Rob182

General, I have no question to ask! I'd just like to state that I am on a basic salary, I'm 22, I live in a rented house, I fund/insure a car and have no problem with paying £350 + for my season ticket and have, this month alone, bought tickets for all 3 Blackburn games and the Brighton game. Good work, keep it up! Pass on the good words to Randy!

I like Gabby I like Milner Moew Mix, Moew Mix, please deliver..

leave work at 3, going home to drown my sorrows on Football Manager! I'm gonna have a word with my Team Leader and see if I can come in at 7am next thursday, so that I can leave at 3 without using any holiday (if the game is defo next Thursday)

Gutted The only plus I can see from this is that Jimmy wasn't fully fit (according to MON on OS), so we should have him back for the first leg

scrap that ^^.. the game is off according to the Blackburn website

im on hagley road and out my window the snow has stopped.. (not that this has any effect on blackburns weather..) but it's a plus point never-the-less

I personally do consider finishing 4th as being better than winning the League Cup. To me, 4th means that after the course of a WHOLE SEASON we would have been the 4th best team. Winning the League Cup means we have beaten 6 random teams on one occasion.. I don't think anyone has said we will qualify or win the CL.. As said above - finishing 4th means you're, currently, the 4th best team in the league. If I was a player and had to chose between signing for the team who finished 4th (but missed out on the League Cup) or the team who finished 5th and won the League Cup - I'd chose 4th. (Sorry if that also sickens you - must be modern age football/ impact of money/ etc etc).. I don't mean to pick at your post - but no one has said we will win the Prem or the Champions League.. And though I would prefer to finish 4th than win the League Cup - I'd still love to win that or any cup.. no joke

I don't believe that winning the League Cup will attract any players of a higher quality than our current 11. Win the League Cup and yes - we would probably be able to buy another Warnock/ Downing/ Dunne.. (not taking anything away from their quality, they're solid players) But finish 4th and you have the slightest possibility of qualifying for the CL. This would attrack a higher quality of player - Like I've said - not a Torres, not a Drogba... but an up and coming player/ proven CL player pushing 30 etc.. (finishing 4th would give us all the possibilities that the League Cup gives us, with more) I would love to win a cup, but I feel that if you chose a cup over 4th - you're always going to be a 5th-7th side.. I'd prefer to finish 4th as that shows real progression in the league over the course of a whole season.

How does winning a trophy put you in a better position to compete long term? I see your points and agree that finishing 4th doesn't automatically give you CL football.. But I would have thought that finishing 4th would attract a higher class of player (not a Torres or a Rooney but someone who has the potential to be one) than winning the League Cup would..

Same as the last poll. 4th every time! We currently have a very strong squad, excellent backups and talent coming through. It'd only take one season of finishing 4th to attract a few classy players to maintain that position and move Villa to a different level. I'd sacrifice one year of Silverware for this. Everytime.

One team has to eventually break into the top 4.. One team, also, has to eventually stay in the top 4 and one of the current top 4 will get replaced.. Why would you prefer to win the League Cup instead of having a possibility of being the team that broke into the top 4 and stays there? It's not false hopes of a new dawn. It's ambition.

lol.. I'd do most nationalities... liberal. . . . Today is dragging!!! It's going to drag a lot more.. I finish work (in Brum) at 5 and have to kill time before making my way to the Villa!! (it wouldn't be worth driving home just to have 1hr before setting off again)

^^ My point exactly! Winning the League Cup has no credability at all! You could have a lucky draw and get a poor team, you could get a team who don't care about the League Cup and put out a weak squad, you could beat one team who played bad on one day.. not much credability in that imo.. Finishing 4th shows your quality throughout a whole season..

Before 2nd or 3rd? seriously? Finishing 4th isn't just an invitation to a tournament that's lost it's credibility.. The end of season league table shows you all 20 teams in order of how good they were that season - us finishing 4th would make us the 4th best team in the league that season - i think that shows real improvement..

If we changed the question to - "For the next 5 years would you prefer to finish 4th or win the league cup?" then would anyone change their mind? I'd stick with 4th (but I'm stubborn lol)..

Fair point. But take it from me, when your old and grey and your hearing and sight start to fail, its the memories of the cups you won that warm your heart. Somehow remembering the wonderful "developement " of the seasonn 09-10 just wont do the trick. Glory is coloured silver. Probably true.. But I'd like to think that, if we came 4th, MON would buy a couple of players who would be interested in helping Villa stay in the Champs League for more than the qualifying round.. Not a Torres or a Drogba but a few players with class who will help Villa push in the right direction. And with that push and the added quality - I'd hope that we'd also challenge for the League Cup the next season I'd much prefer a possibility of that ^^ than a League Cup which doesn't come with much praise or attraction for better players

I think if we came 4th then we would be able to attract a player or two of a higher class.. If we won the League Cup then I don't think we would.. That's why I think 4th is better for the development of villa

As much as I'd love us to get a cup, I'd prefer to finish top 4 - just because we'd be the first team to do it for a while, we'd get Champs League and we'd break up the usual, predictable man u, chelsea, liverpool, arsenal party.

Not to be sung - but to be read, like a poem, from the Holte End by every man & woman.. I would like to tell you how, Villa became the talk of the town, Martin O'Neill is a clever man, With Randy Lerner, an american, Spend some money on Young and Young, Spend some more on Milner, not dung, Almost break into the top four, Then down to 6th, that's food for thought! Next time round we'll make it better, Sell Gareth Barry because he's a bed wetter! Martin Laursen was a top man, Bid him a farewell then make a plan, Replace him with Dunne from Manchester City, And buy James Collins, people thought he was shitty, Buy Stewart Downing, move Milner to the middle, Martin O'Neill is learning the fiddle. Liverpool tonight and they're not gonna beat us, Rafa has a face like a grown up featus. Any thoughts?

Arrrgghhhh I wish I had a ticket!! This is going to be a tough game but I'm optimistic because of recent results.. I'd play a full strength squad in this game and then maybe rotate one or two for Liverpool (who we all know are struggling!) I'm going to predict a win to villa, but a tight win... 2-1 maybe

Cheers Mammoth10 and Ads! A 20 minute walk and a pub closeby sounds ideal!

Chappy.. If you keep posting immediatly after I do I'm going to be forced to quit VT and to sign up as the mysterious "Tony182"..

Haha, it's actually better than the real band name - "Casey's Fault" ... hmm :s And my band after that - "Jack's Wasted Life" (quote from fightclub) and my newest - "King of the Robots" I think you'll agree I have quite a talent when creating band names! :winkold:

Me and my fellow ST holder are both working til 3, driving there straight after - does anyone know any free parking closeby? (Never been to Blackburn before!)

Mr old band won a battle of the bands where Steve Craddock (Ocean Colour Scene guitarist) was the judge.. He got really drunk and threw a microphone while on stage -trying to act a bit rebellious.. But then realised that he should probably pick it up.. lol