blandy

I appreciate that it may be a bit more work for the mods if idiots come on, but I'm very much in favour of letting people on as long as they act sensibly, whoever they support I don't want to read long threads about, say Liverpool's back 4 in 1983, but I do like the alternative perspective on football, on OT, on games v Villa, on problems with all kinds of things fans have in common. I think the site is better with them allowed on.

Seaman saved one of his in front of the Holte for the Arse, too. But GB is a decent pen taker, Phillips too, I think.

With Baros I got the impression his commitment and work rate are very good, it's his ability to see others that lets him down. Still, we'll no doubt find out soon. On form JPA will get a rest, it'll be interesting to see what happens. Of KP and JPA I would think KP would be the better substitute to bring on.

We're downstairs, but see you in the bar, and maybe for a pint beforehand/after

Sigur Ros tickets were available from last friday, direct from the Philharmonic, Bicks. Get down there asap, as they go quickly. I tried for the Lowrie centre in Manchester a while back, but they had all gone. As for what SR are like in concert, I've never seen them Live before. I"ll let you know.

The two gigs I mentioned are both in Liverpool. The Academy and the Philarmonic for Sigur Ros, in November. Not so bad, surely.

I was looking through some old stubbs, and something has struck me. This week I have bought tickets to go and see Super Furry Animals and also to see Sigur Ros, and the tickets were all under 20 quid (16 for SFA and 19 for SR). My ticket for the Salford Soccerdrome is 32 quid. It's 28 at VP. But going back a bit, well OK, a lot, gigs used to cost a lot more than the togger. Why? Maybe I should give up the footy and go and see more bands with my music loving pals instead. Where do you think the value is?

Link Also, including and carrying on from there, if I've copied it right from my sheet PLAYERS BOUGHT: (17/07/1999 to 10/08/2005) £750 000 Kevin Phillips £750 000 Stuart Taylor £0 Patrick Berger £1 500 000 Aaron Hughes £1 800 000 Eric Djemba Djemba (900,000 + 400 K in June + 250k after 20 + 250K after 40) starts and again after 40 £1 750 000 Mathieu Berson £3 000 000 Martin Laursen £1 500 000 Nolberto Solano £2 225 000 Thomas Sorenson £2 225 000 Gavin McCann £1 500 000 Ulises De La Cruz £ 750 000 Mark Kinsella £5 000 000 Peter Crouch £2 000 000 Marcus Allback £1 500 000 Stefan Postma £2 500 000 Mustapha Hadji (+ Joachim) £5 000 000 Olof Mellberg £5 800 000 Bosko Balaban £5 600 000 Alpay £3 000 000 David Ginola £9 500 000 Juan Pablo Angel £ 250 000 Mark Delaney £ 225 000 Colin Calderwood £ 250 000 Neil Tarrant £ 200 000 Peter Enckleman £5 500 000 Steve Stone £1 700 000 David James £4 500 000 George Boateng £1 000 000 Najwan Ghrayib Carbone, nominal fee. Total Purchases £68 650 000 PLAYERS SOLD: (07/07/1999 - 10/08/2005) £2 250 000 Darius Vassel £0 Thomas Hitzlsperger £0 Stefan Moore £2 000 000 Peter Crouch £ 150 000 Rob Edwards £ 150 000 Peter Enckleman £ 50 000 Boaz Myhill £ 70 000 Danny Jackman £5 000 000 George Boateng £ 50 000 Richard Walker £6 500 000 Gareth Southgate £3 500 000 David James £ 150 000 Najwan Ghrayib £8 000 000 Ugo Ehiogu £ 100 000 Aaron Lescott £2 750 000 Alan Thompson £1 250 000 Mark Draper £2 500 000 Steve Watson £ 50 000 Tommy Jaszczum £ 500 000 Michael Oakes £ 750 000 Simon Grayson £3 000 000 Richardo Scimeca £ 200 000 Alan Lee Total sales: £38 970 000 Total Purchases £68 650 000 Less Total Sales (£38 970 000) Total Net Spend £29 580 000 Or total per annum £4 763 333 It's maybe not 100% accurate, but the sources are sttock exchange or club announcements, or where there were none from either the buying or selling club, from www.soccerbase.com sorry if formatting is wonky.

I read in my paper, the Observer, what various clubs have spent so far. I'm sure it's not gospel, but there were, from memory, either 14 or 15 prem clubs who spent more than Villa so far. Of those who have spent less, Arsenal (genius Wenger) and Man City (totally skint) were two. Can't remember the other 2 or 3 clubs. Anyway, to date our spend is insignificant. Hopefully we will bring in at leat 2 more quality players, at the right age. Aaron Hughes was a good signing, as was Stuart Taylor. Kevin Phillips is an excellent buy for maybe a year or two, and Patrick Berger I'm unsure about, not because of quality, but because of miles on the clock. If we sign Baros, and a couple of others, it will have been a good summer. Significant in a s much as it's what Villa needs to do. If we don't. "Insignificant" will be the best tag to describe a once significant club.

He has something in common with his heroes, I mean er, the players of Chelsea and Arsenal that he helps, I mean referees. That's all.

Happiness or not will really be determined once the season starts, and results are gained or lost. All this closed season anguish is a bit of a product of the interweb. Sure we've had it for years, but chatting on 'puters about signings (or not) makes it more "real" in the end we are just waiting to see what happens. When the significant funds was announced, we, or at leat I, hoped (but didn't believe) we'd sign maybe 2 5 mill plus players, keep the ones we had and be maybe 4 places advanced on our level. Now we're nearly at the start of the season and we've moved some deckchairs, so to speak, and they're better deckchairs than we had before, but losing DV was a setback, not because he brilliant, but because we missed his pace last year. Signing Baros may replace that loss and add more goals, so we'd be somewhat better than we were, in theory. None of that addresses the deception/lies/change of plan/over-egging however you want to put the phrase. That we all jumped to an instant "at last we're going to wake up and compete" type emotion shows just how deep rooted the desire to be a significant club again is. Baros or no Baros, the board hasn't taken that tantalising step. I'll be happier than I am now, but still left like after a chinese meal. Hungry for more

Brian Little. It's not even close for me. Fatron was good for us. From the 3-2 at Sheff Wed, to the Win at Wembley he was superb. He woke us up. Then it went wonky. For people like me though, "Brian Little, Aston Villa" Just those 4 words, means so much more than anyone can write or say. Makes the heart skip a beat. Perfection. 'nuff said.

I think he's pretty good as a telly "pundit" He's got his head screwed on, seems pretty intelligent and communicates well enough.

Obviously Ian Taylor, but Andy Townsend wasa very good player, who came into his own once Rico went, and Rico himself did a fine job, in a Gavin McCann type way.

Lee, Lee, Lee, Hendrie.

Guffaw. Top front page article, mind, 306

So far we've spent net, nothing. so as Pete says, we should have the money for at least one player, in Baros.

It's, er, "significantly" better, 306

Exactly [PB]. The only "if" is if he wants to come - not "he says he wants to come to VP"

cheeky git. I remember when I was your age kids had more respect for their elders.

I refuse to vote in a right back poll that includes neither John Gidman, nor Kenny Swain.

It's not a stupid question, it's the wrong way round, in my view. If he wants to come to VP he can. Liverpool want to sell, DO'L wants to buy, we have the money. That it is apparently not happening right now means either Liverpool are trying to get more money off someone else or Milan Baros is hanging on to see if the someone else better comes along. Otherwise it would be all but signed sealed and delivered

Both of options one and three.

Aye, Jim, ta - in the "Barry to wherever it was" thread - but you're right, the same applies for DV.

Wahey! Me too.