barry'sboots

Good point. Worth making him Villa manager just for his ability to move Heskey on!

He is ginger. Fits in well if you ask me!!

Why stop there - let's get in Jamie Redknapp! ...... and Lawro & Hansen. The Plop tradition continues!

For me, he has to get a chance when Ireland is injured or tiring and we need a replacement. I would rather see him in the hole than Ash, who I prefer out wide. I would estimate Barry has a couple of years to become a challenger before Gary Gardner comes through (from what I have heard) and becomes a real challenger for that ACM role.

Well to be honest I do not think Randy realises that he has additional security costs for the players dressing room on match days, or the car park either. He's not a proper scouser anyway .... he's had a job!

I think that this would make you try even harder when you play against the club you supported. PT would be desperate to beat the Scousers so he doesn't get a load of stick when he goes home. Look at Vassell when he played for Citeh. The only club he scored against was the Villa!

It's because he's persevered with Mon's idea of trying out ASH in the second striker role. You can't knock him for that because it takes a few matches to see if it's going to work. SI was played deeper rather than the alternative which was to leave him out. But MON hardly ever played Ash in this role??

The only good thing I can say about Phil Thompson is that I probably wont have the biggest nose at VP. Your nose is bigger than Albrighton's??

^^^^^^^^^ Can't understand why 90% of us can see this but Kev can't?? I am sure he has a touch of the MON's in him.

Heskey is/was a good player. I thought he was going to be an excellent signing when he first arrived and I still think he would have been if MON hadn't decided to try and convert him into an attacking CM'er!! When he has played well in the past he has been the point of the attack, shifting the CB's around and making space for his partner. We have Gabby playing in this position and therefore, invariably, Emile has to drop deep. He hasn't got the touch, energy (at his age) or vision to play there and be productive. You can't blame Emile for this. It is MON's fault for buying him and playing him out of position IMO.

I'd echo this. He has got to start with NRC against Stoke.

He won't do this if he's standing on Richard Dunne's toes. Hopefully, the new manager will push him forward into the hole and get Ash back on the wing.

Agreed. I think Curbs punched massively above his weight at Charlton whereas Houllier performed well below the level expected of a Plop side - even his treble winning side disappointed in the league from memory. If Curbs had won a trophy with Charlton I think he would have been seen as a miracle worker given budgets and relative standing etc.. Having said all of this, I wouldn't want Curbs. I don't think he has the experience of managing bigger players and we do have some "bigger" players. When he did get the chance at Wet Spam it didn't go to well. Equally, I am not convinced by Houllier.

I could say the same of those that appear to be impressed by a nice hairdo, an ability to a slow a game down and always make that telling pass to one of your defenders behind you and has no running!

But I don't think he was being played as the defensive midfielder. Whilst I think this is his best position, as he demonstrated last season in the Bolton game (the one game he was given a chance to play this role alongside an attack minded CM'er in Sidwell) and a couple of seasons ago behind Barry, I don't think he can play this role when Stan is in the team because Stan will not make the bursts forward and, when you play a 2 man CM, someone has to??

Didn't realise he was Irish ........ only joking before I get shot. I think he will be a super buy if used properly. Cracking footballer, great movement, lovely first touch and keeps the ball moving. I would have loved to see him play in a midfield three of: -------------- sitting midfielder ------------- ---------SI --------------------- Milner ------ but that will probably never happen unless he does really well and they come back in with a silly bid at the end of the season! I think a midfield of: -------------- sitting midfielder ------------- --------------------------------- Delph ------ ------ SI ------------------------------------- could be very interesting though and I am looking forward to seeing this when Fabian gets fit.

So why do a number of the polls on Villa sites have Nigel rated as up there for MOTM on Sunday. The poll on this site has him slightly higher than Stan (admittedly only 4% compared to 3%).

Sorry but Reo-Coker was far better. Creating play to go forward? When was this :? Reo-Coker was involved more than Petrov and better than Petrov on sunday, no question. No really he wasn't I'm with you AVFC-PoB, NRC was much more influential for me. Even though I would rather NRC played as the sitting midfielder, he can't do this when Stan is in the side as Stan doesn't have the energy to burst forward.

Not surprised to see you express that view in such a humble manner. Given that we haven't signed any of these "plenty of players" and we have the squad of 22 that we have, at least until January, would you not recognise that we need NRC in there at the minute??

Good post on this subject on footballfancast.com: "Aston Villa seem set on making themselves this season’s early favourites to be the Jekyll and Hyde team of the season. With a degree of uncertainty hanging over many player’s future’s at the club and with Chairman Randy Lerner looking to tighten the purse strings, whether it be Kevin McDonald who takes the helm, or an ‘experienced Premiership manager’ as their statement construed, they are going to have to do the best with what they have already at the club, and Nigel Reo Coker could prove pivotal this term. With every club in the Premiership having to announce their 25 man squads, the quite frankly tiresome and dull debate as to ascertaining the makeup of each team’s squad can be thankfully put to bed. What was interesting was that Villa chose to name just 22 players out of a possible 25, hence signalling a threadbare squad, something which was obviously an open secret by now anyway. A lot of managers preach about being down to the bare bones, and it’s a well-worn protectionist routine that often carries little truth when trotted out as reasoning for a side’s failures by a beleaguered manager; however in Villa’s case at least, they do seem to have a very small first team squad. An emphasis has been placed on youth in their opening games in both the league and in Europe so far this season, which would go some way to explaining the inconsistent nature of the club’s results thus far. With McDonald in charge, and his knowledge of those coming through the academy and at reserve team level unparalleled at Villa, it was to be expected. Marc Albrighton, Ciaran Clark and Barry Bannon all look real prospects, but a side with the stature of Villa cannot rely on youthful vigour over the course of an arduous season alone and a few wiser heads will need to step up to the plate. This is where Reo Coker comes in. To call him a wise head would seem a bridge too far for most, for his playing style has always bared a youthful exuberance to it, but it’s in his decision making, the hallmark of any experienced pro, that has always been questionable to say the least, but it’s worth remembering that at 26 years of age he already has considerable Premiership experience, captained a Premiership club in West Ham, and amassed over 250 career appearances; a total not to be taken lightly. Reo Coker was frozen out under previous manager Martin O’Neill after a rumoured bust-up at the training ground, but in all honesty, he was heading towards the fringes long before that. O’Neill rather sadly, had a penchant for discarding a lot of the players that he himself signed as Villa manager, an odd policy, and while the same can be said of a lot of managers in practice, with a squad the size of Villa’s and with opponents planning on your team running out of steam, (something John Terry noted that his Chelsea teammates worked on in training prior to their 7-1 win at Stamford Bridge last March) to work within the confines of such a small squad, would seem wholly detrimental to the rest of the squad and on results. With James Milner having departed for a big money move to Man City and Stephen Ireland coming in the opposite direction, Villa’s midfield, while full of craft and guile, would seem to lack the urgency and industry that Milner allied to his technical gifts, was capable of providing so superbly last season. In short, Villa can look a little lightweight. Stiliyan Petrov has been exceptional the last two seasons, but his strengths lie in his passing game and his positional discipline rather than his harrying of the opposition and he can often look jaded and off the pace when asked to perform this role. Reo Coker only started 10 games last season, and quite rightly so with Milner exceptional in the middle of the park, but with him gone, while Ireland may appear to be a like-for-like replacement going forward, they will be easily caught on the break and off the ball without a robust player such as Milner, or now, Reo Coker in the middle. He started against Everton in what was an extremely fortunate 1-0 victory over the weekend, but the graft shown by Reo Coker was notable and his performance was outstanding in the aspects you’d expect – work rate, tackling ability, closing down – and he could have a large part to play in any success Villa may go onto have this season. He may not be pretty to watch at times, but behind every great side there is, as Didier Deschamps was rather less affectionately called ‘a water carrier’ and this is a role Reo Coker relishes, and one that he could thrive in if he’s allowed to carry it out on a more regular basis than under the end of Martin O’Neill’s tenure." Made even better by the pics of Van de Vaarts missus at the bottom!!

Fixed* * everyone else seems to do this. :winkold: Wouldn't disagree after last Sunday. Whoever is rested can get the last 30 minutes anyway. I think Albie's pace may have more of an effect in the last 30 minutes of a game though against a tired Stoke??

He should fit in well down the Villa then!

If he's gonna play him against Stoke, it has got to be in the hole with two sitting midfielders. Please, please, please! Rest DJ or Albrighton.

I thought the general had effectively said this earlier today by saying that they wouldn't poach other club's managers?

Sidwell's touch is never bad because he never gets near the ball!! Anyway, his job as a ball boy is being held open pending his imminent return to fitness.