NeilS

Why would it be a sure sign? For all we know his work has been appreciated elsewhere. Managers are being sacked all over the place in the last few days, and this could mean movement all the way down the chain. He may have had an offer come his way in the last few weeks, and think that a new owner probably wouldn't want him anyway. Therefore it may be better for him if an offer comes his way to jump ship to somewhere he knows the chairman wants him, rather than take a risk that our new owner may or may not want him.

If true then relegation beckons. Thinks might look a bit shit for a few weeks, but I am sure it will all turn out fine. I'll panic if we are in the same situation come the end of June. This is kind of where I am at at the moment, I would even go as far as mid July before I start to go in to full panic mode. I am hopeful that we will have some news before then, but these things take time and we need to be patient. I must admit that I am one of the worse though, and I'm on here every 10 minutes looking for news even though I know nothing much is likely to have happened since I last looked. I need to stop, and get on with some work, but can't help it.

As Gareth says earlier in the thread, it all stems from problems at the grass roots of the game. Let's face it, if the young English players coming through had the technical ability of the Spanish and other top countries then more young English players would make it in the top part of the game. We need to find the right balance between teaching the skills and nurturing the competition. We need to hone the technical side of things without pressurising and taking the enjoyment out of the game first, before then implementing a competitive edge later on. Sometimes parents can be the worst influence shouting instructions from the edge of the pitch.

It is hard to judge Vlaar totally as he has spent his two seasons here next to novice defenders who are currently out of their depth at this level. I know Vlaar has made mistakes in his time here, but I guess the amount of pressure he is under trying to hold that bunch of defenders together is going to put a strain on even the best defenders. I even remember seasons with McGrath in defence that we have struggled and shipped lots of goals. It is all about developing a partnership and understanding with your fellow defenders, and We have not had a settled defence at all during his time here. It may be argued that as senior defender he is the problem, but when you look at the stats when he isn't in the defence then it is frightening how bad we are. I would be inclined to keep him from our current set of defenders, and see how he plays with better players around him (If we can buy some).

Ok thanks. It is hard going trying to figure out where we are at in all of this wild speculation. I have even seen a couple of interviews with Doug on tv in recent days. One where he is saying that the takeover will almost certainly be from the US, and another where he is praising Man City's owner, and wishes we could have someone like him. David Cameron said a few weeks back (Tongue in Cheek I guess) that he would speak to some of his wealthy Arab mates about buying Villa. I would say that you are probably right though, the most likely scenario is that a US buyout is most likely. Fingers crossed, that they will have a good plan, and load of money to see it through.

So who do we think is in the running at the moment as a potential buyer? I am totally lost having read back a few pages. Is AEG buy out a no chance, Ellison - no chance? Who or what is Tamas? Is Clark Hunt the main contender? (That would be an awkward name to get into a chant at a match)

What is slightly curious about those designs, are the number of pin stripes differ on the home and away designs. There are more on the home kit than the away. I would have thought they would be the same, but I am no fashion designer so what do I know. Maybe you need more pin stripes when it is dark background and lighter pinstripes? Just to add, I think they are both nice designs by the way.

Totally agree. if we are going to win things we need the better players and they cost money to attract and more importantly retain. Why would anyone want a new owner with less money than this one? Sorry that may sound mercenary and like a spoiled child at Christmas and people are entitled to say that but why shouldnt we want an owner with lots and lots of money. Whats wrong with that This is a money game now pure and simple besides which nothing to say an owner with multi billions wouldn't run us "properly" anyway Do you think Man citeh fans gave a stuff about organic growth last weekend. Or Chelsea fans give a stuff about organic growth now? Not on your life . I want us to win things as a club and that means spending on players. I'm fed up of languishing where we have been the last three years due to shit investment Totally agree. We can dream all you we like about organic growth, and doing it the right way, but the simple fact is that as soon as you start to get a few decent players the richer clubs come in and lure your players away and you are back to square one. It needs to be a combination of good wealth, with a decent plan to see the investment through. I am fed up of watching us languish playing dour football, it would be nice to see us have a chance of winning something of importance again. We need to invest in the playing squad quite heavily just to get us back in the top half, but it doesn't want to be an initial investment, followed by a pulling of the plug. We need year on year investment to be made, allowing us to bring in exciting players again.

Every time I look at this it makes me marvel at the incompetence of the ref. i mean if ever there was proof that a penalty had to be given it was here. There are no excuses for him. Agreed, there was the discussion the other week about having to go down for a penalty, and this is a case in point. He was impeded by the defender, and the ref should have pointed to the spot and red carded the defender. You can only imagine the uproar if this decision would have been made against Chelsea or one of the other top 4 teams.

I think (and hope) a takeover will be concluded by the end of June. It is the waiting I do not like. Yes I think this as well, the waiting will be painful. The modern fan has access to much more information than back in my days as a young lad in the 80's. So reading through every little nugget of information is painful and makes everything seem like an eternity to happen. We can't help ourselves though, and no doubt I will be on here every ten minutes looking for an update. I don't, he would have to be mad to sack Lambert now. Lambert will continue on until new owners come in. Lerner will let the new owners pay the compensation.

Yep, he's screaming I told you so from the rooftops like he does the 3/10 times he's right about something Surely over the last two weeks Collymore has pretty much covered all of the bases on the sale of Villa, one of his announcements was going to be correct.

oh shit!!! If anything that gives me hope. Says no "formal" offer but odds are there are interested parties. Don't think there'd be a time frame set if there wasn't interest either. Agreed, it is always best to give worse case scenario on these things, so surely if it is six weeks you would hope that negotiations are advanced. (Prays for some one good)

I know lots of people were hoping for a sale to be announced today, and it is slightly disappointing that we're not sold. However, as long as negotiations have started and can move along quite quickly then we shouldn't panic just yet. I might start panicing if there is no news of a sale by say mid to end of June. If a takeover happens then we will still have the best part of two months to sort the squad out, and lets be honest there won't be a lot of action on the transfer market until after the World Cup anyway. The one advantage we have over the last takeover by Randy, is that it should be a lot simpler and quicker to get the deal through this time, as there is no obligation to the stock market required and it is purely a case of meeting Randy's demands. Which hopefully won't be too high if he wants out?

The Lerner takeover was different in that he was buying a Public Limited Company that had a duty to other shareholders, and not just Doug . Lerner's sale is purely down to him, and dealing with what Randy and the Purchaser/s wants from the sale. So if negotiations are well advanced I see no reason why it couldn't happen fairly quickly once all of the legalities have been agreed, and all of the i's dotted and t's crossed. The Mansour takeover of Man City was out of the blue, and happened with no hints as far as I remember, so it is possible for takeovers to happen with little news hitting the news outlets. However, I am starting to think the same as Useless says above, that we will see a statement about being in negotiations and we will continue as normal. Hopefully we are wrong though, as it would be nice to move on quickly and get started on the squad rebuilding.

With a fully fit team I would have given us half a chance to win this one, and with Gabby injured in the last match as well I really didn't expect anything from this game. His pace would have been ideal in this game on the counter, and I would have fancied him to get a goal in this match. In terms of the match up, let's be honest here, one of their players probably cost more than our entire team to assemble. We kept them at bay for 60 odd minutes, and if we could have held on another 10-15 minutes frustration may have started to set in, and we could have then exploited their frustration. I must admit that I was a bit disappointed that we let in two late goals to gloss the scoreline a bit for them, but at least some of the youngsters got a go, which lets be honest most of us have asked for. Hopefully a good experience for them and will help them develop as players. Anyway, roll on the summer this season is over for us. Hopefully with some decent investment in the squad during the summer, the majority of the players that have been on show this season won't be starters next season.

I hope he gets on the pitch for at least 10-15 mins tonight, that would be fantastic for the lad. I have a feeling though that it will be one of those experience it from the bench nights though. I hope not as Jack deserves a chance after the season he has just had and we don't have anything to lose by giving him a go tonight. Hopefully Lambert has the guts to get him out there regardless of the scoreline. Forgot to say, good luck Jack show them what you have got.

I'm sure we will fiind something,

I floated the idea on here yesterday, and quite a few were against the NEC idea. Now it is all probably Pie in the Sky, but I think it would be an interesting proposition if it were to happen. If we are thinking big plans for Villa, I think it is a great idea. Positives as I see them = Train Station/Airport/ and lots of Parking would make an ideal venue for Champions League matches. Fill the stadium with some quality players and there is a big catchment area of potential supporters. It is only about 15 mins from Bodymoor Heath. Modern Stadium with better toilets, concourses, and food/drink outlets. Stadium sponsorship would be easier to take, and would generate extra funds for team building. The Negatives as I see them = Loss of Villa Park, and the memories and History. Local fans would have to travel further at extra cost. Many might see it as another soul-less modern stadium. There are probably many more positives and negatives that I haven't thought of, and I am sure a lot on here would point them out. The question is can we afford to say no to such a thing? Us Fans are always saying that you cannot stand still in this game, otherwise you lose ground on your opponents. With Spurs, West Ham and possibly Liverpool moving soon, and Arsenal, Man City already in new stadia. That is also ignoring Man Utd already in a 70k stadium. We risk being left well behind. I guess we need to ask ourselves as supporters, do we want to embrace moving forward or stick to tradition and the past. It is tough, as none of us want to leave behind the memories as it was what made us. But the happy memories from the past will remain, and the opportunity for happy memories in the future will improve. The points I mentioned wasn't to do with moving to the NEC, just that AEG are interested in buying it. I think adding villa to this would be an extra bonus. There's zero reason to leave villa park. The other stadiums you mentione all need a fair bit of work doing to them, hence why a new place makes sense. Villa Park is great now and has the option to expand it. I agree that currently there is no reason to leave VP, whilst we have the squad and crowds we currently get. However If the new owners are looking to make us into a major global power, then this is something they may be looking to do in future whether it be the NEC site or another site. However, i do think it is highly unlikely to happen as I can't see anyone willing to shell out on such a project, as well as financing a new playing squad. I guess by staying at VP we won't get the crowds and matchday income of the London and Manchester clubs, and we will probably have to think outside the box if we want to compete with them under these FFP rules. First things first though, we will have to wait and see if a takeover happens and if so, who is involved and what financial clout and business acumen they bring with them. Fingers crossed it is someone with a lot of both, and the patience and ability to see it through.

With Dr Karl Kennedy as the Physio?

I floated the idea on here yesterday, and quite a few were against the NEC idea. Now it is all probably Pie in the Sky, but I think it would be an interesting proposition if it were to happen. If we are thinking big plans for Villa, I think it is a great idea. Positives as I see them = Train Station/Airport/ and lots of Parking would make an ideal venue for Champions League matches. Fill the stadium with some quality players and there is a big catchment area of potential supporters. It is only about 15 mins from Bodymoor Heath. Modern Stadium with better toilets, concourses, and food/drink outlets. Stadium sponsorship would be easier to take, and would generate extra funds for team building. The Negatives as I see them = Loss of Villa Park, and the memories and History. Local fans would have to travel further at extra cost. Many might see it as another soul-less modern stadium. There are probably many more positives and negatives that I haven't thought of, and I am sure a lot on here would point them out. The question is can we afford to say no to such a thing? Us Fans are always saying that you cannot stand still in this game, otherwise you lose ground on your opponents. With Spurs, West Ham and possibly Liverpool moving soon, and Arsenal, Man City already in new stadia. That is also ignoring Man Utd already in a 70k stadium. We risk being left well behind. I guess we need to ask ourselves as supporters, do we want to embrace moving forward or stick to tradition and the past. It is tough, as none of us want to leave behind the memories as it was what made us. But the happy memories from the past will remain, and the opportunity for happy memories in the future will improve.

It is interesting you say that because AEG own venues in Manchester (MEN) and London (O2). Why not Birmingham? That is part of what got me thinking, it is all hypothetical obviously. It just coincided with the NEC being up for sale and possibly us as well. My mind went into overdrive. As per the posts above I thought that quite a few people would probably be against it. I can see that argument, and understand it fully as I remember the magic of coming to Villa Park as a youngster. I just thought with the logistics of developing Villa Park and the local roads and car parking, a new purpose built stadium on the NEC site might be seen as ideal by any new owners (Other than the loss of history obviously), especially as it appears they are into the arena management. It would also shave about 20-30 minutes off my travel time, which would be a bonus for me.

Onto the takeover, I see AEG mentioned a few pages back and how they are involved in entertainment and venues. I was having a conversation with my Dad over the weekend, and we were speaking hypothetically about the sale of the NEC and Villa. How would people feel if as part of the takeover, the NEC was bought up and new 60000+ stadium was built on the NEC. Our discussion was based on the fact that it wouldn't appeal to traditionalists, but may go some way to getting us around the FFP rules, and making us a force in football again. How would people feel about that? Part of me would feel sad at losing Villa Park, but on the other hand I don't see too many Man City fans upset at not playing at Maine Road anymore. I know Doug used to talk about putting a national stadium there when Wembley was up for rebuilding. It kind of makes sense in a way, but then I am not a brummy like most of you guys on here so it would understandably be more of a bigger thing for you. I think if they build it, play a decent team there, we could see some major crowds and a chance of success again. I will probably get lambasted for this, but I think it could work out and make us a competitive force again.

I keep seeing Richards and Lescott being mentioned as buys, I am very sceptical of buying such players. They would be a massive gamble for a club with a budget like ours, as neither have played regularly over the last few seasons whilst earning very good money. Having had our fingers burnt a couple of times in recent years by buying Manchester City cast offs, I am definitly thinking twice about those two. I would question whether the lack of competitive football has left them as a shadow of the players they once were? Combined with the money in the bank after picking up hefty salaries, they may also not have the hunger to get back to where they had been. Even with a takeover this summer, and a major investment of funds, I would be unwilling to waste our funds on buying them. Too risky for my liking.

Agreed, this is only going to allow further dominance by the top teams. So I guess it will be passed through without hesitation.

I am in two minds on Lambert. He has been dealt a really bad hand, in terms of what he has inherited squad wise, funds that have been released to him, and bad luck with injuries to key players. From rumours we hear, he hasn't been able to buy players that he would have liked to, which means we are never really going to see his actual plan. However, on the flip side he hasn't made us hard to beat. Pulis has come into Crystal Palace and transformed them into a hard to beat team and performed very well. You can't say that he has spent more on players and had longer to mould the team, because he hasn't. Now I am not saying Pulis is the answer, but he did well with what hand he was dealt. I would have hoped that Lambert if he had anything about him would have been able to do the same. Lambert is still young in the managerial role, wheras Pulis has been around for a number of years so knows the ropes. Lambert is still young as managers go, so he may well have learnt lessons and come out of this stronger as a result. I do think though, that if we are taken over then Lambert will be gone. The new owner will most likely want their own guy in charge. Let's hope that any new owners have a decent plan in place along with a fat wedge and patience to see it come to fruiition.