blandy

Just on Jonathan and not being allowed in to the Press Conference. JF knew he might not be allowed in, before he went. Sure the TV might have wanted him to be in attendance, so they could then guage his reaction to what went on, but I suspect that he knew that because he has stuck his head above the parapet and fronted up as a representative of some of the fanbase he would not exactly be popular with the current regime at VP (given that almost all the fans want Ellis out). You could say he was not allowed in because he is not an accredited journalist with any of the invited media organisations, and that's fair enough. Other people could take the view that he wasn't actually allowed in because he's critical of Doug Elliis and the way the club has been run. Equally fair enough. In the end it doesn't matter. JF wasn't bothered, though he'd have have liked to have been in there, as I guess a lot of fans would, too. Whether it was the fair application of a policy, slightly officious, or downright wrong, just really, really, doesn't matter at all. Jonathan spoke well about Villa situation outside the ground, to the camera. The "alternative" view of so many fans got mainstream media airing, as did the "official" view. Now that matters. - BOTH sides of the divide (and it is a divide) got put out. It didn't used to be like that. It's genuine progress. People can make their own minds up as to how they percieve the situation at the club, but it's grand that they're presented with differing views to consider, rather than just AVFC "Pravda" (no that's not a type of expensive handbag). To concentrate on whether he was allowed in or not, or why, is not really relevant to much at all in my book. The sooner the divide is narrowed between fans and "club", the better. Today's other, rather more important, events are a big step in the right direction.

So far (arguably) sure. We're a play thing for Ellis, and have been for donkeys years. We'll be a play thing, in one sense or another for someone else, soon. It's how it is. The whole media frenzy is only there because us lot, devotees, are interested and it sells papers and catches viewers, listeners and advertisers. I hope the next person for whom Villa is a play thing treats "us" with rather more care than the current owner.

Just on this, I listened to him on the radio and thought that he sounded like someone who had been contacted by Rothschilds, or as a result of Rothschilds talking to one of his backers (who then asked him to front up) and who is not really bothered one way or t'other. He didn't sound at all concerned, or hurried. I guess he knows that "he" is behind in the "race" and it's like "if it happens to develop, then we'll see where it takes us, if not I've got court in the morning" His answers were considered and unrevealing in word. Yet I felt that, as others have said, he sort of stuck the knife in to Neville. But mainly he seemed to know not so much, and 'fessed up to not having hardly started or considered much at all. Non starter, I reckon. caveat: QC's are very, very, clever. They can have you believing exactly what they want, without aparently leading you at all.

I wrote a long answer, then deleted it, and was gonna say refer Martin Samuel's article in the Times a couple of weeks ago, then i thought, of an analogous situation Rich people from the UK buy run down Vineyards, or Villas in France, or Tuscany. They do so not because they want a semi derelict property somewhere abroad, but because they see themselves sat on a veranda in the sun, looking out over the sun setting behind the Olive trees, as crickets chirp. Perhaps drinking a glass of locally produced wine. They also have an eye that the value of the property could treble as "the area catches on". They've maybe read or heard of an early mover from their town who has taken the plunge. It's about a dream and an interest and the allure of a return on the investment. It's about being one step ahead of the crowd. But all that's just a dream and "maybe one day", then some documents from Rothschilds land on your doormat "For Sale, ancient property, scope for improvement, price reduced due to poor state of property, this type of offer doesn't come round often..." Then you look into it, find there's a cantankerous old scrote occupying the property, along with a few faithful retainers. You see that they can't manage to look after it properly, even though they like the prestige of being the owner of the Big House....." With experience in your own country of reviving a similar property, with money in the bank, who wouldn't be interested? Here ends the middle class analogy. Another Gin & Tonic, Cyril?

Completely agree with you sentiment about fans of other clubs - fans are fans, whoever they support. We've more in common with fans of other clubs than we have with any of the millionaires in the dressing rooms, or board rooms of so many clubs. And the second point is that what they said, is what has driven some Villa fans so mad. We really could be, or could have been... They know it, some of us know it. Equally, I suppose the Villa fans who hold the view that that is simply fantasy and we should be grateful for what we have could point to plenty of other teams fans who would agree with their view.

Rumour has it that of all the prospective bids, Rothschilds top rated the American one. Rumour also has it that they least rate(d) the Neville one. Any "rating" from Rothschilds, would I guess, be from a financial viewpoint - How strong is the assurance of cash, guarantees, value and so on. There might also be a view on the viability and feasibility of plans detailed by the various consortia/prospective bidders. Who knows the truth of rumours, mind.

Yes.

He had less "limited funds" at Charlton - he had more than Villa managers have had.

Comment on the original pic, though I know nowt about the technicalities of 'tografy. But the bit of the pic I've shown is the best bit. It's got depth, which the part cropped out doesn't, yet it also shows the contrast between the green and the flats behind, and there's also the close-in focal point of the lock gates, with peripheral interest points from the people walking. There's also less of the foreground, which was kind of wasted space. There, an amateur pretentious review.

There's been some really interesting posts on this thread. Andy's point about us feeling the need to criticise...daholte's and gringo's, Richard's. Malc's etc. I think that it kind of reflects the way the club is run under Ellis. it is run as a business with football following behind. (Ellis somewhere haead of both, but anyway...) That's not necessarily a bad approach, and in the past, or at other levels or leagues there's a lot to be said for it. - I mean, if you consider another club, so that we have no emotional involvement, if someone says, I dunno, Preston North End are well run, they don't have debt, they do well in staying at or above their level, they'll not go broke, and if they get the right manager, they can do well, perhaps challenge the top clubs in ther division, then there's not a lot to criticise, logically. I think that when the Prem was an infant, or before, there was a valid argument for saying the same sort of argument applied to Villa. And the club would never go bust, like Sheff Wed nearly did, or Forest. They could always claim to be well run, the Villa. However, somewhere in the mid-late 90's things changed. In the Prem, money became the utter dominant driving force. Clubs who by one means ( huge fanbases) or another (rich owner) or yet another (brilliantly run) or a combination of all these things were able to take a huge step ahead of the rest. Villa had the possibility to be one of those clubs, but not under Ellis's way of doing things. Like we all say, too cautious, too "small corner shop", too "I know best". As a result we were left well and truly behind. You don't se the signs at first - after all it could just be a bad season, but gradually it dawns that there is a big gap, then an unbreachable divide. The anger, frustration and annoyance sets in amongst the fans. The board gets flak. The the anger grows, the board starts to panic, but without the skills or attitude to really bite the bullet and go for it, or the balls to resign and let someone else try, we are left muddling around in the middle. Bereft of the millions coming into the top, bereft of the leadership or dynamism to even seek to be the best of the rest. Now we're just waiting for the end, for Ellis to go. The issue of selling an asset stached away 15 years ago to make up a bank overdraft is not really the issue. It may be slightly vaguely hooky, or it may be all above board. So what? What does it matter in the big picture. Without a different approach and atmosphere we are consigned to be a footnote to seasons end video - "and Aston Villa finshed 15th that year" scrutinising Ellis's manouevrings, good and bad, doesn't bring any change or advance, it just makes talking points about what we feel is a discredited regime. Until we are a football club first and foremost, all utterly dedicated to winning matches on the pitch, to providing as much as is humanly possible to give the 11 players and manager what we can to help them win, we're just marking time and slipping backwards as others move on. The present has caught up with Ellis and the future is behind him, now.

Gross out dude! I mean salad! who eats that sh!t? (sorry, back OT...)

He did. Did you really need to ask?

James Blunt

Surely it's more importsant to win your home games, at least from a commercial point of view. Yes - That's pretty much my point. Surely not. We played a lot of that season with Dion in defence, and the decidedly unsprightly Allback up front. Chuck the likes of Crouch, Encks, UDLC, Kinsella and Leonhardsen into the mix and I strguggle to see what was better at all about it. There's a lot of players still the same - Delaney, Barry, JLloyd, Olly, JPA, Hendrie, Ulises There's some like for like(ish) - youngsters such as Stefan Moore, Hitz /Luke and Steven Davis (though the latter 2 are better prospects), Schmeichel or Enks / Tommy or Taylor There's Ronnie Johnson/Laursen, Dion/Ridge, Allback/Phillips, Vassel/Baros, Crouch, Leonhardsen, Kinsella, Ian Taylor or Gav Alan Wright/ Bouma I haven't gone through everyone, but I'd say there are slightly more players of a higher standard in the current squad, but overall it's smaller and therefore weaker - more susceptible to injuries.

There's a couple of points to pick up on First - whoever said this season is worse in part due to the pre-season expectation of something decent, well I disagree. My pre-season expectation was pretty much for the sort of shite season we're having. Second, under GT we could at least win at home 11 times, I think, but we were abysmal away. This time we're only rubbish away, but at home are much worse. Third - the playing squad. I don't think this season's is better at all. I'd say it's worse. Fourth - Last time we were reliant on the last game of the season, at home to Sunderland to confirm our safety. This time our last game is at home to Sunderland, and we're not yet safe.... I think, personally, that this season has been mostly more dispiriting, but more because of the worse(ning) state of the club off the pitch.

5 people got it right.

Ah Mr Anthony Pig. Good to hear from you. I wonder if Gerrard won't get it.

And only Allan turned up!

Barry, by a distance

Hallowed turf that, above. Don't want the small heath playing on it.

1. I haven't been proven right, yet, and may be totally wrong 2. I kept the posts, or at least the links, because, I was trying to do this "blog" thing, which I eventually managed. 3. Vanity - obviously, I'd have never mentioned it again if I was completely wrong, but I'm convinced that I'm not.

I said this would be the case in December "I am of the view that the price will need to come down for it to go ahead. And come down a fair bit. With Ellis no doubt wanting all kinds of things guaranteed and his place set out in stone, one side will have to budge a lot. It might happen, but it'll take a while. And then the shareholders have to vote on it. " In early Jan, I also said "...from Ellis' viewpoint. Basically he's in the end game, isn't he. He has some control over matters, but not the power of control he used to have. We all know this. The board know it to, as do the media. Thinking about it tonight, I feel more confident, rather than less that the deal will happen. Which isn't perhaps saying much, as I have been very, very, sceptical all along. To me it depends if he will accept a lower price, and if so how much lower. Maybe 5.40 would be his aim, now, realistically Maybe the Comers will be looking at around 4.80 as their ideal price. Split that, and you have around 5.10, or 56-7 million quid. We'll see. ----- Can't see any reason to change my mind, either.

Share price has dropped below 4 quid again, too. £3.95 now

Just to clarify - I don't think blocking people just because they are fans of another club is good, I like it when we get visitors, but the ad hoc way is best, in my view. Welcome any friendly visitors, but don't invite the world in, is what I meant.

Weaeeeeeaaaarrrrrrooooowwwwwwwnnnnnnngggggggsssssssssnnnnnnaaaaarrrrrr....kinellturnitofff. Nahhh. I like it when real people come on and share their views, but I don't want this to be anything other than a Villa site, personally. Invited articles, sure, but links and loads of "invaders" no thanks. Or have I misunderstood?