Morales

Ticket are on sales to ppl with any booking history now,so don't think it can get any easier to book tickets for an away match. Arsenal are already sold out,but they still quite a few tickets on the Villa side. Hope we are able to sell out, should be a good day out,outsinging 60,000 odd Arsenal fans. Can't wait,easily the best away day last season.

To be fair to AM, we have the same point total as Liverpool who spend over £100mil over the last 8 months. AM was always a lost away from a crisis just because he came from Birmingham. I think he trying to make Villa defensively sound again as we did leak too many goals last season. So we going to have to go through a period of playing some unattractive football. It doesn't help that our flair players are out of form in Albrighton, N Zogbia and Ireland. Not going to start to panic yet, I just think the lack of a crowd and atmosphere at Villa Park is not helping.

Also under MON the fans were crying out for 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 and now under AM we alll seem to want 4-4-2. We need to make our mind up.

I think Ireland will play good in a attacking side. I thought when Houllier first came in, he was cautious, shown by the game against Chelsea and Birmingham and only start attacking when he had all those injuries and played the youngster. McLeish is a defensive coach by nature. Wouldn't be suprise to see him playing 2 sitting midfielder and expect Ireland, NZogbia, Albrighton and Bent to attack. In that case Ireland will struggle. I think if Villa were to play with some flair, we see the best of him, but it hasn't been Villa style for a long time and coaching setup indicate it won't happen this season as well.

I would like to see Delph, Bannan and Gardner midfield, it young and I think a high energy midfield. With Makoun, Petrov and Ireland providing cover or adding experience depending on the opposition.

Saw The Chaser today, stunning film. Secret Sunshine is another film I loved, disturb me for a while. Peppermint Candy wasn't to bad. Waiting to watch Eastern Promise and that should finish my film watching for the week.

Given has been a class act at Newcastle and Man City, in all fairness, shouldn't have been dropped last season for Hart, but Hart such a superb talent, I can understand why Man City did. But it wasn't really down to Given form.

People talk about resale value, but we do have some really good young GK, who should hopefully be ready to take over soon when Given is ready to hang up his gloves. Would be excited with this transfer.

I personally think Ireland will play the AMC role much better then Ashley did last season. I like to see him given a run of games as well, but if Villa do play the 442, it be hard to see that happening.

Selling Downing for 20 mil and getting in Nzogbia for 8-10 mil would be a superb bit of business.

If the management team at Villa have any brains about them, they should sit down with Downing and get him to sign a new contract, if he doesn't move him on. Because next summer he will force our hands just like Ashley did this summer and cause distruption to the next summer plans. We can get a decent fee and invest in A Johnson or someone this summer, instead of waiting till next season and then just reacting as we always do.

How will it cause disruption, it'll be far easier replacing him next year than this year, especially now Young has gone. How has Young disrupted our summer as well? we knew he was leaving pretty much november onwards.

If Downing doesn't sign a contract but stays, we will know he will leave next summer as well and will plan for that.

Last season the team was shaped around A Young, so we effectively have to get a new attacking CM and LW, because Downing and Albrighton can't play the whole season and we missing a creative force through the middle, unless Ireland steps up. Nothing was concrete about Young leaving and him leaving has cause distruption to this summer transfer agenda.

The simple fact is, I rather get rid of Downing this summer and get someone like A Johnson in now, then lose our star player for the 4 season in a row, next summer. If Downing doesn't sign a new contract, we will probably lose half his transfer value next summer, so IMO it make more sense in replacing him this summer and letting A Johnson play himself into the team, changing personel every summer isn't going to help the team morale.

If the management team at Villa have any brains about them, they should sit down with Downing and get him to sign a new contract, if he doesn't move him on. Because next summer he will force our hands just like Ashley did this summer and cause distruption to the next summer plans. We can get a decent fee and invest in A Johnson or someone this summer, instead of waiting till next season and then just reacting as we always do.

I say sell him while his stock is high. Can't be bother seeing another half arse display from a winger who has eyes on a move. We will get much less next season, so sell now and invest while we have a new manager, hopefully we can have a quite low key summer next season, without any want away players.

Don't really want him at our club anymore, I say get the 20mil and reinvest, starting with Adam Johnson. If he doesn't leave this year, he will leave next summer, might get rid while we still have all the cards on our side. Lucky to get 8 mil next summer.

Watching "A Bittersweet Life" again tonight, following on from the Old Boy discussion.

Tarantino-esq when Tarantino was worth a shit. Epic film.

Loved Bittersweet life, Friend, Failan, Sympathy of Mr Vegance and Mother are other good SK film to watch.

I watch Uno a film based in Oslo and it has to be the best film I seen this year, just brillant.

The things that annoy me more then anything, is that we had to wait 2 week for this. Really? I don't think he be a bad manager, will do a steady job, midtable no doubt from now on. But 2 weeks for McLeish. Mate said 2 weeks ago we get him and he had money on it as well, wasn't ITK or anything, but obviously knew more about the club and it management then most Villa fans. 2 weeks for this, its laughable.

Part of me still thinks that no decision has been reached yet.. It's like the club have:

1. Made up a preliminary list.

2. Gone through proper channels & asked for permission to speak with those on said list.

3. Some were simply not interested or avaliable for whatever reason (Ancelotti who may or may not have a 12 month tie in his Chelsea contract hence 12 months off & Hughes who just coincidentaly left Fulham)

4. Then had preliminary discussions, as in a general meeting to see if there was interest & a basic blueprint of what was on offer from the club / wanted by the prospective manager, with all those already avaliable (Benitez, McClaren) from that list.

5. Had to wait on others i.e. Martinez for permission to be granted before this "chat" could take place & some were given permission, some not or unknown (Moyes, McCleish, Coyle & maybe a few we are not aware of?).

6. After discounting the unrealistic demands of some (Benitez) & disinterest of others (Martinez) they then draw up a proper short list for full interview.

7. Then McCleish decides to make a break from Blues probably down to behind the scenes stuff we are not yet aware of hence the constructive dismissal stuff we are hearing rumours of & GK's "patronising" letter after he heard about this poor treatment?!... McCleish then says he is willing to talk to Villa.

8. Now the short list for full on talks is complete.

McCleish (who is the only one we are really aware of due to events) & maybe 1 or 2 others who we are not aware of?

Hence the delay & lack of any announcement plus this ties in with comments from the general as to no decision has been made yet etc.

Thinking about it Hughes could indeed still be on that list.

I think that a 100% correct storyline thus so far.

I think we should go all out for Coyle, he plays a good brand of football, gives the youth a chance and seem fairly ambitious. Rafa another good option, as Moyes look more unlikely.

The only thing I will say, if the media carry on with this speculation and the fans keep reacting, it will make the manager job look more unappealing to any manager thinking about coming as he will think that the fans have a unrealistic ambition and basically are fickle.

I think Coyle would be brillant, he manage to get Bolton out of the relegation zone last season, played really well this season with limited resources, got a semi final in the FA Cup, his team played good football and had a never say die attitude, shown by the amount of late goals scored by them. I personally thought he should have been our first choice from the off. Especially if you seen the way Burnley played when he was in charge, beating loads of team in the Carling Cup, getting promoted, playing really well whilst they were here and then you saw teh affect of what happen when he wasn't in charge.

My 1st choice for the Job.

The Villa-insider on twitter suggested that Villa had a shortlist of 7 and that when they ask Fulham for permission to speak to Hughes, he jump the gun and quit fulham, which put RL right off him. Same with Martinez, Wigan only made it public when they knew he wasn't going to go to the interview to score some PR points. I guessing the other 5 managers on the shortlist are Coyle, Moyes, Benitez, McClaren and one possible other. So IMO that means its a straight race between Coyle and Moyes, which would be brillant, I prefer Coyle personally but if we get Moyes we have to be patient as it took him a while to get things right at Everton.

Can't have seen how Martinez would have been ahead of Coyle and Moyes, so I guessing a approach for those two where rejected by their clubs. I still we should give Rafa a chance to put his ideas forward.

I like to see Coyle come in and hopefully he bring Sturridge with him and Wellbeck too if Ash Young going the other way. He seem to work well with youngsters and hopefull will get the best out of Delph and Gardner next season as well.

I think him losing to Stoke a good thing, he a young manager still learning the game, I think Bolton and Wigan have a similar squad and Coyle is fair better.

I say if he doesn't sign the contract this summer, we should sell him while our position remain strong and he has 2 years left on his contract. The last thing we need is him staying and then wanting a move next summer, we had it for 3 season running now. Get rid this summer with Ashley and then start our rebuilding process with hopefully a young fresh manager like Coyle. The club needs stability.

Out of a straight choice between Coyle and Martinez, I go for Coyle, impressed me at Burnley with the style of football with the resources he had and the same at Bolton. Once he left Burnley, they went into freefall, the same with happen with Bolton. He took Sturrigde and Wiltshire on loan, so has a eye for a talent and seem to organise his team well and plays attractive football, the thing that impressed me most was his teams never say dies attitude, the amount of late goals Bolton scored last season was amazing.

I can't see us getting big money for Downing. The only team who I thought would pay big money for him was Liverpool, but after buying Henderson, that ain't happening. Chelsea don't need him, Arsenal won't pay more then market value. Man U and City won't sign him. The only team that would sign him for 18-20mil is Spurs, but that only if they sell Modric or Bales.

It has to be Benitez for me now. He has the experience of the prem and if a good manager like Roy Hodgson struggle with Liverpool after Benitez left, it just go to shows how much of a difficult job he had there with the owners. He definitely got the best out of Torres there as well as having a good defensive unit.

I know he isn't a popular choice at Villa, but I think he be a successful manager as we are a similar size to Valencia when he went and work his magic there. Better then Rijkaard, who flop when at Sparta Rotterdam who he got relegated and Gala, where he was showing relegation form when they got rid of him as well.

Can't get my head round someone of Ancelottis calibre managing Villa unless serious, serious money was available to him. Like SERIOUS money.

If he does come and we get rid of Young and Downing we could easily give him 50 mil, if they stay, Carlo already has a potential england front 3 in his side and enough wages free upto to make 3 big signing IMO.