Rob182

Milfners team, with the outfield benchers: Collins, Cuellar, Bannan, Gardner, Bent & Keane. Given in the team if he's fit again.

It will be a different shirt next season, and rumour has it made by Macron. It makes no difference to Me! I might still get Gardner 4 on this years top. I don't care about continuity of this seasons squad numbers etc

My girlfriend bought me this years top for Christmas, with no name on the back. I might get 'Gardner' 4 on the back, in anticipation for next season!

This. I'm not happy when we lose or when a sub is made that I do not understand, but I find it disgusting that I am made out to be some 'happy clappy idiot' just because my nature is to be positive instead of complaining. It is my belief, and my hope, that Randy is tightening the purse-strings because he HAS to. And that when we have got rid of Heskey, Beye etc that we will continue to invest in the squad, and that when McLeish has a squad, built by him, he can hopefully remove the parts of our game that fail and focus on the better parts (Ireland vs Chelsea, Bent & Gabby combining earlier in the season etc).

It works both ways. Apparantly we're also not allowed to be positive about the future under Randy's ownership or under McLeish's management. If we dont join in and cry onto our keyboards, we get told that we're 'clueless' or have our heads in the sand. Name the positives about the future of McLeish's management. I'm actually interested to see any legitmate points. 'Legitimate points'? Nah you're okay mate. I have many points, legitimate and positive, but I'll leave you to try to childishly belittle someone elses.

It works both ways. Apparantly we're also not allowed to be positive about the future under Randy's ownership or under McLeish's management. If we dont join in and cry onto our keyboards, we get told that we're 'clueless' or have our heads in the sand.

Surely this is as much a "clutching at straws" statement as those who are hoping to be taken over by QIA. How do you know RL will start spending again? Because he's be stupid to watch a Top 6-8 side slip down to constant 14th-16th placed finish. It would not be financially beneficial for him. Just because we're trying to lower the wage bill, whilst also bringing through the younger players, (and yes, using a manager that maybe is happy with these handcuffs), doesn't mean that Randy has completely lost interest.

Yeah of course he will that's why a relegated Mcleish was the only manager who wanted the job. Oh, so you think that we'll NEVER spend again? Riiiggghht. And you think that Martinez rejected us because Lerner said 'I plan to never spend a penny in the transfer window' ??? Also, how do you know that McLeish was the only manager who wanted the job? Maybe McLeish was the only one, that we asked, that didn't mind the task of cutting the wage bill drastically before paying anymore money into the squad? Scott Dann?

bannan albrighton clark wouldnt be at Villa if he was still here Speculation not fact. All of them got their first senior games under MON and Bannan was given a lot of chances with loans. Why have the "persistent bashers of the ghost of MON" invaded this particular thread? It must be one of the most unlikely platforms to launch a new assault on his legacy... ....coming from the person who, on the last page, came up with a list of ten names to argue MON's legacy.

I hope we dont get bought by Arabs... or anyone tbh. We could end up with a Venkys or someone like Pompey had. Just stick with Randy, and once he's addressed the wages as much as he feels he needs to, he'll start spending again.

I completely agree. I agree too... (slight amendment made)

I remember we were very close to relegation. Despite how close the league was, and the fact that about 8 teams were close to relegation, the people who hated Houllier kept shouting from the rooftops that we were in a relegation fight (I wonder if those people still wish that Houllier had left, now that we had McLeish?) We are two points better off than last year, we'd scored one more goal this time last year but we'd also conceded 11 more. Even though we were close to relegation (like another 7 teams) the fact is that we DID finish 9th. If the league is similar this season then we will finish around a similar place, taking into consideration that, points-wise, McLeish is doing marginally better than Houllier.

I've just watched the highlights back. We lost 2 goals due to 2 individual errors, Warnocks silly pass and Guzan not kicking the ball out when he should have. I also saw that we should have had a penalty from when Gabby was held back in the box & also N'Zogbia hit the post in the last minute. It was a poor, poor performance, but hopefully McLeish can try to cut out individual errors and get us back to playing the way we did against Chelsea. It's not an ideal wishlist, but I still can't see Randy sacking him. Hanky, I agree with you. Simply mentioning the tactics should not be a problem. But when people follow it up with abuse and saying things like 'F**k off back to birmingham etc etc etc etc etc', it's clear to me that some people still hold a grudge simply because he used to manage sha.

I'd suggest it's you who needs to calm down. Football is emotive, people are passionate and for many, many reasons that have just about been done to death they're extremely unhappy. Wishing them to "shut the **** up" is the exact opposite of what a forum like this is for. A place to vent, to debate. Your post isn't debate, it's just plain rude. Also, in answer to your argument the fact that we were **** awful, worse even, at this point too last season is relevant how? A bad job is a bad job. A bad manager is a bad manager. A buffoon who is slightly less useless than the previous buffoon. brilliant. His Blues connection? Seriously? I doubt anybody gives a rats ass anymore, we're in our own muck. 'Plain rude' Ha Just because he uses a few swearwords to show his emotion, which a lot of people do on here, doesn't mean he's not debating. I think CM's post is perfectly reasonable towards this debate. The fact that we were worse off this time last season is relevant because we finished 9th last season. If we continue on track and manage to pull a few results out the hat, we might finish 9th or higher. Which, I imagine, most people would be happy with (having lost Downing, Young etc etc). Also, I do think that his blues connection still grates on some people on here. And if it doesn't, then maybe they shouldn't mention 'small heath tactics' every time we lose.

Durrrr, he's the midget on the right

Durrrr, he's the midget on the right

Amen to that, brother!

No critique Tonight. Not only have we beaten Chelsea 3-1, but he did it with a lot of positives. Bent left hungry on the bench, Ireland putting in his best performance yet, our defending was much, much better (apart from Dunne's foul in the box), Clark playing the whole game and Bannan & Gardner getting appearances. It wasn't the prettiest of 3-1 victories, but a win is a win and the goals were taken excellently.

I've always had faith in Ireland. I knew it'd just take a bit of confidence and he'd pull something out the bag. If some of our other players can get onto his wavelength, we'll have an excellent player on our hands. The amount of little one-touch passes and flair moves he does, really goes unnoticed.

Good team selection by McLeish, good tactics, brave enough to drop Hutton and only give Bent a small slice of the action to help his fitness. Ireland MOTM. Great performance all round. I bet you're just happy he didn't get injured after smoking those crazy shisha pipes that turn your bones to jelly.

Yesssss!!!! I **** knew Ireland would come good eventually. I know it's only one goal, but he's been playing well and he had 2 good shots then (one blocked by Terrys hand) Also... I'm seriously getting sick of Petrov Today. He KEEPS giving the ball to Clark & the defenders when we need a splitting pass. YOU'RE the captain and meant to be the experienced player in the middle Petrov! Trying making a bloody pass for once instead of passing the responsibility to defenders or a young defender playing in midfield!

I'm sure you'd be saying the same thing if Collins was on the bench and Hutton was in the side. I think that squad is a pretty good one.

He's right. Gabby will only leave us when we don't need him or when he's too old to cut it for us, so £5-6m for a 34-year-old Agbonlahor sounds about right. 8)

Another stupid post from you. Where did I say he was an angel? And which reputation is it you speak of? The fact that he likes having pink rims on his car? That he has a pool table with his name on? Or the horrific scandal in the national team about a million years ago? Or is it the fact that someone took a picture of him and a few other Irish footballers on a night out in Newcastle? Or now, his girlfriend taking a picture of him topless with a pipe in his mouth. Who cares? If it was a video of him doing a line of coke or punching a kid, I'd be bothered.

'treating his body like this', like what?? Posing for a photo does not mean he's a regular smoker. Even if he is, it has no relevance to injuries.