Rob182

:winkold: I wasn't being completely serious. It's okay though, I've been taken over by some French billionaire, so I'm well within my wage budgets (somehow!!) It's not lucky at all, because he played 4 games and scored about 7 goals, but at least my other strikers get a chance to score some goals now!

I'm ten games into the 2014/2015 season, I'm 5th, on joint points with 4th and 3rd place. I lost to Man City, on penalties, in the League Cup Final last season, but I've just beaten them 3-1 at home in the last 16! I'm in the group stages of the Europa League and I have £15m left to spend in the January window (I'm in need of a central midfielder, because mine are playing too many games in quick succession!) My team is slowly turning into the under 21 French side. I have a CM, AMC, CB & ST that are all French gens with 4.5 stars potential. Oh, also, I have Teves on a £100k p/w contract, with £100k appearance fee and £100k goal bonus :winkold: .... Luckily for Me, he just got injured for 2 months. That'll save a few pennies!!

Djamfisher, fans travelling far has no relevance in the fickle/ not fickle argument. Fans can be fickle while travelling, fans can live next door to the ground and be fickle or not. The point that was being made about lost points, was that if we hadn't lost points from winning/ drawing positions, that we'd be much higher in the table WITHOUT changing the style of football, the manager or the owner. At times this year, we've lost points due to individual errors or defensive lapses. This could be put down to training, but no-one trained Warnock to head the ball into his own net. With a bit of luck, we could be higher up the table, with no managerial changes been made.

We should play more short corners, I'd be more confident of Bannan, Zog, Ireland, Marc or Gardner curling a ball into the top corner than I would be of us putting a good ball into the box AND one of our players heading it in.

So please explain, how has Faulkner done his job badly? Do you know what Randy has tasked him to do? I am genuinely curious, everyone seems to be an expert on Faulkners job, I have no idea what he does on a day to day basis and what guidelines Randy has asked him to work under... so could you please inform me on this. I would like someone to answer this too. McLeish is hated because he's the one controlling how we play, Randy is criticised because he's the one in charge and, ultimately, the good and bad leads back to him, but what has Faulkner done to be hated so much? Seemingly it is because there is no-one else to blame, or because he's ginger. Someone please answer PieFacE's question. I have no idea what his job role entails, or what Randy has asked him to do.

Tombola Wallies! Wooo! I made that 8)

I hope someone proof reads it first...

Regarding the signing of Holman, I don't actually think it'll have a huge baring on whether McLeish is kept or sacked. If the signing is definite, and an agreement has been signed, then Holman now forms part of next years squad, irrespective of who the manager is. He sounds like a half decent player, an extra number to add competition for places, at worst. A new manager wouldn't be put off just because McLeish signed him, and I don't think McLeish signing him means he'll definately be stayed - it's just a sensible signing, on low wages, with decent international experience.

I thought he looked half decent at certain times during the 2 or 3 games where he improved.

I don't think that's very fair. The 'better fan' argument should work both ways. Just because someone doesn't want to get involved in the 'McLeish Out' stuff, doesn't make them any better OR WORSE than other fans.

If you're referring to Me then I'll ask you to not insinuate that I'm in denial. Just because some people don't want to cry onto their keyboards about how much they hate a man that will, more than likely, be here next season, doesn't mean they're in denial. It just means they have better things to worry about. Regarding his CV, let me guess... you must be referring to the fact that he 'Finished 3rd in a 2-horse race in Scotland' or 'got relegated 2 times in 3 seasons' etc etc etc... those classics?

I don't understand how there are so many people that blank all the moments of attacking football out of their mind Mantis. Yes, it's not Arsenal or Barcelona-esq attacking play. But for a lot of the season, we've seemed like a counter-attacking / MON-style football team. Not amazing, not completely boring, but most of the time we've just been average. Yes, there have been times when we've been boring, but I can see how losing players like Dunne, Clark, Petrov, Bent & Cuellar could effect our play and result in us having to use youngsters. Add that to the fact that we have lost some of our best players, N'Zogbia hasn't clicked, Hutton hasn't reached anywhere near the heights he hit at Spurs and it just increases the list of excuses. I'm not backing him to the point that I want him to stay, I just can't be bothered with all this anger towards him when there's every chance that Randy will keep him. If he buys some more players of his own, and we still spend the season around the foot of the table, maybe I'll change my signature to 'McLeish Out', as seems the trend recently.

So your basic position is that any manager should no matter what happens get 2 entire seasons before being judged on their performance? Sorry to repeat the question but I just want to get it crystal clear exactly what your position is here. Say McLeish got us relegated, he would still deserve a 2nd year before being judged. Terry Conor at Wolves he shouldn't be judged until he has been in the job 2 years. Is this what you are saying? I think, as long as a manager keeps the team up, then yes, they should get another summer/ season to show what they can do with time. Houllier 'almost' got us relegated, but I would have loved it if he'd been fit enough to stay in charge, bring in some players and have a summer to get his new players (and the ones he wanted to keep) to play the way he wanted.

I think he might have been flavour of the month of some kinds when he won the League Cup or guided sha to their highest finish in about 50 million years.

I'm happy he's back. He hasn't done much to prove himself in the last two seasons, but his bad luck with injuries hasn't helped his cause. I really hope he can find the touch of class he had in his first 6 months at AVFC.

The praise given to players like Clark, Albrighton, Bannan & Delfouneso, has mainly come when they've been in the team and performing well (Albrighton & Clark last season, Bannan's hollywood passes that actually work and Delfouneso's praise from... a certain VTer whose whereabouts are now unknown!) Though a few of our youngsters might have been overrated, there's no doubt in my mind that many of them could become half-decent Premier League players. I'm not saying they'll be the next Keane, Giggs, Beckham & Scholes, but I don't see any reason why Herd could not become an Aussie Cattermole, Clark an Irish Collins etc etc If we can get some of the youngsters to become our backup players, then that's a success imo.

What Didersix said. I definately think we'll spend in the summer. Randy has tightened the purse strings already, and there will be more wages freed up with Heskey, Guzan & others leaving.

I can see McLeish creatuing a very 'workman-like' team. Probably of players that will play for each other for the full 90 minutes & will sweat until they're floored. I'm not too bothered by that approach, as long as we have a bit of flair thrown in the mix.

I haven't renewed yet but I will, irrespective of who the manager/ owner is. I'm not happy with current performances but I want to renew. I still enjoy going to the games, it fills up my Saturday afternoon, it's still a laugh & I still get the buzz walking up to Villa Park. I'm not too bothered about calling for McLeish's head, simply because I can't be bothered. I have enough going in my life to concentrate on, without adding a bit of anguish towards the Villa manager. I'll let him get on with it, I'll support the team, I'll sing the songs and buy a ticket. I'll still be in the Holte next year, hopefully cheering on some better performances and players!

NowDoINotLikeThat was the poster I believe. Morpheus is right. Very few people were against the signing. It was reiterated that Zog was the most obvious replacement for Young/Downing. I don't recall many people providing realistic alternatives. Pennant, Etherington and Johnson might have been mentioned (Pennant and Johnson being the realistic ones). IIRC

I will be renewing whether he's in charge or not. I want to cheer the team on.

lolololololololololololololololololololol 111

I don't think it's fair that Collins' thread only gets brought up when he has a shocker! I thought he played well Saturday. He was commanding and, as usual, he'll throw himself in front of a bus if it'll help the team. If he is, fine, but I'd be happy if Collins wasn't sold this summer. He isn't a bad defender, he's just slow to turn and not the best at passing. He puts his body on the line and plays his heart out for the team, there's no harm in keeping a player like that, imo.

He had a decent game in a pre season friendly where fiorentina didn't turn up. a good game against man utd and he had a good game against brighton in the fa cup. the other 20 times he has played he has been awful. he can't tackle can't pass and generally can't control the football. i would get rid of him ASAP. he is also injury prone against blackburn in the cup he was MOTM until O'Neill subbed him. He played well at LB, when I saw him play one of the best passes of the season too Albrighton, down the left wing. He can pass & can shoot. He just hasn't shown it very often in the last 2 years. Maybe with a few better players around him he would be more confident, or have less defensive work to do.

You dont see team spirit on the pitch,thats in the dressing room and on the training ground. How do you work that out? :?