blandy

Sure. I agree. Thing is though, and this is maybe the point about a lot of issues where someone has a comment on MO'N - you can still support him, want him to succeed, think he's the best man for the job...etc and also make a point that you personally would like to see A rather than B, or would have done something differently - can't you? I think that anyone who thinks that he has not made a single wrong decision (with hindsight) is perhaps not as analytical as all that. I bet he'd 'fess up to doing one or two things that haven't quite worked out as he'd have liked. It's only natural. I think we understand the size of the task he has, but when it comes to understanding the detail as to why he says something, we genuinely don't know if there's a reason for his tone or words. He's extremely clever. I'd guess that if he was really positive, then the papers would be all over Villa and he'd maybe not be able to do things on the QT so easily. We'd get articles every day about how so and so is coming, 20 million this, 10 million that. And it'd all be made up bollex. I like to think/delude myself that both MO'N and the board are genuinely committed to working away behind the scenes, correctly and properly and with dignity and doing things in the right way, for the best of the club. If my delusion/thoughts re correct, then I'd expect the sort of statements he's made. Talk about the transfer window - gives the press an angle, without letting anything out about possible signings. And it's truthful. s'what DO'L got wrong - he never had the hang of dealing with the press. Also, you notice little adjustments as a result of press coverage. First of it was coming across very negatively, then there's a positive adjustment about hoping to get 5 StTan class players in..but it might not be possible....but Randy's right behind me (when it was claimed ludicrously that he wasn't). He's smart. And transfer windows are mad.

I hope not - I agree with a good chunk of what Malc says. Maybe not so much on some issues. I don't think I have an agenda (apart from the secret world domination thing -Oh! Damn, let the cat out of the bag there. Curse my foolishness), but I'm not a fool - I'm cramming hard for my advanced woodwork O level.

But you do agree it could be down to lack of intelligence or an agenda? I don't think it is down to either of those things. I don't see why people should imply it is, even if they think it.

Pablo, it could be down to Malc simply reaching a different view, having different opinions. It might be nothing to do with agendas or lack of intelligence. Why are people grudgefull? (gratuitous M.E.S. reference)

Benítez' has spent almost £78m in 30 months - more than every other club bar Chelsea and Man U over the same period, btw. Hmmm... I have heard almost no-one say much materially different to MO'N. As you say, Pearce has said he's no money so can't get anyone. Chelsea have said No signings, and Arsenal too. Rafa is whingeing that it's all not fair, Even rent a quote's like Redknapp and Allardyce have kept largely stum. There haven't been many signings, and none of note. I Can't find anything MO'N has done or said to take issue with on transfers at all. Seems like he's telling it how it is, which is how I like it. I don't want words and then no action.

Fair enough Ian. Sometimes a qualified answer gets lost a bit on the internet. I'm not against it (later). I was trying to put forward the point that it HAS been looked at and ruled out for now, according to GK. I accept his answer. Bearing that in mind, and the fact he has explained the reasons, I just felt the idea, though a decent one, is one for later, rather than now. I'm happy that it's been looked at. I trust that it has been decided "not right now" for valid reasons, and frankly, like I said, there are more pressing issues anyway. I'd rather accept that GK, Russ A and the others concentrate on what they can achieve than what they can't. One step at a time.

No. At least not yet. I believe that it has been looked at and that various issues present a hurdle. Train timetables and so on. These issues aren't insurmountable, but equally the renaming of a railway station is not exactly the highest of priorities. I'd personally prefer things the way they are with the club - people have looked at it, decided for now, as I understand it, not to take it any further and instead to concentrate on more pressing issues and on more immediately achieveable issues. It's great that this sort of thing was looked at by the club, but it's also true that there's a limit on what the team of people can achieve in any given period. One for the back burner, perhaps, for me. Hopefully we will get to the sitaution where the club's image and profile is higher due to on the pitch matters, and then maybe the council will, along with the club, be able to take this sort of cosmetic action. First things first, though.

Perhaps we're more keen on really good players than fairly good players? You don't know you can't get 'em till you actually try?

ditto

I remember maybe 20-ish years ago, admittedly in a league game, going to old trafford just after "the Life of Brian" had been on the box (for the first time). There were loads of Villa fans there, behind the goal and we drew 1-1 I think it was. So obviously 1-1 again. nice preview.

Only 'cus we melted their ice caps with our fridges and cars. Can't blame the bears for that. Anyway, it's Grizzlies and Brown bears that do that, isn't it, not Polar Bears?

Warwickshire County Cricket Club. The Mighty Bears!

I wish you would and soon, it can be a lifeline for overseas fans able to get cable and satellite. Thanks for the other confirmations too ,) I went to Spurs, and noticed that they seem to have a TV station - they certainly showed stuff on their big screens which was professionally presented, "appeared" to be Live TV and was a distance ahead of the Villa pre-match and half time "media". I think what I'm saying i that there are clubs, clearly, who might be able to help or advise on what they do, and Villa could take what suits us from that.

And the "premium content" doesn't work ( the videos etc) on a Apple Mac computer due to using microsoft only windows DRM. Minor issue "audience" wise, as only about 5% of people use Macs, but....

To expand on Gringo's answer, it was once renowned for typographical errors (spelling mistakes, basically) Private Eye, therefore called it the Grauniad, and it's stuck. Like Mike I'm quite surprised by how many Guardian readers and Independent readers we have. Much greater percentage than the national average. Is it Villa specific, or Football specific, I wonder?

I think this might be down to what Wurzel's point gets at. With people looking at other ways to get their news/opinion, papers have adjusted in different ways. Some have become arms of the murdoch world media/Government empire, that promote a particular interest or viewpoint, some have shrivelled and died and some have become simply a means to make (or lose) money and have gone not for news, but for percieved interests of a sector. The ones that people admire are the ones that either stand by a set of principles, or an ethos, or ones that have adapted to the interweb (The Grauniad being perhaps the best example). I can't stand the Daily stormtrooper, but it has a set vision of what it thinks, what it's target market is, and it goes for that, and seems to do well as a result. Never straying from it's agenda. I prefer papers that don't have the same owner imposed discipline. Whether right left or centre. It's nice to have the choice, though.

They (proper papers, not comics) are a very good way of being informed, IMO. They're portable, contain news and analysis, opinon, images, cover a wide range of subjects, both national and international. Some of, if not most of, the best journalists writ for national papers. They often challenge the orthodoxy of whoever is in power in way that TV and radio doesn't, and they are better edited than lot of the internet. And the Guardian has a typeface hand crafted by a Villan of some repute. Papers are great.

Independent for me. Guardian sometimes.

I don't like him because of his "humour" - basically 1970s Bernard Manning Style racist stuff forms a part of it. Apart from not thinking much of his style, I just don't think he's of the right calibre for the club. Now Ellis has gone, there's just no need for him (if there was a need for him, as Denis says, which I doubt). And that's being very kind to him.

I don't like to speak ill of people, generally, but I'm pleased with this.

Me, I'd feck off from the trenches on the first hint of a "maybe". I mean who wants to live (or die) in a trench? Silk sheets, a fleixible, lithesome lass, champagne (or a pint of ale, come to think of it)...nuther matter, but trenches- nah!. I'm being daft, I know, but the point is that footy is about fun, pleasure, escapism, not trenches and death. 'tis all maybes, Malc. No-one can see into the future. just enjoy the ride, so to speak.

There's been a lot of postings about the squad's weaknesses, about speculation as to who we might bring in. On the weaknesses it seems that a lot of folk think we need a right back, a left back, a right winger, a centre forward, a centre half, and maybe still a creative midfielder To get all of that lot in, to find people available and of the necessary standard is no mean feat. In fact it's all but impossible, given that not every signing will come off, even if we get them in. I accept completely Malc's point that while we have seen that the New Owner's words have been matched by deeds off the pitch, there has not yet been a chance for them to do the same with playing staff. I'd be massively shocked if they didn't completely and fully back MO'N in January. Perhaps there's an aspect in the statements of Roeder and Curbishley and others which should also be considered. Maybe they are talking up unrealistic expectations? They're at 2 clubs that are not performing as they would like. Perhaps come January all their words will come to nothing? Will Newcastle in a takeover situation really be spending big? Will West Ham, in a relegation position be able to get the players they want to go there? Maybe it's managers trying to pressure their boards to back them? Maybe MO'N doesn't need to do that? I don't know. Probably best to wait and see what happens and then form a view at the end of Jan as to how it's gone..

I hope that the video screens are able to put up some clips of Ron smiling when we won the league (still the most famous smile in Villa history), maybe some of the moments that we remember him and his superb side for. Maybe not so much for Ron, but for some of the people who weren't around at the time, and for people like me especially who was around at the time and would absolutely love to see it all put together again. thanks

What a good read. Giddy was a "bit of a character" and a ruddy good player. Thanks to UWS, too.

WMS