mjames333

I appreciate there could potentially be severe financial repercussions, but from a purely footballing perspective, I'm not that bothered if we go down. For the record, I don't want us to, but I have never seen Villa finish lower than 16th or higher than 6th in my entire life (at least not in memory).

The Football League has its perks in my opinion from a fans perspective and we might actually win something! All I'm saying is, honestly, I think I'd probably enjoy watching Villa more if we were high up in the league below than our current situation.

It would also probably phase out a number of people that sit around me who I genuinely think are happy to pay £500 a year to have an excuse to lament their life problems in the open, only through the code of "Given you can't catch a cold" and "I wish (*insert equally shit manager to our current one*) was still in charge."

I'm sure fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Forest, Leeds and Coventry would tell you that life outside the Premier League is not such a good time.

faulkner and McLeish out

The only way Villa can go forward

Looked very dangerous today. Should be on the right though

There are so many more managers I would rather have that McLeish right now and some of the names I never thought I would have had at Villa

Emery, Benitez, Curbishley, Hoddle, McCarthy, Martinez, Gregory, Rogers, Adkins, McDermott to name a few.

But For me Lambert remains the ideal candidate.

If we go down I just cringe at the thought of the dog shit footballers McLeish will bring in. A team full of Shaun Derry type players and Clinton Morrisons. No thanks.

Erm Moscow for example was over before we boarded the plane

Champions League was the bigger prize then. MON made a mistake but if we had won against Stoke then who knows.

McLeish has gone past the point where he can be defended. I see no strategy or plan. We will never be successful under him, he has to go. If not now then the end of the season or next year we are in big trouble.

Martinez ? WTF ?? We are villa not wigan or Swansea

Martinez had survived relegation last year, Swansea will this year. McLeish has gone down twice.

The Tottenham away match was the biggest disgrace I've ever seen as a Villa fan.

WTF ?

Worse than the Moscow surrender

Worse than DOL Doncaster

Worse than 0-6 at Forest

Worse than Houllier antics before during and after the 0-3 at Liverpool

Worse than 0-3 v Charlton under Billy Mc

I think not

Honestly mate yes. That was a surrender from the start. I don't think those other matches started that way.

I still can't believe we have come to this. I know we have had our brushes in the past - GTII, DOL and Houllier last year, but in each of those seasons it just seemed there was always going to be a way out.

There is just no confidence in McLeish to get us out of this. His style of (or lack of) football just brings this kind of situation on. We play with fear. We play to not lose. We come back against Chelsea and we bring on Heskey. This just screams negativity and settling for scraps.

The Tottenham away match was the biggest disgrace I've ever seen as a Villa fan and that was the turning point of our season. Negative football, playing for a draw and all of it backfiring. That has been the precedent for the rest of the season and that is why we find ourselves in this position.

If it doesn't happen this year then we know it might next. Relegation is now a realistic threat to our club and we have to get rid of the reason we find ourselves in this position.

McLeish. Get the **** out of my club now.

Deano, Merson, and Angel. I also was convinced Baros was going to be a top signing.

That's terrible news. Get well Stan

I just bought tickets for Philadelphia in section 133 which they said was for away fans. It's actually the cheapest ticket too I think at $30.

I like it. don't care what others say, these teams will give us a game. Not going to Philly but Chicago and then onto Portland could be on.

Portland have great supporters. At least from what I have seen of them they do. Stayed in the same hotel as Villa when they came to Columbus. Great couple of days - even though that city had nothing to offer.

i was staying in that hotel in Columbus too. O'Neill and Barry were very approachable and spoke with me and my dad. Gary Cahill was also very chatty with the fans.

I'm going to Philadelphia and Chicago this time around.

What a prick. Yet another kick in the bollocks for the likes of Ireland and Bannan - 2 players who are far more creative from the centre than Jenas.

Yeah, I think similar, though the timing indicates that it was very much Milner-related more than anything.

I suspect he understood he would get the Milner money for replacement players and was then told he would not gilbertoAVFC. The truth is out there and may appear in book form one day unless there is a confidentialty clause to prevent that?

Problem is, who's going to come out with the story? Both sides would obviously have their own version of events.

Yes I think that's the general consensus regarding Milner.

It would be nice to know eventually. I can't think of many occasions in football when an entire set of fans have been kept in the dark for so long over something so significant. I think, unless it would be against some kind of agreement to do so, Lerner has a responsibility to inform us of his side at least. I mean, don't make it a big public statement and a scene, but maybe filter through the truth via a fan's meet or something.

Unfortunately communication with the fans is not something Lerner feels is necessary. It's amazing how quickly he has transformed himself from the exemplary foreign owner to a bit of a joke. His faith in Faulkner and McLeish has completely undone all the good he did for us at the start. Very sad.

In fact I would say that even if AM won every game till the end of the season there are those on here that would still want him out me included.

Why? If we won the remainder of our games I'm sure we would finish at least 7th, maybe even 6th. That would be great. (It's not going to happen I know)

If we win the league next year with McLeish would people still want him out? That seems ridiculous rational.

I want McLeish gone because I don't think he can achieve anything at our club. If we did suddenly start winning a lot of games though I think we would all have to accept him. (It's not going to happen)

From the OS:

Aston Villa confirmed today that Brett Holman has agreed to join the club in the summer when his contract with Dutch Eredivise league leaders AZ Alkmaar will expire.

The 27-year-old wide midfield player has been capped 53 times for Australia having made his international debut in 2006.

He began his career in Australia before moving to Holland and joining Feyenoord in 2002.

A loan spell at SBV Excelsior preceded a move to NEC Nijmegen in 2006 before he joined AZ Alkmaar in 2008 at the beginning of their championship-winning season.

Holman's form both domestically and in Europe has made him a coveted property.

In 2011 he won the Australian Football Media Association's Player of the Year and his appearances for Australia over the past two years have comfortably exceeded the requisite 75 per cent of games in order for him to be eligible for a work permit.

His high-tempo, energetic style has made him an integral part of the Socceroos team and he was the only player to feature in every one of their FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

He also scored two goals in their three games at the finals.

Villa manager Alex McLeish said: "Brett is a very intelligent player, a great team player and a man who is recognised in the game as a non-stop, committed wide midfield player.

"He has international experience and he has played in the Champions League and at European level for the past few years. He will add significantly to the experience in the Villa squad."

Brett Holman said: "I'm delighted to have agreed terms with Aston Villa and I am looking forward to joining up with the team in the summer.

"Villa have a long and prestigious history in English football and a fantastic set of fans.

"In the meantime I have a job to do with AZ in trying to finish the season as Eredivisie champions, as cup winners and progressing as far as possible in the Europa competition."

Awaiting the Macron conspiracy posts

It's a bit of a shame that we have gone for him when there are better players out there we could have gone for on a bosman.

Anyway, I will welcome him and hope he does well.

We could still sign other Bosman's too yer know.

Certainly there are many alternatives I would prefer to McLeish but I don't understand why people are so high on Rodgers. He failed at Watford and failed at Reading. Granted he has done well with Swansea but how much of that team and philosophy was already put in place by Martinez and Sousa?

Lambert is a much better shout but I'm guessing we are stuck with Eck for now so hopefully he can prove us wrong and get us moving in the right direction.

What makes you think Rodgers failed at Watford :? ?

don't remember them being anything but mid to lower half

Certainly there are many alternatives I would prefer to McLeish but I don't understand why people are so high on Rodgers. He failed at Watford and failed at Reading. Granted he has done well with Swansea but how much of that team and philosophy was already put in place by Martinez and Sousa?

Lambert is a much better shout but I'm guessing we are stuck with Eck for now so hopefully he can prove us wrong and get us moving in the right direction.

I was very upset when he was appointed but I honestly didn't think he was going to be this bad. There is clearly no bright future with him at the helm.

Its time to riot! **** off Lerner you clueless "soccer" liking word removed. You dont have a clue! You was brought up by Daddy with Daddys billions, you never did shit! Daddy cant save you now from the rath of the Holte! Either sack him at the end of the season or sell up and **** off!

**** clueless American word removed

I can understand not wanting him as our Chairman anymore but do you really have to take it to such a personal level? There's no need to insult him, his family life or Americans in general just because you don't want him to own the club any more. Grow up.

Exactly. The fact that Randy Lerner is American has nothing to do with this. I live in America now and know there is a great following of our game here and people do actually know something about it.

That said I am not happy with how the club is being run and am all for the fans opposing our Chairman's 'vision' for us.

I don't remember anyone having a go at Doug Ellis for being an old **** clueless English word removed

Same for McLeish, his hair colour, nationality and former employer has nothing to do with his inabilities to manage a top Premier League club.

Easily Lerner. But that doesn't mean I am not very disappointed with him right now.

Ellis had to go. We were going nowhere under him the last few years. Sadly it looks like we are back to that position again. I'd choose neither of them right now.

I find those ridiculous quotes from Faulkner quite insulting. It almost implies that they believe McLeish is doing a good job for Villa.

If we want to go there i'm sure Martinez would come to us after this season. We should be aiming higher though if we are to change the manager.

Whatever happens in the summer we must rid the club of the MON loyalists that continue to drag us down. Transfer budgets must be made so a new manager or McLeish can put out his own team. Break it up and start again with or without Mcleish.