decision. Not top 6 No Europe. Out v Chelsea in the Semi ( after the crushing 7-1) Poor run in losing to Bolton, B'ham, Everton. These circumstances probably or maybe putting us 8th maybe even 9th IMO would make him consider, also you have to remember the Celtic position is there, he's a legend up there, Champions League each season!!!!!, IMO. I would think there is a real possibilty he would be of.

Same, Apparently the Samaritans have put up a special help line for Villa fans to call.....its.... 0800 71 71 71.

Have to say the question of Martin O'Niell going at this point for me is crazy, frikkin madness, what happened today is history, we are still 7th, we have a Semi Final to contest and we must finish top 6 IMO ask this question at the end of and then it would be due consideration based on what we have achieved this season, who knows MON may look at things and say thats it, i've gone as far as i can with Aston Villa. So to answer......No not at this time. Bolton will be a difficult and massive game.

Fact is and said earlier this week....Sunderland and Wolves should have been 6pts in anticipation of this, we must have looked at our run in at some stage and realised which games where for the taking and which games we could take a loss from, common sense. What MON has to do now is get everybody focused, the next game has to be a solid victory, players must show there spirit and tenacity and hit back and get our minds right for Chelsea at Wembley IMO.

IMO we were always going to lose this, Chelsea had to win, no question. My only complaint is how Villa orchestrated the loss, we have to play this side in the FA Cup semi, we should have rested players not on a question of fatigue but on a question of giving us a bullet to fire back, an excuse, the fact we pretty much went full strength and got obliterated has left us nothing, we have a game to come back from this before part 2, we have also left ourselves with the problem that Villa now appear to be a side on the slide albeit an exaggerated one. Strange as this may sound i would except 7-1 if we had left out 5 or 6 first choice players, we haven't left ourselves with that kind of one upmanship/sporting option. Performance of the side and the players is irrelevant, completely irrelevant but we could have cushioned the blow IMO.