smudge1874

Dean Saunders!!

In reverse order 3. Savo - based on level of excitement. Remember going to West Brom for friendly and half the away end sporting Claret and Blue bandanas (I had one and I was 25 at the time) 2. Yorke - Cost £10k, sold for £12m and still the most naturally gifted footballer I've seen in my 35 years at VP 1. GOD - Nothing else needs to be said.

Not even close, McLeish 20k per week AVB +£120k per week Your maths is wrong. Its widely agreed McLeish is on £2m per year which is more like 40k per week, 20k would be approx. £1m. So getting rid of him would cost around £4m, a major stumbling block considering we already coughed up as much to get him released from Blose. Not if your losing £5m a season in ticket sales. 10,000 season tickets x £500 av price = £5m. We can't afford to keep him!!

Great article by what seems to be the one journalist who gets it!!! http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/1067003/hubbard:-alex-mcleish-sets-standard-of-mediocrity-at-aston-villa?cc=5739

I have to applaud all Villa fans who voted for Stephen Ireland as player of the year........... Does your piss taking know no boundaries. I absolutely wet myself at the ironic satire of it!! A man thats started 16 games, been sub in 6, scored once and had 3 assists was deemed to be the standout performer in this most horrific of seasons!! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Just disappointed I never thought of it!!

The most important thing in all you wrote. I would agree appointing AM was a Huuuuuge **** up from on every single level imaginable and I have absolutley no concept of who or how anyone thought it could possibly work? That said up until then Randy had done, in my opinion, nothing but good for Aston Villa. He had spent a great deal of money on trying to bring on the pitch success to Aston Villa. He has spent a great deal of money improving facilities for fans in and around Villa Park. He has spent a great deal of money on training facilities at BH. In fact everything a lot of fans criticised Ellis for he has done!! If he gets rid of Mcleish which i'm convinced he will, I can't allow his one calamitous decision to cloud all the good stuff he's done

I cannot see how whether we stay up or go down Randy has any other option but to terminate his employment. For those that argue he can't afford to sack him I would argue he can't afford NOT to sack him. Our attendance is down around 6000 on average this season. Over a season at £25 average ticket price thats around £3m. That could rise to 10000 or more if AM stays. Thats almost £6m. If we do go down and he keeps AM that will compound the lost revenue from attendances even further so if we go down it makes sense to get rid of him even more because Lerner will realise he will need all the fans money and support he can get. For those on here that have the opinion Lerner should go and is clueless I would say this. Lerner is guilty of the following: 1. Not listening to his fan base or understanding the gravity of appointing McLeish. I can understand this to a certain extent because as a boss sometimes you have to take an unpopular decision and go with what you believe over the advice of others. The skill in making these decisions is being honest enough to go, ok I **** up there I need to put that right. I think (hope) Randy is wise enough to do this. I'm confident this will be the case if you read point 2 2. Allowing MON to have too much say in the running of the club that ended in poor financial decisions being made that we are having to rectify now. This would have happened regardless of the manager and I believe the way the club is being run from a finance point of view is the right way now to ensure Villa do not become the next Leeds / Pompey. 3. Listening to people who are giving him very poor advice on football matters. I think we'll probably find that Randy has learned (if you'll excuse the pun) a great deal about running a football club, Aston Villa as a business and an institution this season and also whom he should not have any trust in the next time they offer advice. I think Randy is an excellent patron of Aston Villa who undoubtedly has the good of Aston Villa and its long term future at heart he just listens to the wrong people in the critical matters. I don't imagine a man as wealthy as he is will not use the experience of this season and come back better for it. For those who want rid of him, I understand that point of view and can see where its born from but as the old saying goes be careful what you wish for cos we might just get it!! ( see Venky's / Gillette's / Shinawatra / Yeung / Sullivans)

So the question as I see it is, I'm gonna get my bollocks cut off. You want to know whether I would like that done quickly with a sharp knife, have pain killers administered and then begin the healing process soon......ooooorrr do I want to have them cut off gradually using a spoon that will take around twelve months without any pain killers delying the healing process?? Hmmmm.......not much of a choice there is there?? The sooner McLeish leaves Aston Villa the better. If that means going down then so be it, at least the healing process will begin soon. HOWEVER.......I cannot see how whether we stay up or go down Randy has any other option but to terminate his employment. For those that argue he can't afford to sack him I would argue he can't afford NOT to sack him. Our attendance is down around 6000 on average this season. Over a season at £25 average ticket price thats around £3m. That could rise to 10000 or more if AM stays. Thats almost £6m. If we do go down and he keeps AM that will compound the lost revenue from attendances even further so if we go down it makes sense to get rid of him even more because Lerner will realise he will need all the fans money and support he can get. For those on here that have the opinion Lerner should go and is clueless I would say this. Lerner is guilty of the following: 1. Not listening to his fan base or understanding the gravity of appointing McLeish. I can understand this to a certain extent because as a boss sometimes you have to take an unpopular decision and go with what you believe over the advice of others. The skill in making these decisions is being honest enough to go, ok I **** up there I need to put that right. I think (hope) Randy is wise enough to do this. I'm confident this will be the case if you read point 2 2. Allowing MON to have too much say in the running of the club that ended in poor financial decisions being made that we are having to rectify now. This would have happened regardless of the manager and I believe the way the club is being run from a finance point of view is the right way now to ensure Villa do not become the next Leeds / Pompey. 3. Listening to people who are giving him very poor advice on football matters. I think we'll probably find that Randy has learned (if you'll excuse the pun) a great deal about running a football club, Aston Villa as a business and an institution this season and also whom he should not have any trust in the next time they offer advice. I think Randy is an excellent patron of Aston Villa who undoubtedly has the good of Aston Villa and its long term future at heart he just listens to the wrong people in the critical matters. I don't imagine a man as wealthy as he is will not use the experience of this season and come back better for it. For those who want rid of him, I understand that point of view and can see where its born from but as the old saying goes be careful what you wish for cos we might just get it!! ( see Venky's / Gillette's / Shinawatra / Yeung / Sullivans)

I know this will get locked but we **** did tell them and they ignored us. Well reap what you sow and thanks a **** bunch

Personally i dont think you or anyone else on this board for that matter, have the right to judge others on what and how they spend their free time. I'm not judging anyone on how they spend their spare time. You or anyone else can spend your spare time how you like. What I am saying is if you choose to watch Chelsea over Villa tonight then how can you call yourself a Villa Fan???

To those of you who choose to stay away tonight and watch Chelsea instead I respect your right to choose how you spend your time and hard earned but please do me, the other fans attending tonight and the club a favour........don't come back!! We don't need fans like you.

If fickle was a wrong choice of words GUTLESS is eve nworse. You don't know the people on here, what they have or have not done in the past so that is offensive to me and others. We all make our own minds up what to do and hurling insults hardly strengthens your case. I stood on the Holte when we were relegated to the old 3rd division with crowds of a size at times as good as now, I protested in the 60.s in the 80's and 90's and went to many AGMs and took on Doug and his cronies so lay off, I make my decisions and disagree with you at times but there are many many people, blogs etc talking of protests (and I have financially contributed to one) and there is still little sign of effect is there? DenisB Apologies for the offence caused. My intention was not to offend but get a rise in people. There is far too much apathy and resignation to whats happening at our club and it makes me very very sad indeed. I take you at your word on your history as a Villan which makes me quite disappointed that you choose now, arguably one of the lowest points in our history to effectively say "do what you **** like with Villa I don't care". I respect your right to make that decision I just don't agree with it. If the blokes like you are doing this then the club really is ****!!

That's the reason I'm not going, in protest. It's not because I'm fickle. I've still been to over 15 games this season, mostly away. But I'm not going to give the club my hard earned so they can continue to piss it up the wall. People can choose to protest how they want. But I believe the only way Lerner will listen is if people stay away for a while. Wouldn't a proper fan realise something needs to be done to stop the downward spiral, and protest in the best way they feel fit. Turning up and just sitting there silent / or criticising what's going on, like the majority of fans have done this year, is doing the players no good, IMO. BTW I'm on my way to Thailand tomorrow while the game is on, so I can't attend. In protest at what?? The way the club is being run?? Who the manager is? The standard of football?? What ever the answer is that makes you fickle!! Your only "protesting" because we're shit. If we were 6th or 7th, the manager would be the same, the board would be the same and the football would still be shit. Would you "protest" then?? The fact that you ask that question says a lot, I have been going down the Villa since early 80's, some of my mates since the early 70's. we have been going through thick and thin so far from fickle, we used to still enjoy it as our expectations were realistic, we had passion and even when we during a relegation season we would still be excited before games and I would go without to get my ticket. This is like going to a self harm convention! There is no atmoshere, the seats are empty, the owners and manager dont give a shit what the fans think. My protest if I have to spell it out to you is against the board and the management, not the players and I have a choice of either the drastic action of boycotting the club I love or to sit in a stadium of empty seats, no atmosphere, no passion, poor football and poor management with my arms folded falling asleep to the songs of "shit support mlord" aimed at the away fans. RL knows that Villa fans have a history of sticking by the club through thick and thin and is abusing this by thinking that no matter what he does that fans like me will pay their money no matter what. You cant protest, that was shown to be futile at the beginning of the season and as I have said, people have lost their voices when it comes to showing their anger. As I say, I respect what you are doing but dont knock me for refusing to sit back and watch my club be killed off in fear of being called fickle by people like you. What I do is out of protest and is far more effective than sitting there doing **** all while RL rubs his hands knowing that a free £10 away coach will have you singing his praises within seconds. Even the team dont seem to care at the moment, they dont appriciate the fans support (or at least dont show it) The days of Mountfield running to the Holte to gee up the fans are still in my head to this day, do these players look like they want to stay up to you? b6bloke. I agree with almost everything and every emotion you talk about there. I hate going to Villa Park at the moment. It is, as you put it, like a self harm convention!! One thing I dont agree with is that protest is futile. the reason the protest pre season failed was that not enough people protested loudly enough. Imagine a packed Villa Park with everyone singing for the managers head or holding up white flags. That is a protest that would be very difficult to be ignored. Perhaps fickle is the wrong word. Perhaps gutless would be a better word for those that choose not to protest because its "futile" History shows that if enough people stand up and say I aint having this, things can be changed. History also shows that if enough people cant be arsed **** all changes!! So where are these protests? Where are the white flags, the banners, the anti AM songs? We tried the anti AM songs on Saturday and nobody joined in, the back of the upper Holte sang over the top of it which seemed on purpose, whether this was a sign to get behind the team i dont know but I have never to this day seen a manager so bad get away with so much. No protests yet and as I said, the last game of the season is a waste of time, I am not even convinced that the protest will get the support it reuires to be even heard let alone get the stubbon RL to admit he was wrong. You dont want to surrender your club under any circumstances Smudge and you are not wrong, but those who feel the need to hit him where it hurts are not wrong either, we just have different methods yet the same love and objective. Respected!! Got to be honest, I'm astounded by the lack of hatred directed towards the manager by the crowd. I suspect that may change if we go one or two down tomorrow night.

That's the reason I'm not going, in protest. It's not because I'm fickle. I've still been to over 15 games this season, mostly away. But I'm not going to give the club my hard earned so they can continue to piss it up the wall. People can choose to protest how they want. But I believe the only way Lerner will listen is if people stay away for a while. Wouldn't a proper fan realise something needs to be done to stop the downward spiral, and protest in the best way they feel fit. Turning up and just sitting there silent / or criticising what's going on, like the majority of fans have done this year, is doing the players no good, IMO. BTW I'm on my way to Thailand tomorrow while the game is on, so I can't attend. In protest at what?? The way the club is being run?? Who the manager is? The standard of football?? What ever the answer is that makes you fickle!! Your only "protesting" because we're shit. If we were 6th or 7th, the manager would be the same, the board would be the same and the football would still be shit. Would you "protest" then?? THe way the club is being run, the utter contempt the board treated the fans with when we aired our concerns about Eck, and the negative approach taken by McLeish. Would I reneew if we were top 6? that's a non-starter as I know, under McLeish, we are only going 1 way and that is down. That hurts me, because the club and fans deserve so much better. We have no divine right to anything, and if we were in this posaition because of misfortune or whatever I'd still be there. I've had a season ticket since I was in my teens (over 11 yrs), but to hiring this guy in was ridiculous, we all knew we'd be fighting relegation this year because of him, but yet the board let it happen. Please tell me how else I am suppose to get my own message across to the board. The fans deserve better, simple as. Like I've said I've been to nearly 15 games this year still.. You say 25,000 PROPER fans wil lbe there, but how many of them will just sit in silence, or boo and jeer. Quite a big number I suspect, and these are not actions of proper fans. djamfisher. I agree with you on sooo many points. The club has been badly managed The fans are victims of utter contempt from the board We will never do anything but battle relegation under AM We have no divine right to anything What I cant and will never agree on is that staying away is the best policy. Staying away = less money no money = lack of quality in playing staff lack of quality in playing staff = more defeats more defeats = relegation relegation = financial disaster financial disaster = worse players worse players = more relegations You get the drift. Turn up make your feelings known through the right to protest, i.e boo jeer, call AM a word removed but don't do nothing!!! i certainly get your drift, and I haven't made my decision lightly. I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree. Respected

That's the reason I'm not going, in protest. It's not because I'm fickle. I've still been to over 15 games this season, mostly away. But I'm not going to give the club my hard earned so they can continue to piss it up the wall. People can choose to protest how they want. But I believe the only way Lerner will listen is if people stay away for a while. Wouldn't a proper fan realise something needs to be done to stop the downward spiral, and protest in the best way they feel fit. Turning up and just sitting there silent / or criticising what's going on, like the majority of fans have done this year, is doing the players no good, IMO. BTW I'm on my way to Thailand tomorrow while the game is on, so I can't attend. In protest at what?? The way the club is being run?? Who the manager is? The standard of football?? What ever the answer is that makes you fickle!! Your only "protesting" because we're shit. If we were 6th or 7th, the manager would be the same, the board would be the same and the football would still be shit. Would you "protest" then?? The fact that you ask that question says a lot, I have been going down the Villa since early 80's, some of my mates since the early 70's. we have been going through thick and thin so far from fickle, we used to still enjoy it as our expectations were realistic, we had passion and even when we during a relegation season we would still be excited before games and I would go without to get my ticket. This is like going to a self harm convention! There is no atmoshere, the seats are empty, the owners and manager dont give a shit what the fans think. My protest if I have to spell it out to you is against the board and the management, not the players and I have a choice of either the drastic action of boycotting the club I love or to sit in a stadium of empty seats, no atmosphere, no passion, poor football and poor management with my arms folded falling asleep to the songs of "shit support mlord" aimed at the away fans. RL knows that Villa fans have a history of sticking by the club through thick and thin and is abusing this by thinking that no matter what he does that fans like me will pay their money no matter what. You cant protest, that was shown to be futile at the beginning of the season and as I have said, people have lost their voices when it comes to showing their anger. As I say, I respect what you are doing but dont knock me for refusing to sit back and watch my club be killed off in fear of being called fickle by people like you. What I do is out of protest and is far more effective than sitting there doing **** all while RL rubs his hands knowing that a free £10 away coach will have you singing his praises within seconds. Even the team dont seem to care at the moment, they dont appriciate the fans support (or at least dont show it) The days of Mountfield running to the Holte to gee up the fans are still in my head to this day, do these players look like they want to stay up to you? b6bloke. I agree with almost everything and every emotion you talk about there. I hate going to Villa Park at the moment. It is, as you put it, like a self harm convention!! One thing I dont agree with is that protest is futile. the reason the protest pre season failed was that not enough people protested loudly enough. Imagine a packed Villa Park with everyone singing for the managers head or holding up white flags. That is a protest that would be very difficult to be ignored. Perhaps fickle is the wrong word. Perhaps gutless would be a better word for those that choose not to protest because its "futile" History shows that if enough people stand up and say I aint having this, things can be changed. History also shows that if enough people cant be arsed **** all changes!!