markavfc40

Biggest pat on the back I can give Guzan is to say we haven't missed Shay Given. Fair play to him.

What can you say about the guy. Continues to have an excellent season. Great composed finish for his goal. Should have had a pen as well seconds earlier. He has led by example this season and its clear all the other lads look up to him. Shame that age will inevitably catch up with him. Hopefully he has another couple of years at this level in him as he will be very difficult to replace.

He was class today. Hopefully this is the start of something. Fair play to McLeish for picking him today and Ireland certainly repaid him.

Fair play to him. Much improved over the last 3 games. 23 points halfway through the season is far from great but its 3 points up on this stage last season when we had Ash and Downing. Shows how shit we were last season I guess. We have Swansea, Everton, Wolves and QPR as our next 4 games. Three of them at home. Hopefully we can continue to play as we have in recent games and get ourselves up in to the top 7/8.

PB hasn't stated what the outcome will be when McLeish sets his own team up. What PB has stated is that McLeish is now manager and that he doesn't see that changing any time soon. Lerner having employed him as manager will allow him to set the team up as he sees fit with in the confines of the clubs finances. I agree with him. I don't see McLeish going anywhere for some considerable time yet and whether we like it or not he will be allowed to set the team up as he wants.

Another very good performance from Stan again today. Led by example yet again and was still going strong at the end. Having a very good season and a strong contender at the moment for player of the season. I'd imagine if he keeps anything like this kind of form up he is guaranteed to be players player of the season.

I'd suggest that inheriting daddys money and never having to have to get his hands dirty in making a living or upset a few people whilst climbing the ladder has meant that Lerner lacks any kind of ruthless streak.

Off the top of my head a few memorable late winners under Mon: Maloney against Fulham at VP in Aug 2007 Gabby at Sha in 88th minute to win 2-1 in 2007 and he did something similar in 2009 Ash at Everton to win 3-2 A few memorable last gasp equalisers: Zat Knight against Arsenal at a packed VP on boxing day 2008 when we came from 2 down to draw 2-2 Barrys pen in injury time that got a point at Chelsea in 4-4 draw after we went down to 10 men Petrov against Palace in FA Cup

Just back from VP and your spot on OBE. Crowd response tonight was excellent due to what had been served up. The fact we were positive, the fact we gave our all and really took the game to Arsenal. Despite the result there was plenty to be happy with tonight. Now of course we need to build on it. We continue to go out and play as we did tonight and with the same positive attitude the results will come. Lets just hope McLeish has noted the positive reaction of the crowd to the way we played and continues to send us out with the same attitude.

Best performance in a Villa shirt tonight by some way. He actually looked like a 10 million pound player. Lets hope he can keep it up and it wasn't a flash in the pan.

Just back from VP. The very positive crowd response at half time and full time said it all. The lads played really well, gave their all and deserved at least a point and probably all three. As many have said over the last few months you can take losing its the negative attitude that couldn't be stomached. Well tonight the attitude was spot on. Hopefully despite the defeat it could be a turning point. Regardless of what anyone thinks of McLeish lets hope its a performance we can build on.

Having two children aged 13 and 5 me and my wife absolutely love Christmas. If it wasn't for them though I'm not sure we'd be too fussed. As for routine we get up at around 8am spend the next two hours or so opening presents etc. Then off to the cemetery mid morning to my dads grave which in all fairness puts a bit of a downer on things for a while as, like with all special days ( birthdays, anniversaries etc ) specific memories come flooding back and I really miss him even though its over 9 years since he passed away. Then its either cooking or off round my moms and she cooks for us. Usually have dinner around 3pm then plenty of beer, constantly stuffing face with food and playing with the kids new toys etc. Usually have close family - mom, brother, in laws round Christmas Day and/or Boxing Day. Think Christmas is a fantastic time to spend with your family and is as special as your willing to make it I guess.

Yet starting the season with the hopes of finishing tenth does? Kurt- Yes, we did. It was great. Can't have something every year? We haven't had anything for nearly 30, and for a long time to come. And yes, if Sunday is anything to go by, we probably will end up in a relegation battle. In last 30 years we have 2 League cup wins, League cup runners up, FA Cup runners up, runners up twice in top flight, top 6 in top flight 11 times, qualified for/played in European Cup/UEFA Cup/Europa League 12 times. Given our illustrious history far from fantastic but way, way, way better than anything Sha has got remotely close to serving up and way more exciting.

Its going over old ground and it is irrelevant but lets not forget we were playing one of the best teams in Europe. A team that had the ref had a pair of balls should have been a goal down and down to ten men for 80mins. It could also be argued it was a feature of O'Neills tenure that we would more often than not give the best teams a game. Getting results home and away regularly against Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. He also had a fantastic record in the derby games something that like a lot of things has gone down the shit pan since he left. O'Neill made plenty of **** ups but it was certainly way, way better then than it has been since he left and that looks like being the case for the foreseeable future. It could be argued that what has happened since has made O'Neills tenure look better than it was and I'd certainly agree with that. There however comes a time when you say his time has long gone we dust ourselves down and come again and I'd suggest its something that should have been done some time ago. Instead the club has gone from one **** up to another from poor managerial appointments to selling our best players and signing replacements of nowhere near the same quality. Oh and I think you'll find that O'Neill didn't walk. He was sacked.

How the **** Zat Knight is considered poor value is beyond me. Brought for 3.5 mill did OK and sold a couple of years later for 4 mill.

Norwich are hardly likely to be the finished article are they. This time 2 years ago they were in League One. Back to back promotions is a fantastic achievement. If he keeps them in the Premiership this season he will have done an unbelievable job especially when you consider that in bringing them up two divisions and having them currently in the top ten in the Prem he has spent just 8 mill on players. I think he'll keep them up and I think he is destined to manage a much bigger club.

Wish I could argue with the above but sadly that is where we are at. Like you say in 5 and half years on the pitch, where it really matters, we have pretty much come full circle. Whilst I am 100% certain that Randy set out hoping for far better I am also certain that he is also ultimately responsible for the shit we are now being served up.

Lerner has never managed the team, surely our defensive hangover from MON's over indulgence on ageing defenders on long contract. Defending set pieces has been a problem for the past 3-4 seasons. spot on .... we have gone for a ball of chalk since Laursen finished and Mellberg was asked to play full back Load of bollocks. Laursen played his last game for us in Jan 09. In the 18 league games remaining that season and the 38 league games in the following season we conceded 64 goals in 56 games. That is a very good defensive record. In the 09/10 season we had the 4th best defence in the league and aside from a freak result at Chelsea where we conceded 7 we conceded just 32 goals in the other 37 league games which is excellent. That defence was in the main Cuellar Dunne Collins Warnock. I don't know how many of the above would have been from set pieces but I can't remember it being an issue then and our overall excellent defensive record would suggest it wasn't. statisically you might be right, because I ain't got the interest to check... but when you go to a wembley final and your centre half fails to control a ball on the half way line to keep you in the game you call that good defending. Since Laursen Left we have been weaker in defence thats my opinion, we made up by getting more players behind the ball, which effected the goal scoring. The Chelsea game wasn't a one off we soon went to Newcastle a few weeks after Mon Left and got stuffed again. We also had a poor record for hanging on to a lead, so where your stats lead us to I don't know. I suggest you stop looking at stats and watch the game. Ps Don't listen to Match of the Day either, they are all his mates. PPS This all started with O'Neill and it has gradually got worse. I have a missed a handful of games home and away in the last two seasons pal. And a handful of home games in the last 24 years. The Chelsea game in the context of that season was very clearly a one off. As for us having a tendency to concede late goals at that time can you provide evidence of this and was it any worse than any other team? I honestly don't know what you are waffling on about in terms of listening to match of the day and them all being his mates. I presume you mean O'Neills mates? You need to get over O'Neill. Constantly blaming a guy who left 18 months ago for our failings now is going to get us nowhere. In fact that is exactly where it is taking us. You can blame him until you are blue in the face but the fact remains the guy who gave us our best season in many a year and 3 top 6 finishes on the spin for the first time since the 1930's has long gone. Since he left we have seen many players come and go. Brought in the best part of 70 mill selling players he signed and spent the best part of 50 mill. Whether you liked O'Neill or thought he was a complete tosser is irrelevant now. The people who now control our fate are the ones that matter and they have been making a right **** up of things for the last 18 months.

I can't agree with this and much of the rest of your post, sorry. I'd struggle to name more than a couple of managers that are worse than McLeish currently managing in the Premier League. Are you seriously suggesting that Aston Villa should have one of the worst managers of all the clubs in the Premier League? that we couldn't go all out to attract better than that? **** me even under Doug we managed to attract some very good managers. Big Ron, Brian Little, Graham Taylor all left clubs to come to us. Graham Taylor in fact left Watford then in the top flight to come to a just relegated Aston Villa. He was young and saw us as what we were a club with huge potential and a challenge. You telling me that a Paul Lambert or a Brendan Rogers wouldn't see us a huge step up or couldn't be convinced to come. Its about how you sell the club and Lerner/ Faulkner must be poor salesmen if the best that they can do is to bring in McLeish. Aston Villa is still considered by many in the game as one of the top half dozen or so clubs in the country. It should take very little selling to prospective managers. To have then ended up with McLeish shows incompetence of the highest order from Lerner and Faulkner.

I still can't get over how quickly we have fallen over the last 18 months. We may be sitting 10th but we are a million miles away from where we were. In any case by the half way point of the season I'd say we'll be sitting in around 14th which is a more realistic position. Whilst its not nice I can just about accept that Lerner has had to cut costs. That though does not excuse his managerial appointments. Whilst not ideal when O'Neill left, most likely it seems sacked, 5 days before the season, Aston Villa was still an attractive proposition for many a manager. Even after a poor season last year we were still an attractive proposition. Now everyone is entitled to make a **** up. Lerner though learned nothing from the mistakes he made with Houllier and appointed another duff in McLeish. Its incomprehensible when you think about it how we have ended up with McLeish. I honestly couldn't care a jot that he has managed Sha. What bothers me is the fact he has taken a club down twice serving up negative tripe whilst doing so. What qualities had Lerner seen in either of his appointments. Houllier you could maybe excuse but he had question marks over him in the fact he hadn't managed for 3 years, hadn't managed in The Premiership in several years, had a questionable record in the transfer market and not known for working on a tight budget, had health issues and wasn't prepared to take on the job immediately choosing to take two weeks to clear his desk at the French FA. What qualities he saw in McLeish is anyone's guess. He seems a nice enough bloke but his record in management in England is poor to OK at best. Its astonishing really that this is the best Aston Villa could do. Well that's not true is it. Its the best Lerner and Faulkner could do. He will inevitably be looking for another manager with in the next 6 -12 months. I don't think we will go down but crowds are dropping off drastically and those of us that do attend will increasingly start to get on the managers back and the inevitable will happen and he will be forced out. Maybe he will be third time lucky. I very much doubt it though. The most important appointment a Chairman/Chief Exec have to make is to appoint the right manager. It is something Lerner and Faulkner seem incapable of doing. That leads me to the conclusion that either Lerner gets rid of Faulkner and brings in a Chief Executive capable of doing this or he sells up. One of the two needs to happen or we are going to continue heading up shit creek without a paddle.

Lerner has never managed the team, surely our defensive hangover from MON's over indulgence on ageing defenders on long contract. Defending set pieces has been a problem for the past 3-4 seasons. spot on .... we have gone for a ball of chalk since Laursen finished and Mellberg was asked to play full back Load of bollocks. Laursen played his last game for us in Jan 09. In the 18 league games remaining that season and the 38 league games in the following season we conceded 64 goals in 56 games. That is a very good defensive record. In the 09/10 season we had the 4th best defence in the league and aside from a freak result at Chelsea where we conceded 7 we conceded just 32 goals in the other 37 league games which is excellent. That defence was in the main Cuellar Dunne Collins Warnock. I don't know how many of the above would have been from set pieces but I can't remember it being an issue then and our overall excellent defensive record would suggest it wasn't.

I posted this in the Randy Lerner thread that there is no chance of McLeish getting the push. Lerner put up with this and worse last season under the previous clown we had managing us when after 19 games we were sat on 20 points in 15th place,after 21 games when we were sat on 21 points in 18th place and after 30 games when we were sat on 33 points in 14th place one point above the drop zone. Also this was despite serving up gutless tripe and the crowd having turned on Houllier in December and him getting the worst crowd reaction/abuse I've seen towards any manager at the end of the Wolves game in March.

Not a chance of McLeish being sacked. He stuck by the clown we had managing us last season when after 19 games we were sat on 20 points in 15th place,after 21 games when we were sat on 21 points in 18th place and after 30 games when we were sat on 33 points in 14th place one point above the drop zone. Also this was despite serving up gutless tripe and the crowd having turned on Houllier in December and him getting the worst crowd reaction/abuse I've seen towards any manager at the end of the Wolves game in March. Lerner put up with all that with his past appointment and he'll put up with a least that and maybe more with McLeish.

Your right no one would be prepared to pay anything like that kind of money for him. If Bent plays his face a little though and states he wants out then a bid of 12-15mill should do it with Faukner and McLeish stating they weren't prepared to keep a player that didn't want to be here.

I'm just off to VP and if I have someone with your attitude siting anywhere near me I'll end up doing time You can't be serious in suggesting you'd rather see us lose if it puts a bit more pressure on the manager and maybe results in seeing him shown the door. I'm no fan of Mcleish far from it but how about hoping we win, gain a bit more confidence and move up the league. I have never and could never hope to see Aston Villa lose regardless of who the manager is and if I wanted him out. Thakfully I think 99.9% of supporters feel the same.